New features of ANSYS12

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ANSYS Workbench 2.0: As a framework, ANSYS Workbench integrates existing applications and combines the simulation processes together, and this aspect remains unchanged in ANSYS Workbench 2.0. However, the concept of engineering diagrams has been introduced on the engineering page, as shown in Figure 1. With this feature, a complex physical problem involving multiple types of analysis can have its components interconnected to establish correlations. The status symbol on the right side of the chart element indicates whether that setting needs to be updated, entered, etc., making it easy for users to view the status of the settings. http://pera.e-works.net.cn/NewsImages/128865673087500000.jpg Image: ANSYS Workbench project page. In addition, the ANSYS Workbench 2.0 platform can also be used as an application development framework, providing full project scripts, reports, user interface (UI) toolkits, and standard data interfaces; this functionality will be released later. In ANSYS version 12.0 (hereafter referred to as R12.0), engineering data and DesignXplorer are no longer separate applications; through the UI toolkit, they have been redesigned and integrated into the ANSYS Workbench interface. Although significant adjustments have been made to the engineering page, the core applications and user interface of Workbench remain largely unchanged, as shown in Figure 2. Within this innovative framework, engineers can carry out a complete simulation analysis, including CAD integration, geometric modification, and mesh generation. Conceptual diagrams on the engineering page help guide users through complex analyses, explain and clarify data relationships, and capture automated processes. The improvements to the Workbench2.0 platform represent another step forward in engineering simulation. Geometry & Meshing: Building on its extensive knowledge and experience, ANSYS incorporates a wide range of geometry and meshing techniques. The resulting solutions for geometry and meshing enable the sharing of geometric and mesh data across different analysis applications. R12.0 enhanced the geometric interfaces, allowing users to enter more information from CAD systems through them, including new data types such as line shapes for simulating beams ； Additional attributes such as color, coordinate system, and improved naming options in CAD systems. When preprocessing large models, R12.0 supports 64-bit operating systems and enables intelligent, selective updates to geometry. Furthermore, R12.0 enhances the capability to create geometry in the Workbench environment, offering more automation features and greater flexibility; it also adds functions such as merging, joining, and mapping for surface modeling. The new tool can automatically detect and handle common issues such as small edges, fragmented surfaces, holes, cracks, and sharp corners. The new version makes faster modifications to geometric models and handles them more quickly. Figure 3 shows the aircraft model before and after cleaning. http://pera.e-works.net.cn/NewsImages/128865674486250000.jpg http://pera.e-works.net.cn/NewsImages/128865674758750000.jpg Images of the aircraft model before and after using the geometric cleanup tool. The automatic meshing solution provided by R12.0 yields excellent results in fluid dynamics. By utilizing the meshing enhancements of GAMBIT and TGrid, R12.0 can automatically generate tetrahedral meshes suitable for CFD with minimal user input. Furthermore, it integrates advanced size functions (similar to GAMBIT), prism and tetrahedral meshes (from TGRID), as well as other meshing techniques, thereby improving aspects such as mesh smoothness, mesh quality, meshing speed, curvature approximation capability, and boundary layer capture. Although many of the functions were improved for hydrodynamic applications, they can still be used in other simulation analysis applications. Users of structural analysis can apply these functions to obtain automated and high-quality meshes. A new multi-region meshing method allows users to divide complex geometric models into pure hexahedral meshes without performing geometric segmentation; Figure 4 shows the hexahedral mesh obtained after performing one operation on the brake rotor. http://pera.e-works.net.cn/NewsImages/128865675161406250.jpg http://pera.e-works.net.cn/NewsImages/128865675472968750.jpg Image: Hexahedral mesh of the brake rotor; Multi-physics. R12.0 enhances the multi-field solution capabilities. The new and enhanced features enable the handling of multi-physics problems with direct and sequential coupling, and multi-field simulation in ANSYS Workbench is faster than before. The integration of ANSYS solver technologies took a significant step forward in version 12.0, by bringing these solver technologies together within a unified simulation environment and providing a more efficient workflow for multi-field simulations. R12.0 