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Knowing your Plant before the Operation Can you imagine during a basic or detailed project being able to have a digital twin of the project and be able to quickly and accurately predict all the phenomena that may happen? The Simcenter FLOMASTER does just that. As a 1D CFD tool, the user does not need to be tied to geometry design and mesh generation. FLOMASTER has a vast library of equipment for different industries, such as thermoelectric, oil and gas, aeronautics, chemistry, allowing the construction of a digital twin of the plant and predicting the steady state and transient responses of the system. With the technical-commercial proposals received during a basic/detailing project, FLOMASTER allows importing the PFD or P&ID, entering data received from suppliers, such as equipment dimensions, flows and operating curves, and simulating the entire operation under permanent or transient. Thus, FLOMASTER allows you to choose the best equipment and predict possible outbreaks and system response with fidelity and speed. In addition, it goes further by allowing integration with plant instruments and operating as an authentic digital twin. As an example, let's talk about the use of FLOMASTER in the design and implementation of electric power generation from thermal sources. We can simulate the entire BoP, from the operation of the cooling tower and the circulating water circuit, allowing the import of circulating water pump curves and predicting their transient behavior. Also used in the Water Treatment Station to verify the dynamic behavior of the tanks during filling and emptying, in the simulation of the recovery boiler, steam turbines, gas compression and decompression station and the entire gas receiving and directing circuit, blowdown boiler, steam cycle chemical injection systems and many other applications. Want to get to know FLOMASTER better? Book a meeting with us!

Discover how simulation helps energy businesses optimize asset performance, identify new innovations and improve sustainability. Energy businesses are under pressure from a range of challenges, including volatile markets, extreme weather and turbulent geopolitics. Get the E-book and learn how simulation helps energy companies: Define optimal system, subsystem and component designs for new assets Better understand and predict system behavior, enabling continuous improvement Dramatically improve engineering team collaboration Use data-driven decision-making for better business execution Deliver on environmental, social and governance (ESG) targets Learn how simulation can help your company achieve its sustainability initiatives, increase yield and optimize energy consumption. Software to drive sustainable operations Today’s energy and utilities (E&U) businesses must manage supply and demand challenges, abnormal weather and turbulent geopolitics. At the same time, growing concerns over carbon emissions are driving an industry-wide push toward sustainability. To thrive in this challenging environment, E&U businesses can harness the power of multiphysics simulation. Empower engineers with digital tools Physics-based simulation data models define the optimal system, subsystem and component designs for new assets. Combined with a closed-loop digital twin, engineers gain new insights to better understand and predict system behavior, enabling continuous process improvement. To deliver on environmental, social and governance (ESG) targets, businesses must empower engineers with new digital tools that fuel innovative material and product designs. Simulation output analysis Our cloud-enabled simulation solution connects engineering teams to improve collaboration and productivity, regardless of physical location. By integrating and retaining simulation output analysis in a shared digital twin, critical information is easily accessible to all stakeholders, improving decision-making and execution. Predictability in software engineering Using simulation, E&U businesses gain greater predictability in software engineering, making it easier to improve equipment and system operations in even the most strenuous conditions. Highly accurate simulation models provide a systematic exploration of how to deliver on future sustainability initiatives, increase yield and optimize energy consumption. Give your engineers new tools to reduce costs and improve financial returns by improving communication and collaboration. Sign up and receive the Advanced Engineering Simulation e-book along with our Newsletter to learn how simulation insights help companies optimize their systems, identify new innovations and conduct sustainable operations, and how to deliver business results faster while reducing costs . CAEXPERTS is committed to helping your energy company meet today's challenges and achieve sustainability through multiphysics simulation. Schedule a meeting with us!

Becker Marine helps ship owners realize up to 6 percent annual fuel savings by using Simcenter STAR-CCM+. Becker Marine Systems Becker Marine Systems is the market leader for high-performance rudders, maneuvering solutions and energy-saving devices for all types and sizes of vessels, including yachts, container ships and large cruise ships. With headquarters in Hamburg, Germany, the company employs over 200 specialists worldwide at offices located in Germany, China, Singapore, Korea, Norway and the United States. http://www.becker-marine-systems.com Headquarters: Hamburg, Germany Products: Simcenter Products, Simcenter STAR-CCM+ Industry Sector: Marine From the moment we receive a new order, we typically have six weeks to find the required energy savings. This is a strict timescale, as the towing tank slot is reserved well in advance and cannot be moved. Steve Leonard, Head of CFD and Research and Development IBMV/Becker Marine Energy saving devices in the marine industry Energy efficiency is an important concern for ship builders and operators. The marine industry seeks to reduce vessel operating costs and meet CO₂ and NOₓ emission regulations. While modern, streamlined hull designs can help save fuel in new designs, most ships in service are older and lack these advantages. To meet this challenge, companies use custom Energy Saving Devices ( ESDs) on their aging vessels. These devices are positioned close to the propeller and can improve propulsion performance even on newer hull designs. To understand the potential savings for a shipbuilder, a vessel that is listed at a dead weight tonnage (DWT) of 55,000 will use about 160 tons of fuel per day at normal cruising speed. Over the course of a year, a 5 percent improvement in fuel consumption would save over 2,000 tons of fuel and result in cost savings of approximately $500,000, so it’s easy to understand why marine companies are anxious to apply measures that will enhance energy efficiency. The Becker Mewis Duct® for greater hydrodynamic efficiency A widely used ESD is the Becker Mewis Duct®, designed for slower ships altogether. Distributed by Becker Marine Systems GmbH & Co. KG, this device offers fuel savings at a given speed or allows the vessel to travel faster with the same power. The Becker Mewis Duct consists of an ESD with integrated angled fins, which produce a forward thrust, straighten and accelerate the flow of water on the propeller. These fins reduce losses in propeller airflow, resulting in greater propulsive thrust. For best results, duct properties and fin design are optimized for each hull shape, harnessing energy from the hull's frictional boundary layer to improve the vessel's overall hydrodynamic efficiency. The energy savings provided by the Becker Mewis Duct depends on the hull-to-block ratio and propeller thrust load. On average, fuel savings can vary from 3% for multipurpose vessels to up to 8% for oil tankers and bulk carriers. When combined with a Becker rudder, this savings can reach up to 8% for general ships. Furthermore, the use of an ESD such as the Becker Mewis Duct can reduce NOₓ and CO₂ emissions, regardless of the ship's draft and speed. Using Simcenter STAR-CCM+ to design the Becker Mewis Duct IBMV Maritime Innovationsgesellschaft mbH (IBMV), a subsidiary of Becker Marine, develops innovative technological solutions for the maritime market. The team led by Steve Leonard, head of CFD and R&D at IBMV, used Simcenter STAR-CCM+® software to