Ansys 2021 R1 delivers significant improvements in simulation technology together with nearly unlimited computing power to help engineers across all industries reimagine product design and achieve product development goals that were previously thought impossible.
With updates made to Ansys mechanical, users can easily handle the complexity of a variety of design environments. Everything from mulitphysics analysis to dynamic simulation allows for the ability to create a product that meets performance goals and holds up over time.
Join PADT’s Application Engineer Robert McCathren for a look at analytical advancements in Ansys Mechanical 2021 R1, including updates for:
Cloud computing is becoming more and more popular with the recent changes in the work environment, and Ansys Cloud solution is no exception. While running a Fluent simulation on the Ansys Cloud is now a more familiar task among CFD users since its introduction around a year ago, there are still some cases that might be challenging and need more attention. One of these cases is performing a Fluent simulation using a UDF.
The first thing users might notice when launching an Ansys Cloud Fluent job through the ACT extension is that the UDF files won’t be uploaded, which is why they might see their cases are failing if they don’t pay extra attention. In order to avoid this issue, users must follow one of the options below.
The first and most commonly used method to launch a Fluent job with a UDF is via the CLI (Command Line Interface). With this method, the .c and all other files in the working directory will be uploaded to the Cloud. Then UDF will then be compiled on the Cloud.
Since the Cloud computers already have compilers installed, one doesn’t need to anything special. The local directory should have .c file, case file with UDF plugged-in, and a journal file. As a side note, Ansys Fluent 19.3 and higher supports expressions that can be used to define boundary conditions instead of UDF. Starting with Ansys Fluent 2020R2, the C compiler is built-in with the software. Please refer to the product documentation.
We highly recommend that the user should have the required compiler installed locally to compile, hook, and test the routine before submitting it to the cloud.
If you have not used CLI to submit a Fluent job to the clouds, please read the article below:
In short, you have to open a command prompt (cmd.exe) and navigate to your working folder. This folder should contain all the Fluent input files needed for the run: journal file, case file, etc. Once you login using ansyscloudcli command, you are ready to submit your job on the cloud.
Below is a common example for the commands to run Fluent on the cloud:
> AnsysCloudCLI runFluent -j <job name> [--jou <journal>] -q <queue> [-n <num nodes>] [-m <max cores>] -v <solver version>
-j: job name
-q: name of the queue
(run: ansyscloudcli getQueues, to get a list of all queues. Queue name is case sensitive)
-i: name of the input file for the solver
--jou: journal to execute (if set, -i is not used)
-n: number of nodes
-m: (optional) max number of cores. Useful if you want to make a run with 4 cores on a computer with 16 cores
-v: target solver version
The second method is to compile the UDF locally and upload all files to a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) session. Then the compiled UDF can be used with Fluent through the VDI session. Note that the UDF can’t be compiled on a VDI session with versions 2020R2 and earlier.
Lastly, with 2021R1 Fluent has a built in Clang compiler which will allow you to compile a UDF in a VDI session. However, the Clang compiler still won’t allow you to submit a Fluent job with a UDF through the ACT.
Ansys Cloud VDI solution running on a local desktop via RDP
In this episode your host and Co-Founder of PADT, Eric Miller is joined by PADT’s Lead Mechanical Engineer, Doug Oatis in order to discuss what is new with regards to additive and structural optimization in Ansys 2021 R1.
If you have any questions, comments, or would like to suggest a topic for the next episode, shoot us an email at podcast@padtinc.com we would love to hear from you!
With CAD-centric (mechanical and electrical CAD) and multiphysics user interfaces, Icepak facilitates the solving of today’s most challenging thermal management problems in electronics products and assemblies. Icepak uses sophisticated CAD healing, simplification and metal fraction algorithms that reduce simulation times, while providing highly accurate solutions that have been validated against real-world products.
This tool provides powerful electronic cooling solutions that utilize the industry leading Ansys Fluent computational fluid dynamics solver for thermal and fluid flow analyses of integrated circuits, packages, printed circuit boards, and electronic assemblies.
With the release Ansys 2021 thermal integrity capabilities saw improvements in a variety of areas. Join PADT’s Application & Support Engineer and Thermal Integrity expert Josh Stout to learn more about recent advancements surrounding:
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In this episode your host and Co-Founder of PADT, Eric Miller is joined by PADT’s Senior Mechanical Engineer and Lead Trainer, Joe Woodward in order to discuss what new mechanical meshing capabilities are available in Ansys 2021.
