BY

MECANO
Cable
Dynamic Analysis
of Guyed and
Suspended
Structures,
Including
Electromagnetic
and
Aerodynamic
Loads
MECANO CABLE is a tool providing a static and dynamic
analysis of the nonlinear behaviour of structures consisting of
cables, taking into account any possible electromagnetic and
aerodynamic loads.
It is a component of the set of nonlinear MECANO softwares,
which also comprises MECANO STRUCTURE devoted to
structural nonlinearities, and MECANO MOTION, devoted to
the study of flexible mechanisms.
This software has undergone many experimental validations, in
particular in the case of the mechanical effects of short circuits.

Physical cable structure

(Courtesy of JANSSEN Eng., LERC)
TYPES OF ANALYSES
MECANO CABLE allows any type of dynamic or static
analysis. The electromagnetic loads are evaluated
continuously , and include the heating up resulting
from short circuit currents.
Classical damping can be included in the time
integration scheme (Newmark, HHT) which is
available with a fixed or automatically updated time
step.
Moreover, coupling with the other SAMCEF modules
allows e.g. a modal extraction from an equilibrium
position of the structure.

Static analysis of complex structures made up

of slack or weakly tautened cables.
Various dimensional constraints may be imposed
in view of the final desired configuration, e.g. the
tension in chosen components at a given
temperature, the sag

Study of the dynamic behaviour

of the Normandy Bridge, France
(SAMTECH, JANSSEN Eng.)

The Normandy Bridge

 Transient dynamic analysis of electrical
network substructures (overhead lines, rigid
bar or cable stations, distribution boxes,
reactance, coil head, ) after the occurrence
of a two- or three-phase short circuit.

Tension in cables resulting from a

broken wire in an
overhead line section

Tension in cables resulting

from a short-circuit

Dynamic analysis, up to the point where

a possible limit cycle occurs, of structures
exhibiting known aerodynamic
characteristics which could depend on
angle of incidence. This study allows an
assessment of the efficiency of control
devices and dampers.

Dynamic behaviour of
an antenna (Janssen
Eng., LERC)

MECANO CABLE includes a generator of

turbulent wind samples, based on a
spectrum with known spatial coherence
and vertical profile.
USER INTERFACE
Menus and acquisition boxes
allow the user to input data very
easily
An integrated CAD modeller
facilitates modelling and data
application
Groups allow the user to do
away with numbering nodes and
meshes
A function manager makes the
input of variable data much easier
The control language is
parametrizable

AVAILABLE RESULTS
Time evolution of quantities such as node displacements, tension in cables, beam deflections,
distances between macro-cables. Time animation and visualization of the structures at any
instant in time.
ELEMENTS
The large-displacement small-deformation formalism is applied to beams and cables. Cable elements
have two nodes and 4 degrees of freedom per node (3 translation d.o.f. and the tangent rotation).
Bending is deliberately neglected so as to accelerate convergence of very slender structures.
A pulley element is available as well as the idea of a macro-cable (set of cable elements) to which a
function can be applied such as compliance with a maximum deflection or post-evaluation of the
minimal distance between two macro-cables.

cable
Moreover, these structures made
up of cable and beam elements
can be combined with the
macro
mechanism, structural or user
components available in
MECANO.

pulley

ring

beam
HVS (HIGH VOLTAGE SUBSTATIONS)

HVS is a professional tool derived

from MECANO, which allows to
use it as a black box for typical
bus-bars (rigid or flexible) design
in substations.

Starting from a
classical list of
specifications, HVS
ensures automatic
discretization, a well-
ordered computation
and retrieval of the
results which give the
maximal reaction
loads for each
external load pattern
chosen by the user.
MISCELLANEOUS
MISCELLANEOUS
MECANO CABLE is available for UNIX
and Windows NT.
HVS is only available on UNIX. (LERC,
A users guide in English is available in DGA, JANSSEN Eng.)
HTML format.

SAMTECH : Boulevard Frre Orban 25, B-4000 Lige, Belgium

Tel. : +32-4-252 57 77 Fax : +32-4-253 20 09 http://www.samcef.com
SAMTECH-France : Parc dActivits du Pas du Lac, 6 avenue Ampre, 78180 Montigny le Bretonneux, France
Tel. : 01-30 58 47 47 Fax : 01-34 60 90 00

TSE GmbH : Oskar-Kalbfell-Platz 8, D-72764 Reutlingen, Germany

Tel. : +49-7121 92 20 0 Fax : +49 7121 92 20 90

Photograph courtesy, R. Grooten, Janssen Eng., J. Lebois