Rapid Flow Modeling with FLUENT for CATIA V5 – Part 3
Christoph Hiemcke, Aerospace CFD Engineer, ANSYS/Fluent Inc.
In the March/April issue of COE NewsNet, I wrote an article introducing FLUENT for CATIA V5, which is a flow solver that is fully embedded inside CATIA V5. It is implemented as a workbench and the designer never leaves the familiar CATIA graphical user interface (GUI). In the May issue, I focused on an aerospace example consisting of an analysis of the external aerodynamics for a transport aircraft. In this article, I will briefly continue the aerospace theme by presenting an analysis of a tandem wing configuration and by inviting you to link to a white paper about UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) aerodynamics.
Tandem wing configurations have been studied for some time [1], but they have recently experienced a comeback in the context of UAV design. We decided to analyze such a configuration – the meshed model is shown in the context of FLUENT for CATIA V5’s GUI.
You may recall from the two earlier articles that the meshing is performed using the FMS and FMD workbenches. Fluent (now part of ANSYS, Inc) and Dassault Systèmes collaborated on extending those meshing workbenches to produce optimized meshes that are suitable to flow analysis. Here is a detail of the mesh at the root of the front wing, i.e., where the front wing meets the fuselage. Note that the leading edge of the wing is nicely resolved, and that the mesh size grows gently as one moves away from the leading edge in the below image.
Let me close the discussion of the tandem wing with a snapshot of the flow solution – it shows streamlines near the wing end plate, and contours of static pressure over the vehicle.
The aerodynamics of UAVs have much in common with large airplanes, but there are many unique challenges. One great challenge is that since the dimensions and speeds are generally much smaller, a significant portion of the UAV may experience laminar or transitional flow. Designers’ willingness to try more exotic designs, such as morphing wings and flapping wings, makes it essential to simulate unsteady aerodynamics. Such methods need to resolve the major eddies and vortices at high fidelity. The fact that UAVs are often used as sensor platforms brings with it some interesting problems, such as when aero-optical interference distorts the light rays as they travel through the boundary layer adjacent to the sensor pod. If you would like to read more about the aerodynamics of UAVs, please read my white paper.
http://www.fluent.com/elearning/resources/whitepapers/
[1] William P. Henderson and Jarrett K. Huffman. “Aerodynamic Characteristics of a Tandem Wing Configuration at a Mach Number of 0.30.” NASA TM X-72779. October 1975.
For more information on FLUENT for CATIA V5, please visit: www.fluentforcatia.com. Also visit www.fluent.com for more general information.
Dixi Machines Selects IBM and Dassault Systèmes PLM Solutions
Swiss SMB expects 30% efficiency gain from CATIA V5, DELMIA and ENOVIA SmarTeam
IBM and Dassault Systèmes announced that Switzerland-based Dixi Machines, a leading high precision machine tool manufacturer and production solutions provider, selected DS’s CATIA V5, DELMIA, and ENOVIA SmarTeam to develop its new machines. With this toolset, Small/Medium Business (SMB) Dixi Machines expects to reduce production time by 30%.
“We selected DS’s PLM solutions for their ability to manage our products from their preliminary and detailed design phases all the way to maintenance,” comments Dixi Machine’s Director, Jöel L’Her. “The toolset’s numeric simulation feature allows us to flexibly adjust to our clients’ requested specifications and build customer loyalty,” says Christian Cochand, Dixi Machine’s Technical Manager. To implement the solution, Dixi Machines is working directly with DS’s and IBM’s business partner, Transcat PLM.
“This contract proves that our PLM solutions are accessible for any sized company, and particularly for SMBs who want to evolve their industrial processes significantly,” says Denis Senpere, DS General Manager PLM North Europe. This is crucial as it enables SMBs to work smarter and make more room for innovation, allowing them to compete in regional and even global arenas.
CATIA V5 enables Dixi Machines to optimize its machine conception and production set-up, thanks to its integrated features, such as vibration calculation and virtual usage simulation. DELMIA provides an integrated virtual manufacturing environment that engineers use to quickly spot issues and find solutions- before production, saving time and money. ENOVIA SmarTeam’s SmarTeam Design Express centralizes full product technical specifications in a collaborative database, which is available for engineers in just days upon installation.
Dassault Systèmes and Transcat PLM will be at PRODEX, a fair for machine manufacturers held in Basel, Switzerland on November 17-18 (Hall 1.1, Booth P01).