expands the capabilities of the distributed sparse solver, supporting asymmetric and complex matrices in shared and distributed computing environments. This new solution technique significantly reduces the execution time of certain directly coupled solutions, such as coupled field analysis involving the Pelbier and Seebeck effects, as well as thermoelectric coupling analysis. Furthermore, R12.0 can use directly coupled elements to simulate the seepage in porous media. The ANSYS Workbench framework supports direct coupling field analysis, and the relevant direct coupling field elements (SOLID226 and SOLID227) support thermoelectric coupling in R12.0. In addition, there is a thermoelectric coupling analysis system that supports Joule heating analysis of temperature-dependent materials as well as advanced thermoelectric effects such as the Peltier and Seebeck effects. The application areas of this new technology include integrated circuits, electronic tracks, ribbon cables, and Joule heat analysis in thermoelectric cooling devices. http://pera.e-works.net.cn/NewsImages/128865675760468750.jpg Image: Workbench thermoelectric analysis (authorized by WEG Electronic Equipment). A new immersed solid FSI algorithm has been proposed in the fluid-structure interaction functionality. It is a grid-overlap-based technique; fluid and solid regions each have their own set of grids, and this algorithm helps engineers simulate the interaction between moving rigid bodies and fluids in a flow field. Another new feature of ANSYS 12.0 for fluid-structure interaction is the ability to address the nonlinear transient applications involving thin liquid films in FSI by solving the nonlinear Reynolds pressure membrane equation. Version 12.0 introduces another FSI feature: this feature uses ANSYS FLUENT as the CFD solver for unidirectional fluid-structure coupling calculations. Based on ANSYS CFX-Post, it enables one-way transfer of surface temperatures and surface forces between ANSYS FLUENT and ANSYS Mechanical products. The Structural Mechanics version R12.0 has seen significant improvements in the function of drive engineering design within structural applications. Many new features and tools have been integrated into the ANSYS Workbench platform to reduce the overall solution time. In addition, improvements have also been made in terms of elements, materials, contacts, solving performance, linear dynamics, rigid body dynamics, and flexible body dynamics. http://pera.e-works.net.cn/NewsImages/128865676350781250.jpg http://pera.e-works.net.cn/NewsImages/128865676583281250.jpg Image: Crack analysis of turbine blades (with permission from PADT). The most notable new element in R12.0 is the 4-node tetrahedral element, which is used to simulate complex geometries in hyperelastic or forming applications. It reduces the analysis time from geometry to solution, while ensuring the accuracy of the solution. In terms of materials, R12.0 introduces several new materials on top of the many existing options, such as the Gurson material, which can be used to simulate polymers and polymer composites. Assembly analysis is becoming increasingly important in simulation. R12.0 enhanced the advanced contact properties and introduced numerous additional contact simulation features, including new contact algorithms, automatic removal of over-constraints, and contact pair refinement functions. These improvements have led to significant advancements in solving contact problems, reducing the solution time and accelerating the processing speed. R12.0 improved the solver performance by introducing a new modal solver called SNODE, which is used to determine a large number of mode shapes (hundreds of modes) for large models (with over 1 million degrees of freedom). The capabilities of the parallel solver DANSYS have also been improved; it supports low-frequency electromagnetic analysis, high-frequency electromagnetic analysis, PSTRESS, PSOLVE, and cyclic symmetry analysis. It can effectively address electromagnetic problems, rotor dynamics issues, as well as problems related to cyclic symmetry and stress intensification, while reducing the time required for solution. Figure 7 shows the effect of the number of processors used on the solution time. http://pera.e-works.net.cn/NewsImages/128865677118750000.jpg Figure: DANSYS’s solving efficiency. ANSYS Structural, Mechanical, and Multiphysics versions R12.0 have seen improvements in their rigid body dynamics and flexible body dynamics capabilities, enabling rapid handling of mechanism-related problems. Furthermore, numerous improvements to the data and processes have increased the usability of ANSYS rigid body dynamics simulations. In terms of fluid dynamics, ANSYS 12.0 fully integrates fluid-related products into the ANSYS Workbench environment, enabling the management of simulation workflows within that environment. Users can use ANSYS CFX or ANSYS Fluent to create, connect, and reuse systems for automated