A quick recap of Fluid Mechanics solutions from Dassault Systemes. It’s not a one offering anymore. With recent acquisitions of world class technology such as XFlow, PowerFlow and Exa the offerings span across a wide range of application from Navier-Stokes formulation to Lattice-Boltzmann formulation. Let’s get started:

• FLA and FMK unite together: FLA has been an analyst role and FMK the designer role till 2018x. Starting 2019 GA, FLA will merge into FMK. That means all the functionalities of FLA will now be available in FMK. As FMK is a designer role with its own assistant panel, using CFD feature would be a much easier starting 2019 GA.

Both on cloud and on-premise options remain available. However, the basic prerequisite will be SEI that can be upgraded to SPI in case of existing customers. The bonus is that FMK role comes with enough tokes to submit an 8 core job 😊. Additional on-premise or on-cloud tokens can be used if needed.

Enhancements in Physics of Flow

• Radiation solver available: The combination of CFD and thermal is now enhanced by adding one prominent mode of heat transfer that is radiation. The surface to surface radiation module is available in 2019xGA and surface to ambient module will be available in 2019xFD01. Emissivity and ambient temperature are the key inputs.

• General solver enhancements: Mesh size independent convergence rate, better shock capture for high Mach flows, buoyancy dominated natural convection flow.
• Comfort and e-cooling: Number of cabin comfort parameters for whole human body have been added for T&M as well as A&D industry. These parameters are based on ASHRAE55 specifications.

Enhancements in Meshing

• Intelligent feature capture: In case of complicated surfaces with lots of geometry, surface mesher initially created fine mesh over the surface where fine features need to be captured. In conventional approach, the same surface mesh creates extra fine volume mesh inside the fluid domain resulting in extremely large volume mesh. The new intelligent feature capture option allows mesher to obtain coarser volume mesh using fine surface mesh.

• Partition hex mesher: This application can be of tremendous use in FSI applications on the 3D EXPERIENCE Platform. While Hybrid Hex mesher is still considered a piece of diamond for fluid meshing applications, user may have requirement of hex meshing for the structural counterpart. As a result, hex meshing using partition approach (just like in CAE) has been introduced in the platform as well.

Enhancements in Scenarios and post processing

• Duplicating scenarios: This feature was requested multiple times by many customers. There is often a requirement for duplicating scenarios in situations where one or more of the scenario parameter should be changed such as mesh parameter or any fluid BC while the user wish to retain previous scenario for sake of comparisons. Earlier, user had to recreate scenario from scratch. Now a duplicate option exists along with option of activating/deactivating scenario.
• FEM Rep option: When Scenario app is launched, the UI asks the user whether to create a new FEM Rep or use an existing one.
• Uniformity index: Additional output on scale of 0 to 1 to quantify uniformity of flow across a given section.
• User Field Expressions: User can now create customized field expressions using standard field expressions with mathematical operators. Our Abaqus CAE buddies know it is a very useful field output capability that is now available in 3DX for fluid applications.

Enhancements in performance and stability

• Automatic solver configuration: Let CFD engineers perform simulations rather loosing time in juggling with numbers!

The solver has been made increasingly mesh agnostic when it comes to convergence. Earlier with change in mesh, user was expected to manually change solver under relaxation factors to avoid problems of slow convergence or no convergence. Starting 2019x, these factors are updated automatically by the solver with change in mesh. Available in all incompressible steady-state flow.

• Bad cells treatment: Let’s not penalize the whole model due to presence of only few bad elements!

In case of bad mesh that cannot be fixed, solver parameters need to me modified for the whole mesh and that too manually to obtain a converged solution. Starting 2019x, solver automatically detects such bad cells and simplifies or alter solution parameters only in those cells to obtain a solution.

Enhancements in user documentation

• Verification guide: Verification guide has been introduced that can be accessed either from the SWYM learning center or from the HELP option of rich client install.
• Theory guide: Provided for every feature in 3D EXPERIENCE Help starting 2019x GA. In addition to how to set up, information on underlying formulation is available as well.
• Assistant Panel is an added advantage by default that would provide additional text information as well.