Modelling & Simulation
Understanding how systems will perform before they are manufactured, tested or deployed.
Whether you're developing a new technology, validating an existing design, investigating a performance issue or seeking confidence in a critical engineering decision, Blackfish provides modelling and simulation services that help reduce uncertainty and support informed engineering decisions.
Engineering decisions are often made long before anything is built, tested or deployed. At these stages, uncertainty can increase technical risk, development cost and project timescales. Modelling and simulation provide a practical means of understanding performance, validating assumptions and identifying issues early in the development process.
By combining advanced analytical tools with experience spanning concept development, detailed design, manufacture, testing and deployment, we help clients understand how structures, systems and components will behave under real-world operating conditions.
The objective is not modelling or analysis for its own sake. It is to provide the evidence needed to validate designs, optimise performance, reduce risk and make better engineering decisions.
How We Support Your Project
The Blackfish Analysis team supports engineering decision-making through structural finite element analysis, thermal analysis, hydrodynamic simulation and analytical modelling.
• High-fidelity structural finite element analysis covering stress, strain, deformation, fatigue, vibration, buckling and failure using linear and non-linear methods with implicit and explicit solvers.
• Thermal engineering services, such as conjugate heat transfer or thermomechanical stress analysis to assess combined structural and thermal load effects.
• Hydrodynamic simulations for predicting vessel motions and assessing the response of marine and offshore systems under environmental loading.
Core Services
Design Support
Application of analytical and numerical techniques to support engineering design decisions from proof-of-concept through to detailed design
Evaluation of performance, structural integrity, fatigue life and operational behaviour
Reduction in risk
Validation
Independent assessment against requirements, industry standards and performance criteria
Validation of analytical models, calculations and assumptions to support critical engineering decisions.
Confidence in decision-making
Optimisation
Iterative analysis to refine performance, reliability and engineering outcomes
Reductions in weight, technical risk and development effort
Better design outcomes
Who We Work With
We support organisations making critical engineering decisions during technology development, design validation and system deployment.
Typical clients require evidence to support critical engineering decisions before committing significant time, cost and resource to manufacture, testing or deployment.
Engagements typically involve design verification, structural integrity assessment, thermal analysis, hydrodynamic evaluation, independent technical review or engineering optimisation.
Typical challenges we solve
Will the design withstand the loads it is expected to experience?
What is the expected fatigue life?
Are there critical failure modes we have not considered?
How will the system behave under real-world operating conditions?
Will temperatures remain within acceptable limits?
Can performance be improved before manufacture or deployment?
Do we have sufficient evidence to support the next engineering decision?
Have key assumptions been validated?
Can a design be validated before physical testing?
Book a Consultation With Our Modelling & Simulation Lead
Dr James Hastie
Modelling and Simulation Lead
James is a chartered mechanical engineer with 13 years' experience in technology development and R&D, primarily across offshore drilling and renewables. He holds a PhD in the thermomechanical modelling of composite structures for deepwater applications, and is an Honorary Researcher at the University of Aberdeen. James regularly supports clients in selecting and applying the most appropriate analytical methods for their engineering challenges, drawing on extensive experience across structural, thermal and multi-physics modelling. Arrange an informal discussion about your engineering challenge.
Case Studies
View a selection of case studies where we outline the challenges, approach and outcome.
.png)
Structural FEA Deep Dive: Proving Complex Structures Before They're Built
Structural finite element analysis (FEA) is a core area of expertise at Blackfish Analysis, supporting clients with design validation, structural integrity assessment and engineering optimisation across projects ranging from large offshore structures to complex mechanical assemblies. Every model is subjected to internal quality control and convergence checks before results are issued.
Challenge
Structural behaviour is rarely straightforward. Projects range from large offshore structures subjected to environmental loading through to intricate mechanical assemblies containing fasteners, bearings, cables and moving interfaces.
