DIGITAL INDUSTRIES SOFTWARE

Simcenter 3D for multiphysics

simulation
Leveraging the use of industry-standard solvers for a full range of applications

Complex industrial problems require tightly coupled solution is required.

Solution benefits solutions that span a multitude of In that case, a complex algorithmic
physical phenomena, which often basis with advanced coupling
Enables users to take advantage of
industry-standard solvers for a full range can only be solved using simulation schemes are required to run the
of applications techniques that cross several engi- different physics solutions
neering disciplines. This has signifi- simultaneously which is often
Makes multiphysics analysis safer, more
effective and reliable cant consequences for the computer- referred to as cosimulation.
aided engineering (CAE) engineer.
Enables product developers to compre-
hend the complicated behavior that
In the simplest case, the physics may
affects their designs be weakly coupled and it is accurate
and easy to chain the different
Promotes efficiency and innovation in
the product development process physics solutions. The response re-
sults from the first solution provides
Provides better products that fulfill
data to be used as load input by a
functional requirements and provide
customers with a safe and durable second physics solution. Because of
solution weak coupling, the second physics
does not affect the first physics.

But when there is stronger coupling

between physics they cannot be
treated separately and a more

siemens.com/simcenter3d
 Simcenter 3D for multiphysics
Solution guide | Simcenter 3D for multiphysics simulation

simulation

One-way data exchange Two-way data exchange (co-simulation) Integrated coupled

Structure Acoustic Thermal Flow Structure/acoustic
Thermal Structure Thermal Structure
Flow Thermal Thermal EM
Flow Structure
Flow Acoustic
Thermal EM
EM Vibro/acoustic

Increasing level of interface

Simcenter™ 3D software streamlines multiphysics simulation Enabling multiphysics analysis

through a common engineering desktop that is used for pre- Realistic simulation must consider the real-world interactions
and postprocessing of multiple disciplines. Through this inte- between physics domains. Simcenter 3D brings together world-
grated platform, you can more easily perform multiphysics class solvers in one platform, making multiphysics analysis
simulations such as thermal-fluid, thermo-mechanical, safer, more effective and reliable. Results from one analysis can
fluid-structure interaction, vibroacoustics, aero-vibro-acoustics, be readily cascaded to the next.
electromagnetic-thermal, and electromagnetic-vibro-acoustic.
Various physics domains can be securely coupled without
Simcenter 3D also supports both weak and strong coupling
complex external data links. You can easily include motion-
depending on the physics types involved.
based loads in structures and conduct multibody dynamic
One integrated platform for multiphysics simulation with flexible bodies and controls, vibro-acoustic
Simcenter 3D combines all CAE solutions in one integrated analysis, thermomechanical analysis, thermal and flow analysis
platform and enables you to take advantage of industry-stan- and others that are strongly or weakly coupled. You can let
dard solvers for a full range of applications. This integration simulation drive the design by constantly optimizing multiple
enables you to implement a streamlined multi-physical devel- performance attributes simultaneously.
opment process making multiphysics analysis safer, more
Quickening the pace of multiphysics analysis
effective and reliable.
With the help of Simcenter 3D Engineering Desktop, multiph-
This enables product developers to comprehend the compli- ysics models are developed based on common tools with full
cated behavior that affects their designs. Understanding how a associativity between CAE and computer-aided design (CAD)
design will perform once in a tangible form, as well as knowl- data. Any existing analysis data can be easily extended to
edge of the strengths and weaknesses of different design address additional physics aspects by just adapting physical
variants, promotes innovation in the product development properties and boundary conditions, but keeping full associa-
process. This results in better products that fulfill functional tivity and reusing a maximum of data.
requirements and provide target customers with a safe and
durable solution.

