"Czero is one of the best companies I have worked with for analysis and simulation; including dynamic modeling, CFD and FEA. Their deep expertise and comprehensive quality system ensure accurate results. Czero's project management is excellent, providing clean concise information on progress, schedule and budget. Czero is a go-to source for projects ranging from analysis and simulation to prototype product development and testing. They deliver strong solutions to the challenges faced by Offshore and Subsea markets."
Test and Analyze Designs
FEA is a tremendous productivity tool that allows Czero to virtually test and analyze designs on a computer, predicting how a product will behave under real-world conditions like stress and strain, without needing to build physical prototypes, which saves time and money while helping to identify potential problems early in the design process and optimize the product's performance before manufacturing.
FEA allows product validation economically by creating virtual models of real-world assets. It's especially useful for complex or high-risk environments where building physical prototypes would be expensive, time-consuming, or dangerous.
In-house FEA Expertise
Czero has in-house expertise to handle your engineering problems. Whether you are tackling the design of a new part, or a complete system, or you need help with a failure analysis, our team is here to help. We are fortunate to have PhD educated staff with individuals having over 20 years FEA experience serving industry and retired academic professors.
With this level of expertise brings an extraordinary level of insight and care to every endeavor Czero tackles. So, bring on your tough problems. Our FEA capabilities span a breadth of different analyses, including:
FEATURED PROJECTS
Advanced MATLAB Simulink Multi-Species Multi-Phase Block Set
Czero Engineering Overview
Czero Capabilities
Software & Tools
Static Analysis
Dynamic Vibration Analysis
* Modal analysis
* Transient dynamic analysis
* Frequency response harmonic analysis
* Random vibration analysis
* Shock spectra analysis
* Multi-body analysis
Explicit Dynamic Analysis
* Impact analysis
* Drop test analysis
* Large deformation analysis
* High velocity analysis
* Fracture analysis
* Crack propagation
Fatigue/Durability
* Stress-life approach
* Strain-life approach
* ASME standard fatigue analysis
* DNV standard fatigue analysis
Thermal Analysis
* Steady-state thermal analysis
* Transient thermal analysis
* Coupled field thermal/structural analysis
* Transient weld analysis
Optimization
* Topology optimization
* Size, shape, and volume optimization
* Functional optimization
Miscellaneous Analysis
* Optical analysis
* Magnetostatic, low, and high frequency magnetics
* Acoustic analysis
* Particle analysis
Tools
Czero employs MATLAB Simulink and ANSYS software for FEA. MATLAB Simulink is primarily used for system modeling, simulation, and control design, allowing our engineers to model dynamic systems and simulate their behaviors in real-time. While Simulink itself isn't directly an FEA tool, it helps in control systems and simulations that may incorporate FEA results, especially for tasks like system validation and optimization.
ANSYS, on the other hand, is a specialized tool for performing detailed FEA, used to analyze the structural, thermal, and fluid interactions within complex systems. Czero applies ANSYS to assess stress, deformation, heat transfer, and other phenomena within materials and components, allowing for detailed performance insights and design validation in areas like hydrogen and natural gas technologies. Both tools often work together, with Simulink modeling control systems based on data from ANSYS FEA simulations.
Projects
Czero uses FEA to optimize the design, safety, and efficiency of clean energy technology projects, such as those involving hydrogen and natural gas in several key ways:
Hydrogen Storage Systems
Hydrogen, as a clean fuel, requires advanced storage systems like high-pressure tanks and cryogenic vessels. FEA is used to simulate the mechanical stresses and thermal behavior of these storage systems, particularly under extreme conditions like high pressure or temperature fluctuations. Our engineers can model how the materials will perform under hydrogen's specific characteristics (e.g., embrittlement) to ensure the storage tanks maintain their integrity over time. This helps prevent catastrophic failures and extends the life of hydrogen storage infrastructure.
