/sci/ - Science & Math

>>10014892
FEA/CFD simulations are just that - simulations - and rely on a huge number of assumptions. Without understanding and controlling those assumptions, it's very easy to make a model that looks reasonable but doesn't match reality at all. Here's one example, where a flat plate rotated 10 degrees, with no applied loads, shows high stresses: https://www.comsol.com/blogs/what-is-geometric-nonlinearity/

That example may be obvious, but can be harder to pick out when the displacement or deformation is mixed in with (or caused by) other loading.

Don't get me wrong, FEA and CFD are powerful tools that can help you drastically reduce prototyping costs and make better designs, but it's worth investing some time learning about how they work, and even then, I would check your model against some simple prototypes before spending a lot of money.