STEM Racing challenges students to design, analyze, and manufacture a miniature Formula 1 car, which is raced on a 20-meter track. Beyond racing, the competition emphasizes key skills such as teamwork, project management, and entrepreneurial thinking.

Design Challenges

To compete successfully, the team needed a fast car—something only achievable through aerodynamic optimization. While physical track testing offers accurate results, manufacturing prototypes was both costly and time-consuming. To overcome these limitations, the team turned to SimScale’s online CFD platform.

Before adopting CAE, they faced several challenges:

• No visual feedback to guide design changes
• Inability to calculate drag and lift forces
• Slow and expensive trial-and-error with physical prototypes

With SimScale, the team gained access to:

• Accurate and fast cloud-based simulations
• A student-friendly, browser-based interface—no installation required
• A wealth of tutorials and learning resources that made onboarding easy

SimScale proved to be a powerful and accessible tool that allowed us to efficiently evaluate and enhance our car’s aerodynamic performance.

– Team Lightning

How SimScale Simulations Led to Success

The team imported their F1 car model into SimScale and created a flow volume to simulate a wind tunnel. Using an incompressible steady-state setup, they assigned air as the working fluid and defined key boundary conditions, including a 20 m/s velocity inlet, pressure outlet, and no-slip walls on the car’s surfaces. A hex-dominant mesh with surface and region refinements, as well as inflation layers, was used to ensure accuracy. A forces and moments control was added to track drag and lift throughout the simulation.

Over the course of development, the team ran 12 CFD simulations, each focusing on refining aerodynamic components such as the nose, side pods, and diffuser. Simulations averaged 25–30 minutes each, with SimScale automatically allocating cores based on mesh complexity. The final mesh contained approximately 1.4 million nodes, using the hex-dominant automatic meshing algorithm at a medium-to-fine fineness level.

SimScale provided the team with detailed results, including velocity planes, pressure distribution, and force coefficients. Particle traces revealed vortex behavior and flow separation, while wall shear stress and velocity contours guided further surface optimizations. The clear visual outputs and reliable data enabled efficient, data-driven design improvements throughout their project.

The team plans to use simulation results to refine key aerodynamic elements such as the nose, side pods, and diffuser, while also conducting FEA to evaluate structural strength. By virtually testing each component before physical production, they aim to ensure a more precise and efficient development process, reducing reliance on trial-and-error prototyping.

SimScale has been a game-changer in our F1 in Schools journey. Their support has been instrumental in helping us develop and refine our car. The cloud-based platform gave us the freedom to run high-quality simulations without hardware limitations, delivering accurate and reliable results throughout the process.

– Team Statement

The post Student Success Story: Team Lightning Demons appeared first on SimScale.

Design Challenges

The team aimed to implement numerous geometry optimizations to reduce drag but initially faced challenges in identifying the most aerodynamically effective solutions. To address this, they utilized SimScale’s CFD tools to simulate changes in drag force resulting from modifications to various parts of their car. Their CAD models were created in Onshape, and thanks to SimScale’s direct integration with Onshape, the team was able to import their car bodies seamlessly—greatly improving workflow efficiency compared to other CAE software.

In addition to CFD, the team also leveraged SimScale’s FEA suite to optimize components such as the wheels and the wing support structure, ensuring these parts were both lightweight and structurally sound.

The integration of several CAE tools within a single streamlined user interface makes SimScale, compared to other options, very easy and convenient to use.

– Team Zephyros

How SimScale Simulations Led to Success

To set up their CFD simulations, the team imported their car geometry from Onshape into SimScale. They created an external flow volume, applied boundary conditions including a pressure outlet and moving wall to simulate ground and wheel motion, and selected an incompressible steady-state analysis using the k-omega SST turbulence model. A region refinement was added around the car to improve mesh resolution, and force/moment controls were used to track aerodynamic performance.

For FEA simulations, the team imported their wheel geometry, applied appropriate boundary conditions (a 60N vertical load and fixed support), and increased mesh quality to improve accuracy. These simulations were key to optimizing weight and structural integrity.

One major challenge was fine-tuning the car’s body design for aerodynamic efficiency. After researching natural streamlined shapes, the team experimented with a concave front-end profile inspired by penguins, which research showed had a lower drag coefficient than traditional teardrop shapes. Simulations confirmed their hypothesis: the concave body produced less drag (0.354N vs. 0.362N), leading the team to adopt this optimized design. The pressure visualization tools in SimScale were especially helpful in guiding this decision

Using just a few core hours, the team achieved an excellent CFD convergence with acceptable range of residual values showing an improvement over the method used in the previous season despite lower computational cost. Over the course of the project, they ran 165 simulations across both CFD and FEA. The standard meshing algorithm with a fineness level of 5 proved most effective, with region refinements providing sufficient accuracy.

SimScale proved to be an invaluable tool throughout our development process, offering both efficiency and ease of use. We’re excited to continue this partnership as we head into the World Finals.

– Team Zephyros

The post Student Success Story: Team Zephyros appeared first on SimScale.

