SIMULIA Ressourcen-Center

Finding the right trade-off between drag and weight is a key challenge in wing design. A thinner transonic wing has lower drag but will also be much heavier, which adversely affects the airplane performance. And as any passenger can see through an airplane window, the wing will deform under aerodynamic loads.

Solution Briefs

Beyond fuel efficiency, aerodynamics affects the driver experience of vehicle handling. The forces and moments on the vehicle affect the grip that the tires have on the road, response of the vehicle to steering inputs, and stability of the vehicle to changes in the road or wind conditions. Vehicle handling attributes are strongly driven by transient effects.

Solution Briefs

The brake system is a critical part of any vehicle and its failure could endanger passenger safety. Brake performance must be guaranteed with extensive testing under extreme conditions. Brake system design needs to be highly optimized to prevent the disc from overheating, which reduces braking efficiency or could lead to complete system failure. Aerodynamic cooling of the brake disc through convection is the key mechanism for maintaining the brake within acceptable operational temperature levels.

Solution Briefs

Vehicle OEMs invest significant effort and cost into reducing noise sources to improve the level of passenger comfort. Recent J. D. Power surveys have identified wind noise as a strong influence on consumer perception of vehicle quality. Among the wind noise complaints, vehicle buffeting due to an open sunroof or side window was identified as a significant contributor. Buffeting (also known as wind throb) is an unpleasant, high-amplitude, low-frequency booming caused by flow-excited Helmholtz resonance of the interior cabin.

Solution Briefs

HVAC units and distribution systems are integral parts of the cabin climate control function. To ensure the comfort of the driver and passengers, the right amount of conditioned air at desirable temperature and humidity levels should be delivered to the target locations. Adequate flow delivery is also important for the safe operation of a vehicle that requires proper demist and defrost capabilities.

Solution Briefs

Internal combustion engines in vehicle applications draw fresh air from the surroundings through the air intake system. The design of the air intake system is a critical factor influencing engine performance. One important engineering criterion to evaluate the performance of the air intake system is the Rise over Ambient (RoA) value, which is the magnitude of the air temperature increase at the engine intake port over the ambient condition. Engine manufacturers usually specify an upper design limit for proper engine operation. In addition, a lower RoA value is better for engine performance due to better thermodynamic efficiency. It is a common practice to report an RoA value that is averaged over a predefined vehicle driving cycle.

Solution Briefs

Air is not the only medium encountered by a vehicle on the road. Vehicles must be designed to handle the sometimes harsh natural conditions found on the road, where water, snow, ice, dirt, rocks, and other particles of debris are kicked up off the road by tires or wind, or are present due to weather conditions. The small size of these particles dictates that they will be strongly influenced by vehicle aerodynamics. The exterior airflow around a moving vehicle drives the motion of particles around the vehicle until they hit the surface or are ingested into an air intake or other opening.

Solution Briefs

Adequate cooling airflow through heat exchangers is an essential element of vehicle thermal management. Many other vehicle systems, such as engine cooling, transmission, HVAC, and power steering have significant cooling requirements and their thermal efficiency has a direct impact on the fuel economy, performance, and comfort aspects of a vehicle. The design of a cooling airflow management system should also account for the constraints and design issues related to front-end appearance, as well as the trade-offs with other vehicle performance characteristics (such as aerodynamic performance).

Solution Briefs

Many components in a vehicle can become so hot that they can potentially fail or degrade nearby components, leading to serious safety, durability, and warranty issues. Plastic components are being used increasingly to save on cost and weight, but are more sensitive to temperature. Globalization is leading to vehicles or vehicle platforms that must operate in extremely wide temperature ranges. Careful and detailed analysis of component placement and thermal shielding is required to avoid costly late-stage design fixes or, worse, failures when in production.

Solution Briefs

Thermal Simulation of Avionics Compartments

Solution Briefs

Vehicle electrification is one of today’s main engineering research and development challenges. Despite the technology still being in its infancy, hybrid and electric drive vehicles are here to stay and the battery system is one of the critical components. It must provide sufficient power to give usable daily range, last 10 years or more, be as small and lightweight as possible, yet be safe from fire or the release of hazardous materials. Maintaining the batteries within a strict operating temperature range is essential to meet vehicle range and battery lifetime requirements. Increasing globalization is leading to vehicles or vehicle platforms that must operate in extremely wide operational temperature ranges, which further amplifies the challenge.

Solution Briefs

Noise pollution from vehicles, airplanes, trains, and heavy machinery is steadily increasing — with proven adverse health effects for people in nearby communities. Therefore, government regulations for community noise are getting more stringent in most countries. This creates significant challenges for vehicle and aircraft manufacturers forced to meet these ever increasing regulatory requirements.

Solution Briefs