design the Becker Mewis Duct. Using Simcenter STAR-CCM+ allowed the team to discover better designs faster. The Becker Mewis Pipeline was introduced to the market in 2008 and the first full-scale installation took place in 2009. The estimated energy savings for this vessel was approximately 6%. “The success of the Becker Mewis Duct is very dependent on the Simcenter STAR-CCM+ CFD process that we use to define the duct,” says Leonard. “Without accurate CFD simulations, we cannot fine-tune each duct to the flow conditions specific to a particular hull. For each scenario, we use STAR-CCM+ to carefully adjust over 40 design parameters to create a unique duct. Although there are similarities, the duct that we design for each vessel is absolutely unique. No two ducts are ever alike.” The marine industry is known for its conservative approach, where self-propelled tests are used as a benchmark to assess vessel performance. Despite this, the IBMV team performs intensive computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculations to design and fit each vessel's specific Becker Mewis Pipeline. These efforts are aimed at ensuring energy efficiency and minimizing fuel consumption during model testing. Most CFD calculations are performed at model scale, but the IBMV team also perform final full-scale calculations to ensure design accuracy and cavitation performance. Although an automated optimization process seems adequate, it is not feasible for the Becker Mewis Pipeline due to the complexity of the flow around the pipeline, which cannot be reduced to simple numerical parameters. Therefore, a team of experts visually inspects the data generated by Simcenter STAR-CCM+ to identify adverse characteristics and suggest improvements for the next iterations of the project. The experience accumulated over the previous studies allowed the IBMV team to define an initial project that serves as a basis for future improvements, seeking the ideal energy savings in about 10 design iterations. This approach results in well-engineered hulls, reducing energy waste and providing significant fuel savings opportunities through the Becker Mewis Pipeline. Leonard recalls one project in particular where the first iteration of the design achieved the required energy savings, a win for IBMV. Conclusion IBMV has delivered over 1,000 Becker Mewis Ducts, clearly demonstrating the value of engineering simulation, in particular CFD, in the marine design process. Using CFD can help companies make informed decisions while also providing a constant stream of data to help shipbuilders improve real-world vessel performance. Without intensive design exploration driven by experienced engineers using Simcenter STAR-CCM+, it would be impossible for Becker Marine to deliver finely tuned energy saving devices that offer guaranteed performance while adhering to a strictly controlled schedule. By using Becker Mewis Ducts, customers have realized millions of dollars in fuel savings. The ESD has also played a significant role in reducing harmful CO2 and NOx emissions in the shipping industry as a whole. For example, when a Becker Mewis Duct was developed for the AS Valeria, a bulk carrier that weighs in at 57,000 DTW, the IBMV team used Simcenter STAR-CCM+ simulation capabilities to predict fuel savings of 5 percent, which was confirmed in sea trials; and they used further CFD capabilities to help achieve a reduction of 1,002 tons of CO₂ per year. For each scenario, we use Simcenter STAR-CCM+ to carefully adjust over 40 design parameters to create a unique duct. Steve Leonard, Head of CFD and Research and Development IBMV/Becker Marine Want to know more about Simcenter STAR-CCM+? Click here! Are you still in doubt if Simcenter STAR-CCM+ is the ideal tool for your project? Don't worry, we're here to help! Click the button below and schedule a free meeting with us. We will carefully analyze your case and present you with the best option to guarantee the success of your project. Don't miss this opportunity to find the perfect solution. We look forward to talking with you!

Full integration of strength and fatigue with finite elements Reducing the burden on durability experts Analyzing strength and fatigue can be complex, but now there are tools that can streamline this process. It is possible to install various workflows for different groups and applications, starting with the existing models in Simcenter 3D, which encompass different strength and fatigue methodologies. These models are widely used today. However, it is important to note that there is always room for improvement. If some users in your company have provided feedback stating that the workflows are functioning well and producing the necessary results, but the Simcenter Specialist Durability tool seems to be geared only towards experts, it indicates that it is not being fully utilized. Many colleagues only use it when they need to sign off on their projects. You know that the tool is useful when looking at stress results, as it adds the influence of material strength to the stress result and immediately provides a meaningful result, namely the degree of utilization that the current project has. Getting involved The new SIEMENS tool is called The Strength and Durability Wizard. It is a tool that automatically connects to existing finite element results and pre-selects the active solution when there are multiple options. Additionally, the tool also pre-selects the type of load based on the solution, i.e., which type of load cycle should be analyzed: block load for single linear results or a transient series of results for non-linear results. With these pre-selections, you usually only need to verify this step. Tool tips at each step provide direct support to your workflow. In Simcenter 3D, you will find the pre-selections of the strength and fatigue assistant. In the second step, you can choose the type of analysis: strength, life, or stress-life. Here, pre-selection is also used to prepare the method parameters. Next, you can check the material or estimate fatigue parameters. All that is required of you is to press the "solve" button to make the post-processing available on the same page. In the end, you will see that you can reduce your workflow descriptions to a few mouse clicks and be confident that even non-regular users will feel comfortable with the workflow. Useful resources The tool is fully integrated with the Simcenter Specialist Durability tool. This means that a durability solution is created in the simulation file as soon as an analysis with the assistant is created and run. This can now be edited by the Assistant and the full durability tool. Therefore, we can easily enhance a strength analysis to a fatigue analysis using the assistant. Simcenter not only remembers that a particular solution was created by the assistant so that you can edit it with the assistant, but also cloned solutions inherit this property. Thus, with just a few clicks, mainly to change the analysis type and restart the solve. We can obtain all the results and analyze the fatigue behavior. We can even use our internal post-processing templates automatically. And since the assistant is fully integrated with the full durability environment, we can also start with an assistant-based analysis and add all the features that the durability tool offers. All of this will save a lot of time when creating new models and workflows. And for those who take pride in the reports they provide, they will be pleased to know that the produced results are in the same format as durability results. This means that you can now use the full set of post-processing tools. Additionally, an image created in the assistant is automatically created in the post-processing scenario. More usability for the specialist tool as well Resistance and durability experts will identify a series of minor yet beneficial improvements. As you explore the software, you discover the new models that allow you to select the results of the most useful functions. This functionality resembles the definition and selection of analysis models, being extremely helpful for your daily tasks. The predefined models reduce the need for additional clicks and shorten your workflows with different workgroups. Want to learn more about Simcenter 3D? Clique aqui! Schedule your meeting now to get up to speed with the latest version of Simcenter 3D!

