ANSYS CFD

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.

Both ANSYS FLUENT and ANSYS CFX have a common workflow inside ANSYS Workbench

ANSYS CFD technology is highly-scalable, allowing for efficient parallel calculations on thousands of processing cores. ANSYS CFD also includes the full-featured ANSYS CFD-Post fluid flow post-processing tool. This can be used for advanced quantitative analysis and high-quality visualizations. When ANSYS CFD is used in combination with ANSYS Mechanical it is eminently suitable to solve complex fluid-structure interaction problems.

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.

Complex turbulent flow structures modeled with ANSYS CFD software

Furthermore, we offer ANSYS CFD-Flo to address 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.

Gas and solids distribution in a three-phase bubble column as calculated using the Eulerian multiphase flow model.

The ANSYS CFD technology is highly scalable, and is a leader in high-performance computing (HPC). Product development times can be shortened with ANSYS CFD HPC, the high-performance computing option. Simulations can be on computer systems ranging from single CPU PCs to hardware clusters with thousands of computing nodes. The ANSYS CFD parallel computing capabilities have been optimized over many years. It enables companies to quickly analyze even the most complex models. Models with more than a billion grid cells have been successfully solved with ANSYS CFD technology. Linear scalability has been shown on systems with more than a thousand processors. The outcome is simulation results that resolve even the smallest details of the flow, allowing engineers to refine designs to a level that was previously impossible.

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.

Wave formation around a seafaring vessel as modeled using the free surface model with ANSYS CFD software