Topology optimised bolt placements

Abstract

This thesis will focus on the use of optimization algorithms to suggest an optimal bolt placement with regards to deflection. The work is inspired by and supposed to be an addition to the design process that Thomas Røkke and Henrik Hoen Hersleth have been automating. The input and output of this program are based on this design process, and these parameters will be defined and discussed later. The program is supposed to suggest an optimal bolt pattern for subsea manifold applications where the goal is to reduce the separation in and around hydraulic tubes. The solution to this problem is not necessarily a symmetric bolt pattern and this makes it challenging to establish a simple model to calculate the different deflections. The main focus of this thesis is to establish and design a model that can be used to suggest a good bolt pattern. The model will be used to design an objective function that tries to estimate the deformation in each tube, and this objective function can be used in optimization algorithms to find an optimal solution. The results of the different models will be verified using Finite Element Method (FEM) in the ABAQUS CAE tool.

This thesis will focus on the use of optimization algorithms to suggest an optimal bolt placement with regards to deflection. The work is inspired by and supposed to be an addition to the design process that Thomas Røkke and Henrik Hoen Hersleth have been automating. The input and output of this program are based on this design process, and these parameters will be defined and discussed later. The program is supposed to suggest an optimal bolt pattern for subsea manifold applications where the goal is to reduce the separation in and around hydraulic tubes. The solution to this problem is not necessarily a symmetric bolt pattern and this makes it challenging to establish a simple model to calculate the different deflections. The main focus of this thesis is to establish and design a model that can be used to suggest a good bolt pattern. The model will be used to design an objective function that tries to estimate the deformation in each tube, and this objective function can be used in optimization algorithms to find an optimal solution. The results of the different models will be verified using Finite Element Method (FEM) in the ABAQUS CAE tool.