The team began competing in 2023, securing 3rd place in Scotland and earning the Best Pit Display Award, which qualified them for the 2023-24 UK National Finals. Building on this success, they achieved an impressive 2nd place overall at the Nationals, once again winning the Best Pit Display Award, outperforming 30 teams at the event and over 5,000 competitors across the UK. The team’s school has a strong history in the STEM Racing competition, with three teams over the years qualifying for the World Finals, further cementing its legacy in the competition.

Design Challenges

Throughout the project, the team was tasked with designing and creating a model F1 car, incorporating aerodynamic development within the competition’s regulations. This process was meticulously documented in a comprehensive ten-page portfolio, which included a requirement to demonstrate the use of CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) software in the car’s development. A significant portion of the design was informed by CFD analysis, while additional engineering challenges, such as the development of custom wheel support systems, required the use of FEA (Finite Element Analysis) to ensure structural integrity under stress.

We chose SimScale as the ideal software due to its intuitive interface, which made it easy to learn and implement within our tight time constraints. It also provided invaluable data, including force coefficient graphs and detailed cross-sectional pressure images, enabling us to refine our design with precision.

– Team Statement

How SimScale Simulations Led to Success

The team began setting up the simulation by importing half of the full model to optimize meshing speed and calculation efficiency. A flow body was then created with dimensions closely matching those of the track. By utilizing a combination of cutting planes, particle traces, and force coefficient graphs, the team effectively refined key components of the car, including the end pods and front wing.

Throughout the project, challenges were minimal; however, a significant setback occurred due to a meshing issue. Upon investigation, the team identified the problem as a modeling error, which was quickly resolved using a few additional modeling commands, allowing the development process to continue smoothly.

The simulations performed exceptionally well, with each run completing meshing and computations within just a few minutes. The initial simulations took approximately 25 minutes to run, utilizing around 20 core hours. Overall, the software operated smoothly, enabling quick adjustments to both the model and the simulation settings and streamlining the development process.

SimScale has significantly reduced our development time. Its cloud-based platform allowed us to run simulations on school computers despite software and internet restrictions. Having simulations open alongside our design work improved efficiency, and moving forward, we plan to integrate SimScale into all prototypes to accelerate design iterations before finalizing race-ready models.

– Team Statement

The post Student Success Story: Team Sterna Racing appeared first on SimScale.

The team developed the second-fastest car in Ireland during the 2023/24 season of the competition, achieving impressive performance statistics. SimScale played a pivotal role in the design process, providing invaluable and reliable data that significantly contributed to the team’s success.

“Overall, it is fair to say that SimScale was one of the best parts of our system as it allowed us to obtain such useful and reliable data. We would be nowhere near where we are now without their help.”

– Team Statement

Design Challenges

To create the best car in the competition, continuous innovation and refinement of previous designs are essential to maintaining a competitive edge. The F1 in Schools regulations are regularly updated, adding an extra layer of difficulty by rendering past innovations obsolete and encouraging teams to develop new, unique solutions. With design possibilities constantly evolving, extensive testing during the development stages is crucial for selecting the most effective configurations without relying on costly and resource-intensive track testing. Due to limitations in manufacturing capabilities, budget, and access to testing facilities, the team depended heavily on SimScale for accurate performance insights. SimScale was chosen as the team’s CFD partner for its user-friendly interface, which allowed for efficient and effective simulations without the need for extensive training or high-end computing power.

How SimScale Simulations Led to Success

The team utilized SimScale’s incompressible simulation type to analyze and compare the drag coefficients of various design iterations, ensuring the selection of features that would optimize the car’s speed. The process began with importing the desired model as an STL file, created in SolidWorks. After meshing the part and defining key parameters, such as the car’s speed and the viscosity of air, the team generated flow simulations with SimScale, providing valuable insights into the interaction between air and the entire vehicle. Additionally, velocity and drag vectors allowed for precise numerical comparisons between different designs. The team also leveraged the particle trace feature in post-processing to visualize airflow patterns over the car, further refining aerodynamic performance.

With limited prior experience in CFD software, the team had to learn and master its complexities throughout the project—a process greatly facilitated by SimScale’s comprehensive tutorials. Through this learning journey, the team successfully conducted 14 individual simulations, utilizing a total of 44 core hours across various projects. Thanks to SimScale’s efficient platform, average run times remained relatively short, typically ranging between two and four hours.

The simulations provided crucial data, including drag coefficients, pressure diagrams displayed on cutting planes, and particle trace analyses. These insights played a key role in the development of the second-fastest car in Ireland during the 2023/24 season, delivering outstanding performance statistics.

The post Student Success Story: Team Eurol Dallahan Racing appeared first on SimScale.

Electromagnetic simulation (EM simulation) plays an important role in adapting solenoid design. By providing deep insight into magnetic field distribution, coil efficiency, electromagnetic force generation, and thermal behavior, the simulation allows engineers to refine the solenoid performance before the physical prototype.

This article will explore the different types of solenoids, their design principles, and how cloud-native multiple physics simulation can improve development processes.

Introduction to Solenoids

A solenoid is a device that consists of a housing, a moving plunger (armature), and a coil winding. A magnetic field surrounds the coil when an electrical current is applied, drawing the plunger in. A solenoid, to put it simply, transforms electrical energy into mechanical work.