Simcenter Digital Industries Software 2

 Solution guide | Simcenter 3D for multiphysics simulation

Industry applications • Powertrain/driveline

Simcenter 3D multiphysics solutions can help designers from - Vibro-acoustics for radiated noise from engines, trans-
many industries achieve a better understanding of the complex missions and exhaust systems
behavior of their products in real-life conditions, thereby - Thermal/flow for temperature prediction in cooling and
enabling them to produce better designs. exhaust systems
- Electromagnetic/vibro-acoustic for EM noise
Aerospace and defense
- Electromagnetic/thermal for the electric motor perfor-
• Airframe
mance analysis
- Thermal/mechanical temperature and thermal stress for
skin and frame Marine
- Vibro-acoustics for cabin sound pressure stemming from • Propulsion systems
turbulent boundary layer loading of the fuselage - Vibro-acoustics for radiated noise from engines, trans-
- Flow/aero-acoustics for cabin noise occurring in climate missions and transmission loss of exhaust systems
control systems - Flow/acoustics to predict acoustic radiation due to flow
- Thermal/flow for temperature prediction in ventilation induced pressure loads on the propeller blades
- Curing simulation for composite components to predict - Thermal/flow for temperature prediction in piping
spring-back distortion systems
- Hull stress from wave loads
• Aero-engine
- Electromagnetic/thermal analysis for electric propulsion
- Thermal/mechanical temperature and thermal stress/ systems
distortion for compressors and turbines
- Thermal/flow for temperature and flow pressures for Consumer goods
engine system • Packaging
- Flow/aero-acoustic for propeller noise - Thermal/flow for simulating the manufacture of plastic
- Electromagnetic/vibro-acoustics for electric motor (EM) components
noise in hybrid aircraft - Mold cooling analyses
- Electromagnetic/thermal for the electric motor
Electronics
• Aerospace and defense • Electronic boxes
- Satellite: Thermal/mechanical orbital temperatures and - Thermal/flow for component temperature prediction and
thermal distortion system air flow in electronics assemblies and packages
- Satellite: Vibro-acoustic virtual testing of spacecraft - Flow/aero-acoustics noise emitted from cooling fans due
integrity due to high acoustic loads during launch to flow-induced pressure loads on fan blades
- Launch vehicles: Thermal/mechanical temperature and
thermal stress for rocket engines • Printed circuit boards
- Thermal/mechanical for stress and distortion
Automotive – ground vehicles
• Body
- Vibro-acoustics for cabin noise due to engine and road/
tire excitation
- Flow/vibro-acoustics for cabin noise due to wind loading
- Thermal/flow for temperature prediction and heat loss in
ventilation

Simcenter Digital Industries Software 3

 Solution guide | Simcenter 3D for multiphysics simulation

Making multiphysics simulation

more effective and reliable

Using Simcenter 3D enables you to map results from Benefits

one solution to a boundary condition in a second • Make multiphysics analysis more effective and
solution. Meshes can be dissimilar and the mapping reliable by using a streamlined development
operation can be performed using different options. process within an integrated environment

Key features
• Create fields from simulation results and use
them as a boundary conditions: a table or
reference field, 3D spatial at single time step or
multiple time steps, scalar (for example,
temperature) and vector (for example,
displacement)
• Use pressure and temperature results from
Simcenter 3D Thermal Multiphysics in Simcenter
Nastran analysis
• Leverage displacement results from Simcenter
Nastran for acoustics finite element method
(FEM) and boundary element (BEM)
computations
• Employ pressure and temperature results from
Simcenter STAR-CCM+™ software for aero-vibro-
acoustics analysis
• Exploit stator forces results from electromag-
netics simulation for vibro-acoustics analysis
• Results from third-party solvers can also be used
for mapping: ANSYS, ABAQUS, MSC Nastran,
LS-DYNA

Simcenter Digital Industries Software 4

 Solution guide | Simcenter 3D for thermal multiphysics simulation

Coupling multiphysics simulation

with flow and thermal problems

Simcenter 3D Thermal Multiphysics is a powerful Benefits

and comprehensive solution for computational fluid • Gain insight through coupled thermo-fluid
dynamics (CFD) problems. Seamlessly combining multiphysics analysis
the capabilities thermal and flow solvers, you can • Achieve faster results by using a consistent
investigate a wide range of multiphysics scenarios environment that allows you to quickly move
involving strong coupling of fluid flow and heat from design to results
transfer. This environment delivers a consistent look
Key features
and feel for performing multiphysics simulations, so • Consider complex phenomena related to
the user can easily build coupled solutions on the conjugate heat transfer
same mesh using common element types, proper-
• Thermally connect disjoint and dissimilar mesh
ties and boundary conditions, as well as solver
faces and edges
controls and options.
• Connect dissimilar fluid meshes at interfaces
between complex assemblies
• Speed up solution time with parallel calculations
• Couple 1D to 3D flow submodels to simulate
complex systems

