Design World

  • Home
  • Technologies
    • 3D CAD
    • Electronics • electrical
    • Fastening & Joining
    • Factory automation
    • Linear Motion
    • Motion Control
    • Test & Measurement
    • Sensors
    • Fluid power
  • Learn
    • Ebooks / Tech Tips
    • Engineering Week
    • Future of Design Engineering
    • MC² Motion Control Classrooms
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
  • LEAP AWARDS
  • Leadership
    • 2022 Voting
    • 2021 Winners
  • Design Guide Library
  • Resources
    • 3D Cad Models
      • PARTsolutions
      • TraceParts
    • Digital Issues
      • Design World
      • EE World
    • Women in Engineering
  • Supplier Listings

CFD software meets the need for speed

By Design World Staff | February 21, 2007

Share

The two greatest requirements for developing new products are innovation and tools that help you work quickly,” says Ed Williams, president, Blue Ridge Numerics. Version 9 of CFdesign CFD software will help meet these requirements.

“The new version sets up quickly for first-pass fluid flow and heat transfer simulations,” continues Williams. “You can generate high-fidelity design reviews 20 times faster than with previous versions.”

CFdesign_Power_Inverter.gif

Version 9 of Cfdesign lets you quickly set up fluid flow and heat transfer analyses. New features reduce the time required to set up a design for analysis.

Two new features — auto mesh sizing and rules on parts — let novices and experts set up simulations in minutes. Auto mesh sizing executes a comprehensive topological interrogation of the geometric model, assigning mesh sizes based on curvature, geometric gradients, and proximity to neighboring features. It also instantly manages critical transition regions.

auto_mesh_sizing.gif

Automatic Mesh Sizing applies the correct mesh sizes to complex geometries with one click.

Rules-on-Parts detects MCAD part names in an assembly and automatically assigns volumetric boundary conditions and material properties. Boundary conditions include total heat generation, which can be steady state, transient, or temperature dependent. Materials are assigned from the new CFD program’s library of fluids, solids, printed circuit boards, and the newly added two-resistor electronic components. The library can be tailored to specific needs.

The new AccelerantTM Solver uses proprietary CPU algorithms to reduce the time needed to attain fully converged fluid-flow and heat-transfer results. Simulation results for simple models arrive 1.4 times faster than in previous versions; complex simulations are completed even more quickly.

Said Williams, “Our surveys show that CFdesign completes projects up to 70% faster than physical test methods and 65% faster than traditional CFD tools.”

Other new analysis features include:
Solar loading shows transient electromagnetic heat transfer from the sun. It includes radiation through transparent media and shows shadowing based on the sun’s movement. Simulation set up is simple: Specify time of year, time of day, and location on the globe using the database in the software, or assign specific latitude and longitude coordinates.

Compact Thermal Models answers such questions as: “What are the temperatures within microchips during system operation?” Only two parameters are needed for the software to supply board temperature, junction temperature, case temperature, heat transfer between junction and board, and heat transfer between junction and case for every component within the system. CFdesign V9 supports many microchip configurations.

Free motion shows “solids” movement in any flow direction. It enables or limits any of the six degrees of freedom and applies forces, gravity, initial velocity and rotation. Free-motion also tracks forces and torque, detects collisions, and records subsequent reactions, and accepts gravity and gravitational acceleration, even designating values different from those on Earth.

Thermostatically controlled fans and blowers automatically operate at a specified trigger temperature for a realistic full-cycle system view.

free_motion.gif

Free Motion enables any of six degrees of freedom and tracks forces and torque among other measurements.

The software helps most when it’s used to conduct comprehensive studies before physical prototype testing. Two new enabling technologies for this effort are called Process Automation Scripting and the Design Review Server.

Process Automation Scripting creates a project-specific script that defines model set up, analysis execution, and results extraction for similar analyses that differ parametrically.

The Design Review Server distributes computations across available networked computers, providing a convenient way to conduct extensive, interactive review sessions while working within current hardware and network limits.

intake_manifold.gif

Automatic Sizing and Accelerant Solver took this fuel injection intake manifold from MCAD to first pass flow and thermal simulation in minutes.

CFdesign V9 is fully associative and integrated with Autodesk Inventor, Catia V5, CoCreate, Pro/Engineer Wildfire, SolidWorks, Solid Edge, and UGS NX 3D MCAD systems.

solar_loading.gif

The Solar Loading feature lets engineers explore shadowing based on the sun’s movement.

Fluid-flow and heat-transfer results can be transferred as an input deck for structural simulations in Abaqus, ANSYS, Cosmos, Nastran, and Pro/MECHANICA.

Blue Ridge Numerics
www.cfdesign.com


Filed Under: Aerospace + defense, 3D CAD, Factory automation, FEA software, Software

 

Tell Us What You Think!

Related Articles Read More >

Mars helicopter receives Collier Trophy
Flexible rotary shafts to power Delta Airlines’ engines powering their first Airbus A321neo aircraft
Ontic acquires Servotek and Westcon product lines from Marsh Bellofram
Flexible rotary shafts support thrust reverser on 150 LEAP 1-A turbofan engines

DESIGN GUIDE LIBRARY

“motion

Enews Sign Up

Motion Control Classroom

Design World Digital Edition

cover

Browse the most current issue of Design World and back issues in an easy to use high quality format. Clip, share and download with the leading design engineering magazine today.

EDABoard the Forum for Electronics

Top global problem solving EE forum covering Microcontrollers, DSP, Networking, Analog and Digital Design, RF, Power Electronics, PCB Routing and much more

EDABoard: Forum for electronics

Sponsored Content

  • Renishaw next-generation FORTiS™ enclosed linear encoders offer enhanced metrology and reliability for machine tools
  • WAGO’s smartDESIGNER Online Provides Seamless Progression for Projects
  • Epoxy Certified for UL 1203 Standard
  • The Importance of Industrial Cable Resistance to Chemicals and Oils
  • Optimize, streamline and increase production capacity with pallet-handling conveyor systems
  • Global supply needs drive increased manufacturing footprint development

Design World Podcasts

June 12, 2022
How to avoid over engineering a part
See More >
Engineering Exchange

The Engineering Exchange is a global educational networking community for engineers.

Connect, share, and learn today »

Design World
  • Advertising
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Manage your Design World Subscription
  • Subscribe
  • Design World Digital Network
  • Engineering White Papers
  • LEAP AWARDS

Copyright © 2022 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search Design World

  • Home
  • Technologies
    • 3D CAD
    • Electronics • electrical
    • Fastening & Joining
    • Factory automation
    • Linear Motion
    • Motion Control
    • Test & Measurement
    • Sensors
    • Fluid power
  • Learn
    • Ebooks / Tech Tips
    • Engineering Week
    • Future of Design Engineering
    • MC² Motion Control Classrooms
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
  • LEAP AWARDS
  • Leadership
    • 2022 Voting
    • 2021 Winners
  • Design Guide Library
  • Resources
    • 3D Cad Models
      • PARTsolutions
      • TraceParts
    • Digital Issues
      • Design World
      • EE World
    • Women in Engineering
  • Supplier Listings