Solenoid Design Principles

Electromagnetic Design Principles

• Coil Design and Specifications: The solenoid coil is the central component. Usually, copper wire is twisted around a core to form it. The strength of the magnetic field and power consumption is influenced by the wire gauge and the number of turns. A well-defined solenoid coil specification ensures optimal performance. Key factors include:
  • Electrical Properties: Resistance, inductance, and capacitance must be optimized for efficiency.
  • Material Selection: Copper is commonly used for winding due to its conductivity.
  • Coil Winding Techniques: Layering techniques impact performance and thermal behavior.
  • Manufacturing Considerations: Space availability, cost constraints, and production lead times dictate coil design feasibility.
• Core Material: To strengthen the magnetic field, ferromagnetic elements such as iron are utilized for the core. The performance and saturation point of the solenoid are influenced by the material selection. Evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of each material ensures the best fit for application-specific needs. Common materials include:
  • Amorphous and Nano-Crystalline Materials: Offer high permeability and low core losses.
  • Neodymium: Provides high magnetic saturation for strong field generation.
  • Copper Clad Steel: Balances cost-effectiveness with performance.
• Magnetic Circuit: Effective force creation requires magnetic circuit optimization. Taking into account the air gap, which influences the force-stroke characteristics, is part of this.
• Saturation: The “knee” of the B-H curve, where maximal domain alignment happens with the least amount of current, should be the target of design. For solenoid design, this is regarded as the optimal point.

Thermal Design Principles

• Heat Dissipation: Resistive losses in the coil cause solenoids to produce heat. To avoid overheating, proper thermal management is vital.
• Temperature Rise: Until thermal stabilization is achieved, the coil temperature rises. The resistance of the coil and, consequently, the current and magnetic force are impacted by this temperature increase.
• Insulation Class: It is critical to choose the right insulation materials depending on the anticipated operation temperatures. This choice is guided by the IEC’s thermal classes, such as Class B or H.
• Cooling Techniques: Additional cooling techniques like heat sinks or water cooling can be required for high-power applications.

Challenges in Solenoid Design

The challenges in solenoid electromagnetic design must balance practical limitations with performance optimization. Designers must ensure longevity in a variety of climatic situations while navigating size and weight constraints, particularly in consumer electronics and automotive applications. There is ongoing pressure on businesses to cut expenses, speed up development cycles, and satisfy a variety of customized requirements. To be competitive in the market, designers also need to adhere to legal requirements, maximize performance indicators like efficiency and response speed, and consistently innovate. Advanced design methods and a thorough comprehension of electromagnetic principles and particular application needs are necessary to meet these complex problems.

Operational Challenges

• Power Efficiency: Reducing energy consumption without compromising performance.
• Response Time Optimization: Enhancing speed while maintaining precision.
• Durability and Reliability: Ensuring solenoids operate efficiently under extreme conditions.

Engineering and Manufacturing Challenges

• Size and Weight Limitations: Particularly relevant in consumer electronics and automotive applications.
• Environmental Conditions: Temperature, humidity, and vibration impact long-term performance and reliability.
• Regulatory Compliance: Meeting efficiency, safety, and performance standards is crucial.
• Manufacturing Constraints: Factors like production costs, material sourcing, and lead times influence design choices.

Simulation for Solenoid Design and Modeling

Traditional solenoid designs often depend on iterative prototyping and physical testing processes that can be expensive and time-consuming. However, cloud-native 3D electromagnetic simulation enables engineers to rapidly explore a huge design space, adapting solenoid geometry, materials, and coil configurations much before the physical tests begin.

With real-time computational insight, design teams can evaluate the impact of parameters such as electromagnetic force, electromagnetic losses, and thermal behavior under various operating conditions.

Benefits of Cloud-Native EM Simulation

• Rapid Design Iterations: Engineers can test multiple solenoid configurations quickly.
• Comprehensive Multiphysics Analysis: Evaluates electromagnetic forces, losses, and thermal behavior under various operating conditions.
• Optimized Performance: Identifies energy-efficient and high-reliability designs before production.

SimScale’s cloud-native simulation platform empowers engineers with real-time computational insights, allowing them to:

• Evaluate electromagnetic field distribution and coil efficiency.
• Analyze force-stroke characteristics for improved response time.
• Predict and mitigate thermal issues with advanced thermal simulation tools.

With SimScale, solenoid design engineers can make data-driven decisions, significantly reducing development time and improving overall solenoid efficiency and reliability.

By following the linked tutorial below, you can learn how to run an electromagnetics simulation on a Linear Pushing Solenoid using SimScale, where the objective is to achieve the linear pushing force of the solenoid.

Tutorial: Electromagnetics Simulation on a Linear Pushing Solenoid

The post Solenoid Design and Modeling with Cloud-Native Simulation appeared first on SimScale.

The focus was the groundbreaking integration of Hexagon’s Marc nonlinear solver into SimScale’s cloud-native simulation platform, making advanced nonlinear FEA more accessible than ever. Here are the top five takeaways from this insightful discussion.

