ESI Releases Update to CFD Simulation Suite

By DE Editors

ESI Group (Paris, France) recently announced the Version 2009.2 release of its ACE+ suite of CFD (computational fluid dynamics) and multiphysics simulation software. Version 2009.2 includes  enhancements of significant benefit for automotive, aerospace, fuel cell, and electronics users, according to the company. CFD-ACE+ comes as a base package that includes flow, heat transfer, and turbulence capabilities. Optional industry-specific packages are offered for biotechnology, plasma, semiconductor, MEMS, aerospace, and fuel cells.

Plasma-enhanced Chemical MPQ Deposition (PECVD) Reactor Simulation.

F/A 18 Hornet aerodynamics.

ESI Group says the ACE+ suite allows the acceleration of the product development process by enabling you to simulate multiple physics in a single solution. Built around the CFD-ACE+ multiphysics solver and including specialized technology tailored to solve difficult applications, the tools within the suite, says ESI, can analyze complex physical phenomenon at the macro, micro, and even nano scales. The suite, also comprised of advanced automated meshing using CFD-VisCART’s adaptive mesh generation, is said to substantially reduce the time needed to prepare complex geometries compared to traditional hex or tetrahedral meshing methods.

“The latest release of the ACE+ Suite includes many new features and developments designed to further improve our value proposition of high productivity coupled with highly accurate physics,” said Joseph Strelow,  Director of Virtual Environment Solutions at ESI, in a statement issued to the press. “This release benefits significantly from the expansion of our global CFD services activity which is becoming the driving force behind this application-focused approach to development.”

Semiconductor

Underhood flow and temperature.

Version 2009.2 includes significant updates to the CFD-ACE+  Advanced CFD and Multiphysics solver, CFD-FASTRAN density-based solver for high-mach flows, CFD-GEOM modeler and mesh generator, CFD-VisCART adaptive automated mesh generator, and CFD-VIEW visualization tools. Those enhancements have been made to increase usability, robustness, and accuracy, according to ESI Group.

For automotive users, ESI reports that it has implemented a new advanced turbulence model and now includes automated boundary layer meshing in CFD-VisCART, which the company reports “dramatically” improves both the speed and accuracy for large aerodynamic simulations. New aerospace applications in the Version 2009.2 release include the ability to allow thermal coupling between CFD-FASTRAN and CFD-ACE+, which enables the simulation of high-mach re-entry heating of spacecraft.

Fuel cell design engineers, according to ESI, continue to benefit from a multi-year investment by the US Department of Energy to refine the multi-phase and porous media capability of CFD-ACE+, allowing ESI customers to simulate more accurately the electrical, structural, and water management performance of these complex electrochemical energy conversion devices. Additionally, ESI group says that its semiconductor manufacturing process simulation toolset offers improved analyses of capacitive coupled plasma (CCP),  one of the most common types of industrial plasma sources.

More details about the Version 2009.2 release are available on the ESI Group’s CFD-ACE+ web page.

For additional details on downloads, forums, etc. please visit ESI.

Learn more about the latest release of the ACE+ Suite.

Register for an ESI Multiphysics Seminar.

Learn about ESI Group’s training programs.

Read why DE Editors selected ACE+ Suite V2009.2 as their Pick of the Week.