While most of the Intellectual Maritime Technologies team works from home, we didn’t lose efficiency. Recently our users have obtained next ShaftDesigner software updates (1.9.21–1.9.23) implementing a series of new helpful functions and some bug fixing. Some of the juiciest features are summarized below.
Base model
The ShaftDesigner software has expanded the repository of engine equivalent beams for the alignment calculations. Now it contains ready-to-use equivalent beams of WIN GD engines as well as MAN, Wärtsilä ones. Save your time by adding a ready engine model from the Repository to your model!
Interest to electric power and transmission for marine propulsion systems is increasing. We added to ShaftDesigner a new separate object ‘Rotor shaft’ for more precise modeling of such installations.
Import template function allows a user to create almost the whole shafting model by an external Excel file. Some of our customers use that function to automate creating models and combining them with their own shafting design software. In the latest update, we extended the functionality of model import and the new template with ‘Couplings’ tab allows adding any coupling with specified parameters to your model using import.
Alignment
New wakefield diagram has been added to the hydrodynamic propeller loads calculations. Besides a fantastic picture for your customer, this diagram can help you to find out errors in the input wakefield.
In the latest update, ShaftDesigner contains examples of projects demonstrating specific calculations and functions of the software. Currently, most projects are intended for the Alignment application, but examples for vibration applications are on the way.
Vibrations
A new approach to creating torsional scheme out of the 3D model has been added in the last update of ShaftDesigner. The old approach converts one shaft to a single torsional element. The new approach converts every shaft element with unique diameters to a separate torsional element allowing more deep torsional vibration analysis.
The last update of ShaftDesigner brings to users the ability to set measurement units in the Excel import template and further recognizing them in the software. Previously, measurement units were predefined. We improve ShaftDesigner for the convenience of our users.
In the previous versions of ShaftDesigner, the user could enter the power limit curve data only in percent on MCR and speed on MCR. In the newest version, the absolute values can be used for this purpose as well. We are continuously improving the user interface for the convenience of our customers.
Our customers also got another new possibility in the torsional vibration application. Now, Speed-Pressure Law, Torque-Speed diagram and consumed power in Power Table can be easily recalculated one from the other by two mouse clicks. No hand calculations!
Vibration modules have got a new control option for the engine excitation. Now, any excitation order can be turned off/on depending on needs. This function could help to analyze the mass-elastic model of the propulsion system.
After the last update, ShaftDesigner provides information on individual harmonics of the vibration calculation results for all possible calculated parameters (displacements, velocities, acceleration, moments, forces etc.) in all vibration modules in both frequency and time-domain results representations. It allows the user to more deeply understand the nature and response of the considered propulsion system.
Sometimes, the results of vibration calculation are a little bit confusing due to a big number of response lines for different excitation orders. A new ShaftDesigner’s feature helps to handle this problem and show only the specified number of the most significant orders. Results plots became more clear and representative.
The spectral diagram representation has been added to the torsional and axial vibration results. More deep harmonic response analysis and illustrative reports are now available for our customers.
Reporting
ShaftDesigner reporting system is improving all the time. The newest PDF preview now has got a table of contents and local hyperlinks. ShaftDesigner’s users can see almost the final report exactly in the ShaftDesigner window without wasting time for exporting to Word. It is a new level of convenience.
The export MS Word template is a powerful feature of the ShaftDesigner reporting system. It allows users to export calculation reports into a word file with the predefined formatting of title page, titles of sections, tables, fonts, colours, line spacing etc. This function is really helpful because it saves a lot of time for formatting and prevents accident errors during composing the final report for the customer. In the latest update, we added an example of a Word template that is a good start for your own one. IMT uses that feature to make reports for our customers too.
There are more updates that are given in the attached file. Intellectual Maritime Technologies continuously improve the ShaftDesigner software taking into account the request of our customers.