Shape Optimizer for CFD-Driven Design Updated

Friendship Systems GmbH (Potsdam, Germany) has announced version 3.0 of its FRIENDSHIP-Framework software for the simulation-driven design of complex flow-exposed surfaces. The software features modeling, variation, and optimization engines for CFD-centric design and development. In a related development, the company also announced CAESES (CAE Software for Empowering Simulation), a free, downloadable version of its simulation product.

This FRIENDSHIP-Framework screen shot shows the structure of an object tree indicating a typical workflow. Image courtesy of Friendship Systems GmbH.

The company describes FRIENDSHIP-Framework as bridging the gap between CAD modeling and CFD simulation. A generalized CAE platform for the simulation-driven design of products with flow-related tasks, FRIENDSHIP-Framework’s foundation, says the company, is a powerful and flexible 3D parametric modeler developed for simulation, especially CFD. The software’s proprietary modeling architecture allows you to create the complex 3D geometries that are critical for achieving good performance in terms of the fluids flowing around or through them, such as those shapes found in turbomachinery blades and aircraft wings. FRIENDSHIP-Framework can be used as a primary CAD tool or with such CAD tools as CATIA, NX, PTC Creo, and SolidWorks, says the company.

FRIENDSHIP-Framework 3.0 sees a new software connector window to integrate with external CFD codes. Image courtesy of Friendship Systems GmbH.

FRIENDSHIP-Framework is also said to enable automation design variation studies and shape optimizations. It integrates with most leading commercial CFD codes, such as CFX, Fluent, NUMECA, and STAR-CCM+, as well as in-house codes.

Version 3.0, reports the company, offers a new software connector window that features template processing, intuitive drag and drop of exchange data with external CFD codes, and support for additional formats such as OpenFOAM results, VTK, Tecplot, and EnSight Gold.

This screen shot shows a duct optimization using advanced parametric sweep transformations in combination with STAR-CCM+ from CD-adapco. Image courtesy of Friendship Systems GmbH.

Version 3.0 also debuts an all-new new post-processing capability that’s said to let users load 3D field data from their CFD simulations’ integrated data so that variants can be compared in detail. Additionally, FRIENDSHIP-Framework v3.0 now makes such visualizations as surface plots, streamlines, plane cuts, iso-surfaces, vectors, contours, isolines, mesh visualizations, and 2D plots available directly. Specialized visualizations, such as wave patterns and wakefields, are also available.

The software’s smart CAD modeler is said to allow the creation of fully parametric designs, focusing on the most relevant parameters for automated variation and optimization studies of CFD-centric workflows. New Sweep Surface and Sweep Transformation functionality make it easier to create complex internal flow geometries such as ducts, diffusers, and manifolds, according to the company.

Surface types available in FRIENDSHIP-Framework. Image courtesy of Friendship Systems GmbH.

FRIENDSHIP-Framework 3.0 also incorporates a number of user-requested features, including a new offset surface capability that enables users to generate surfaces that are normal to other surfaces and multiple object editors that allow users to process several objects simultaneously. Miscellaneous user-requested enhancements in v3.0 include new isometric perspectives for the 3D view, enhancements to the optional SSH Resource Manager for easier distribution of CFD computations on cluster systems, and new tutorials for beginners.

The ability to switch between parameter and design variables in FRIENDSHIP-Framework 3.0. Image courtesy of Friendship Systems GmbH.

CAESES (pronounced K-Sys), the complimentary version of the company’s simulation product, is intended to bring simulation-driven design to more engineers. A parametric CAD tool for modeling and preprocessing geometry for CFD analysis, CAESES offers the ability to create smart parametric models of flow-exposed shapes. Users can couple, integrate, and automate CFD-driven processes as well as pre- and post-process CFD-related design studies.

FRIENDSHIP-Framework runs on 32-/64-bit Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Linux systems as well as 32-bit Windows XP workstations. Optional connectors for, 3ds Max, Fluent Grid, STL, and Wavefront are said to provide for efficient visualization and transformation of large data sets.

For more information on FRIENDSHIP-Framework, go here.

Check out the FRIENDSHIP-Framework video library.

Read a technical overview of FRIENDSHIP-Framework.

Access brochures and case studies on FRIENDSHIP-Framework.

Download CAESES here.

See why DE's editors selected version 3.0 of FRIENDSHIP-Framework as their Pick of the Week.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company's website.