Realis Simulation 2024.1
The 2024.1 release is now available to download. As the development of technology to deliver net zero carbon emissions continues at pace – it is clear there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution. This requires engineers to design and develop multiple new propulsion and powertrain systems simultaneously including clean combustion fuel innovations for Internal Combustion (IC) engines, particularly for use in Hybrid Automotive, Motorcycle, Heavy Duty, Off Road and Aerospace applications.
Simulation software is central to answering the ‘What ifs’ when multiple design options make it impossible for expensive physical prototyping of all available scenarios. This exciting new 2024.1 further enhances the tools available to make existing IC engines as environmentally friendly as possible as well as developing new clean combustion fuel technology across biodiesel, hydrogenated vegetable oil, hydrogen and ethanol – along with optimising exhaust aftertreatment, electric motor cooling and fuel cell venting systems.
Fluid Dynamics
Our fluid dynamics simulation tools enable engineers to simultaneously address the need to optimise existing Internal Combustion (IC) engines and model new clean combustion fuels which are often used in parallel with fuel cells or hybrid electric motors and their associated cooling systems.
Modelling new clean fuel technology
The range of biodiesel applications as a combustion fuel is increasing across light vehicles, trucks, rail and industrial equipment. This release includes a new comprehensive predictive biodiesel combustion modelling capability in WAVE and WAVE-RT designed to address the challenges of simulating spray combustion for biodiesel and hydrogenated vegetable oils within internal combustion engines.
The 3D CFD tool VECTIS introduces enhanced thermal modelling of hybrid powertrain systems. This enables more accurate simulation of venting in fuel cells as well as thermal control of electric motors and under hood thermal simulations.
Faster, more optimised design for cleaner internal combustion engines
Rotary engines with their high power to weight ratio have long been used in automotive and aerospace applications, especially Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). With the goal now to improve engine efficiency, this release enables specialist rotary engine simulation for aerospace and automotive with 1D CFD WAVE and WAVE-RT to simulate the effects of fuel mixing on the spark ignition combustion systems and simulate dynamic piston motion with real-time digital twin models. In addition, specialist rotary engine simulation with 3D CFD VECTIS enhances multi-spark combustion modelling, heat release analysis and spark injection timing control for rotary engines.
In parallel, WAVE is now able to provide streamlined modelling and optimisation of complex exhaust systems with the ability model complex geometries, intricate mufflers, and actuated orifices.
In order to streamline virtual calibration workflows, WAVE-RT now supports Speedgoat hardware in the Loop (HiL) systems enabling model deployment to Speedgoat HiL systems from the familiar MATLAB Simulink Real-Time environment.
Structural Mechanics
Our structural mechanics simulation tools enable engineers to optimise existing Internal Combustion (IC) engine performance and model new clean combustion fuel technology - analysing temperature, friction, cylinder performance and gearbox efficiency.
Modelling new clean fuel technology
Previous releases of FEARCE-Vulcan included thermal analysis of hydrogen, ammonia and ethanol engines. This release has extended clean combustion capability with the option to select different HTC correlations for in-cylinder temperatures, including hydrogen combustion. The models now also allow user defined ethanol to gasoline ratios to model thermal performance of ethanol burning engines.
Faster, more optimised design for cleaner internal combustion engines
Building on the previous release, FEARCE includes improvements to solver speed and convergence, allowing faster, more flexible transient thermal analysis for IC and other powertrain applications as well as workflow efficiency improvements across pressure/temperature curves and thermocouple plots.
This release includes enhanced parametric models for conceptual piston design in PISDYN, along with friction reduction capabilities using a new piston skirt and cylinder bore micro-geometry tool. Similarly, RINGPAK provides advanced parametric analysis for piston ring design and optimised cylinder liner deformation performance modelling to reduce blow-by and gas and oil losses, improving efficiency and reducing emissions.
SABR includes an enhanced sensitivity analysis tool enabling the impact of preload on durability and efficiency allowing the user to understand the effects on bearing damage, stress, gear misalignment, gearbox efficiency and casing axial force. Additionally, SABR-GEAR now includes streamlined workflow with intuitive drag and drop functionality to improve the user experience.
Systems Engineering
Our systems engineering toolset, IGNITE supports the simulation of electric, hybrid and combustion technologies in conjunction with other Realis Simulation and third-party tools allowing engineers to model complete systems, focussing in on minimising tailpipe emissions.
Faster, more optimised design of exhaust aftertreatment systems
Reducing tailpipe emissions is the primary focus in today’s markets with manufacturers under pressure from global legislation and consumer demand to get as close to zero as possible, as soon as possible.
In this release, IGNITE introduces new faster than real-time aftertreatment modelling to minimise emissions with an enhanced catalyst tuning process to calibrate 1D Three Way Catalyst models. Using measured gas composition in and out of the catalyst along with gas temperatures and physical geometry, the data is used to create a digital twin for use in transient drive cycle emissions and control strategy simulation.
Utilities
Our suite of utilities is designed to create an infrastructure which optimises the use of simulation software making workflow processes as efficient and productive as possible.
New productivity features to improve workflows
In this release, R-Desk benefits from more efficient navigation to quickly analyse complex engine models, as well as Graphical User Interface (GUI) improvements and customisable case table views. In parallel, R-Post adds single click switching between multiple data sources – saving time and allowing the re-use of post processing templates.
Required to maximise the available processing power, Run Distribution Manager (RDM) now allows distributed simulations within firewall protected environments.
Also available in 2024.1 are enhancements to our Finite-Element (FE) translators which can now read compressed geometry from the latest ANSYS data formats.