Meshing is an integral part of the engineering simulation process where complex geometries are divided into simple elements that can be used as discrete local approximations of the larger domain. The mesh influences the accuracy, convergence and speed of the simulation. Furthermore, since meshing typically consumes a significant portion of the time it takes to get simulation results, the better and more automated the meshing tools, the faster and more accurate the solution.
If you have any questions, comments, or would like to suggest a topic for the next episode, shoot us an email at podcast@padtinc.com we would love to hear from you!
The most powerful simulation solution for metal additive manufacturing, the Ansys Additive Suite delivers the critical insights required by designers, engineers and analysts to avoid build failure and create parts that accurately conform to design specifications. This comprehensive solution spans the entire workflow — from design for additive manufacturing (DfAM) through validation, print design, process simulation and exploration of materials.
Ansys 2021 R1 delivers enhancements across all portfolio products — Ansys Additive Prep, Ansys Additive Print, Ansys Additive Science and Ansys Workbench Additive — empowering users to further advance their additive manufacturing capabilities.
Join PADT’s Simulation Support & Application Engineer Doug Oatis for a webinar covering both the structural optimization and additive updates made to Ansys 2021 R1 including enhancements for:
If this is your first time registering for one of our Bright Talk webinars, simply click the link and fill out the attached form. We promise that the information you provide will only be shared with those promoting the event (PADT).
You will only have to do this once! For all future webinars, you can simply click the link, add the reminder to your calendar and you’re good to go!
In this episode your host and Co-Founder of PADT, Eric Miller is joined by Anthony Dawson, Vice President & General Manager at Ansys, and Paul Graziani, CEO and Co-Founder of Analytical Graphics, Inc. (AGI) to discuss the acquisition of AGI and what it means for those simulating in the aerospace and defense industry.
Digital mission engineering, pioneered by AGI, combines digital modeling, simulation, testing, and analysis for aerospace, defense, telecommunication, and intelligence applications to evaluate mission outcomes at every phase of a system’s life cycle. Using this tool you can evaluate the full effect of every change you make and find problems before they become crises.
If you have any questions, comments, or would like to suggest a topic for the next episode, shoot us an email at podcast@padtinc.com we would love to hear from you!
Meshing is an integral part of the engineering simulation process where complex geometries are divided into simple elements that can be used as discrete local approximations of the larger domain. The mesh influences the accuracy, convergence and speed of the simulation. Furthermore, since meshing typically consumes a significant portion of the time it takes to get simulation results, the better and more automated the meshing tools, the faster and more accurate the solution.
Ansys provides general purpose, high-performance, automated, intelligent meshing software which produces the most appropriate mesh for accurate, efficient multiphysics solutions — from easy, automatic meshing to highly crafted mesh.
Join PADT’s Senior Mechanical Engineer and meshing expert Joe Woodward for an introduction to the new meshing capabilities available in Ansys 2021 R1, including updates for:
If this is your first time registering for one of our Bright Talk webinars, simply click the link and fill out the attached form. We promise that the information you provide will only be shared with those promoting the event (PADT).
You will only have to do this once! For all future webinars, you can simply click the link, add the reminder to your calendar and you’re good to go!
ANSYS Discovery is a wonderful tool for fast and first look structural, fluid flow, and thermal simulations. Discovery gives us the ability to modify geometry very quickly within the interface and to add or remove features to view realtime simulation reactions. This allows us to quickly iterate, explore design changes, and better understand interaction between our design and the environment. Today we are going to be investigating the pressure profile on the exterior of a travel trailer being pulled behind a truck down the highway.
Truck and Trailer with velocity streamlines
In this analysis we are using a 2018 Chevy Silverado 2500 model pulled from GrabCAD with a generic 25 foot travel trailer. Based on described experience we’ve noticed that the roof and sidewalls of a moderately sized travel trailer seem to bow outwards at highway speeds near the front of the trailer.
The first thing to do is to put this model in an enclosure and prescribe a flow condition at the inlet and a pressure boundary at the outlet. Modeling the truck/trailer combo at a speed of ~55 mph (25 m/s) confirms that there is suction (negative pressure) present in these key areas:
Negative Pressure: Truck and Trailer in 25 m/s airflow, -500 Pa isosurface
While the actual roof and sidewall separating could be attributed to poor manufacturing processes we wonder if there could be a design change to minimize negative pressure/suction. One idea would be to incorporate some sort of turbulator to break up the laminar flow. I’ve seen turbulator tape in a zig-zag pattern used in aviation for this specific purpose so we’ll try recreating the travel trailer equivalent and see how it goes.