In this blog post, we present a remarkable case study conducted by Celera, a high-tech company specializing in thermal management solutions for electronic devices and components. The case focuses on the use of Simcenter FLOEFD technology to accurately simulate temperature and heat flow in high-power LED lighting. We will reproduce the executive summary and key findings from the original case written by Norbert Arthur Frauz, Engineering Coordinator at Celera. The study showcases Celera's expertise in leveraging advanced simulation tools and precise measurements to provide innovative thermal management consulting services to various industrial sectors. Celera: Celera is a leading high-tech company that specializes in providing thermal management solutions for electronic devices and components across multiple industries. By utilizing advanced technologies such as Simcenter FLOEFD software, Celera accurately simulates temperature distribution and heat flow, enabling the identification of potential issues and the development of effective solutions. With a strong focus on customer satisfaction, Celera offers specialized technical support and high-quality products to renowned companies worldwide. About the author: Norbert Arthur Frauz is the Engineering Coordinator at Celera. He is a Control and Automation Engineer, specialized in Fluids and Thermodynamics. Norbert is responsible for coordinating technical and innovation projects, with extensive knowledge in CFD simulations applied to semiconductors and high-power LED luminaires, with a focus on natural convection heat dissipation. Thermal Simulations in the LED Lighting Industry Simulating beyond thermal properties – material properties and semiconductor calibrations Executive Summary Celera uses Simcenter FLOEFD technology to accurately simulate the temperature at the LED junction and the heat spread over the components that make up the luminaire. The company also uses advanced characterization equipment, Simcenter T3STER and TerraLed, to improve the accuracy of CFD simulations of electronic components. These tools enable Celera to offer high-tech thermal management consulting services to various industrial sectors, providing specialized technical support and high-quality products Norbert Arthur Frauz Engineering Coordinator at Celera Introduction At Celera, we provide thermal management solutions for various industries, including high-power LED lighting. Celera Celera is a high-tech company that provides thermal management solutions for electronic devices and components in various industries, including the high-power LED lighting industry. Using advanced technology such as Simcenter FLOEFD software, Celera is able to accurately simulate temperature and heat flow in electronic components, allowing it to identify problems and provide effective solutions to ensure optimal performance and durability of these components. The company serves several leading companies in their respective industries in various countries, offering specialized technical support and high-quality products above market average. High-Power LEDs By using the FLOEFD software in conjunction with the precision of the results measured by Celera, we were able to identify a problem in an LED luminaire for horticulture that was causing the polycarbonate lens to burn out. Through thermal and fluid dynamics simulations conducted with FLOEFD and precise measurements using T3ster and TerraLed equipment, we were able to understand the behavior of the LED luminaire and identify the root cause of the problem. Simulations, results and tools Initially, it was thought that the problem was related to the excess heat generated by the LEDs. However, after characterizing the LEDs in the equipment, setting up the luminaire in the CFD (digital twin) software, and analyzing the simulation results, it was identified that the cause of the lens burnout was the cascade effect that occurred due to the absorption of a portion of the blue spectrum emitted by the LEDs by the polycarbonate lens. This led to a degradation process, which decreased its transparency, and consequently, more thermal energy was absorbed from the beam of light, leading to the carbonization of the lens and subsequent burning of the LEDs. Through this detailed simulation, which took into account not only electrical aspects but also material properties and photometric properties, it was possible to identify the real problem and find a solution to improve the LED luminaire, thus avoiding losses and customer dissatisfaction. Our client (Audax) sent us some luminaires so that we could measure the temperature at the LED junction after thermal stabilization. These luminaires underwent tests, and each of the blue, white, and red LEDs was individually monitored so that their maximum temperatures could be known, as seen in the photo. Additionally, each type of LED was tested in the TerraLed integrating sphere to determine its luminous efficiency, heat generation, and junction resistance up to the base of the printed circuit board. In these initial measurements, we already noticed that the junction temperatures were not very high and by themselves would not lead to lens melting. With these data obtained from empirical laboratory measurements, we characterized the FLOEFD simulation. Upon analyzing the simulation results, it was found that the simulation was faithfully representing the real luminaire operation, and that the temperatures in the luminaire were within a safe operating range. We then contacted the manufacturer of the polycarbonate lenses to obtain more information on the lens absorption properties. With these new curves, we characterized the material in the software and configured the wavelengths emitted by each of the LEDs and re-simulated. This time, the result was entirely different, and already during the simulation stabilization, the software informed us that the lens was melting. Upon analyzing the results, we saw that the lens was subjected to much higher temperatures than it could withstand, but not from the base of the LEDs, rather absorbed from the beam of light. Factors that affect the analyses The analyses performed with FLOEFD take into account various factors, including product geometry, operating conditions, materials, and thermal properties. These factors directly affect the flow and heat transfer conditions, which can be analyzed with FLOEFD. For example, in a luminaires analysis, the geometry and materials of the luminaire can affect temperature distribution and condensation/ice formation. Operating conditions, such as ambient temperature and luminaire power, also directly affect these results. Results and objectives of the analyses The results of the analyses performed with FLOEFD include detailed information about product performance, including flow, temperature, and heat transfer. These results can be used to optimize product design, improve energy efficiency, and ensure that the product meets regulatory and safety requirements. The objectives of the analyses include reducing product development time, improving product quality, and reducing prototyping and testing costs. Additionally, analyses performed with FLOEFD help increase confidence in product design, reducing the risk of failures and performance issues. Conclusion We have been using FLOEFD tools for several years, and their importance in helping our clients develop better and faster projects continues to grow. In the case mentioned above, by using these solutions together, we were able to identify a very specific problem that would probably not have been found otherwise. Based on this data, Celera was able to help the client develop more efficient and secure solutions, such as replacing the lens material and adding a graphite mat to improve thermal contact between the printed circuit board and the heat sink. These solutions allowed for a significant reduction in the risk of premature LED failure, ensuring greater durability and reliability of the final product. In addition, the use of FLOEFD also enabled a significant improvement in the luminous efficiency of LED luminaires. With the results obtained from simulations, CELERA was able to optimize the optical system design of the luminaires, increasing the intensity of the emitted light and reducing light loss. This improvement resulted in greater energy efficiency of the luminaires, providing energy savings for end users. In summary, the studies carried out with FLOEFD allowed CELERA to develop more efficient, safe, and reliable products, adding value to its customers and to the market. About the author Norbert Arthur Frauz. Engineering Coordinator at Celera, Control and Automation Engineer, Specialist in Fluid and Thermodynamics, Coordinator of Technical and Innovation Projects, with extensive knowledge in CFD simulations applied to semiconductors and high-power LED luminaires and with dissipation by natural convection. References: CELERA Fibras “http://www.celerafibras.com.br/", Campinas SP Brazil, 2023. ASTM International "ASTM D5470-12, Standard test method for thermal transmission properties of thin thermally conductive solid" Philadelphia PA USA, 2012. Clemens J. M. Lasance and András Poppe, "Thermal Management for LED Applications" Springer, New York NY USA, 2014. Frank Incropera and David DeWitt, "Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer", 4th Edition, Wiley, New York NY USA, 1996. Sign up below to access our newsletter and receive the PDF of the case (in English). Like it and want to know more about it? Be sure to check out our complete material on Simcenter FLOEFD. 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Test-build approaches Three reasons why a stop-and-go design approach is slowing your design team down: Test-build approaches are time-consuming and costly Limited access to the tools and data to perform accurate root cause analysis Finding, trusting and sharing design information is challenging Offering designers the right simulation tools enables them to consistently design, verify and produce innovative products with the features and functions that your customers demand. Learn more about a multi-disciplinary approach to design. Electronics manufacturers consistently balance anticipating customer needs, adapting to new product innovations and continuously changing requirements. Traditional design practices make managing complexity challenging as teams struggle to keep up with changes and updates. Because most teams use a stop-and-go design approach, they don't have the tools to see the impact of changes and can't adapt or validate them fast enough. The key to successful design programs is a simulation-driven design approach. Download this ebook to learn more about simulation-driven design. Simulation-Driven Design: The Key to Faster Time-to-Market One of the primary benefits of simulation-driven design is the savings on time: Teams can avoid unpredictable issues that come from costly and time-consuming test-build approaches With access to the right tools, teams can accurately perform root cause analysis Finding and sharing design information is no longer a task, it’s automatically built-in How Simulation Can Improve Innovation in Electronics Design When simulation is the cornerstone of any design program, designers can access the right mix of simulation tools to increase their confidence in validating and checking their particular system part before the physical build. Designers don't need to wait to build physical prototypes or for experts to come in for testing and they can quickly review design options and the impact on other parts of the system. This multi-disciplinary approach enables teams to reduce rework and late-stage design changes. It also empowers teams to explore more ideas and concepts, ensuring the best designs move forward. The Benefits of Incorporating Simulation Early in the Design Process Offering designers the right simulation tools enable them to consistently design, verify and produce innovative products with the features and functions that customers demand. Siemens simulation and analysis solutions offer a multi-disciplinary approach to design, leveraging an integrated verification and testing environment. Our tools enable engineers to find issues as early as possible in the system design lifecycle and offer industry-leading performance and platform scalability. Learn more about a multi-disciplinary approach to design in this ebook. Sign-in to receive our newsletter and we will send the ebook by email. Like it and want to know more about it? Schedule a meeting with us now to learn more about CAE and how we can help you succeed!