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About Dixi Machines
Founded in 1904 in an area recognized as being the cradle of the precision watch and clock manufacturing (http://www.watchvalley.ch), DIXI MACHINES SA occupies the position of leader in the field of manufacture of very high precision machine tools. This position is reinforced each year thanks to the quality and the reliability of the products and services offered. With its new range of DHP machining centres (Dixi High Production) and JIG boring machines, DIXI MACHINES SA intention is to offer its customers an optimal investment by proposing more than mere machines, but rather production solutions. The engineering is provided by a team of application technicians capable to study, to simulate and to offer machining solutions going from NC programming, to complete time studies and methods engineering studies.
DELMIA Users Around the World Speak to Benefits of Dassault Systèmes’ PLM Tools
Efficiencies gained through flexibility and prototype reduction
Dassault Systèmes’ recent DELMIA 2006 Worldwide User Group Conferences held in America, Germany and Asia brought together leaders from the automotive, aerospace, defense, energy and consumer industries to share their experiences in implementing a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) strategy through use of DS digital design and manufacturing tools. The consistent message was that digital software tools improve efficiencies and that there is a need to adapt standardized business processes and implement a cultural change throughout organizations.
At the U.S. conference, Bernard Charlès, CEO of Dassault Systèmes, stated that virtualization of the manufacturing sector will continue to accelerate as digital manufacturing has not been implemented to its full potential. He added that most companies use DELMIA solutions as a connection to their Manufacturing Bill of Materials environment rather than integrating it as part of a full PLM strategy, which allows you to gain the most from the tools.
Toyota Motor Company’s Ken Kreafle, General Manager, Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing, North America, Inc. spoke about Toyota’s success with digital tools, emphasizing the importance of having clearly defined company principles, standardized procedures, and that it is not just about the software such as DELMIA, but how it is applied within a consistent cultural environment. The importance of standardization--both in procedures and in design--was also stressed by presenter Laurie Harbour-Felax, president of Harbour-Felax Group, noting a Toyota Motor Company example where by simply standardizing on commodity components, the company has saved $1000/vehicle. Although tools such as DELMIA can help optimize manufacturing processes and facilities, you cannot have manufacturing flexibility if the product is not common.
Although manufacturers may need to develop standards and best practices in their implementation of digital tools, all presenters noted that significant gains have been made. Sanyo Machine Works noted that DELMIA tools influenced Sanyo to change its processes, helping the company to make a 25% reduction in parts, a 40% reduction in errors found during design and a 50% reduction in design time.
The standardization message continued at the European conference. There Fulvio Rusinà of COMAU S.p.A, called flexibility the key quality to successfully deal with the challenges of automobile assembly. With the increasing complexity and the multitude of product variations, he believes the development of lean solutions will become increasingly important. Additionally, Mathias Larsson of Saab Aerostructures described the fierce competition that forces his industry sector to implement new methods and processes. The systematic research and development work focused on customers’ projects performed by means of DELMIA simulation technologies and plays a decisive role in the implementation and operation of flexible assembly lines.
Dr. Markus Baur of the Czech Skoda Auto noted that standardization and seamless data integration allowed Skoda to optimize the manufacturing process both from a human safety and a throughput standpoint, allowing them to achieve an increase in product quality, a decrease in engineering time, and a reduction in modification costs. The company uses the Digital Factory as a tool to virtually represent all manufacturing and logistics processes of the real factory. He said that simulations significantly reduce the need for physical prototypes as well as pre-serial production.
The message of standard business processes continued at the Asia-Pacific Conference. In Japan, Siemens VDO Senior Production Engineering Assembly Manager Roland Brugger said that every new project at Siemens is planned digitally–starting from initial design through manufacturing of the final product. Siemens sees DELMIA solutions as essential in supporting continuous data exchange between the design and manufacturing departments. This allows the company to create successful manufacturing processes, which ensure that Siemens can react flexibly and quickly to meet the shrinking product life cycles while maintaining high quality and reducing costs.
At Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), Akira Kitano, Manager, Production Planning Section, Oye Production Department, introduced a workflow development establishing their integrated process data in the DELMIA database. He emphasized how MHI is working to innovate their assembly and construction method planning by applying PLM to their aircraft design.
Nitin Rajurkar contributed that Tata Motors uses DELMIA to validate weld shop and vehicle assembly manufacturing processes, allowing the company to address issues like ergonomics, assembly feasibility, and tool access early in the vehicle development process. With various DELMIA tools such as QUEST and IGRIP, the company has been able to optimize material flow simulation and reduce cycle time.