The Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) is a senior scientific and technical federal institute with responsibility to the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. It tests, researches, and advises to protect people, the environment and material goods.
The Transport Container Safety division is engaged with research, testing and assessment of transport containers for radioactive materials. This includes mechanical and thermal safety verifications and the development of experimental and computational test methods for the analysis of transport containers.
As part of the experimental work, we perform a variety of load tests at our BAM Test Site for Technical Safety (BAM-TTS) close to Berlin. We offer good and close supervision of the work in a scientific environment.
Topic of the Thesis
At the BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, the division ‘Safety of Transport Containers’ deals, among other things, with drop tests and the mechanical impact behaviour of containers for dangerous goods. The foundations required for such drop tests for large and heavy packages must comply with the regulations. The regulations calling the real foundation as a target that shall be flat and should have a horizontal surface of such a character that any increase in its resistance to displacement or deformation upon impact by the specimen would not significantly increase damage to the specimen. Simulations are to be carried out in order to better understand the behaviour of the reinforced concrete foundation with an additional thick steel plate on top of it. As there are different types of drop tests and the impact is different each time, the height, velocity and impact angle must be analysed. The numerical analyses should be compared and evaluated with experimental data from tests that have already been carried out. Depending on the software package, the existing CAD model of the reinforced concrete foundation must be adapted and extended to include the object for the drop test. Corresponding boundary conditions must be taken from the experimental data and adequately considered in the model.
Task of the Thesis
This project entails the development and parameterization of a model for an impact test. The dynamic analysis will be performed using the software Ansys®. Key parameters will be identified and analysed through an examination of existing experimental data. A literature research will be conducted to identify suitable modelling approaches and relevant boundary conditions that align with the specific requirements of the study. The mechanical characteristics such as velocity, displacement, strain, stress will be scrutinized and categorized as part of the numerical investigations.
Agenda
- The thesis can be written in English or German
- A poster should be designed at the end of the work
- Literature research for materials, boundary conditions, modelling, validation
- Evaluation of experimental data of a drop test
- Creation of a suitable generic model of the object and boundary conditions
- Convergence studies
- Evaluation of the numerical results with respect to defined characteristics and criteria with the help of the experimental results
Qualifications:
- Experience in the field of mechanics
- Experience with modelling
- Essential: Application of the simulation software Ansys®
Contact:
Dr. Tobias Gleim
phone: 030 8104-3168
E-Mail: Tobias.Gleim@bam.de
Address: Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM)
Division 3.3 Safety of Transport Containers
Unter den Eichen 44-46
12203 Berlin