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Optimizing High-Speed Catamaran Design with IoT Technology
Technology Category
- Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Event-Driven Application
- Sensors - Level Sensors
Applicable Industries
- Aerospace
- Marine & Shipping
Applicable Functions
- Product Research & Development
Use Cases
- Building Automation & Control
- Intelligent Urban Water Supply Management
The Challenge
The École de Technologie Supérieure (ÉTS) Team Rafale, a group of aerospace engineers, faculty members, and students, faced the challenge of designing, building, and racing a C-Class catamaran for the 'Little America’s Cup'. The rules of the competition stipulated that the catamaran had to be less than 25ft long, with a maximum width of 14ft, and less than 300sq ft. sail area. This presented a significant challenge as the catamaran needed to be built in less than 18 months. The hydrofoils, despite being less than two square feet in surface area, needed to be able to lift the entire boat and its two-man crew out of the water. The 30ft mast at the heart of the rigid wingsail carries almost 4000 lb. of compression while weighing less than 30lbs. The team needed to drive innovation and use the best materials possible to meet these requirements.
About The Customer
The École de Technologie Supérieure (ÉTS), founded in 1974, is part of the Université du Québec’s network and is one of the biggest engineering schools in Canada. It is located in the center of Montréal and has more than 7000 students in several programs covering all major parts of industry. Team Rafale, a group within ÉTS, is composed of aerospace engineers, faculty members, and students. They took on the ambitious challenge to design, build and race a C-Class catamaran in the ‘Little America’s Cup’. The team began building the catamaran in December 2014, and completed the build-phase mid-July 2015.
The Solution
To meet the challenge, Team Rafale utilized Altair’s OptiStruct and its composite optimization process. OptiStruct allowed the team to quickly cycle through multiple design iterations, taking the requirements and manufacturing limitations into account. All major components, including both cross-beams, the hydrofoils, and the foiling rudders, benefited from this design approach. Each component was run through the three-phase laminate composite design optimization process. The high level of automation and OptiStruct’s ability to directly import, optimize, and export composite data helped the team drastically reduce turnaround times between iterations. This allowed the exploration of various options to meet the aggressive weight targets. The final design was a catamaran with full carbon fiber composite design including a 45ft tall 300sq ft. rigid wing-sail and hydrofoils.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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