Queensland University of Technology

Master of Engineering Courses

Expanded and Integrated Solutions in ANSYS^® 11.0

New release brings together powerful enhancements and new technologies to increase productivity and broaden the role of simulation in product development.

ANSYS 11.0 software is the latest advancement of our broad portfolio of simulation technologies, offering new and enhanced tools and capabilities that enable customers to complete jobs efficiently and fully leverage Simulation Driven Product Development. This release represents the further organic outgrowth of existing ANSYS multiphysics, analysis, optimization, meshing and multibody dynamics solutions, and it is a continuation of our decades-long commitment to deliver innovation best-in-class CAE products to customers.

ANSYS 11.0 includes significant new and enhanced capabilities, further expanding functionality and integration in the ANSYS Workbench platform:

• Best-in-class solver technologies

• Integrated coupled physics for complex simulations

• Integrated meshing technologies customizable for physics and solver requirements

• Support for ever-larger problem sizes on leading-edge hardware and software platforms

• State-of-the art computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technology

The goal of our focused software development road map is to provide customers with the most advanced and reliable engineering simulation solutions available in the industry. The following highlights illustrate some of the key new and enhanced technologies in ANSYS 11.0 that will increase user productivity and enable customers to continue to broaden the role of simulation in product development processes

Variational Technology for Solver Speedup

The second ANSYS variational technology implementation speeds up the solution and has been applied to two distinct types of mathematical problems: nonlinear solutions for structural and thermal analysis as well as harmonic analysis. These capabilities are referred to as VT Accelerator. This capability provides a 2X to 5X speedup for the initial solutions, depending on the hardware, model and type of analysis used. VT Accelerator makes re-solves 3X to 10X faster for parameter changes, allowing for effective simulation-driven parametric studies of nonlinear and transient analysis in a cost-effective manner. Users can make the following types of changes to the model before a VT Accelerator re-solve:

• Modify, add or remove loads (constraints may not be changed, although their value may be modified)

• Change materials and material properties

• Change section and real constants

• Change geometry, although the mesh connectivity must remain the same (that is, the mesh must be morphed)

VT Accelerator, at version 11.0, enhances the solution of the following types of nonlinear applications:

• Nonlinear structural static or transient analysis not involving contact or plasticity

• Nonlinear thermal static or transient analysis

Mesh Morphing

By working with a mesh and not the solid model, the ANSYS Mesh Morpher allows parameterization of models created from CAD data, nonparametric geometry data such as IGES or STEP, or mesh files such as the ANSYS .cdb file. Read a mesh into FE Modeler and then create an initial configuration to "synthesize geometry" from the existing mesh. At ANSYS 11.0, the ANSYS Mesh Morpher allows four different transformations: Face Translation, Face Offset, Edge Translation and Edge Offset. A wide variety of configurations can be created with these transformations. For example, a Face Offset of a cylindrical surface is equivalent to changing the radius. These translations determine target configurations and automatically define transformation parameters.

Optimization

ANSYS DesignXplorer software has a powerful new suite of design of experiments (DOE) tools. Automatic design points can be generated two ways: Central Composite Design (CCD) or Optimal Space-Filling. CCD provides a traditional DOE sampling set, while the objective of Optimal Space-Filling is to gain the maximum insight with the fewest number of points. New meta-models can accurately represent highly nonlinear responses such as those encountered in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) or structures. After sampling, ANSYS DesignXplorer provides four different meta-models to represent the simulations response: Full Second-Order Polynomial, Kriging, Non-Parametric Regression and Neural Network. Kriging has two variants, pure Kriging and Radial Basis Function.

Once the simulation's responses are characterized, ANSYS DesignXplorer software supplies three different types of optimization algorithms: Screening (shifted Hammersley), Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithm (MOGA) and Nonlinear Sequential Quadratic Programming (NLPQL). At 11.0, ANSYS DesignXplorer offers a full suite of sampling, modeling and optimization routines to address a wide variety of applications.

Fluid Structure Interaction

The integration of ANSYS and ANSYS CFX technologies in the ANSYS Workbench platform has taken another step forward. With version 11.0, users will be able to set up, solve and post-process a two-way fluid structure interaction (FSI) simulation completely in ANSYS Workbench. The latest release also provides a single post-processing tool. ANSYS Workbench significantly reduces the time needed to obtain solutions to complex multiphysics phenomena.

The General Grid Interface technology of ANSYS CFX software has been utilized to deliver FSI load transfers between ANSYS and ANSYS CFX that are both conservative and profile-preserving. The robustness and accuracy of all FSI solutions are improved. This breakthrough in interface load transfer technology is clearly one of the benefits of having experts in FEA and CFD working side-by-side, on the same team, sharing technology. The range of fluid structure interaction cases has expanded with release 11.0.

TurboSystem Vertical Solution

The ANSYS Workbench platform provides an integrated geometry design and analysis system that links all elements of the rotating machinery design process. ANSYS Workbench is the integration platform for advanced physics capabilities that enable designers to model rotating machinery such as pumps, compressors, fans, blowers, turbines, expanders, turbochargers and inducers. The integration of ANSYS solutions into the design process can take weeks out of the CAE process by eliminating manual file transfer, result translation and re-analysis time.

