Realis Simulation 2023.1

The 2023.1 release from Realis Simulation, formerly known as Ricardo Software, is now available for download. As the transportation industry strives towards a net-zero carbon future, it faces increasingly complex challenges. There is a simultaneous need to develop new propulsion technologies that can replace fossil fuels - such as E-Fuels, Electric or Hydrogen - as well as to make existing internal combustion engines as environmentally friendly as possible for specific applications such as Heavy Duty and Marine. This exciting new release aims to enhance simulation tools that assist engineers in both areas, enabling them to move towards net-zero across the full range of propulsion system applications.

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Fluid Dynamics

Faster, more optimised design of lower emission engines

With time and budget spent on Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) development under increasing pressure, it is essential to reduce the workflow time as much as possible. In this release we have added a new process for WAVE optimization to export Functional Mock Up Units (FMU) as industry standard models to accelerate the creation of workflows with multiple sensors, actuators and parameters.

In the time-consuming simulation activity of pre-processing, the 2023.1 release of VECTIS delivers complete CAD to mesh workflow automation. The new workflow supports both ICE and non-ICE applications, improving usability and saving valuable time and cost. Similarly for efficient post-processing, the VECTIS capability is extended by allowing parameterisation of moving parts geometry in parametric post-processing. This not only allows users to parameterise script optimization or design-of-experiment tasks but also efficiently re-use existing set-ups for modelling different geometries of moving components for the same engine.

Modelling new fuel technology

Defining new fuel properties accurately becomes increasingly important with the drive to reduce emissions and improve the efficiency of combustion engines. In this release WAVE has a new workflow for generating complex fuel blends including non-carbon fuels, based on an extensive database of chemical substances and surrogate fuels. Modelled with a new Graphical User Interface (GUI), the processes of simulating different fuel types are greatly simplified.

In parallel with this, accurate digital twins for modern engines require 1-D models to correctly represent the composition and properties of complex fuels. This release of WAVE-RT features real-time accuracy for complex, non-carbon and dual-fuel simulations which enable engineers to create higher fidelity real-time models for complex fuels. The analysis details accurate fuel and exhaust properties for a range of fuels including non-carbon fuels (such as hydrogen or ammonia) and multi fuel mixes (such as gasoline/ethanol or hydrogen/ammonia blending.)

However, using new fuels presents new challenges such as modelling ‘knock’ when using Natural Gas or Hydrogen fuelled engines with larger compression ratios. Building on 2022.3 VECTIS includes improved detailed kinetics, removing the correlation of knock to average cycle combustion behaviour and reducing the overall simulation time.

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Structural Mechanics

Faster, more optimised design of lower emission engines

Optimising the design of ICE is essential in reducing emissions in the short to medium term. FEARCE-Vulcan has several usability and solution speed improvements including a new convergence control for the piston to bore interface, single-click export to Abaqus, a new session update wizard and improved mapping of thermal face loads.

There are reduced processing times for all RINGPAK solutions, including convergence control, oil accumulation calculations. In addition, transient RINGPAK now reuses old reduction results in cases where the same reduction was already performed in a previous simulation. Visualisation of transient RINGPAK inputs in R-Viewer allows the user to gain a deeper understanding of the transient behaviour being modelled, and to identify any errors or discrepancies in the simulation.

Enhancements in SABR include the support of double row deep groove ball bearings, extending the solution into new applications. Enhanced reporting functionality includes tooth tip velocity and bearing passing frequency calculations. Also SABR-Gear has new micro geometry profile and lead charts.

Modelling new fuel technology

Hydrogen, ammonia and ethanol have all been identified as promising decarbonization fuels for ICE applications across many areas including heavy-duty on- and off-highway, power-generation and marine. The combustion model in FEARCE-Vulcan has been extended to support combustion for using these fuels enabling the engineer to deliver thermal analysis of hydrogen, ammonia and ethanol engines. The combustion flame front tracking algorithm is similar to the already available gasoline combustion version, with the main difference being the chemical composition of the fuel and therefore the heat generated by the combustion of the different fuel.

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Systems Engineering

Faster, more optimised design of lower emission engines

In today's market, manufacturers are under increasing pressure to reduce tailpipe emissions. This release includes enhanced thermal modelling of exhaust after-treatment systems where IGNITE provides a flexible approach to define the thermal interactions between the individual exhaust after-treatment components directly on the modelling canvas. Simulating the behaviour of such a 1-D exhaust system provides engineers with a comprehensive understanding of its thermal behaviour, whilst validating whether temperature limits of predefined materials are exceeded.

The simulation time for predicting vehicle tailpipe emissions over a complete drive cycle has been reduced by 40% compared with the 2022.3 release, meaning that a single simulation experiment over the WLTC cycle (1800s) can be completed in about 20 minutes. Such improvements have been made possible by optimizing the channel flow model tailored closer to the catalyst geometry along with smarter selection of the state variables at the start of the simulation.

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