With stricter regulations, type-approval requirements and heavier fines for non-compliance, automotive manufacturers are struggling more than ever to deal with the complexity of vehicle development and remain competitive. Those who want to be at the forefront of the automotive industry must take a new approach to vehicle development. Manage the complexity of vehicle development with Accelerated Product Development Automotive manufacturers can take complexity and turn it to their advantage to deliver more innovative design optimization with our accelerated product development solution. Through generative engineering and the exploration of intelligent design, designers and engineers can get designs right the first time, doing more with fewer resources. Utilize a data backbone that covers the entire vehicle development process With the Accelerated Product Development solution, automotive manufacturers can leverage a data management backbone that spans the overall vehicle and tool development process in a digital environment. This enables traceability and auditability across all domains with a single source of truth, managing real-time, up-to-date information across the entire ecosystem. Meet targets and ensure compliance When a prototype fails, it's usually because internal disciplines are designing with different information, outdated information, or no information at all. To ensure that all systems work together as intended at any point during development, domain teams need to continually collaborate with each other. This collaboration revolves around a single, universally accessible source of information, a digital backbone, that provides up-to-date information on exactly what the product is supposed to do and how it is supposed to work. With this digital backbone, automakers can manage and validate information, track issues and ensure vehicle compliance with regulations, requirements and targets across all domains. Automatically generate the best design in advance In traditional automotive development, innovation can be a tedious, expensive, iterative process that allows only limited exploration of design settings before time runs out. Manufacturers can power innovation with a solution that combines CAD and CAE with machine learning, artificial intelligence and automated simulation to quickly generate and evaluate many designs, saving valuable time and resources. This automated process ensures that the winning design incorporates the most competitive features while meeting business goals and vehicle specifications. Validate products and systems virtually With Siemens solutions for Accelerated Product Development and consulting from CAEXPERTS, engineering changes in one domain are effortlessly communicated to the rest of the domains. For example, a mechanical system design change would automatically trigger a notification to the electrical, electronic, software, and control systems. Simulation can then be employed to identify and correct cross-domain design errors. Automakers save time and money by validating a digital twin of virtually the entire vehicle before building physical prototypes, ensuring they don't face delays for redesign, testing and rework. By continually validating every system in the context of every other system, manufacturers can accelerate the development of high-quality, next-generation vehicles and get it right the first time. Get ahead of the competition and schedule your meeting with us today!

Multidisciplinary Optimization and Multiphysics Integration Hello everyone! Today we will discuss the most advanced technologies in the design of electric machines. CAEXPERTS, in partnership with SIEMENS Digital Industries Software, is implementing a new design workflow driven by multidisciplinary optimization and multiphysics integration for its clients in the electrification industry. Check it out! Integration of Simulation and Optimization Tools The integration of simulation tools and the use of optimization software have revolutionized the design of electric machines, enabling the creation of highly efficient and customized solutions for various applications. Simulation of complex systems and geometries enables the integration of the traditional motor design process with current computational power. Digital tools combine electrical, thermal, fluid dynamics, mechanical, and acoustic solvers, explore the optimized design space through algorithms, numerically validate calculations and theoretical models, integrate the product into the system, and automate processes. This allows designers to focus on the most challenging aspects of the design, drastically reducing the need for bench testing until the final prototype is developed. The intensive digitalization of product development engineering effectively reduces timelines and costs, resulting in more competitive and robust products. Advanced project workflow The design of electric machines begins with the definition of the problem to be solved and the desired design characteristics. The project requirements are converted into essential parameters, such as power characteristics, load demands, and dimensional constraints, which are input into the machine's design equations. Specialized software assists in this stage by translating the project requirements into desired numerical characteristics. Next, different motor topologies are compared by testing various configurations to determine the most suitable topology. An optimization software, such as HEEDS, can quickly evaluate a variety of configurations within minutes, using low computational cost analytical equations for comparative analysis. Coupled with an analytical solver like SPEED or Motorsolve, HEEDS explores the design space, presenting the characteristics of different topology combinations, such as a BLDC with internal or surface-mounted magnets, reluctance machines, or different slot geometries. This comparative analysis allows for the identification of the most promising options before proceeding to more detailed stages of the design. Analytical Calculation and 2D Analysis Analytical calculation plays a fundamental role in the design of electric machines, enabling the rapid evaluation of parameters. Equations and mathematical models are used to obtain important characteristics such as efficiency maps, torque curves, current and speed profiles, as well as losses and harmonics. However, analytical design has its limitations. While it is useful for a quick assessment of the design, its results are often not precise enough for most current design requirements. Therefore, instead of conducting initial prototyping, a 2D analysis is performed to validate the obtained results and investigate the electromagnetic fields in the motor. This detailed analysis can consider aspects such as nonlinearities, magnetic saturation, and current distribution. It helps refine the analytical calculations, provides insights into the distribution of the electric and magnetic fields, and suggests possible design improvements. This entire process is managed by the HEEDS optimizer, which performs a comprehensive scan of design parameters, topologies, and additional checks, whether analytical or in 2D finite element analysis. Furthermore, evaluations of the impact or sensitivity of variables are conducted, generating studies on the robustness and reliability of the design. In the figure above, we see an example of optimization for a Spoke-IPMSM using the MAGNET software in a 2D simulation coupled with HEEDS. Multifysical Approach As a larger set of parameters is investigated and selected, it becomes necessary to perform more refined 3D studies using advanced simulation software such as MAGNET for three-dimensional electromagnetic simulations. The goal at this stage is to obtain an accurate analysis that considers elements in the third axis of the problem, such as the influence of coil heads on the machine's operation or asymmetric fields. This simulation allows for the validation and improvement of the electric machine model. In addition to electrical analysis, the design of electric machines also involves thermal and fluid dynamics studies (using STAR-CCM+) and structural analysis (using Simcenter 3D). These four areas are strongly interconnected as they affect various material properties, influencing performance and durability. Through three-dimensional multiphysics simulations, a comprehensive analysis of the electric, mechanical, and thermal performance of the electric machine can be performed, ensuring a robust and reliable design. These simulations can even consider the influence of manufacturing details, assembly, and nearby equipment. Next, the design of electric machines must consider the aspects of vibration and acoustics (using Simcenter 3D), which are important limiting factors due to noise or fatigue. Improvements in these areas involve modifications in construction, operational parameters, and materials, affecting all design disciplines. Systemic analysis Finally, it is important to consider the performance of the electric machine in its specific application system (such as a plant, substation, electric vehicle, aircraft, machining center, etc.). At this stage, aspects such as control dynamics, load regimes, duty cycles, and operational transients are evaluated to more realistically reproduce the operating and operating conditions of the equipment. All SIEMENS simulators, such as SPEED, Motorsolve, MAGNET, Simcenter 3D, and STAR-CCM+, generate reduced-order models that can be coupled with simulators or integrators of complex systems, such as Simcenter AMESIM (or Simulink, SystemVision, LabVIEW, VHDL-AMS, SPICE, etc.). Conclusion The digitization of engineering and the integrated workflow with multiphysics simulations have significantly driven the design of electric machines. These advanced approaches allow for the exploration of different topologies, design optimization, validation of analytical results, and overall improvement of motor performance, contributing to more efficient solutions tailored to the specific needs of each application. The integration of these tools in a workflow driven by multidisciplinary optimization enables a deeper and automated exploration of the design space, taking the design of electric machines to a new level of productivity, precision, and robustness. Rely on CAEXPERTS to assist your industry in accelerating innovation, doing better, faster, and more cost-effectively! Schedule a meeting with us now!

