Optimizing a Flywheel Profile
Application ID: 4356
The radial stress component in an axially symmetric and homogeneous flywheel of constant thickness exhibits a sharp peak near the inner radius. From there, it decreases monotonously until it reaches zero at the flywheel’s outer rim. The uneven stress distribution reveals a design that does not make optimal use of the material available.
Given specified flywheel mass and moment of inertia, this model solves the problem of finding the optimal thickness profile with respect to the objective of obtaining a radial stress distribution that is as even as possible.
The resulting maximum stress, which occurs in the radial direction at the inner radius, is roughly 40% less for the optimized profile compared to the flat flywheel.
This model example illustrates applications of this type that would nominally be built using the following products:
however, additional products may be required to completely define and model it. Furthermore, this example may also be defined and modeled using components from the following product combinations:
The combination of COMSOL® products required to model your application depends on several factors and may include boundary conditions, material properties, physics interfaces, and part libraries. Particular functionality may be common to several products. To determine the right combination of products for your modeling needs, review the Specification Chart and make use of a free evaluation license. The COMSOL Sales and Support teams are available for answering any questions you may have regarding this.