MODELLING AND SIMULATION
development, design, and manufacturing. Multiphysics models are oftentimes so complicated that the simulation expert is the only one who can safely run the model, even if it is a single parameter that the design team is interested. With the Application Builder, the simulation expert can create multiple apps based on a single multiphysics model to empower individuals throughout the company to test different configurations for their particular requirements and pick the best design.’ Comsol is not alone in this space. For
Altair HyperWorks combines modelling and visualisation with multiphysics simulation and multidisciplinary optimisation
made it possible to solve and optimise larger problems faster than before. Moreover, FE software has gone through multiple iterations of enhancements to take advantage of computer hardware improvements.’ Cloud computing is one such
improvement, which is growing steadily thanks to the cost-effectiveness of this technology. Alan Prior, senior director of technical sales EuroNorth at Dassault Systemes, said: ‘Access to simulation on the cloud is a major growth driver. No longer do companies need to invest in their own HPC and platform infrastructure. On-cloud access to both software and platform-as-a-service is expanding access and value from a company’s investment in simulation.’
One of the biggest changes has been the delivery of FEM technologies embedded into a broader simulation framework, according to Prior, who said: ‘No longer is there a requirement for customers to purchase a solver, a pre- processor and a post-processor, and no longer do analysts need to run a different product for each of the physics domains
they want to simulate. Today, we offer a broad range of technologies in a single environment, the 3DExperience Platform, connecting the CAD and design tools, connecting to the visualisation tools, and covering an extraordinarily wide range of physics.’ ‘As a result, our customers have found
that investment in virtual simulation – available 24/7/365 – pays significant dividends in getting better products to market faster and cheaper than by just relying on physical testing alone,’ Prior added.
Moving to multiphysics This is where multiphysics simulation picks up the baton for the FEM in order to enable more use cases and users. For example, in 2014, Comsol took a
FEA analysis in HyperWorks allows researchers to study pathologies like aortic stenosis in a virtual environment
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step forward in the democratisation of simulation by introducing the ability to create simulation apps with its Application Builder in Comsol Multiphysics and the launching of the Comsol Server product. Sjodin explained: ‘The Application Builder is integrated with Comsol Multiphysics and enables simulation specialists to take their multiphysics models and turn them into specialised easy-to-use apps, perhaps having just a few buttons and input fields. The simulation apps allow those who are not specialised in simulation to reap the benefits of simulation. Comsol Server is our web-enabled deployment platform for apps. Users can install the Comsol Server software locally or at a central location in their organisation, or even in the cloud, to let anyone on their team, or even customers, access the apps.’ Sjodin added: ‘The Application Builder and Comsol Server were developed to address the bottleneck in the industry. In many organisations, small groups of simulation specialists work with larger groups of individuals in product
example, Dassault Systemes has a 40-year history of providing FEA technology and products, including in-house developed solvers and the Abaqus suite, which it acquired in 2005. Prior said: ‘The Abaqus tools remain a strong component of the Dassault Systemes portfolio, but we’ve extended our offer significantly: today, we offer a complete Multiphysics-Multiscale framework on the 3DExperience Platform that provides our customers the ability to solve end-to-end industry workflows in 12 Industries and 70 segments.’ While none of the products’ functions in the Wolfram Language are based solely on the FEM, it is used to extend and complement other partial differential equation (PDE) solving methods. For
“FE software has gone through multiple iterations of enhancements to take advantage of computer hardware improvements”
example, for stationary and transient PDEs there is NDSolve and, for eigensystems, there is NDEigensystem. Also, numerical integration can be performed with the FEM (using NIntegrate) and interpolation of functions (using InterpolatingFunction) can be done with the FEM. Altair has also increased the emphasis of multiphysics solutions, as Sampson explained: ‘Multiphysics is one topic that’s advanced dramatically over the years, the need to simulate and analyse different types of physical phenomena within one model. Much is driven by solver coupling, for example electromagnetics (Flux) and structures (OptiStruct), but also the need from the pre- and post-processing perspective is important, the need for multiple products to exchange data correctly is vital.’ Consequently, the integration of a large number of third-party applications and
June/July 2018 Scientific Computing World 25
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