In this post, we present a CASE of technological success from CNPEM (National Center for Research in Energy and Materials) on the Sirius project, an advanced 4th generation particle accelerator located in Brazil. The author, Vitor Pereira Soares, is a member of the Magnets group at CNPEM, and describes the magnetic modeling used in the design of a superend with permanent magnet technology, using Siemens' Simcenter MAGNET software. The superbend plays a crucial role in the Sirius accelerator, allowing electron guidance and synchronous light emission. The use of this innovative technology demonstrates CNPEM's commitment to adopting and developing cutting-edge technologies. Below you will find all the details of this project and how Simcenter MAGNET contributed to its success. Magnetic design for superbend magnets Using simcenter MAGNET to optimize magnetic flux and critical energy in Brazilian particle accelerator CNPEM's Project Sirius is a 4th generation particle accelerator, featuring one of the most advanced synchronous light sources globally. The Sirius superbend plays a crucial role in guiding electrons within the accelerator and enabling light emission. To design the superbend, CNPEM has taken an innovative approach, utilizing permanent magnet technology and optimizing it using Siemens' Simcenter MAGNET software. The result is a magnetic dipole capable of generating stronger magnetic fields, showcasing CNPEM's commitment to adopting and developing cutting-edge technology. Author: Vitor Pereira Soares Title: Technology Development Analyst, CNPEM Introduction Project Sirius is a milestone on Brazilian scientific research, opening new perspectives for the research in areas such as materials science, nanotechnology, physics, and many others. Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) In the late 1980s, Brazilian researchers built the first synchrotron light source in the southern hemisphere at the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS). This particle accelerator aimed to advance critical technological fields in Brazil. After decades of accumulated knowledge, Project Sirius was developed as an incredibly sophisticated successor to the original accelerator, with worldwide competitiveness. Sirius is expected to facilitate hundreds of academic and industrial research projects annually, involving thousands of researchers, and contribute to solving significant scientific and technological challenges such as developing new drugs and treatments for diseases, creating new fertilizers, cultivating more resilient and adaptable plant species, and innovating technologies for agriculture, renewable energy sources, and many other potential applications with significant economic and social impacts. To construct this fourth-generation particle accelerator, Simcenter MAGNET was employed in the design of the accelerator's magnets and ondulators. Project Sirius Sirius is one of the biggest and most powerful machines of its kind in the world. It has a 3 billion electron-volt energy beam, and its set of magnets, such as the superbend and the delta ondulator, developed with the Simcenter MAGNET software, allows it to provide a hard X-rays in a critical energy of 19keV, allowing more reliable aplication and opening new experimentation horizons. How Sirius works The electron beam is generated by heating of a metallic alloy, exciting the material’s electrons, which are sent to an acceleration structure and to a storage ring. The electrons travel in vacuum tubes at near light speed, and their trajectories are guided by magnetic fields, provided by multipole magnets along the way, such as the superbend dipole; the magnetic net of Sirius is composed of more than a thousand magnets. Sirius’ magnetic net and its magnets composition: dipole, quadrupoles and sextupoles; in the bottom right is the insertion device Synchrotron light Sirius is a machine that accelerate electrons to produce the so called “synchrotron light”, used to study the atomic structures of matter. Synchrotron light is a kind of electromagnetic radiation, composed by frequencies that range from infrared to X-rays. The insertion devices, magnetic structures composed of several alternating dipole fields, such as the Delta Undulators (also using permanent magnetic technology) under development, allows for a million times brighter light than that of its predecessor accelerator (UVX), and expands its reach to the hard X-rays that allow it to penetrate even thicker materials. Benefits of synchrotron light Allows the study of atomic and molecular structures; The synchrotron light’s broad spectrum allows for a wide range of analysis; The high brightness makes for very quick results and material investigation; Allows the project of new materials with specific properties. The Magnetic superbend A new model for Sirius dipoles takes the form of a superbend: a room temperature permanent magnet dipole, able to provide hard X-ray with a critical energy of 19 keV. Siemens software MAGNET was used to design and study the behavior of the magnetic flux in the dipoles. This is the first dipole of this kind to use permanent magnets. The experience with permanent magnets dates back to 2005, with the project of an elliptically polarizing undulator to produce radiation. Through the years the knowledge has been matured and a high field dipole was proposed with the technology, a 2T permanent magnet dipole able to achieve a critical of 12 keV on light production. After some project reviews, the superbend designed with MAGNET expanded that capability to a 3.18 T maximum magnetic field and 19keV synchrotron light production. The higher “brightness” allows the study of denser materials. The superbend project upgrade, besides increasing the light critical energy, increases by a factor of 40 the photon flux at high energies; the enhancement makes the generated light able to penetrate deeper and with a resolution higher than the former dipoles. The C shape eases the access for measurements and maintenance, and the return flux blocks on the side of the magnet can be moved to change the air gap between them. This control gap can be adjusted even after the installation of the magnets in the lattice and will be used in case of demagnetization of the permanent magnet blocks. Magnetic design of Sirius superbend A special NdFeB magnet grade with higher coercivity, coated with NICUNI + Epoxy, with mechanical tolerance of ±0.05 mm for the block’s dimensions and magnetization tolerances of 1° in direction and 0.1% in amplitude, is used in the magnet to allow high precision assembly and integrated field repeatability for all magnets. Magnetic design Several designs were evaluated for the central dipole of the Sirius lattice. Due to the interaction between the magnets, it was decided to use a shared core for three dipoles, forming a single dipole referred to as BC. The BC high field sector is formed by an Iron-Cobalt pole surrounded by NdFeB permanent magnet blocks. Due to the saturation of the pole, it is possible to obtain values of magnetic flux density larger than the remanent magnetization of the blocks. The IronCobalt was chosen for presenting higher saturation magnetization than the carbon steel. In addition, the union of the three dipoles in a single magnet saved space and allowed the placement of permanent magnet blocks in the space between the high and low field sectors to help increasing the flux in the IronCobalt pole. These changes caused the maximum magnetic flux density of the high field sector to increase from 2 T to 3.18 T, which increased the critical energy of the photons from 12 keV to 19 keV. The MAGNET’s addon for design optimization make it possible to use advanced algorithms that can find optimal values for different design variables within the constraints specified. The resource was used to model the permanent magnets’ geometry not only in the superbend’s BC, but also in the other magnets in the system, such as regular dipoles, quadrupoles and the sextupoles. Simcenter MAGNET Suite MAGNET is a powerful electromagnetic field simulation tool for accurately predicting the performance of any component with permanent magnets or coils. Its advanced material modeling takes into account nonlinearities, temperature dependencies, demagnetization of permanent magnets, hysteresis loss, and anisotropic effects. This feature enables the analysis of various effects, such as the demagnetization of permanent magnets, verifying their service life, analyzing frequency-dependent losses in thin parts while reducing solution time, and accounting for all losses for an accurate energy balance. Additionally, MAGNET offers a userfriendly and intuitive interface, allowing users to conduct detailed analysis, optimize their designs, and obtain precise results efficiently Flux density analysis in simcenter MAGNET Magnetic simulations