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EFD.Pro – Flow Simulation for Pro/ENGINEER® Wildfire
Process-oriented flow calculations must be efficient enough to deliver high quality results under industrial
conditions while keeping pace with ongoing design modifications. This means that engineers as users must be able
to concentrate exclusively on technical and physical aspects. This is why NIKA developed its innovative Engineering
Fluid Dynamics (EFD) software and technology concept for simulating flows and heat transfer in a process-oriented
environment.
Dr. Ivo Weinhold, Produktmanager NIKA GmbH
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One of the concept’s key productivity factors is the fact that the software works directly with the original CAD data
– it automatically identifies the flow space, eliminating the need for separate modelling. The EFD.Pro simulation package
means that this unique technology from NIKA, which has proven itself for a number of years, is now available to Pro/ENGINEER
Wildfire users. EFD.Pro is the first flow/heat transfer simulation package to be completely integrated into Pro/ENGINEER.
It enables Pro/ENGINEER users to perform flow calculations in their familiar CAD environment, without the need for time-consuming
transfers of model data to external systems. The flow conditions are defined directly in the CAD model in the Pro/ENGINEER graphics
window and are organised in the same way as the Pro/ENGINEER design data in the feature tree. This maintains an actual link between
the simulation data and the original CAD model, a necessary prerequisite for calculations alongside the design process. A fully
automatic, multi-level adaptive grid generator based on NIKA’s RAM-T technology creates high quality calculation grids and, in
conjunction with the intelligent ACC algorithm for automatic convergence control, ensures that the flow calculations have the high
quality required. There is also a fully integrated post processor, which provides a comprehensive range of visualisation, evaluation
and documentation options for the simulation results. The flow relationships are represented three dimensionally in the original
CAD model in the Pro/ENGINEER graphics area.
Fig. 1: Flow paths in a valve in Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire calculated using EFD.Pro
Picture: NIKA
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Fig. 2: EFD.Pro makes direct use of the original CAD model in Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire for its flow simulations
Picture: NIKA
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For mathematical evaluation, a variety of functions for tables, graphs and reports in
MS Excel and MS Word are available. As EFD.Pro is integrated into the Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire parameter and family table concept,
a large number of alternative models can be analysed easily and efficiently. This is supported by automated evaluation and reporting
functions for professional presentation of the results for all alternatives. The physical models in EFD.Pro include compressible and
non-compressible liquids and gases, laminar and turbulent flows, heat transfer and material transfer for stationary and non-stationary
flow relationships, rotating components and many more calculation options.
EFD.Pro enables flow and heat transfer simulations within the Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire PDS concept for the first time
– a further step towards integrated digital product development using Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire.
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