CAE simulations. The art of the possible.

What factors contribute to making CAE projects successful? In the company I work for, in 15 years, we have delivered hundreds of CAE projects to industrial companies (most of them in the turbomachinery field). Some projects were highly successful, while others were not. In this article, I would like to share a few thoughts and lessons learned about project-success patterns and engineering productivity in general.

The Game

In engineering, we don’t simulate reality. We merely simulate our understanding of reality with currently available resources. In other words, the game we play here is about turning our knowledge and effort (and talent) into the best possible results. CAE projects, like software, are never really finished. They only have their versions. At any point, you can make them better. When chasing accuracy, the effort grows exponentially, so it’s smart to recognize the point when the results are good enough. Having clear, measurable goals is critical to prevent infinite drift, resource waste, and disappointment. Well-defined goals help to navigate, focus, and prioritize. The game we play is all about goals and their feasibility with the available knowledge and effort.

Continue reading on CFD SUPPORT website >>> https://www.cfdsupport.com/cae-simulations-the-art-of-the-possible/

Component 5, (Nacelle_Top) and Component 7 (Nacelle_Bottom) are experiencing failure to mesh. Can you take a look? It might be obvious to you.

Here's a download link to the compressed project file for your review. Please see my comment for a better Component map image for reference.

Edit: I've even tried performing the meshing operation using Salome-Meca. Meshing just one stl fails with it too, but unlike TCAE, takes several hours to fail completely. The component 5 (fuchsia) is Nacelle_Top, the patch in question is named Solid_Top_Bell-Mouth_inlet_and_Duct_Surface_08_21_25a.

I suspect Nacelle_Bottom is going to be just as bad, or worse, than Nacelle_Top. It is slightly smaller in diameter, but it's a more complicated surface.

Thanks in advance,

David

The previous iteration of this TCAE project experimented with omitting a central component from the topology, the Duct_Separator, going from the Top_Fan rim (sometimes called a hub, in this case an open outlet interface), through which air not used by the Top_Fan flows from the Top_System_Suction outlet interface, and continues directly to the inlet interface of the Bottom_Fan open rim, skipping the Duct Separator. Confusing, I know, but the Bottom_Fan is upside-down compared to the Top_Fan, so it takes in air not from the shroud inlet interface, as in the case of the Top_Fan, but from the Bottom_Fan's open rim inlet interface.

This iteration is more like the actual setup, Suction, Top_Fan, Duct_Separator, Bottom_Fan, Nacelle, Outlet_Extension. Please see my comment for a more complete image of the Component Map.

Who knows? It might eliminate some setup errors seen previously.

Working through the Check for Errors exercise finally presented only this orange border in the Components Map. Other than TCAE Output messages, there's no textual description of what or where things have gone awry. I'm assuming it's displayed somewhere in the TCAE Output messages, but what should I be looking for? Is it because the component Duct Separator (Co6) is without a partner, present in the group, barely visible, but no interaction with any other?

Still working through the Check exercises. Narrowing the errors down (hopefully!).

That I've gotten this far, in my estimation, is cause for celebration. 5-lime margarita time!

(they only yielded 4 oz. of juice from those small organic limes, but it'll do).

I'm amazed at the Check functionality. I've been eliminating one similar error after another until now.
From the directory for the component named "Top_Fan", I copied and pasted an interface patch (.stl) into the directory for the component named "Hull__Inlet__Outlet", same file name, same type: "outletInterface" with the intention to prevent this from happening. It seems to me that in that instance it should be an inletInterface (just saying, I tried it that way...didn't help), Static Reference frame, another, different component.
Setup Problem is displayed upon selecting Check, listing the source, the copied patch in Top_Fan as the problem.

When I go into the Top_Fan component to connect the patch to the patch of same name in the Hull__Inlet__Outlet component, I don't see it listed as a choice, nor do any of the available listed options seem to work.
Changing the name slightly of the file in Hull__Inlet__Outlet had no effect.

How can I fix this? I'm stuck. Your help is appreciated in advance.

David

https://www.cfdsupport.com/cae-open-source-software.html

Each piece of software has its pros and cons. Usage of any of them depends on the particular project needs and many other circumstances (Physics, resources, skills, experience, …).

Please contact us if you find new open-source software to complete this list or broken link or any inaccuracy. We’ll be happy to fix it.

May you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.

Best Regards,

Team CFD SUPPORT

TCAE-Lite is designed for those with limited budgets.

Over 50 man-years of consistent development on top of open-source condensed in unlimited software at the cost of a daily cup of coffee. 

https://www.cfdsupport.com/tcae-lite.html

hashtag#CFD hashtag#Simulation hashtag#FluidDynamics hashtag#FlowVisualization

I’m familiar with the experimental methods to determine the damping ratio of a material, but I’m wondering if there’s an alternative way to calculate it using mechanical properties alone.

