Category Archives: Product

Transferring Forces from Fluent to System Coupling

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A common question I hear from System Coupling users, particularly when using an operating pressure in ANSYS Fluent other than atmospheric pressure, is “Which pressure is used when transferring forces from Fluent to System Coupling and how do I change it?”.

The simple answer is that the forces passed to System Coupling are based on the gauge (or solved) pressure in Fluent by default. More accurately, the gauge pressure minus the Reference Pressure is used, but the Reference Pressure is zero by default so this is equivalent to the gauge pressure.

Before going further let’s review the Operating Pressure, Reference Pressure and gauge pressure.

The Operating Pressure in Fluent should be set to a typical absolute pressure in the system. Pressures set at boundary conditions are then specified relative to the Operating Pressure. Often the Operating Pressure is set to the absolute pressure at an outlet, and then a relative (gauge) pressure of zero is set at the outlet boundary condition(s). Continue reading →

Are You a Good ACTor?

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Oticon logoIf I had to choose a winner for the Best ACTor in 2012, It would be Oticon A/S in Denmark, a world-leading developer of hearing aids. I’ll tell you more about that company later. But first, let’s talk about ACTing and ACTors. ACT is ANSYS’ Application Customization Toolkit. It can help to capture analysts’ expertise and know-how as well as give non-expert users access to advanced models, among other things. But why is this tool so important?

I keep hearing people say that “there are no better codes than our in-house codes, as they are perfectly fitted for a given application.” But the reality is: The cost of developing and maintaining in-house codes — not to mention issues related to an integrated environment (CAD integration, meshing, post-processing, optimization and DoE) — simply makes the practice unsustainable. Continue reading →

Design of Solid Composites Made Simple

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As you’ve learned from a recent blog by Joe Manich, the acquisition of EVEN AG by ANSYS has added some layers to ANSYS Mechanical. The design of composites is a very exciting and challenging topic, and our new colleagues will definitely help us to further enhance our solutions.

I started hearing about composites many years ago during my engineering studies. At that time, my understanding of composites was not really deep. The applications I saw were mostly for thin structures, such as ship hulls and aerospace components. Now that I’m more involved with composites, I realize how vast the subject is. I’m seeing more complex structures being made out of composites, such as fan blades, tanks and pipe components. These are all but thin structures, and their simulation requires more than just mere definition of plies on a given surface. With thicker parts comes the need for looking at stresses in the direction of the thickness as well as out of the plane shear stresses that
thin models cannot accurately capture. Continue reading →

The Physics of Split-Second Events: Explicit Dynamics

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What happens when a bird runs into a plane while the plane is soaring through the air? How do you identify exactly what happened in that split second? And since every action has a reaction, how do you determine if the plane is designed to survive a bird strike? Understanding the physics of split-second events: This is the arena of explicit dynamics analysis.

Now consider split-second impacts in golf. United States Golf Association specifications regulate the speed limit with which a golf ball leaves the face of a driver. Using a standard of approximately 109 mph clubhead speed, approved golf balls leave the face of the driver at about 180 mph on average. If you’re charged with designing balls and clubs, how do you get to the optimal design that meets specs?

Animation courtesy Advanced International Multitech Co., Ltd. Continue reading →

Setting Up a Simple Flow Simulation (Part 2)

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At the end of February, I blogged about how I had the pleasure of talking with Desktop Engineering magazine’s senior editor Kenneth Wong via podcast. He had a simple challenge for me: For a structural engineer who is just beginning to work with fluid dynamics, outline the points important to CFD flow simulation. He also asked me to explain how to avoid pitfalls when setting up the simulation and what to look for when analyzing the results.

That podcast focused on the simulation setup. More recently I met again with Kenneth, and this time he wanted information about how to run the simulation and analyze the results to extract key engineering information.

flow simulation pipe valveRemember, we are looking at a ball valve design. In this design, the flow pushes on the valve when it is partially open, which could deform or move the valve enough to make it leak. The analysis simulates flow behavior inside the valve to determine whether or not the valve leaks.

First we focus on how to ensure that the solution process has gone the way it should. Continue reading →

ANSYS Acquires EVEN: Adding Layers to ANSYS Mechanical

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Guten Tag ANSYS Schweiz – Bonjour ANSYS Suisse – Buongiorno ANSYS Svizzera – Bun di ANSYS Svizra

Today we announced with great pleasure the addition of EVEN – Evolutionary Engineering AG (EVEN) to the ANSYS family. EVEN was founded in 2004 in Zürich by Marc Wintermantel, Oliver König and Nino Zehnder with the goal of making optimization and composites post-processing software.

compositesComposites are created by blending two or more materials that possess different properties. Because they combine light weight, high strength and outstanding flexibility, composites have become standard materials for manufacturing in a range of industries. For this reason, composites will continue to be extremely popular with leading manufacturers around the world.

For example, we have seen growth in the use of composites in such industries as jet engines, wind turbines and automotive, among many others. We expect to see even more applications in which composites play a key role in the future, and ANSYS will be ready to supply the tools needed to get this critical work done. Continue reading →

Canadian Ingenuity Reduces Risk of Powerhouse Flooding

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In Canada, we are proud to contribute to reducing the global carbon footprint by exploiting renewable energy sources that are readily available, like hydropower. However, it is important to manage this resource responsibly and cost effectively by reducing risk of failure and increasing efficiency. Using fluid dynamics, structural mechanics and thermal analysis, Kawa Engineering Ltd. delivers a broad range of services to the hydropower industry (as well as others) to allow customers to design and test many parts of these facilities before they are built. As part of celebrating Canadian Engineering Month, here’s a recent interesting project that developed a location for a powerhouse.

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3-D geometry used for flood analysis. Elevations are relative to sea level.

We used engineering simulation to help locate the powerhouse close to a waterfall but in a spot with minimal flood risk. If flooding occurred in the powerhouse, it would be extremely costly. Finding a proper location also means that there is decreased need for additional components to protect electrical equipment (generator, turbine, switch box, etc.) if flooding occurs; it determines the cut and fill required for construction; and lessens construction resources. Continue reading →

Designing to Meet 54.5 mpg by 2025 – Fuel Efficiency Infographic

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While the auto engineering industry is undergoing a large breadth of innovation (autonomous vehicles, dashboard apps to help the driver use less fuel and drive more safely), the ambitious goal of 54.5 mpg by 2025 will require car manufacturers to focus on the fundamentals of existing technologies, such as engines, transmissions and aerodynamics.

Surely, 54.5 mpg is entirely achievable, but it is a daunting goal that will require auto makers to drastically ramp up their engineering efforts. And while 2025 seems far away, it will be difficult to finish all the necessary engineering by that time if engineers progress at today’s rate. Accelerating engineering is the burning need of the day — and of the next decade — and it can only be accomplished by taking full advantage of advanced engineering tools such as simulation. Continue reading →