On-Demand Webinar

If the above highlights caught your interest, there are many more to see. Watch the on-demand Engineering Leaders Series webinar from SimScale on Revolutionizing Advanced Non-linear Simulation using Marc and SimScale integration by clicking the link below.

Watch On Demand

1. The Power of Nonlinear Simulation in Modern Engineering

Real-world engineering challenges often involve nonlinear behavior, from material plasticity to large deformations and complex contact interactions. Traditional linear solvers fall short in these scenarios, which is where Marc’s advanced nonlinear capabilities shine. Industries like automotive, industrial machinery, consumer products, and electronics require highly accurate predictions of structural performance, and the Marc solver is designed to tackle these challenges head-on.

2. Why Bringing Marc to the Cloud is a Game-Changer

SimScale’s cloud-native platform already democratizes simulation by removing the need for expensive hardware and complex software setups. By integrating Marc’s industry-leading nonlinear solver, engineers can now run highly sophisticated simulations directly in their browsers with unlimited scalability and instant collaboration. This means faster results, lower costs, and improved design decision-making at any stage of development.

3. Faster, More Robust Simulation Workflows

Nonlinear simulations can be computationally demanding, often requiring extensive fine-tuning. One of the standout benefits of using Marc on SimScale is its robust contact handling and efficiency. During the webinar, Richard Szöke-Schuller highlighted a benchmark study comparing a plastic push pin simulation:

• With traditional solvers, the simulation took almost 2 hours on 8 cores.
• With Marc on SimScale, the same simulation ran in just 13 minutes: an 80%+ reduction in runtime!

This performance boost means engineers can iterate designs faster than ever, enabling more frequent testing and optimization without sacrificing accuracy.

4. Key Applications: From Automotive to Electronics

With Marc’s nonlinear capabilities now available in the cloud, engineering teams can tackle a broad range of real-world applications scalably and more accessibly, including:

• Automotive fasteners & seals: Optimize plastic rivets and push pins with hyperelastic material models.
• Consumer product drop tests: Simulate impact scenarios to improve durability and safety.
• Electronics & PCB design: Evaluate the structural integrity of connectors, casings, and assembled components under varying loads.
• Industrial machinery: Analyze gasket sealing, elastomer components, and high-load assemblies for long-term reliability.

5. How to Get Early Access to Marc on SimScale

This powerful integration is launching soon, and engineers looking to leverage advanced nonlinear simulation in the cloud can apply for our Early Access Program.
By joining, you’ll gain hands-on experience with Marc on SimScale and help shape the future of cloud-based nonlinear analysis.

Learn more about how you can apply for early access here.

Looking Ahead: The Future of Nonlinear Simulation

As the industry moves toward more complex, high-fidelity simulations, integrating powerful solvers like Marc with cloud-native accessibility will redefine how engineers approach structural analysis. SimScale remains committed to providing cutting-edge simulation tools that are fast, flexible, and accessible without the traditional barriers of desktop-based software.

Stay tuned for more updates, and if you missed the live session, be sure to check out the full webinar recording here!

The post Top 5 Webinar Highlights: Hexagon’s Marc Solver Now on the Cloud appeared first on SimScale.

The team consists exclusively of students from the Tampere higher education community. It is fully responsible for all aspects of the project, including organizational management, technical development, and fundraising. This hands-on experience gives members a unique platform to enhance their engineering skills and prepare them for professional challenges.

Each year, Tampere Formula Student proudly competes in renowned Formula Student competitions across Europe. With a hybrid race car designed for the internal combustion engine category, the team consistently measures its innovation and expertise against top universities worldwide. They placed second overall in FS Netherlands and secured second place in design at FS Austria, making TFS24 the most successful season to date. They earned a total of eight trophies.

At the start of the development phase, Tampere Formula Student identified several key challenges in its aerodynamic performance. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations did not correspond closely to track testing data, resulting in discrepancies that hindered accurate performance evaluation. Additionally, the team was not fully utilizing the potential of the rear wing and underbody, leaving room for optimization in these areas. The front wing was generating excessive downforce compared to the rest of the aerodynamic package, leading to an imbalance in overall efficiency. This was further reflected in the aerodynamic balance, which was heavily front-biased at approximately 70% on the front axle, far from the ideal 50%. These findings provided valuable insights and shaped the focus for targeted improvements in the subsequent design iteration.

Design Challenges

For the TFS24 season, Tampere Formula Student’s aero-package focused on enhancing overall vehicle performance. The team aimed to achieve better aerodynamic efficiency by refining the aerodynamics and reducing the weight of the aero-package. A key objective was to improve the aerodynamic balance, ensuring a more stable and efficient vehicle. In terms of CFD development, the focus shifted toward creating a more accurate model, with the goal of aligning simulation results more closely with real-world performance. Additionally, the team emphasized validating their CFD simulations through track testing, ensuring that the theoretical improvements translated effectively into on-track performance.

