New York and London, May 15, 2007: CD-adapco today announces a preview of a new solution for simulating engine thermal systems and coolant flow boiling at the Vehicle Thermal Management Systems VIII (VTMS 8) show. Starting from CAD geometry, STAR-CCM+ meshes the fluid and solid regions, solves the temperature fields in both the solid and fluid and predicts the boiling characteristics. CD-adapco report that this unified approach significantly improves the simulation turnaround time and accuracy.
VTMS 8 will run from the 20th to 24th May 2007, in Nottingham, UK, showcasing the latest research and technological advances in the field of heat transfer, passenger comfort and the management of all thermal systems within the vehicle.
As lighter weight engines, requiring greater heat dissipation, are produced boiling in the coolant has become increasingly important to engine thermal management teams. Get it right and the coolant flow will remove significantly more heat from the engine structure. Get it wrong, and a vapor film forms on the solid surface significantly reducing the heat transfer with potentially disastrous consequences.
Traditionally, due to the tight coupling between temperatures in the solid and fluid, this mechanism has been difficult to simulate. It required multiple tools, and results to be mapped from one simulation to another.
CD-adapco’s Automotive Director, Dr Richard Johns, considers the unified STAR-CCM+ approach a significant step forward: “The ability to mesh and solve the complete system in one tool brings a number of benefits. The simulations are easier to run, as you don’t have to worry about interfacing between meshing, flow and structural analysis tools. Plus, the flow and thermal fields are tightly coupled when local boiling occurs and to predict this accurately you really need to solve the fluid and structural temperature fields together.”
CD-adapco is the leading global provider of full-spectrum engineering simulation solutions for fluid flow, heat transfer and stress, including CFD software, CAD-embedded CFD options, CAE consulting services and training. To find out more, visit CD-adapco on Stand 8 at the show, or e-mail info@uk.cd-adapco.com.