were performed using Simcenter MAGNET software. The simulation investigates the longitudinal profile of the magnetic flux density of the dipole. With the longitudinal gradient obtained with this new version it was possible to reduce the beam emittance by approximately 10%. The table below summarizes the simulation results for the variation of the integrated dipole and quadrupole components of the magnetic field with the shift of the low field and floating poles. As seen, the transverse displacement of the low field poles can be used to adjust the magnet integrated field. Although this displacement also affects the quadrupolar gradient, this component can be further corrected with the rotation of the floating poles. With the closure of the control gap, whose nominal value is of 3.2 mm, it is possible to obtain an increase of .1% in both the integrated dipole and quadrupole field components. Densidade de fluxo magnético vertical simulada na posição transversal central da superbend. Conclusion The use of permanent magnets in the new accelerator trend of higher fields and small bore radius is a feasible option. Several permanent magnets design were proposed and prototyped and the superbend dipole is installed at the Sirius lattice. The magnetic and mechanical model were carefully planned assuming high challenges in assembly and measurements, as well as the possible effects of temperature variation. Radiation damage was also taken into account, and SmCo was an option, but NdFeB delivers higher field and is being used in insertion devices for a very long time. It was also important to consider some flexibilities in the model to compensate for possible variations in materials permeability, magnetization of the permanent magnets’ blocks, temperature and mechanical errors. The project was a success and Sirius is operating with the 3.2 T superbends for more than two years. About the author Vitor Pereira Soares holds a bachelor's degree in physics from UNICAMP and is also a mechatronics technician. He joined CNPEM in 2011, having participated in several scientific instrumentation R&D projects. He is currently a member of the Magnets group, where he works on the development of insertion devices and magnetic characterization systems. References: J. Citadini, L. N. P. Vilela, R. Basilio and M. Potye, "Sirius-Details of the New 3.2 T Permanent Magnet Superbend," in IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity, vol. 28, no. 3, pp. 1-4, April 2018, Art no. 4101104, doi: 10.1109/TASC.2017.2786270. L. N. P. Vilela et al., "Status Report of Sirius Delta Undulator," in IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity, vol. 32, no. 6, pp. 1-5, Sept. 2022, Art no. 4101305, doi: 10.1109/TASC.2022.3160941. Download this case in PDF (English) Like it and want to know more about it? Be sure to check out our complete material on Simcenter MAGNET. Schedule a meeting with us now to learn more about CAE and how we can help you achieve your success!

Master complexity from the early design stages. Evaluate and balance potentially conflicting performance attributes from early stages of development through final performance validation and controls calibration. Simcenter systems simulation allows the rapid creation of heterogeneous system simulation architectures, extending the digital twin concept to software engineering. Engineers can: Address the complexity of smart, automated and electrified products including mechanics, electrics, electronics and controls Share models with the global engineering team to help you bring products to the market rapidly Simcenter Amesim Simcenter Amesim is a system simulation platform that allows design engineers to virtually assess and optimize the systems’ performance. Why Simcenter Amesim? Boost system simulation productivity with Simcenter Amesim, a leading integrated, scalable mechatronic system simulation platform. It allows design engineers to virtually assess and optimize system performance. Boost system simulation productivity Simcenter Amesim is a leading integrated, scalable system simulation platform, allowing system simulation engineers to virtually assess and optimize the performance of mechatronic systems. This will boost overall systems engineering productivity from the early development stages until the final performance validation and controls calibration. Manage the complexity of innovation without compromising time-to-market and quality To enable you to save time when creating models, Simcenter Amesim combines ready-to-use multiphysics libraries with the application - and industry-oriented solutions that are supported by powerful platform capabilities. This lets you rapidly create models and accurately perform analysis. Stay integrated Simcenter Amesim is an open environment that can be integrated into enterprise processes. Users can easily couple it with major computer-aided engineering (CAE), computer-aided design (CAD) and controls software packages, interoperate it with the Functional Mockup Interfaces (FMIs), and connect it with other Simcenter solutions and Teamcenter software. Simcenter Amesim is part of the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio, the comprehensive and integrated portfolio of software and services from Siemens Digital Industries Software. Simcenter Amesim capabilities Electrical system simulation Simulate and integrate electrical and electromechanical systems from concept design to control validation. Simcenter Systems helps optimize the dynamic performance of mechatronic systems, analyze power consumption, and design and validate control laws for electrical devices for the automotive, aerospace, industrial machinery, marine and heavy equipment industries. Fluid system simulation Optimize the dynamic behavior of hydraulic and pneumatic components while limiting physical prototyping to what's strictly necessary. With a wide choice of components, features and application-oriented tools, Simcenter Systems allows you to model fluid systems for a wide range of applications, such as mobile hydraulic actuation systems, powertrain systems or aircraft fuel and environmental control systems. Comprehensive component libraries support occasional and expert users when modeling fluid systems, from functional to detailed models. The seamless integration between libraries enables the design of any fluid system and the coupling with controls and other related systems in a single platform. Mechanical system simulation Manage the increasing engineering complexity of integrated mechanical systems. Simcenter Systems offers state-of-the-art modeling techniques that allow multi-dimensional (1D, 2D and 3D) dynamic simulations. It enables you to study rigid or flexible bodies and complex non-linear frictions by analyzing low- or high-frequency phenomena and taking into account coupling between mechanical structures and electric or hydraulic motion. Propulsion system simulation Address a great variety of architectures and technologies with the multiphysics system simulation approach. Powertrain electrification in automotive, reusable launch systems for the space industry, or the use of alternative fuels (LNG) for ships are examples of technology implementation that modeling capabilities of Simcenter can support. You will be able to design and assess the impact of the propulsion system on various metrics, such as onboard power generation or vehicle pollutant emissions, by performing a complete analysis of cross-system influences in a single platform. Reduced-order model creation Simcenter supports the creation of reduced-order models (ROM) in an intuitive interface providing the best reduction techniques from machine learning, linear algebra and statistics. A ROM has a small memory footprint, is tool-agnostic and can be operated in real time allowing for usage as an executable digital twin in all phases of the product lifecycle – enabling better decisions and improved operational excellence. System simulation model management The Simcenter system simulation client for git option helps all the actors of the system simulation community to work collaboratively, supplying the daily management of simulation assets, including branching, versioning and role-based access control. Using the client for git also allows you to keep track of dependencies, related content and all other data that is part of the model, so you have a precise representation of the system simulation domain. Deploy collaborative model development in the most efficient way with the help of optimized data transfers and search algorithms combined with an efficient and fully integrated user experience. System simulation platform Simcenter Systems offers state-of-the-art, open and user-friendly multiphysics system simulation platforms to model, run and analyze complex systems and components. The powerful features, analysis and