• Easily include mechanical effects with Simcenter

Nastran to perform coupled thermal-fluid-
structural simulations using the same model
• Live results post-processing and solver
parameters control during solve

Simcenter Digital Industries Software 5

 Solution guide | Simcenter 3D for multiphysics simulation

Coupling multiphysics simulation of

mechanical, thermal, and flow problems

Simcenter 3D Multiphysics leverages the structural Benefits

physics of Simcenter Nastran with the thermal and • Extend the mechanical, thermal and flow solution
flow physics of Simcenter 3D Thermal Multiphysics. capabilities in Simcenter 3D to simulate complex
phenomena with a comprehensive set of
Simcenter Nastran is an industry standard solver for modeling tools
linear, nonlinear, and dynamic structural solutions.
• Reduce costly physical prototypes and product
Simcenter 3D Thermal Multiphysics is a powerful
design risk with high-fidelity thermal-mechanical
and comprehensive solution for thermal and compu-
simulation
tational fluid dynamics (CFD) problems.
• Gain further insight about the physics of your
With Simcenter 3D Multiphysics users have a single products
easy-to-use environment for setting up solutions that • Leverage all the capabilities of the Simcenter 3D
couple any of combination these three physics – integrated environment to make quick design
structures, thermal, and flow. The environment changes and provide rapid feedback on thermal
delivers a consistent look and feel for performing performance
multiphysics simulations, so the user can easily
Key features
build coupled solutions on a single mesh using
• Advanced simulation options for coupled
common element topologies, properties and bound- thermomechanical analysis of turbomachinery
ary conditions, as well as solver controls and options. and rotating systems
You can build the solution by systematically consid- • Tightly-coupled thermomechanical analysis with
ering single physics first to validate their perfor- Simcenter Nastran for axisymmetric, 2D, 3D, and
mance, and then adding other physics to build to mixed 2D-2D axisymmetric-3D representations
the desired tightly coupled cosimulation solution. • Combines Simcenter Nastran multi-step
nonlinear solution with industry-standard
The solution has a wide range of control capabilities
Simcenter 3D thermal and flow solvers
to consider steady-state and transient effects. With
• Easily include flow effects with the integrated
the structural solution, you can span the range of
CFD solver inside Simcenter 3D Thermal
basic linear elastic solutions to fully nonlinear with
Multiphysics to perform coupled thermal-fluid
contact, plasticity, and large displacement effects –
structural simulations using the same model
all of which can be coupled with the thermal and
• Live results post-processing & solver parameters
flow effects inherent in the system.
control during solve

Simcenter Digital Industries Software 6

 Solution guide | Simcenter 3D for multiphysics simulation

Coupled multiphysics simulation

involving dynamics and acoustics

The Simcenter Nastran software Advanced Acoustics Benefits

module extends the capabilities of Simcenter • Easily perform both weakly and fully coupled
Nastran for simulating exterior noise propagation vibroacoustic simulations
from a vibrating surface using embedded automati- • Simulate acoustic problems faster and more
cally matched layer (AML) technology. Simcenter efficiently with the next-generation finite
Nastran is part of the Simcenter portfolio of simula- element method adaptive order (FEMAO) solver
tion tools, and is used to solve structural, dynamics
Key features
and acoustics simulation problems. The Simcenter • Simulate acoustic performance for interior,
Nastran Advanced Acoustics module enables fully exterior or mixed interior-exterior problems
coupled vibro-acoustic analysis of both interior and
• Correctly apply anechoic (perfectly absorbing,
exterior acoustic problems.
without reflection) boundary conditions
• Correctly represent loads from predecessor
simulations: mechanical multibody simulation,
flow-induced pressure loads on a structure and
Electromagnetics Structural dynamics Acoustics electromagnetic forces in electric machines
• Include porous (rigid and limp frames) trim
materials in both acoustic and vibro-acoustic
analysis
• Request results of isolated grid or microphone
points at any location
• Define infinite planes to simulate acoustic
radiation from vibrating structures close to
reflecting ground and wall surfaces

