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Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is an engineering method in which flow fields and other physics are calculated in detail for an application of interest. ANSYS uses a multidisciplinary approach to simulation in which fluid flow models integrate seamlessly with other types of physics simulation technologies. The CFD, or fluids simulation, results can be used as part of a Simulation Driven Product Development™ (SDPD) process to illustrate how a product or process operates, to troubleshoot problems, to optimize performance and to design new products.
ANSYS CFD provides access to both the well-known ANSYS FLUENT and ANSYS CFX products. Also available separately, these are the main general-purpose fluids simulation products offered by ANSYS. These two core fluids simulation solvers represent more than 1,000 person-years of research and development. This effort translates into the key benefits of fluids simulation software from ANSYS: experience, trust, depth and breadth. The CFD core solvers from ANSYS are trusted, used and relied upon by companies worldwide.
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Common Workflow
The ANSYS CFD product provides access to both ANSYS FLUENT and ANSYS CFX software. Thanks to ANSYS Workbench technology, these two well-known products share a common workflow. CAD connectivity, geometry modeling, meshing, and post-processing are shared by both. Furthermore, engineers can now use the familiar ANSYS Workbench applications to perform parametric analysis and design optimization. The ANSYS CFD software works smoothly together with pre-processing software such as ANSYS DesignModeler, ANSYS Meshing, and ANSYS DesignXplorer. This greatly reduces the learning curve for users who want to be able to use both CFD products and other ANSYS solutions. The ANSYS Workbench platform integrates a large variety of technology choices tailored to meet individual needs, while ensuring interoperability and a clear future upgrade path.
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Both ANSYS FLUENT and ANSYS CFX have a common
workflow inside ANSYS Workbench |
Comprehensive Physics
The combination of ANSYS FLUENT and ANSYS CFX software provides users with an unprecedented level of fluid dynamics modeling capabilities. ANSYS CFD technology provides engineers with a wealth of physics models. This includes internal and external flow, single-phase and multiphase flow, chemical reaction, combustion, noise prediction, heat transfer, radiation, turbomachinery flows, and many more fluid flow related models. The extensive capabilities of ANSYS CFD software make it the simulation tool of choice for designers and analysts world-wide. With a large commercial and academic user base, along with a fluids simulation product line that is both broad and deep, ANSYS, Inc. is an industry leader and a technological champion for fluid dynamics simulation.
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Complex turbulent flow structures
modeled with ANSYS CFD software |
Engineering Design
ANSYS CFD-Flow addresses the fluid flow analysis needs of designers who work on the front lines of their company's product-development process. The ANSYS CFD-Flo tool limits the physics accessible by the user to the models most commonly used by design engineers. It is compatible with other applicable ANSYS Workbench platform add-ins. The reduced complexity and cost of ANSYS CFD-Flo make it a good choice for design departments.
ANSYS CFD technology allows for an in-depth analysis of the fluid mechanics in many types of products and processes. Not only does it reduce the need for expensive prototypes, it provides comprehensive data that is not easily obtainable from experimental tests. Fluids simulation can be used to complement physical testing. Some designers use it to analyze new systems before deciding which validation tests, and how many, need to be performed. When troubleshooting, problems are solved faster and more reliably because fluid dynamics analysis highlights the root cause, not just the effect. When optimizing new equipment designs, many "what if" scenarios can be analyzed in a short time. This can result in improved performance, reliability and product consistency.
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Gas and solids distribution in a three-phase bubble column as calculated using the Eulerian multiphase flow model. The light-blue iso-surface shows the region with the highest gas fraction. The color on the column wall indicates the concentration of the solid catalyst particles. The solids are not well mixed. ANSYS CFD software can be used to determine the optimum operating conditions for these reactors. |
Powerful and Scalable High-Performance Computing Capabilities
ANSYS fluid dynamics provides powerful and scalable high-performance computing (HPC) options. Parallel processing with ANSYS CFD HPC allows you to consider higher-fidelity CFD models - including more geometric detail, larger systems (e.g., a full 360 degrees blade passage rather than a single blade one), and more complex physics (e.g., an unsteady turbulence rather than a steady turbulence model). The result is enhanced insight into product performance - insight that can't be gained any other way. This detailed understanding can yield enormous business benefits - revealing design issues that might lead to product failure or troubleshooting delays. Using HPC to understand detailed product behavior, you can gain confidence in your design and ensure that your product will succeed in the market.
ANSYS CFD HPC also increases throughput by speeding up turn-around time for individual CFD simulations. This enables you to consider multiple design ideas and make the right design decisions early in the design cycle. Using ANSYS CFD HPC you therefore make your engineering staff, and your product development process, more productive and efficient.
The ANSYS CFD technology incorporates optimization for the latest multi-core processors and benefits greatly from recent improvements in processor architecture, algorithms for model partitioning, combined with optimized communications and load balancing between processors. ANSYS CFD HPC is trivial to use, and works exceptionally well from multi-core desktop workstations to high-end HPC clusters. Linear scalability has been shown on systems with more than a thousand processors!
Knowledge Management Ready
The ANSYS CFD technology is ready for use with the ANSYS Engineering Knowledge Manager (EKM). The ANSYS EKM system addresses your simulation data management challenges. It assists engineers with important aspects of simulation data management, including archiving, back-up, traceability, maintaining audit trails, collaboration, and IP protection. This ensures that the knowledge gained by the ANSYS CFD simulations is properly captured and ready for use in the corporate engineering process.
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Wave formation around a seafaring vessel as modeled using the free surface model with ANSYS CFD software
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