Simulation Analytics Tool Finds Anomalies and Trends in CFD Data

By DE Editors

Tecplot, Inc. (Bellevue, WA) has announced plans to release a new simulation analytics tool called Tecplot Chorus that, it says, will allow engineers to discover trends and anomalies in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) studies more easily while simultaneously gaining insights into the underlying, fluid-dynamic phenomena that cause these variations. Additionally, the tool is said to be able to help engineers make more informed decisions faster by fostering collaboration on the analysis of large sets of simulation data.

Image courtesy of Tecplot Inc.

“Just as the invention of the scanning electron microscope allowed scientists to develop a deeper understanding of underlying phenomena driving the variations in macro-properties across many specimens,” explained Mike Peery, the president of Tecplot, Inc. in a press statement, “Tecplot Chorus will allow engineers to look at their simulation data sets in a completely new way ]by simultaneously] giving them a ‘microscopic’ view into the underlying physics ... with a ‘macro’ view into the relationships of parameters and outcomes across many cases.”

Tecplot Chorus reportedly can analyze anywhere from one to thousands of simulation cases at once. It incorporates a simulation data management system for both test and computational data, says Tecplot. This, in turn, means that this simulation analytics tool can also promote greater collaboration and efficiencies among teams of engineers by allowing them to archive and share simulation data to avoid rework and by serving as the support for teamwork.

For engineers working with large amounts of simulation data, Tecplot Chorus can help them understand complexities, identify trends, and connect it all to the underlying physics, says the developer. Features of the software, as described by Tecplot, include a unified environment for enhanced metadata and flow field analysis, the ability to visualize and explore surface data rapidly, automated plot and data extraction, and surrogate modeling tools.

Tecplot explains that the unified interface provides engineers the ability to manage multiple projects, filter, explore, compare, and display differences between plot images. The software will offer the capability of viewing 3D surfaces within a flow field with a single mouse click, with these fields including grid-works of actual computational data points on body surfaces, slices through a flow field, boundary surfaces, iso-surfaces, and streamlines. Users can filter and compare cases, and the differences between solutions or sets of solutions can be calculated.

The automated plot and data extraction functionality is said to enable engineers to quickly extract metadata from complex file and directory structures for simplified integration with documentation and presentation tools. Surrogate modeling tools implies “sophisticated analysis tools” that generate multi-dimensional surrogate models and response surfaces. These are said to allow engineers to make interpolations in areas of sparse data within the parametric space, which, according to Tecplot, reduces the number of simulations and testing configurations needed to develop optimum designs.

Tecplot Chorus also provides the ability to launch from within itself the company’s Tecplot 360 numerical simulation and CFD visualization application as well as most third-party 3D post-processors. The company adds that Tecplot Chorus is easy to set up and deploy.

“Tecplot Chorus could be one of those breakout technologies that enable broad collaborative CFD scenarios,” said CIMdata executive consultant Ken Amann in a statement provided by Tecplot. “There are many engineers with varying skill levels conducting CFD research today, and enabling them to collaborate should provide them a significantly higher level of insight and ability to make more informed decisions faster.”

Tecplot Chorus is being developed in cooperation with a customer advisory council, which has been involved in beta testing the product. Tecplot Chorus will be available for purchase in the third quarter of this year. Pricing was not available at press time. For more information, contact Tecplot.

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Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.