Method and system for evaluating a retraction load for a winch hook retension system

Abstract

A method and system for analyzing a vehicle winch design includes a preprocessor determining contact locations for winch components from a mesh model. The preprocessor determines load vectors at a winch assembly and counter-vectors at a fairlead based on a relative position of a winch wire and a hook retention location based on a winch load rating. A non-linear analysis system determines plastic strains, deflections, and clearances under the winch load rating based on the contact locations, load vector and counter vector, and communicates the plastic strains, deflections, and clearances to a post processing system. The post processing system compares the plastic strains to strain limit at a post processor, compares the deflection to a deflection limit, compares clearances to a clearance limit and generating a display based on comparing the plastic strains, compares the deflection to the deflection limit and compares clearances to the clearance limit.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.