In many cases, manufacturing and assembly effects such as welds, residual stresses, interference fits and preloaded joints can have a significant influence on performance and therefore need to be properly understood before a design progresses.
Approach
Blackfish develops finite element models ranging from rapid beam-based assessments through to highly detailed shell and solid models. Working from client CAD or geometry developed in-house, the team assesses stress, strain, deformation, fatigue life, vibration, buckling and dynamic response.
Where required, models incorporate material, geometric and contact nonlinearities to better represent real-world behaviour.
Every model undergoes internal quality assurance and convergence checking before results are issued to clients.
Outcome
Clients receive analysis that reflects how a structure is expected to behave in service, providing evidence to support engineering decisions before manufacture, testing or deployment. Results can be reviewed directly using the free Ansys Viewer, allowing stakeholders to interrogate and visualise the model without requiring an Ansys licence.
The resulting insight helps reduce technical risk, identify potential weaknesses, optimise designs and build confidence in project decisions.
Conjugate Heat Transfer Analysis of a Wave Energy Converter
Blackfish performed numerical heat transfer analysis on Mocean Energy's Blue Star 10 wave energy converter using Ansys Fluent, creating a conjugate model of solid conduction and fluid convection. The study confirmed the converter could be deployed at the proposed site with subsystem temperatures remaining safely within limits.
Challenge
Mocean Energy needed to understand how elevated ambient temperatures, solar loading and internally generated heat would affect the performance of critical systems within the Blue Star 10 wave energy converter. Confidence was required that operating temperatures would remain within acceptable limits before deployment at the proposed site.
Approach
Blackfish Analysis used Ansys Fluent to perform conjugate heat transfer modelling, accounting for both solid conduction and fluid convection throughout the hull and nacelle. Multiple operating scenarios were assessed, incorporating environmental heat inputs from solar irradiance alongside internally generated heat loads from equipment within the converter to understand how the system would perform under real-world operating conditions at the proposed deployment site.
Outcome
The study demonstrated that critical subsystem temperatures remained safely within operating limits under the conditions assessed. The work provided evidence to support deployment planning and operational decision-making, reducing uncertainty around performance of the Blue Star 10 in warmer climates.
Fatigue assessment of WTG secondary steelwork
Blackfish was brought in to address a critical fatigue issue on secondary steelwork for a leading wind turbine manufacturer, with an expedited response a priority for the client. The team combined design experience and detailed FE fatigue analysis to down-select workable concepts, presenting practical, analysis-backed solutions to the client.
Challenge
A leading wind turbine manufacturer had identified a fatigue-related concern within secondary steelwork and required a rapid engineering assessment. Any proposed solution needed to address the fatigue issue while remaining practical to implement within project timescales.
Approach
The Blackfish team combined practical design experience with detailed finite element fatigue analysis to evaluate potential solutions. Multiple concepts were developed and assessed collaboratively, allowing options to be compared and refined before supporting the down-selection process.
Outcome
Blackfish delivered practical, analysis-backed solutions that addressed the fatigue concern while remaining feasible to implement within project constraints. The work supported a rapid engineering response, reduced technical risk and provided evidence to support the selected design direction.
Other Services
why innovators choose blackfish
Multidisciplinary Capability
Mechanical design, simulation, manufacturing, and testing sit under one roof, so you have a single point of contact.
Bespoke Problem Solving
We take on the problems that don't fit a standard approach, because that's the work we're built for.
Practical Manufacturing Experience
Hands-on engineering experience across offshore renewables, industrial equipment and emerging hardware technologies.
Embedded Partnerships
As an agile, flexible consultancy, we work as part of your team from day one, with communications at all levels.
Agile Delivery
We adapt as a project develops, rather than locking you into a fixed scope from day one.
Passion For Challenge
We're motivated by finding solutions to unique, difficult challenges.
Engineering For Innovators
Registered Company of England & Wales 10169509
CONTACT
Bristol (Head Office)
4 Unity St, Bristol BS1 5HH
FOLLOW
Web Design by JAM