I started with a zig-zag pattern about 4″ tall on top of the trailer to see if I could “pop the bubble”
This did have the intended consequence and it was curious to see how much impact the turbulator on top of the trailer had on the negative pressure at the sidewall of the trailer:
The next thing I wanted to try was moving the turbulator forward or backward to see the effects. Moving the turbulator towards the aft of the vehicle has limited effects but moving it to different locations within the suction “bubble” seems to effect our -500 Pascal isosurface:
This would seem to indicate the presence of a “sweet spot” for turbulator location that merits further research in either the “Analyze” mode within Ansys Discovery or within Ansys Fluent.
Before I hang up my coat I’d like to investigate one alternate design that I’ve seen more often in automotive applications. I’m going to try adding vertical pillars and see how that goes:
We can easily change the height and position of the pillars to see the resultant effects on the pressure isosurface. The pillars also have a significant effect on the suction bubble but I notice that it has less effect on the suction on the sides of the trailer.
Using Discovery we can quickly and easily iterate on designs, get a first-view of the physics, and determine which change or design merits further investigation. In this analysis we can see that there is most definitely a suction profile at the front of a generic travel trailer. If the suction proves damaging we can see that there are several design changes which will help to mitigate this effect.
For more information on ANSYS Discovery please reach out to info@padtinc.com.
If you would like to play with the models themselves, you can download a zip file with all three models here.
In this episode your host and Co-Founder of PADT, Eric Miller is joined by PADT’s Electronics Application Engineer Aleksandr Gafarov for a look at what’s new in this electromagnetics release.
When it comes to high frequency electromagnetics, Ansys 2021 R1 delivers a plethora of groundbreaking enhancements. Ansys HFSS Mesh Fusion enables simulation of large, never before possible electromagnetic systems with efficiency and scalability.
If you have any questions, comments, or would like to suggest a topic for the next episode, shoot us an email at podcast@padtinc.com we would love to hear from you!
Ansys 2021 R1 delivers significant improvements in simulation technology together with nearly unlimited computing power to help engineers across all industries reimagine product design and achieve product development goals that were previously thought to be impossible.
Ansys Mechanical delivers features to enable faster simulations, easier workflows, journaling, scripting and product integrations that offer more solver capabilities. Within this new release, interface and performance capabilities have been enhanced to offer greater ease of use and overall efficiency in nearly every circumstance.
Join PADT’s Simulation Support Manager and Ansys expert Ted Harris, for an overview of what updates in this release best energize this tool, such as enhancements made to:
If this is your first time registering for one of our Bright Talk webinars, simply click the link and fill out the attached form. We promise that the information you provide will only be shared with those promoting the event (PADT).
You will only have to do this once! For all future webinars, you can simply click the link, add the reminder to your calendar and you’re good to go!
Whether leveraging improved workflows or leading-edge capabilities with Ansys 2021 R1, teams are tackling design challenges head on, eliminating the need to make costly workflow tradeoffs, developing next-generation innovations with increased speed and significantly enhancing productivity, all in order to deliver high-quality products to market faster than ever.
When it comes to high frequency electromagnetics, Ansys 2021 R1 delivers a plethora of groundbreaking enhancements. Ansys HFSS Mesh Fusion enables simulation of large, never before possible electromagnetic systems with efficiency and scalability. This release also allows for encrypted 3D components supported in HFSS 3D Layout for PCBs, IC packages and IC designs to enable suppliers to share detailed 3D component designs for creating highly accurate simulations.
Join PADT’s Lead Electromagnetics Engineer and high frequency expert Michael Griesi for a presentation on updates made to the Ansys HF suite in the 2021 R1 release, including advancements for:
If this is your first time registering for one of our Bright Talk webinars, simply click the link and fill out the attached form. We promise that the information you provide will only be shared with those promoting the event (PADT).
You will only have to do this once! For all future webinars, you can simply click the link, add the reminder to your calendar and you’re good to go!
The Sales and Support team at PADT is the group that most of PADT’s customers interface with. They sell world-leading products from Ansys, Stratasys, and Flownex and then provide award-winning support long after the initial purpose. The team has grown over the years and has plans for even more growth. To help make that happen, we are honored to have Jim Sanford join the PADT family as the Vice President of our Sales & Support team.
Many of our customers and partners know Jim from his time with industry leaders Siemens, MSC, Dassault Systems, and NextLabs, Inc. He brings that experience and his background as a mechanical engineer before he entered sales, to focus PADT on our next phase of growth. He also fit well in PADT’s culture of customer focused, technical driven sales and support.
Our customers have a choice of who they purchase their Ansys multiphysics simulation, Stratasys 3D Printers, and Flownex system simulation software from, and who delivers their frontline support. We know with Jim leading the team, even more companies will make the choice to be part of the PADT family.