Natural Gas Pipeline Integrity
For projects involving natural gas, FEA can be applied to analyze the structural integrity of pipelines and related infrastructure. Czero simulates the effects of pressure, temperature changes, and external forces (like ground movements) on the pipeline materials. By modeling these stress distributions, FEA helps identify potential weak points in the design, allowing for modifications to improve durability, reduce leaks, and prevent accidents. This process ensures that natural gas is transported safely and efficiently.
Hydrogen Fuel Cells
FEA plays a critical role in optimizing the mechanical and thermal design of hydrogen fuel cells. It can simulate the heat generated within the cell and how it impacts the structure, helping engineers design cooling systems that prevent overheating while ensuring maximum performance. FEA also helps with material selection for cell components, ensuring they can withstand operational stresses, such as cyclic loading and thermal expansion.
Natural Gas Power Generation
In natural gas power plants, FEA can be used to optimize the turbine blades that are exposed to high-pressure and high-temperature gas flows. By simulating the mechanical stresses and thermal effects on the blades, our engineers can design more efficient and durable turbines. This leads to improved power generation efficiency and lower emissions, enhancing the overall sustainability of the natural gas-based energy system.
By applying FEA to hydrogen and natural gas projects, Czero can ensure that these clean energy technologies are both safe and efficient, contributing to the broader goal of reducing emissions and transitioning to sustainable energy sources.
"Nexceris has been working with Czero since 2018 to develop and demonstrate a 50-kW scale hybrid power system for a government customer (ARPA-E). Czero led system design and controls development, and currently is leading system construction and testing work on the project. Czero engineers are extremely talented, innovative, detail oriented and responsive. I have thoroughly enjoyed our collaboration and provide my highest recommendation."
"PDC Machines- a compression and refueling technology provider to the world’s emerging hydrogen economy has been working with Czero for over 6 years on a combination of greenfield new technology and incremental technology improvements to our product. They have been able to take our napkin sketch frameworks and work with our team to deliver minimum viable product to complete solutions which are efficient, marketable and in many cases patentable. Their clear and simple approach to partnership- working as part of one team PDC staff is why I believe in the growing foundation we started 6 years ago."
"We chose Czero since they have a stellar reputation for innovation and expertise in the automotive industry. They also have a proven track record and prior history with the original inventor [of Onboard Dynamics natural gas refueling technology]—who is on our team—that has already resulted in huge successes in meeting critical milestones and performing to expectations."
"I have a >$1M US Department of Energy research effort for which I was understaffed and lacking specific subject area expertise. Czero was able to engage last minute to displace a well-known automotive engineering company at a fraction of the price. Over a year into the project, Czero has continued to be responsive and trustworthy; their engineering performance has contributed significantly to an increase in project funding from the sponsor. As the project principal investigator, selecting Czero as an engineering services company has been one of the best decisions I have made."
"Czero’s work with us to fully understand the requirements of the end product for the new reactor engine system has been instrumental in developing a completely new, innovative system. From these requirements, they were able to quickly come up with multiple concepts for vetting against the tough project objectives, which include not only technical feasibility but also aggressive cost targets. The in-depth simulation and analysis of the various concepts that Czero did ahead of time has built tremendous confidence we are going down the right path."
"Czero’s ability to work with our engineers in developing innovative, ground-breaking technology has been a great benefit to the SuperTurbo development. We have placed a lot of trust in Czero’s ability to deliver and have not been disappointed. They are a top-shelf organization."
“My initial request to Czero was to develop software and the associated controller needed for a very important competitive assessment of our product. Due to the nature of the project, I needed the work to be accomplished and in my customers hands within 2 months, which was a very aggressive necessary timeline for this level of work. Not only did Czero get the software and ECU requirements done to spec, but the system was delivered to my customer ahead of time to support the testing. The expertise, timeliness, and quality of the Czero solution was outstanding!”
"We’ve had an absolutely fantastic, positive experience with Czero and I wholeheartedly endorse them. They are more than a typical ‘throw it over the fence’ engineering consulting firm, as Czero not only develops a strong understanding on the background of the project, but they also think along the way and offer suggestions and ideas beyond the scope of the simple engineering contract deliverables. And, they deliver, too. They are really solid, outstanding people."