How SimScale Simulations Led to Success

For the TFS24 CFD simulations, Tampere Formula Student focused on refining their approach to achieve more accurate and comprehensive results. The simulations were run at a speed of 15 m/s, utilizing the K-Omega SST turbulence model to capture flow characteristics effectively. The Y+ value was set to 1 on the car surfaces, ensuring full resolution with no-slip conditions for optimal accuracy. The team conducted full-car simulations, incorporating rotating wheels and both the front and rear driveshafts to simulate real-world dynamics accurately. Additionally, the radiators were modeled with fans to simulate cooling effects, while roll and yaw aero-maps were generated to assess aerodynamic performance under various dynamic conditions. This detailed simulation strategy aimed to provide a thorough understanding of the car’s aerodynamic behavior.

“SimScale provided us with all the necessary tools for the development of our ‘Aero’ package. The cloud-based nature of the software allowed us to run simulations efficiently without the need for a separate cluster or an in-house server. This seamless access to powerful simulation capabilities played a crucial role in enhancing the team’s design process and ensuring optimal aerodynamic performance.”

– Lauri Luoma-aho, Aerodynamics Lead Engineer

Additionally, the team implemented region refinements in the wake areas and refined boundary layers, which contributed to more accurate simulations and enabled a better understanding of the car’s aerodynamic behavior.

Tampere Formula Student’s on-track validation highlighted the accuracy of their simulations. The team conducted constant velocity runs with the simulation speed, using vehicle speed data from the front wheel speed sensors. They also calculated downforce by measuring suspension potentiometer compression and axle spring rates. This helped them confirm their CFD results’ reliability and precision, reinforcing the value of their simulation-driven design approach.

Tampere Formula Students also validated their CFD setup through tuft testing. This hands-on approach confirmed the accuracy of their simulations, providing additional confidence in the reliability of their aerodynamic models.

The standard simulation time for full car simulations was 8–10 hours, utilizing approximately 140 core hours per simulation. Compared to the TFS23 car, the aero package’s performance increased by approximately 57%. Progressive improvements to the simulation setup throughout the season contributed to this achievement, providing valuable knowledge.

Tampere Formula Student has set ambitious goals for TFS25 and is working diligently to continue the upward trend in its team’s performance. The team will continue utilizing SimScale’s CFD software to develop its aero-package and has big aspirations for the performance of its next iteration. This ongoing commitment to innovation and optimization underscores its dedication to achieving greater success in future competitions.

The post Student Success Story: Team Tampere Formula Student appeared first on SimScale.

As four-time champions of the prestigious Formula Bharat competition, Orion Racing India has set a benchmark for performance and perseverance. The team further cemented its legacy by becoming the first Indian team to complete endurance events on an international stage in both combustion and electric vehicle categories. This groundbreaking achievement underscores their commitment to pushing boundaries and advancing engineering excellence on the global stage.

Design Challenges

Faced with the limitations of traditional prototyping methods, the team sought a more efficient approach to refining their designs. Incorporating computer-aided engineering (CAE) allowed them to simulate airflow around their vehicles and make data-driven adjustments swiftly. This transition enabled faster innovation and more effective design optimization, elevating their overall performance.

After evaluating multiple CAE solutions, Orion Racing India selected SimScale because it offered several key advantages that aligned perfectly with their needs. The platform’s cloud-based accessibility facilitated seamless collaboration among team members, regardless of location. Its user-friendly interface, coupled with specialized Formula Student and Formula SAE workshops, strengthened the team’s understanding of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) fundamentals. Additionally, SimScale’s responsive and knowledgeable support team provided invaluable assistance, ensuring smooth progress even during challenging simulations.

How SimScale Simulations Led to Success

Through the adoption of SimScale, Orion Racing India has transformed its design process, driving innovation and efficiency in the competitive world of motorsport.

Orion Racing India utilized advanced simulation techniques to refine the aerodynamic design of their half-car model. The design was meshed using SimScale’s Hex-Dominant Parametric Meshing Algorithm, ensuring precise modeling of walls and wake regions critical for aerodynamic analysis.

“The accessibility and streamlined workflow, combined with its reliability has made SimScale an essential tool to our development process. Ability to run parallel simulations and remote access to the tool are game-changers.”

– Ankon Mukherjee, Aerodynamics Engineer

To simulate airflow, the team employed an incompressible flow analysis with the k-omega SST turbulence model, chosen for its reliable performance in handling adverse pressure gradients and separating flows. The simulation setup included a velocity inlet of 16 m/s, with slip conditions applied to the ceiling and outboard wall, while the car’s centerline was assigned a symmetry condition. The ground was modeled as a moving wall at -16 m/s, replicating real-world conditions.

Since integrating SimScale into the aerodynamic design process of their Formula Student race car following the 2017 season, Orion Racing India has made it an essential component of their workflow. More recently, the team expanded their use of SimScale’s capabilities to include thermal simulations for critical components such as the radiator and accumulator, further enhancing their design process.

“The decision to switch to SimScale for our thermal simulations greatly improved our efficiency due to its user friendly interface and the ability to run multiple simulations at once”

– Aaron Crasto, Cooling Engineer

The car’s body was simulated using a no-slip boundary condition, with the wheels modeled as rotating bodies to capture wake effects accurately. To ensure comprehensive analysis, the team simulated the car in various dynamic scenarios, including yaw, pitch, and roll. This detailed approach enabled Orion Racing India to achieve high accuracy and performance optimization in their aerodynamic designs, further enhancing their competitiveness in motorsport.

Orion Racing India conducted over 300 simulations throughout their design process to optimize their final aerodynamic and cooling packages. Leveraging SimScale’s extensive suite of post-processing features, the team aligned simulation data with physical testing benchmarks, including tuft testing, to validate and enhance confidence in their virtual analyses.

Each simulation run required approximately 1.5 to 2 hours, with a total runtime of around 5 hours when meshing was included, utilizing 16 cores for both operations. To achieve high-quality meshing, the team employed the hex-dominant parametric meshing algorithm, resulting in a final mesh with approximately 8.5 million nodes. Refinement levels were tailored to suit the design complexity, with most of the body refined at level 6 and intricate geometries at level 7 to ensure precise results.

SimScale has become an indispensable tool in Orion Racing India’s design process. Simulation results from SimScale are utilized at every stage of development. Aerodynamic data guides the design of critical components such as wings and diffusers, while thermal simulations ensure the cooling systems operate at peak efficiency. By iteratively refining their designs based on these insights, Orion Racing India achieves a finely tuned balance of speed, reliability, and efficiency in their final vehicle.

This streamlined, data-driven approach empowers the team to push boundaries and deliver high-performance solutions in the competitive world of motorsport.

“The results we obtained from SimScale have been very close to the actual values we obtained during the running of the car. We are very pleased by the accuracy of the simulations”

– Abhishek Dubey, Battery Pack Engineer

The post Student Success Story: Team Orion Racing India appeared first on SimScale.

What is Engineering Analysis Software?

Imagine designing an electric vehicle and needing to know exactly how its structure will perform under varying loads. Or consider managing the heat dissipation of a densely packed telecom tower. Engineering analysis software transforms these challenges into solvable tasks by simulating real-world conditions before a single part is built. From validating designs to optimizing performance, this software is indispensable in industries like automotive, electronics, and industrial equipment, where every detail counts.

Here are some key applications and capabilities to address real-world challenges:

• Structural Analysis: Engineers can predict how materials and structures will respond to stresses, strains, and external forces. This is essential in ensuring product durability and safety across applications, from bridges to vehicle components.
• Fluid Dynamics: Simulation of fluid flow, whether for optimizing aerodynamics in vehicles or ensuring efficient cooling systems, helps engineers fine-tune designs for peak performance.
• Thermal Analysis: Managing heat is critical in industries like electronics, where overheating can compromise functionality. Thermal analysis tools allow engineers to design effective heat dissipation systems, ensuring reliability and longevity.
• Multiphysics Simulation: Real-world problems often involve overlapping physical phenomena, such as thermal and structural interactions. Multiphysics tools empower engineers to analyze these complexities in a unified framework, reducing the risk of unexpected failures.

These physics modeling applications enable engineers to make informed decisions, iterate rapidly, and deliver solutions with greater confidence and precision.

Key Features to Look for in Engineering Software

1. Comprehensive Design Visualization and Prototyping

Design space exploration tools enable engineers to predict how changes in design will affect real-world performance. These tools provide a framework for testing edge cases, analyzing trade-offs, and optimizing configurations, allowing engineers to predict real-world outcomes accurately. This ensures that every detail of a design is refined and validated before moving to production, reducing risks and improving overall performance.

Design visualization and virtual prototyping capabilities in SimScale enable engineers to iterate on multiple scenarios rapidly, benefiting from an infinite number of parallel simulations that can be used for parameterization. This capability ensures that the final prototype is robust, cost-effective, and ready for manufacturability, helping engineers meet tight deadlines while maintaining high standards of precision and reliability.

2. Cost Estimation and Manufacturability

Modern engineering tools must incorporate cost estimation and manufacturability analysis to streamline production processes. SimScale’s advanced simulation capabilities allow engineers to assess material usage, assembly challenges, and production feasibility early in the design phase. This proactive approach reduces waste, lowers costs, and ensures that designs can be manufactured without extensive modifications, making workflows more efficient and reliable.

3. Integration with Motion and Stress Analysis Tools

Motion and stress analysis tools are essential for predicting how components will perform under operational conditions. These features help engineers understand load distributions, identify weak points, and verify structural stability. SimScale’s structural analysis tools provide detailed insights into stresses, deformations, and material behavior, ensuring that products meet safety and durability standards. By incorporating these analyses, engineers can eliminate rework and reduce time-to-market.

4. Cloud-Connected Collaboration

Cloud-based solutions enhance collaboration by enabling teams to work together in real time, regardless of geographic location. SimScale’s cloud-native platform offers secure data storage and seamless sharing, allowing stakeholders to review and modify designs collaboratively. Engineers can provide real-time feedback, integrate client inputs, and maintain version control effortlessly. This fosters a cohesive development process, reducing delays caused by miscommunication or siloed workflows.

5. AI Integration for Enhanced Analysis

Artificial intelligence is transforming engineering workflows by automating repetitive tasks, optimizing designs, and improving simulation accuracy. SimScale leverages AI to accelerate simulations, allowing engineers to analyze multiple design scenarios simultaneously and predict simulation results as soon as a CAD is input to the workbench. This capability supports predictive modeling, identifies the most efficient configurations, and contributes to sustainability by optimizing energy and resource use. By integrating AI, SimScale empowers engineers to achieve precise results faster, boosting productivity and innovation.

Categories of Engineering Software for Advanced Analysis

3D Design and CAD Software

Tools like SolidWorks, Fusion 360, and Onshape by PTC are widely used for creating 3D models, CAD/CAM designs, and manufacturability checks. These platforms and software enable engineers to create detailed 3D models, conduct manufacturability checks, and streamline CAD modeling workflows. They simplify the transition from concept to production, enabling precise and efficient product development.

Simulation Software

Simulation software plays a crucial role in validating designs under real-world conditions, allowing engineers to test and refine concepts before committing to physical prototypes. Among well-known tools like ANSYS and COMSOL, SimScale distinguishes itself with its cloud-native approach. This platform enables faster design iterations by allowing engineers to run multiple simulations in parallel, reducing lead times significantly. Its ease of use makes it accessible to both seasoned engineers and those new to simulation, while its scalability supports projects and enterprises of all sizes.

Cloud-Native Engineering Platforms

Cloud-native platforms enhance accessibility and reduce hardware dependencies, enabling engineers to work with greater flexibility and efficiency. SimScale’s platform is optimized for real-time simulation, offering engineers the ability to run detailed analyses and share results without delays. Its real-time collaboration features allow teams to synchronize efforts seamlessly, focusing on tasks like optimizing aerodynamics, enhancing thermal performance, or ensuring structural integrity, all within a single, cohesive workflow.

Industry-Specific Applications of Engineering Software

Engineering software adapts to meet the unique demands of different sectors. Whether tackling the complexities of electric vehicle designs, optimizing telecom infrastructure, or improving industrial water systems, engineering software offers tailored solutions that drive efficiency and innovation.

Engineering Software for the Automotive Industry

SimScale’s cloud-native platform empowers automotive engineers to address critical design challenges across multiple domains. By enabling detailed airflow simulations, for example, engineers can optimize vehicle aerodynamics to reduce drag and improve energy efficiency. Thermal management simulations help refine cooling systems, ensuring optimal performance of EV batteries and power electronics. Additionally, SimScale supports structural analysis to help safeguard structural integrity and durability, which can be critical for safety compliance and long-term reliability. Its ability to handle multiphysics scenarios allows automotive teams to integrate thermal, structural, and fluid dynamics into a single simulation environment, streamlining the design process and accelerating time-to-market.

An automotive supplier of sustainable fastening solutions utilized SimScale to enhance the design of EV battery module connectivity. By running multiple thermal and structural simulations, they were able to validate their design faster, ensuring it met performance and reliability standards. This approach not only accelerated their development process but also minimized the risk of thermal runaway, a common challenge in EV battery systems.

Engineering Software for Electronics

Thermal and structural analyses are critical for ensuring the reliability and performance of electronic devices, especially as systems become more compact and powerful. SimScale provides tools that enable engineers to simulate heat transfer, evaluate cooling strategies, and predict structural behavior under varying loads. With the ability to handle high-fidelity thermal simulations, SimScale helps engineers optimize designs to prevent overheating, improve efficiency, and ensure durability.

Beamlink, for example, used SimScale to redesign its telecom towers. By conducting detailed thermal simulations, they identified and resolved potential heat management issues early in the design process. Additionally, structural analysis performed with SimScale validated the mechanical integrity of their towers, ensuring they could withstand environmental stresses while maintaining optimal functionality. This approach led to a faster design cycle, reduced development costs, and improved product reliability.

Engineering Software for Industrial Equipment Manufacturing

SimScale provides vital tools for improving flow efficiency, thermal performance, and structural durability in industrial equipment. It enables engineers to simulate fluid flow, optimize cooling systems, and ensure the robustness of structural components under various operational conditions. By leveraging SimScale, industrial equipment manufacturers can address challenges related to energy efficiency, sustainability, and reliability.

Nalco Water, a leader in water treatment solutions, faced urgent challenges in improving the efficiency and reliability of industrial water nozzles for high-throughput paper mills. SimScale’s CFD simulations enabled them to analyze and optimize flow distribution, reducing pressure losses and enhancing operational efficiency. This led to a 70% reduction in unplanned downtime, saving approximately $10 million annually. The redesigned nozzle also improved machine stability, product quality, and throughput while reducing material and steam consumption. By leveraging SimScale, Nalco Water achieved a streamlined design process that not only addressed immediate operational challenges but also supported long-term sustainability and cost savings.

SimScale: The Best Tool for Engineering Analysis

Cloud-Native Simulation Leadership

SimScale is a versatile platform designed to revolutionize engineering analysis. With its cloud-native architecture, it enables engineers to simulate complex scenarios without the need for costly hardware, democratizing access to advanced simulation tools. This scalability and ease of use make it suitable for experts and new users alike, transforming how teams approach engineering challenges.

AI Integration

SimScale’s AI capabilities significantly enhance simulation workflows by automating repetitive tasks and improving accuracy. By leveraging predictive modeling, engineers can analyze multiple design iterations more efficiently, leading to faster decision-making and reduced time-to-market.

For example, RLE International, a leading development, technology, and consultation service provider, sought to enhance product design, accelerate development, and reduce costs to remain competitive in the automotive industry. Using SimScale’s AI-powered tools and deploying machine learning models trained within SimScale, RLE obtained accurate aerodynamic parameters like lift, drag, and speed within seconds. As a result, RLE reduced computation costs by 45% and significantly shortened prototyping cycles. These rapid simulations enabled RLE to explore innovative aerodynamic designs while maintaining high efficiency.

Integrating AI and cloud-native simulation tools streamlines engineering workflows, enabling rapid and cost-effective design iterations. These technologies empower engineers to obtain precise results faster, optimize resources, and drive innovation in complex projects.

Accessibility for Education

SimScale also offers free access to students and educators, providing a competitive edge for those entering the engineering field by delivering hands-on experience with professional-grade simulation tools. The platform includes a comprehensive suite of learning resources such as tutorials, and learning videos which provides structured courses in CFD, FEA, and thermal analysis. These resources empower learners to tackle engineering challenges confidently while gaining practical skills applicable to real-world solutions.

SimScale also fosters collaborative opportunities through shared projects, enabling students and educators to work together and build a sense of community. By equipping the next generation with accessible, high-quality educational tools, SimScale ensures that future engineers are well-prepared to innovate and excel.

Driving Engineering Innovation with SimScale

Choosing the right engineering software is vital for staying ahead in today’s competitive environment. Digital engineering is transforming traditional practices, enabling engineers to integrate advanced tools like AI and cloud-native platforms into their workflows. SimScale exemplifies this transformation by combining cloud-native technology, AI-driven simulation, and accessibility into a single platform. Engineers can streamline workflows, iterate faster, and optimize designs with unprecedented precision and efficiency. This digital shift empowers teams to tackle complex projects confidently while staying aligned with modern engineering demands. To explore how SimScale can transform your projects, start a free trial or dive into its case studies to see the platform in action.

The post Top Engineering Software for Advanced Analysis: A Guide to Innovation and Efficiency appeared first on SimScale.

Physics simulation allows engineers to model physical forces, interactions, and behavior digitally. Instead of relying solely on physical prototypes, simulations provide insights faster and at a lower cost. Effective physics modeling software empowers engineers to analyze and optimize designs across multiple domains.

This guide explores physics simulation, its diverse applications, and how SimScale, a cloud-native platform, stands out as a versatile and collaborative physics modeling tool.

What is Physics Simulation and Physics Modeling Software?

Physics simulation is the process of modeling and analyzing how physical systems behave under various conditions. It uses numerical methods to predict responses like fluid flow, thermal distribution, structural deformation, and electromagnetic fields.

Physics modeling software enables engineers to create, run, and analyze these simulations. It provides a digital environment where users define geometries, apply physical parameters, and visualize results.

Key Features of Effective Physics Modeling Software

1. Multiphysics Capabilities: The ability to combine different types of physics (e.g., thermal, structural, and fluid) within a single simulation to capture complex interactions.
2. Flexibility: Support for user-defined physics parameters, allowing engineers to tailor simulations to specific challenges.
3. Ease of Use: Intuitive interfaces and streamlined workflows make advanced simulations accessible, even for those without deep simulation expertise. This focus on user experience helps teams adopt simulation more effectively, leading to better project outcomes.
4. Real-time Collaboration: SimScale’s cloud-native platform enables teams to share simulation results effortlessly. Design engineers, manufacturing teams, and testing departments can access the latest simulation data in real time, ensuring everyone stays aligned.
5. Workflow Efficiency: Integrating simulations into the design process reduces development time. Instead of waiting for physical prototypes, engineers can make real-time adjustments based on simulation insights, accelerating decision-making.

SimScale integrates these features, providing a unified platform where engineers can model complex physical systems, simulate multiple physics domains, and collaborate effectively to achieve precise and actionable insights. By leveraging SimScale, teams can seamlessly bridge the gap between design and simulation, ensuring higher productivity and innovation.

Diverse Engineering Applications of Physics Simulation

SimScale supports a wide range of engineering applications, making it an indispensable tool across various industries, including automotive, industrial equipment, electronics manufacturing, and Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC). By enabling simulations for complex physical systems, SimScale helps engineers address challenges in design, optimization, and testing more efficiently. Below is an overview of the physics available in SimScale and how to leverage them in key domains:

1. Structural Mechanics

Structural analysis simulations assess how components handle stresses, loads, and deformations. Engineers use these simulations to ensure designs meet safety and performance standards.

One example of structural analysis using cloud-native simulation is validating the load-bearing capacity of industrial machinery frames. This ensures designs meet safety standards and comply with regulatory requirements, reducing the risk of costly failures in real-world applications.

2. