Case Study: Achates Power achieves lighter, more efficient engine design with MSC Adams

Achates Power - Customer Case Study

Achates Power was developing a lightweight, low-emissions opposed-piston diesel engine and faced the challenge of ensuring its structural integrity and dynamic performance while aggressively optimizing its components for weight reduction. To meet these goals, they needed to conduct advanced structural dynamic analysis, including studying the influence of the engine block and mitigating a problematic gear resonance detected during testing.

MSC Software provided its MSC Adams multi-body simulation software, which was used to create a fully flexible virtual model of the engine. This solution, employing a hybrid approach that combined multi-body simulation with finite element analysis, allowed Achates Power to perform extensive parameter studies. The analysis confirmed the engine's structural integrity, enabled significant weight reduction by optimizing the support structure, and successfully identified the root cause and multiple solutions for the gear resonance issue, including design changes that moved the resonance outside the engine's operating range.

Achates Power

Christina Exner

Achates Power