Experience a groundbreaking advance in engineering simulations with the Flownex® 2024 release (Version 8.16.0). This update introduces a range of significant enhancements, including innovative tools that automate the transfer of Mechanical results to Flownex, facilitating precise fluid temperature profiling. These improvements extend to seamless project change management, Word report generation, chart digitisation and more! The enhancements, additional features, and bug fixes included in the new release ensure a smooth and optimized simulation experience with Flownex®. Additionally, our dedication to user support is evident in updated manuals, tutorials, and verification content. Join us in pushing the boundaries of engineering simulation with the latest Flownex® release.
The complete Release Notes containing detailed descriptions of the enhancements in the latest Flownex SE 8.16.0. release are available under the Help ribbon in the latest Flownex SE release.
An Ansys ACT (Application Customization Toolkit) extension is now used to facilitate the co-simulation between Flownex SE and Ansys Mechanical. The coupling files setup, solver input file import and commands setup are no longer actions performed by the user. The extension allows the user to build a Flownex network from Ansys Mechanical and couple the two solvers.
Ansys Mechanical Network Builder from 3D Geometry
It is now possible to build a system-level view of Flownex components inside Ansys Mechanical. These components extract geometric data from the CAD. The geometric data for the components are updated when the CAD is updated. A Flownex network is then generated, transferring the geometric data to Flownex, thus saving the user the tedious and error-prone task of manually extracting measurements and entering them into Flownex components.
Ansys Mechanical Flow Solver Coupling
The Flownex Flow Solver coupling is enabled by an Ansys Mechanical Model object as part of the new ACT extension.
The new coupling between Flownex and Mechanical allows the user to start the co-simulation by only running the Mechanical analysis. The linked Flownex project will automatically open and start to solve when the Mechanical analysis is solved. The coupling now also works with the distributed solve option enabled in Mechanical.
The configuration of the named selections has also been improved. The named selections are automatically transferred between Mechanical and Flownex. Additionally, data can be transferred using a fluid named selection in Mechanical. This allows incremented results to be exchanged on a single named selection and allows the fluid temperature results to be visible in the Mechanical results.
Lastly, the Flow Solver Coupling also indicates in Mechanical when there have been changes made to the Flownex project file. This allows the user to know if the analysis should be solved again to see the updated results.
A Polytropic Head Compressor has been added to the Turbos and Pumps library, as shown in Figure 4.
The newly added Polytropic Head Compressor applies the ASME standard for compressor characterization, which is in the format of Polytropic head vs. Flow coefficient as well as Polytropic efficiency vs. Flow coefficient. These curves can be specified for multiple speed lines or Mach numbers and Inlet Guide Vane (IGV) angles.
A Word Report Generator is now available in Flownex. The Word Report Generator enables users to generate reports by directly inserting Flownex data (such as component inputs, results, tables, graphs and page images) into a Microsoft Word document template. The user can configure generation commands as comments in a Microsoft Word document. The report generator will detect these commands and update the template document content with the resulting data.
A Word document viewer has been added to Flownex that allows report commands to be inserted by using drag and drop functionality. After dragging and dropping a property, a comment will be created with the selected command. Figure 7 shows an example of a command that will insert the Static temperature result of a pipe component in a project.
Version control has been added to Flownex SE in the form of a Git Client to provide a structured way to manage project changes made over time.
The Git version control logs how a project progresses and allows reverting back to previous versions. Additionally, all versions can be stored in a single (and optionally remote) database serving as a backup. The Git Client provides the strengths of Git regarding file version control without requiring the user to learn the complexity of working with Git.
Flownex can now assist the user to extract chart values from images using the built-in Chart Digitiser. The Digitiser is available on 2D, 3D and 4D Chart and Lookup Tables.
The pipe dynamic length modelling was expanded to allow for Pipe elements featuring a change in length on either the upstream or downstream side, instead of expanding/contracting the length equally at the opposite ends. This enables an accurate representation of the control surface changing position between two adjoining pipe increments, such as typically found in pneumatic conveying systems. This option is available for gasses and gas mixtures.
The Restrictor with Loss Coefficient now has an added option to specify the component as “Moving” and then also to specify the “Moving restrictor velocity”. This option enables the Restrictor with Loss Coefficient to be used (together with the pipe dynamic length enhancements) to represent a moving object in a pneumatic conveying system.
A set of representative Idel’chik loss coefficients have been added to the options (in addition to the existing Miller options) for T-Junctions and Y-Junctions.
The capability of the Composite Heat Transfer (CHT) element has been extended to allow users to specify a wall temperature profile when incremented CHT’s are connected to a node at one end and an element at the other. Previously only a single fixed temperature Boundary Condition was allowed, meaning that all CHT increments featured the same boundary input. This capability is especially useful when the CHT is used to couple varying wall temperature results from Ansys Mechanical.
For detailed descriptions of each update and how to use it, please refer to the complete Release Notes available on Flownex 8.16.0.