"The engineers on the Czero team were proactive problem-solvers from our first introduction. They quickly applied the full breadth and depth of their engineering team’s impressive intellect to determine the most efficient and cost effective system to maximize the energy-harvesting capabilities of Brown’s concept.
They were remarkably objective in their trade studies to find the best solution, favoring a simpler mechanical solution over their greatest strength: advanced hydraulics. They walked us through potential failure modes of each system, and educated the team about the pitfalls of component scalability. In addition to their technical solutions, Czero did an excellent job conveying their thought process and analysis to the Brown team with clear graphs, diagrams and presentations, which streamlined decision-making.
Czero added tremendous value to the Brown project and was a pleasure to work with. We look forward to putting our heads together on future projects."
"Czero has been an invaluable and integral part of our program. From component and subsystem design to detailed system performance analysis, Czero’s integrated engineering approach has allowed us to develop elements quickly to meet the very ambitious schedule challenges imposed by our U.S Department of Defense contract."
"Czero has been a valuable strategic partner in helping FACTOR[e] startups advance technologies quickly while staying lean during their crucial first two years. We know Czero’s agility, creativity and process. We trust their team. We’ve seen their technology insights and the business value of what they deliver."
"As we move from R&D to commercialization, Czero is providing top-notch engineering support to our team, transforming our ideas and concepts from prototype designs to viable commercial products. Czero really digs into the requirements before starting the design process, enabling us to easily collaborate on design options that optimize our product designs to meet market demand and ensure customer satisfaction. Without hesitation, we recommend Czero to anyone wanting to accelerate R&D and product development."
"Czero understood our test objectives very quickly and communicated systematically to define the test procedure, scale model details, and test fixture that fulfilled all test requirements quickly and safely. They creatively utilized off-the-shelf items in the scale model to keep its cost low and provided a clear, concise report—including useful insight—within a week of test completion. Helix is very pleased with the service provided by Czero."
"With extensive experience in engine systems design, Czero played a vital
role in helping Logimesh expedite concept-to-prototype development and
testing of our award-winning Logimote engine health monitoring platform."
"Czero was the right partner to help us design our custom grist bin and bag intake station. They found the perfect balance between a properly engineered solution, a cost effective solution, and an aesthetic solution."
"The true sign of individual or organizational dynamism is the willingness to take risks. It signals real confidence in capabilities and know-how, the flexibility and creativity to explore and test new solutions, and guts to do what it takes to deliver under real economic and technical uncertainty. Czero epitomizes those characteristics and combines them with old-fashioned integrity and reliability. Needless to say, their engineering and technical capabilities are superb. As a young company commercializing real black-box technology, we've entrusted Czero with taking responsibility for critical design and engineering tasks for which there are no precedents, i.e. it has never been done before. They have delivered, under demanding time and resource constraints, and set a very high bar. Culturally and otherwise, they are an ideal partner for young startups who need deep-dive, blank-slate engineering solutions. I would recommend them to anyone."
"Czero was an insightful and very technically proficient group that were instrumental in helping us develop our technology. They were very quick studies to understand the fundamental challenges we faced and design/build solutions around them. Top qualities: Great Results, Personable, Good Value.
"Czero understands technology development from the back-of-the-napkin stage to the product launch stage. I've never met a team who is more capable of keeping the end-product vision in mind during the early stages of engineering."
"Czero provided a custom engineering solution to our need to convey conceptual functionality. Their approach was creative, effective, high quality and fast. Highly endorsed."
"To work with Czero is nothing short of a privilege. Stemming from their excellent credentials and strong analytical aptitude, they consistently translate complex technical situations into plain English to allow multidisciplinary group to function together seamlessly."
"I was extremely impressed with how quickly Czero understood the needs and intent of the bearing housing design and how responsive they were in completing the drawing package."
Reach out to us, schedule a meeting, and let's find your custom solution.
We offer concept-to-prototype mechanical engineering R&D for developing systems and subsystems for cleantech innovations. Learn how we can help your team.