parametric analysis, followed by seamless multi-physics management simulations. http://pera.e-works.net.cn/NewsImages/128865677643437500.jpg Image: Simulation results of the fluid flow within the internal combustion engine chamber. ANSYS has been consistently working to improve the speed of its solvers, so that all users can benefit from it. A series of cases from industrial applications show that the speed of the ANSYS CFX and ANSYS Fluent solvers has increased by 10 to 20 percent, or even more. ANSYS Fluent enhances the robustness of the density-based implicit solver through explicit relaxation, and uses the recursive mapping method option to improve stability (when coupled with a pressure-based solver), thereby significantly boosting the performance of the solver. Furthermore, the usability of the program has been improved in many aspects. ANSYS Fluent features a single-window user graphical interface to stay consistent with other analysis applications in Workbench, while also improving the robustness of TUI logs and expanding the recommendation functions of Case Check, taking another step forward in the evolution of user interfaces. The main improvement in the interface style of ANSYS CFX is the addition of a graphical user interface (GUI). A new feature in R12.0 allows users to customize the interface appearance, including creating additional input panels. The user-customized panel is controlled by the user through a GUI layout and necessary inputs, encapsulating common operations and basic processes. Simulation process and data management: In today’s globalized environment, simulation and design are increasingly integrated, making effective collaboration and communication an essential part of product development. The ANSYS Engineering Knowledge Management (EKM) solution is designed to address the challenges related to simulation processes and data management (SPDM) in the fields of simulation and CAE. ANSYS EKM covers engineering and technical skills such as how to better manage, share, and reuse simulation data, as well as how to better capture and reuse simulation results. ANSYS EKM comes in three versions: ANSYS EKM Desktop, ANSYS EKM Workgroup, and ANSYS EKM Enterprise. These three versions are designed for individual users, workgroups, and enterprise users respectively. ANSYS EKM Desktop is the single-user, stand-alone version of the ANSYS EKM product. As part of ANSYS 12.0, it has been integrated into the ANSYS Workbench environment. By offering features for data search, correction, and reporting, it enables the reuse of existing simulation tasks, meets the data management needs of individual users, and enhances productivity and efficiency. Using ANSYS Emag – thanks to the combination of the Ansoft and ANSYS development teams, ANSYS has integrated Ansoft’s electronic design analysis (EDA) products into its framework; ANSYS users will soon be able to take advantage of the improved and expanded electromagnetic functions in R12.0. The Emag software in R12.0 includes a new family of 3D solid elements for low-frequency electromagnetic simulation (SOLID236 and SOLID237), which can be used for static magnetic, time-harmonic analysis, and transient electromagnetic field analysis. Users can employ these new units in most low-frequency electromagnetic applications, such as electromagnetic devices like motors and solenoids. http://pera.e-works.net.cn/NewsImages/128865677935156250.jpg Image: Nonlinear transient analysis solved in ANSYS Workbench using SOLID236 and SOLID237 along with the new stranded wire option; explicit dynamics. ANSYS has invested a great deal of effort in the field of explicit dynamics in R12.0, including the introduction of new products that make this technology easy to use even for those without prior experience. In addition, the functions of the ANSYS LS-DYNA and ANSYS AUTODYN products have been enhanced to provide greater convenience for users. R12.0 introduced the ANSYS Explicit STR software, which is based on the Lagrange operator component of the ANSYS AUTODYN product and represents the first local explicit software within the ANSYS Workbench interface. This technology can be used to meet the needs of nonlinear dynamics simulations involving solids, fluids, gases, and their interactions; it is particularly suitable for users with prior experience using the Workbench environment. http://pera.e-works.net.cn/NewsImages/128865680105156250.jpg http://pera.e-works.net.cn/NewsImages/128865680931562500.jpg Image: There are many additional features and improvements in ANSYS STR applications R12.0. It is believed that the release of R12.0 will greatly promote the development of CAE, bringing more surprises and convenience to users. I’m not sure what everyone’s thoughts are regarding the comparison between the Workbench platform and ANSYS Classic; I’d like to conduct a survey to find out whether people should continue using ANSYS Classic or start using Workbench. Let’s have an active discussion