Simcenter Digital Industries Software 7

 Solution guide | Simcenter 3D for multiphysics simulation

Simcenter 3D
Aero-Vibro-Acoustics

This product supports creating aero-acoustic sources Module benefits

close to noise-emitting turbulent flows and allows • Derive lean, surface pressure-based aero-
you to compute their acoustic response in the acoustic sources for steady or rotating surfaces
environment (exterior or interior); for example, for • Scalable and user-friendly load preparation for
noise from heating ventilation and air conditioning aero-vibro-acoustic wind-noise simulations
(HVAC) or environmental control system (ECS) • Import binary files with load data directly into
ducts, train boogies and pantographs, cooling fans Simcenter Nastran for response computations
and ship and aircraft propellers. The product also
Key features
allows you to define wind loads acting on structural
• Conservative mapping of pressure results from
panels, leading to vibro-acoustic response; for
CFD to the acoustic or structural mesh
instance, in a car or aircraft cabin.
• Equivalent aero-acoustic surface dipole sources
• Equivalent aero-acoustic fan source for both
tonal and broadband noise
• Wind loads, using either semi-empirical turbu-
lent boundary layer (TBL) models or mapped
pressure loads from CFD results

Simcenter Digital Industries Software 8

 Solution guide | Simcenter 3D for multiphysics simulation

Simcenter 3D
Electromagnetics/Thermal

Simcenter MAGNET™ Thermal software can be used Module benefits

to accurately simulate temperature distribution due • Achieve higher fidelity predictions by taking
to heat rise or cooling in the electromechanical temperature effects into account in electro-
device. Simcenter 3D seamlessly couples with the magnetic simulations
Simcenter MAGNET solver to provide further anal- • Leverage highly efficient coupling scenarios
ysis: You can use power loss data from Simcenter
Key features
MAGNET as a heat source and determine the impact
• Simulates the temperature distributions caused
of temperature changes on the overall design and by specified heat sources in the presence of
performance. thermally conductive materials
Each solver module is tailored to different design • Couples with Simcenter MAGNET solver for
problems and is available separately for both 2D and heating effects due to eddy current and
3D designs. hysteresis losses in the magnetic system

Simcenter Digital Industries Software 9

 Solution guide | Simcenter
Solution 3D
guide | Title of solution
for multiphysics simulation
guide

Capabilities chart

Types of
General capabilities Solvers
coupling

Simcenter 3D Acoustics

Simcenter 3D Thermal

Simcenter STAR-CCM+
Legend

Simcenter 3D Motion

Third-party solvers
Simcenter Nastran

Simcenter FLOEFD
Electromagnetics
(BEM, ABEM, Ray
(Structures and
FEM Acoustics)

Simcenter 3D
Multiphysics
• = type of coupling S = structural/mechanical

Acoustics)
One-Way

Two-Way
supported E = electromagnetics
V = vibration FX = flexible body
A = acoustics MBD = multibody dynamics/
F = flow motion
T = thermal C = controls

Supported analysis types

Vibro-acoustics (V-A) • • V-A A V V

Thermal-mechanical (T-S) • • S T
Flow-thermal (F-T) • • T-F F F
Fluid-structure interaction (F-S) • S F F
Thermal-fluid-structure interaction • • S T-F F
Aero-acoustics (F-A) • A F F
Aero-vibro-acoustics (F-V-A) • • V-A A F F, V
Thermal-electromagnetics (T-E) • • T-E
Vibro-acoustics - electromagnetics (V-A-E) • V-A A E E, V
Flexible multibody dynamics (FX-MBD) • FX MBD FX
Motion-control simulation (MBD-C) • MBD C C

Siemens Digital Industries Software

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