The official press release has more details, and can be found at these links or in the test below.
Want to have a conversation about your Simulation or 3D Printing situation? Contact PADT now and one of our profesionals will be happy to help.
Ansys Elite Channel Partner and Stratasys DiamondChannel Partner, PADT Announces Jim Sanford as Vice President of Sales & Support
Sanford Brings a Wide Range of High-Profile Leadership Experience Across Technology and Aerospace and Defense Sectors to his New Position
TEMPE, Ariz., February 11, 2021 ─ PADT, a globally recognized provider of numerical simulation, product development, and 3D printing products and services, today announced the addition of Jim Sanford as vice president of the company’s Sales & Support department. In his new position, Sanford is responsible for leading the increase of sales and customer support for a range of best-in-class simulation and additive manufacturing solutions. Sanford reports to Ward Rand, co-founder and principal, PADT.
“In the last few years, PADT has expanded across the Southwest, adding new expertise and technologies to our product and service offerings,” said Rand. “Jim is a valuable addition to the team and will be instrumental in sustaining PADT’s growth across the region. His leadership, experience, and knowledge of the industry will allow us to increase the pace of expansion and bring our solutions to serve new and existing customers in deeper and more impactful ways to their businesses.”
After a comprehensive search, Sanford proved to be the most experienced and capable leader to take on the vice president role. He will focus on providing visionary guidance, strategy, and tactical direction to the department. His responsibilities include refining the company’s sales team structure, recruiting, hiring, training, managing for profitable growth, and leading the support team to ensure an optimal customer experience for their use of Ansys, Stratasys, and Flownex products.
Prior to joining PADT, Sanford held business development and engineering positions in a diverse range of aerospace and defense, modeling and simulation, and software companies. His 30-year career span includes executive leadership roles at Siemens, MSC, and Dassault. Most recently he served as the VP for NextLabs Inc., a leading provider of policy-driven information risk management software for large enterprises, and the VP of Business Development for Long Range Services, where he was engaged in the development and testing of various classified items for the U.S. Department of Defense. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Arizona, with emphasis in materials science and physics.
“PADT is a well-respected brand well-known for its product knowledge, customer-centric approach, and expertise,” said Sanford. “My career has been defined by my ability to take technology-focused companies to the next level of success, and I’m thrilled to join PADT and help continue its expansion by supporting highly innovative customers.”
PADT currently sells and supports the entire Ansys product line in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah as an Ansys Elite Channel Partner. They also represent all Stratasys products in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah as a Diamond Channel Partner and are the North American distributor for Flownex.
PADT is an engineering product and services company that focuses on helping customers who develop physical products by providing Numerical Simulation, Product Development, and 3D Printing solutions. PADT’s worldwide reputation for technical excellence and experienced staff is based on its proven record of building long-term win-win partnerships with vendors and customers. Since its establishment in 1994, companies have relied on PADT because “We Make Innovation Work.” With over 90 employees, PADT services customers from its headquarters at the Arizona State University Research Park in Tempe, Arizona, and from offices in Torrance, California, Littleton, Colorado, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Austin, Texas, and Murray, Utah, as well as through staff members located around the country. More information on PADT can be found at www.PADTINC.com.
In this episode your host and Co-Founder of PADT, Eric Miller is joined by PADT’s Senior Simulation Support & Application Engineer and fluids expert Sina Ghods for a look at what’s new in this release.
For fluids simulation in this release, products can be designed faster than ever before, thanks to major physics and productivity enhancements that build upon the tool’s already powerful workflow and meshing capabilities.
If you have any questions, comments, or would like to suggest a topic for the next episode, shoot us an email at podcast@padtinc.com we would love to hear from you!
From small to mid-sized companies to global organizations, companies of every size seek new ways for pioneering breakthrough innovations that are safer and more reliable to win the race to market.
Ansys 2021 R1 delivers significant improvements in simulation technology together with nearly unlimited computing power to help engineers across all industries reimagine product design and achieve product development goals that were previously thought impossible.
For fluids simulation in this release, products can be designed faster than ever before, thanks to major physics and productivity enhancements that build upon the tool’s already powerful workflow and meshing capabilities. Join PADT’s Senior Simulation Support & Application Engineer and fluids expert Sina Ghods for a look at what’s new in this release including:
If this is your first time registering for one of our Bright Talk webinars, simply click the link and fill out the attached form. We promise that the information you provide will only be shared with those promoting the event (PADT).
You will only have to do this once! For all future webinars, you can simply click the link, add the reminder to your calendar and you’re good to go!
