Mentor Graphics Announces Flowmaster with Enhanced Multi-Arm Tank Component and 1D Pipe Stress Links

Mentor Graphics Corporation

today announced the newest version of the Flowmaster® 1D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software product for fast and accurate thermo-fluid systems design. The new Flowmaster solution features several key new and enhanced functionalities including an improved multi-arm tank component, and integration with complementary 1D pipe stress products such as CAESAR II and CAEPIPE for pipe fluid-force predictions. Overall product enhancements to usability and increases in physical modeling capabilities provide unparalleled accuracy and ease-of-use to the automotive, aerospace, power generation and gas turbine markets. Mentor Graphics(R) newest Flowmaster(R) thermal management software product features an improved multi-arm tank component and integration with complementary 1D pipe stress products for fluid-force predictions. This 1D thermal simulation solution provides unparalleled accuracy targeting the automotive, aerospace, power generation and gas turbine markets. The enhanced usability and physical modeling capabilities in version 7.9.4 of the Flowmaster product include: Multi-Arm Tank Component: This capability enables the user to choose between two distinct heat transfer models: poly-tropic and full heat transfer. This is a feature of particular applicability to the aerospace market. Enhanced "Experiments": Users can easily modify key system parameters and observe the impact immediately and from one place in the software. A persistent "run" dialog provides users direct access to start simulations. Bookmarks: This feature allows charts to be updated automatically upon completion of a design iteration allowing users to compare the effects of a given modification. Multiple bookmark plots can be used concurrently to create a detailed understanding of the system across multiple iterations. In addition, the Flowmaster product, now for the first time, offers integration with leading pipe stress computer-aided engineering (CAE) tools. The hydro-dynamic force generated by a fluid transient event can be calculated in the Flowmaster product and the resulting force-history can be exported to both SST CAEPIPE and Intergraph CAESAR II for pipe stress analysis, which is ideal for process, utility and energy markets. These seamless interfaces in the Flowmaster product facilitate geometry and data transfer between these two leading CAE tools. Users will attain complete system performance results under transient conditions early in the design process by using this feature. SST Systems, Inc., a Silicon Valley-based company offering plant design and engineering software and services for over 30 years, finds this feature to be of particular value to stress engineers and fluid analysts since geometry and force time history data can be easily exchanged. "Using Flowmaster, both disciplines benefit from maintaining integrity during data exchange and become incredibly productive because the job gets done so much faster as models are created only once," stated Mr. D. Vijay, product manager at SST Systems, Inc. "Pressure drop calculations, transient fluid flow, piping and structural analyses data can now flow from 3D CAD to CAEPIPE to Flowmaster, and then back to CAEPIPE with ease and accuracy." "These new capabilities demonstrate why Flowmaster is the world's leading general purpose 1D CFD simulation software product, delivering unparalleled accuracy and productivity for today's pipe network systems designer," stated Roland Feldhinkel, general manager of Mentor Graphics Mechanical Analysis Division. "Our latest Flowmaster solution delivers a rich user interface with many automated features, plus now seamless integration across 1D CAE design tools, and robust modeling capabilities to help our customers get to market faster than ever with greater confidence." The new Flowmaster product is available now. Visit the website for additional product information: http://www.mentor.com/products/mechanical/flowmaster