The first step in the turbomachinery design process is to obtain a preliminary design using initial sizing software, given the performance criteria and sizing constraints. PCA Engineers Limited is providing initial sizing software for centrifugal compressors and pumps that will be included in ANSYS BladeModeler software at 11.0. Vista-CC Design is a rapid meinline design program that — when given the compressor duty mass flow, pressure ratio and geometric constraints — configures the compressor scantlings, vane inlet and exit angles, velocity triangles. It also provides essential non-dimensional performance parameters, such as specific speed and specific flow rate on which design decisions can be based.

The inclusion of 1-D sizing tools, automated meshing, streamlined work flow and automatic report generation all contribute to a simulation-driven design and analysis system that will enable users to develop better turbomachines. The integration of these tools is an example of the ANSYS ongoing commitment to develop powerful solutions for specific industry requirements.

Integrated Meshing Technologies

ANSYS 11.0 software delivers more examples of meshing technology integration and provides physics-based meshing solutions that tailor the mesh for mechanical, electromagnetics, CFD or explicit dynamics simulation. Best-in-class meshing technology from ANSYS, ANSYS ICEM CFD and ANSYS CFX has been integrated within the ANSYS Workbench platform to leverage the strengths of the various algorithms to provide an intelligent, flexible and robust solution to meshing.

Based on the defined physics filter, various controls are automatically defined, such as mesh size, mesh transition, mesh uniformity, mesh speed, mesh quality and refinement controls for proximity and curvature. Advanced user controls then are available to exert influence over the mesh when required. This intelligence in meshing allows even the novice user to get a good mesh suited for the defined physics while providing the flexibility of additional controls to improve the solution speed and/or accuracy. The multiple meshing methods, available through advanced options, also provide backup meshing approaches to improve the overall robustness of the meshing solution.

In 11.0, a common mesh data structure has been implemented that provides additional flexibility in the interaction among applications within the ANSYS Workbench platform. This development provides increased bi-directional communication for interaction between solvers (FSI, implicit/explicit, etc.) as well as a more unified approach to meshing (geometry synthesis, advanced meshing). This common mesh data structure also provides a method for integrating third-party mesh utilities within ANSYS Workbench.

New in ANSYS ICEM CFD and AI*Environment 11.0 technologies is a multi-zone volume meshing tool tailored for external aerodynamic applications. This new meshing approach provides the flexibility and control of a blocking (structured meshing) approach with the ease of use of an automatic (unstructured) meshing approach. This semi-automatic multi-zone meshing algorithm allows a user total control over the mesh features both on the surfaces as well as into the volume. Boundaries are created with mapped or swept blocks providing a pure hex mesh on the boundaries with transitions to tetrahedral or hex dominant/core in the interior. This flexibility of mapped, swept and free blocks provides the freedom to use structured hex mesh in the most important regions of the model while getting a high-quality automatic mesh in regions of less concern.

ANSYS ICEM CFD and AI*Environment 11.0 products also address the age-old question, "Should I mesh with tets, or should I spend the extra time to create a hex mesh?" Users can do both with the new body-fitted Cartesian meshing approach that gives a pure hex mesh in less time than traditional tetrahedral meshing algorithms. Options also exist for a hybrid mesh with tets and pyramids to reduce the constraints on the mesher and provide easier methods to edit the mesh. The uniformity of the hex mesh that is generated from this approach makes it perfect for explicit crash analysis or any simulation in which uniform hex mesh is of interest.

Linear and Nonlinear Dynamics

ANSYS 11.0 software enhances and assembles its wide array of advanced structural dynamics capabilities, bringing frequency response and time-history of flexible structures and dynamics systems together. Users now can select a range of behaviors from linear to advanced nonlinear fully flexible responses and all combinations in between for design performance simulations.

Explicit Dynamics

ANSYS AUTODYN software is a uniquely versatile explicit analysis tool for modeling the nonlinear dynamics of solids, fluids, and gases as well as their interactions. At release 11.0, ANSYS AUTODYN will be available for the first time as an integrated tool in the ANSYS Workbench platform. Tightly coupling ANSYS AUTODYN with tools such as ANSYS Meshing and ANSYS DesignModeler provides an environment in which rapid decisions can be made based on results provided only by an explicit dynamics simulation.

With a graphical interface that is easy to use and fully integrated into ANSYS Workbench, ANSYS AUTODYN allows setup, running and post-processing of problems and includes benefits such as:

• Associativity to solid geometry from CAD tools or ANSYS DesignModeler software

• Finite element (FE) solvers for computational structural dynamics

• Finite volume solvers for fast transient computational fluid dynamics

• Mesh-free particle solvers for high velocities, large deformation and fragmentation (SPH)

• Multi-solver coupling for multiphysics solutions including coupling between FE, CFD and SPH

• A wide suite of material models incorporating constitutive response and coupled thermodynamics

• Serial and parallel computation on shared and distributed memory systems

• Links to parametric CAD, ANSYS DesignModeler software and meshed models as a native ANSYS Workbench application, permitting rapid parametric studies without manual model updating