Flow Simulator

       As product design tasks faced by enterprises become increasingly complex, system-level design is becoming ever more important. Flow Simulator is used to rapidly build and analyze models of the entire system, including fast iterations of concept design, system simulation, and prediction of system behavior. Application areas include rotating machinery design, electric vehicles, wind turbines, heat exchangers, and thermal management, among others.
 

       Developed by GE Aviation, Flow Simulator is a fast fluid network analysis tool for aircraft engines that can simulate the entire flight cycle under real-world conditions, from takeoff on the runway to cruise and landing. Since its release, Flow Simulator has focused on simplified modeling of complex thermal systems in fields such as healthcare, locomotives, and renewable energy. Before acquiring the software, Altair was the commercial partner for Flow Simulator and provided the product through the Altair Partner Alliance (APA).

【 Flow Simulator Main Features 】

Coupled fluid / thermal network modeling

       A rich built-in library of elements and components, all developed based on extensive experimental data of pressure drop and heat transfer characteristics.
 

Control system module

       PID controllers and feedforward controllers can be seamlessly integrated with the fluid / thermal models to perform high-fidelity simulations of electromechanical systems.
 

Optimization module

       Monte Carlo methods, Latin Hypercube sampling, and N-factor analysis enable fast and rich design space exploration and optimization. Models can be parameterized based on fluid properties, geometry, dimensions, and thermal characteristics to achieve optimal cost–performance designs.
 

User-defined customization

       Flexible Python scripting can be developed via UDE creater, and user equations can be integrated using Fortran. The API allows Flow Simulator to be connected with external software for multidisciplinary simulation and analysis.
 

User-friendly interface

       A modern interface for pre-processing, post-processing, solving, and optimization. The 3D design environment enables users to overlay / integrate 1D network models with 3D models while seamlessly integrating user-defined components.