A very straightforward finite element model enabled the wall thicknesses and internal radii of an electronics enclosure to be determined for a deep-sea monitoring application. The axis-symmetric model consisted of a single parametric region with appropriate boundary conditions and external pressure loading.
This apparently simple axis-symmetric model included a glass dome for a deep-sea optical inspection application. Extensive use was made of non-linear contact elements to experiment with the interface between the dome and the metal structure below.
The dome profile, interface and sealing arrangement were developed in order to achieve a near-uniform stress distribution in the glass, without the high local stresses at the sealing surface that can be seen in this plot.