optimization tools are embedded in advanced and easy-to-use environments for highly efficient 1D multiphysics system simulation and robust design. It efficiently interfaces with many 1D and 3D computer-aided engineering (CAE) software solutions and helps you quickly derive and export models for standard real-time targets by providing a consistent and continuous model-in-the-loop (MiL), software-in-the-loop (SiL) and hardware-in-the-loop (HiL) capable framework. System integration Simcenter Systems offers the integration of different simulation tools throughout the lifecycle of your system, from early design to the operation phase. This allows you to address the digital continuity challenge and increase the efficiency of your workflows and the collaboration between different departments. Simcenter Systems supports connections to a product lifecycle management (PLM) system and geometrical data, co-simulations between 1D and 3D CAE tools, design space exploration, model-based controls development and interactions among different systems using the Functional Mockup Interface (FMI). Thermal system simulation Simcenter Systems helps maximize thermal performance for HVAC and cabin comfort, vehicle thermal management, environmental control systems or other thermal systems. Advanced post-processing features that graphically visualize energy flows in your system makes it highly effective to optimize energy efficiency and to study the integration of energy recovery systems and their impact on performance and energy consumption. You can use the software to represent the real operating environment of your system, including interactions with surroundings when designing and validating your temperature control strategies. To learn more about Simcenter Amesim, clique aqui! Schedule a meeting with us right now and find out how Simcenter Amesim can transform the efficiency and performance of your systems!

The automotive industry has adopted computer-aided engineering (CAE), which reduces costs and delivery times by replacing the physical prototype with the virtual one. With the use of CAE technology, it is possible to simulate vehicles in a virtual environment, combining a driving simulator with a professional driver in a "driver-in-the-loop" configuration, allowing subjective feedback from tests performed entirely in the virtual field. The Simcenter Tire tool is responsible for enabling "driver-in-the-loop" feedback on the virtual development process, including handling, temperature and speed, curves and wrap modules. Enabling the virtualization of vehicle development through driver in the loop simulations Accelerating vehicle development through virtual engineering In recent years, the automotive industry has embraced – and accelerated – a transition from physical to virtual prototyping. As an industry, there is a huge desire to design products virtually, via computer-aided engineering (CAE), and thus significantly reduce the number of physical prototypes created throughout the design process. Achieving such a goal significantly reduces lead times and costs – hence, automotive OEMs can bring products to market faster and cheaper. Most recently, CAE technology has become sufficiently advanced that companies can run vehicle simulations by pairing a driving simulator with a professional driver (i.e., a Driver in the loop, or DiL, setup). This in turn means that, for the first time, OEMs can obtain subjective feedback from tests performed entirely on the virtual proving ground. Such an achievement is not an accident. In general, there are many phenomena that a professional driver can ‘feel’ but cannot be measured (or at least metricized). Traditionally, this has always forced engineers to rely on the same professional drivers testing physical prototypes on a track, after which they can provide their subjective feedback. However, today, with the help of Simcenter Tire, this process can be conducted virtually, and the vital subjective feedback provided by drivers can be given extremely early in the vehicle development process, overcoming the barrier of physical prototypes being required. This process has been shown in blogs posted by BMW e Continental. Simcenter Tire: an enabler for subjective feedback To enable DiL feedback loops in the virtual development process, there are two requirements: a high-fidelity model, and a model which solves quickly enough to run in a real-time simulation. However, these things naturally run contrary to one another: more detail often requires more computation time. To achieve the optimal balance for an end user’s application, our tire model – MF-Tyre/MF-Swift – is made up of several modules: Simcenter Tire’s primary applications for each module As a driver, to achieve the most realistic feeling possible, you would ideally enable all the above modules. And to maximize your fidelity, the enveloping module is vital for ride comfort and durability analyses. Enveloping: a complex road contact model Our enveloping module accounts for both rough roads and obstacles on a road surface. It works by first recognizing that, when driving over an obstacle (and/or a rough surface), two things occur in the contact patch: 1) the contact patch is lengthened; and 2) the tire ‘swallows’ obstacles. Both effects lead to the ‘enveloping’ phenomenon of tires. Figure 1: How to find the enveloping response from the length response and the ability to swallow obstacles The enveloping effects combined can be viewed as the tire acting as filtering mechanism, from the perspective of the wheel center. This filtering occurs because it takes time (and distance) for the tire’s contact patch to fully drive over obstacles. In addition, the rubber effectively acts as a swallowing mechanism to the obstacle. So, from the perspective of wheel axle, obstacles are not so sharp: Figure 2: filter to find effective road surface To account for this effect, the Simcenter Tire MF-Swift enveloping module uses a special road filter to determine the effective road surface at the wheel center. Then, that effective road surface is used as the input to the MF-Swift model. The filter works through using rigid elliptical cams. These are positioned at the front and rear edges of the contact patch and are free to move vertically as they encounter obstacles. For maximum accuracy, more cams can be utilized, and are inserted along the length/width of the contact patch. Of course, there is a trade off in computational efficiency. Figure 3: Cams placed at the front and rear edges of the contact patch Figure 4: Additional cams can be used to obtain greater detail Thus, compared to the other modules within MF-Tyre/MF-Swift, enveloping is different in that it makes many road contact calls – especially when one uses a larger number of cams. Naturally, this increases the computation time, and therefore enveloping can be very computationally hungry. To enable maximum fidelity for DiL (and HiL) setups, we have therefore increased the computational performance of the enveloping module. We have done so by updating the way in which the road data exchange algorithm works. In the Simcenter 3D 2212 release, this has led to up to a 45% overall performance improvement. Figure 5: plot showing the reduction in simulation time that was made possible by the 2212 release updates, which will enable the driver in the loop In the above figure, the computation time for one tire in the Simcenter Tire 2212 release is reduced to 150 µs per ms. For four tires, this would equate to ⁓ 0.6 ms, and thus allowing real-time capability and, with it, DiL-type setups are achievable. Summary The automotive industry is rapidly accelerating on its journey towards relying on virtual design loops for the development of new vehicles. An increasingly important part of that process is in the use of driving simulators, especially for the subjective sign-off of tire and/or vehicle characteristics. To truly enable the virtual development of vehicles, end users require high fidelity, real-time-capable tire models. To support this process, in the Simcenter 3D 2212 release, we have updated our MF-Swift enveloping module to be much faster, ultimately leading to up to a 45% reduction in the overall solving time for our tire model. This then truly enables the use of DiL rigs, and with it has the potential to drastically speed up vehicle development by providing professional drivers ‘virtual’ access to the prototype vehicle and/or tires incredibly early in the process. The benefits also apply to Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) rigs, and even regular “desktop” (or “offline”) simulations. To help companies adapt to this new reality and gain a competitive advantage, CAEXPERTS, a SIEMENS technology partner, offers projects, simulations and consultancy in engineering digitization. Get ahead of the business race now by scheduling a meeting!

You have no idea how easy and cheap it is to have access to high-performance supercomputers for your CFD simulations with SIEMENS STAR CCM+... Whether you are a large corporation or institution, whether you are a startup or industry newcomer to the world of CFD. Let's delve into this topic in a practical and didactic way. Follow: I'm Ricardo Damian , Technical Director at CAEXPERTS, a computer simulation enthusiast, with more than 25 years of experience in CAE, always helping industries to implement simulation technologies to solve industrial problems. In the past, it was not easy to use CFD, use high-performance computing, you had to know UNIX, LINUX, vector programming, parallel programming, scientific computing architecture, a lot of dedication and patience. Windows was not an operating system for scientific computing. I started basic training in Mechanical Engineering at UFRGS, already with an emphasis on CFD, at the Super Computing Center at UFRGS. Then I did a sandwich degree at the University of Stuttgart in Germany, I did an internship at the BOSCH Research Center there in Germany and then at EMBRAER here in Brazil on the way back. Then I did a master's degree in Chemical Engineering at COPPE/UFRJ, with a great class in HPC. Using CFD at the time was tough and running on a cluster was a privilege that required a lot of preparation. Around the 2000s, the first PCs with more than one processing core began to appear and the CFD codes already ran on Windows, but with lower performance. During the next 10 years, I witnessed the beginning of the use of parallel processing clusters in Brazilian universities and research centers. Only a few large industries, with a mature CFD usage , had access to HPC clusters . I worked at PETROBRAS CENPES supporting more than 200 CFD users at the time to use the clusters , installing, configuring, specifying, administering, optimizing performance, etc. It was a super technical activity that involved several professionals. From 2010 onwards Windows started to be good for HPC, but Linux has always reigned in the subject and still reigns today. Nowadays, virtually all CFD simulations are performed on more than 1 processing core. We have available CPUs with 4, 8, 10, 16, 20 processing cores, being able to operate with 8, 16, 32, 64 or even 128 Gb of RAM. Furthermore, state-of-the -art CFD codes, such as SIEMENS Simcenter STAR CCM+, already allow the use of new technologies such as GPU or ARM architecture processing. In other words, today's Workstations already allow for high calculation performance, which makes complex CFD simulations available to novice users. I myself, in my daily use of STAR CCM+, prepare the simulations and run many of them on my personal and work laptop, with an 8-core i7 processor and 16 Gb of RAM. I learned early on how to simplify simulations well. I really like to start CFD studies with simplified simulations, with a coarse mesh, only with the physical models really necessary, building confidence in the model, testing the sensitivity of the parameters (geometric, operational, properties of the fluids/particles involved), to then, if necessary, go to HPC. I often manage to arrive at the final solution without even going to a cluster . That's one of my skills. I am an exception, as nowadays 80% of CFD simulations in the world take place in clusters . Einstein once said that we should try to make things as simple as possible, but not simpler. I am fully aware that there are many cases where CFD needs to go to heavy parallel computation, transient studies, detailed turbulence (LES, DES, DNS), multiphase problems, with particles (DEM), phase shift, flow regime transition, shape optimization, parametric optimization, experiment design, robust design, population balance, moving mesh, vortex-induced vibration, aeroacoustics, complex reactions with tens or hundreds of components, etc. Having a physical cluster in your company means an equity investment in the order of millions of reais and highly perishable (with 2 years it starts to have hardware problems , with 4 years it is outdated and with 6-8 years it is better to turn it off because it consumes a lot of energy) , and you spend practically the same amount on a CPD infrastructure with air conditioning , IT security, software (OS, administration, etc.) availability. Then the provision of servers in the cloud began to emerge, also for scientific computing, and the thing became more professional for CFD as well and finally, today we have a wide range of choices of companies that rent cluster services in the most diverse ways. Recently, SIEMENS launched Simcenter Cloud HPC, initially for STAR CCM+, which really is a disruptive technology. Why disruptive? You see, now you can buy prepaid credits for cluster hours, with machines from 141 to up to 756 cores, which are really cheap (since shared use in the cloud on a large scale lowers costs), and start using CFD on cloud already. In addition to our internal use, we are serving companies of all sizes, which are already starting to use CFD with access to HPC in the cloud, from startups to consolidated industries. High performance CFD has never been simpler to use and more affordable in terms of initial investment. For example: In a CFD simulation of a complex process, such as the casting of complex geometry parts, where a good detailed study requires a mesh of about 5 million elements, long transient, adaptive time step, several phases ( liquid and solid metal, air, sand and porous filter), interface monitoring, conjugated heat transfer (conduction, convection and radiation) and backfill flow control. Normally, in a good Workstation with 16 cores and 64 Gb of RAM, it would take about 16 hours to solve the whole process flow (filling, solidification and cooling). If we take it to the cloud, the simulation is ready in 30 minutes. It changes everything! Source: Aberdeen Group, Cloud accelerates digital transformation blog We can quickly do some calculations of return on direct investment, considering the cost of software license , hardware rental , depreciation, IT administration, and the main cost of the product development engineer. And I'm already advancing, it's really worth using CFD in the cloud, looking at it from any point of view. But what about overhead costs? What is the cost of waiting weeks to design a mold? What is the cost of not testing your product or process a lot? What is the cost of not knowing in depth the behavior of your product, equipment, process, plant? What is the cost of not testing the most critical scenarios first? What is the cost of having to release a product that has not yet been thoroughly tested? What is the cost of not closing a deal because your product is using too much raw material and energy? What is the cost of being number two? Or the competition coming out with something better before you? What is the cost of a RECALL? Incredible as it may seem, many companies are still stuck with the concept of HAVING fixed assets. Usually industries invest heavily and in the long term in the purchase of machines to manufacture their products. Investments in product engineering, process, research, development and innovation tend to be lower. When it comes to investing in renting software and hardware in the cloud, many objections arise. Digital technologies are in full evolution and contracting the As-A-Service type is very advantageous. What good is an efficient typewriter factory? See in this video how easy it is to perform a cloud simulation with STAR CCM+. I hope I helped break some paradigms and motivate your company to learn more about how to make complex CFD simulations simpler and more available. Talk to CAEXPERTS and understand why we are experts when it comes to helping your company accelerate innovation and competitiveness with digital engineering!