For example, stiffness (K) can be derived using the formula K= (A*E)/L, where A is the area, E is the modulus of elasticity, and L is the length. I’m curious if there’s a similar approach for damping ratio? Assume we don't know the Damping Co-efficient or factor.

And,if you don't have the resources to conduct experiments to determine damping, are there any sources like MatWeb where we can find the damping ratios for materials?

AI for CAE

The question isn’t “if” but “how soon”

CAE, or Computer-Aided Engineering (CFD, FEA, FSI, and optimization), is a field that utilizes computer software and tools to deliver the design, analysis, and optimization of engineering systems and components. This field plays a crucial role in industries such as automotive, aerospace, manufacturing, and civil engineering, enabling engineers to make informed decisions and improve the efficiency and reliability of their designs.

With recent developments, seeing how AI (Artificial Intelligence – here I mean rather Machine Learning but only calling it AI to make things easier) is disrupting field by field, everything seems that AI will disrupt the CAE field too. In my humble opinion, it’s just a matter of time and the only question is when (and how exactly) it happens rather than if it happens.

We’re just somewhere at the beginning and it’s even very difficult to say what is going on at the moment – not a mention that it’s impossible to predict what will happen in the future. However, there are a couple of things that we CAN say. 

The thing is, the usual CAE workflow involves a bunch of easy manual tasks and decisions based on data. And AI seems to be perfect for lending a hand with all of that.

https://www.cfdsupport.com/ai-for-cae.html

Recently we've been diving into some cool aeroacoustics problems and testing out different turbulence approaches. 🌪️ We wanted to figure out which one is the best for real-world applications and guess what?  ✨ We found out that DES (Detached Eddy Simulation) is the way to go! 🚀

🛫But you know what's even better than just reading about it? Actually seeing it in action! That's why we made this awesome video showing the difference between RANS, URANS, and DES turbulence modeling on a NACA 0012 airfoil. 🎥

If you're interested in the nitty-gritty details, we've got a full case study available for download. Just click on the link below! 👇

https://www.cfdsupport.com/airfoil-aerodynamics-tutorial-naca-0012.html

But first, make sure to check out the YouTube video to see the turbulence models in action. It's seriously mind-blowing! 💥

https://youtu.be/8jfg9mvSfoI

🌪️ Centrifugal pump CFD, FEA & FSI Simulation 🌪️

Centrifugal Pump is the hidden workhorse of mankind 🚀. Pumps transport water everywhere where it is needed 💧, and water distribution networks represent one of the largest infrastructure assets of industrial society 🏗️.

The global pump market is expected to grow significantly in the coming years 📈, due to the increasing demand from various end-user sectors, especially the agriculture sector 🌾. According to a report by Fortune Business Insights, the global centrifugal pump market size was USD 29.24 billion in 2020 💰 and is projected to grow from USD 30.56 billion in 2021 to USD 45.56 billion by 2028 📊, exhibiting a CAGR of 5.9% during the forecast period from 2021–2028 📆. Another report by MarketsandMarkets estimates that the global centrifugal pump market will grow from USD 39.7 billion in 2023 to USD 51.5 billion by 2028 🌍, recording a CAGR of 5.4% during the forecast period.

The big issue is that most of the pumps are used in regimes that are far away from their best efficiency points 🤷‍♂️. In total, that leads to wasting huge amounts of electrical energy 💡 which is more than 90% of the total costs of pump ownership 💸. Take a look at how to make a comprehensive CFD, FEA & FSI Simulation of a centrifugal pump by TCAE, to optimize the centrifugal pump efficiency 🚀.

Full Case Study (download available):  🔗📚📥

https://www.cfdsupport.com/centrifugal-pump-cfd-fea-fsi-simulation.html

Ever wanted to be a tiny sand grain zooming through a hydro turbine? 

Buckle up, because the Francis Turbine CFD & FEA + FSI simulation by TCAE is the wildest ride in the hydropower park! Our video straps you onto a sand grain and sends you spiraling through the turbine - it's like a rollercoaster for sediment! Get ready to experience the twists, turns, and, oh yes, the dramatic final splash. It's a unique view of hydropower that's both hilarious and educational. 

Spoiler alert: things get pretty intense for our grainy hero! 

Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy ride!

Check out the full case study (download if you dare):

https://www.cfdsupport.com/francis-turbine-cfd-fea-fsi-simulation.html

And don’t miss the action-packed YouTube video:

https://youtu.be/9ao25PqihzI

The goal of this category is to bring a general discussion not specific to any single forum category, but instead, provide a general discussion space for a community.