Ansys, Concepts NREC Integrate Fluid Simulation with Turbomachinery Design

Ansys and Concepts NREC have created an automated workflow connecting design and fluid simulation tools for turbomachinery applications. According to the companies, integrating Ansys CFX into Concepts NREC's AxCent enables designers to quickly evaluate machine performance with increased predictive accuracy — shortening design cycles and improving performance for applications including compressors, turbines, pumps, fans, and turbochargers.

According to the companies, turbomachinery engineers traditionally prepare preliminary blade designs in one software program and then perform detailed 3D analysis in a separate program, manually transferring data between the two. This continuous data exporting can cause massive time delays, require additional computational resources, and increase costs associated with production.

The new technology integration enables Ansys customers using Concept NREC's design tool to easily obtain machine performance results from the CFX solver within the same interface. The parameters are automatically created for all blade rows, while the physics setup can be defined in an uninterrupted workflow. This allows engineers to quickly verify turbomachinery designs using Ansys' solvers before manufacturing.

For example, one customer is AtmosZero manufacturers Boiler 2.0 for decarbonizing steam for industrial and commercial purposes. AtmosZero's product is a modular, air-sourced, electrified steam boiler replacement with zero emissions that delivers high temperature, low-cost decarbonized steam with high efficiency.

"At AtmosZero, we are passionate about helping reduce our customers' carbon footprint and solving for industrial decarbonization through our innovative electrified steam boilers," said Meha Setiya, Senior Aerodynamics Engineer at AtmosZero. "We use Ansys and Concepts NREC to design and validate the high-temperature compressors that are responsible for generating high-temperature steam from the heat pump. The new software integration will enable our teams to save significant time and resources as we develop technology to decarbonize steam and reduce global emissions from fossil-fueled boilers."

Ansys and Concepts NREC plan to expand integration capabilities to include a broader variety of fluids in addition to features that will enable users to capture the system's evolving dynamic behavior.

"We are thrilled to deliver this much needed — and highly requested — capability to our customers," said Jonathan Bicknell, vice president of products and engineering at Concepts NREC. "The expanded partnership improves the workflow between turbomachinery design and advanced physics simulation. Allowing for not just a streamlined workflow, but improved designs for better performance and safer products."

"When running CFD analyses, it is critical to gain multiphysics insights of the design as soon as possible to ensure product performance before prototyping begins," said Shane Emswiler, senior vice president of products at Ansys. "With the Ansys-Concepts NREC software integration, customers can develop complex products like jet engines significantly faster through an automated end-to-end workflow."