FloMASTER, the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) platform from Siemens-owned Mentor Graphics, has announced the latest release of its fluid mechanics simulation package for piping applications.
The new release offers enhancements via increased integration with existing CAD platforms such as PTC Creo, Dassault CATIA V5, Siemens NX and Solid Edge. A new feature, dubbed “CAD-to-FloMASTER” (CAD2FM), enables engineers to create representations of their 3D systems rapidly. CAD2FM can automatically abstract the 3D descriptions of piping networks into a collection of connected FloMASTER components, reducing manual input significantly.
“With the new CAD2FM capability in the FloMASTER release, we managed to speed up the conversion process of our piping systems massively from a 3D MCAD model to a system model,” stated Stefano Morlacchi, CFD solution specialist, CADLOG. “We achieved this while still maintaining the accuracy of a fully detailed FloMASTER network with all pipes, bend and junctions defined.”
In addition to greater CAD integration and functionality, the latest release contains new functionality for air conditioning systems as well as a whole bunch of new components added to the vapor cycle component library.
And of course, what 21st-century simulation software update would be complete without a design optimization feature? The Experiments feature in FloMASTER allows users to run what-if analyses based on Latin Square and Monte Carlo methods in 1D thermofluid analyses.
FloMASTER usability gets a boost also, by addition of a new results dashboard for transient simulations. A new gas turbine cavity result viewer provides the user with all results of a cavity in a single location. In addition, the new schematic annotation feature allows users to highlight areas of interest and improve system understanding.
“Our new FloMASTER release provides feature-rich capabilities that deliver the accuracy, flexibility and speed that address many key areas important to our customers, including those in today’s highly competitive automotive systems market,” stated Roland Feldhinkel, general manager of Mentor Graphics’ Mechanical Analysis Division, now part of Siemens PLM Software’s simulation and test division. “Leveraging our extensive knowledge and expertise in 1D and 3D mechanical analysis, our new 1D/3D CAD import tool represents a step change in automation that will significantly benefit our customers.”
All of these new additions mean that fluid systems engineers can simulate pressure surge, temperature and fluid flow rates with increased automation and increased productivity.
As always, a trial version is available if you’d like to see what FloMASTER has to offer, with this particular trial being cloud-based so you can run it from the comfort of your own browser. Click this link to get a trial.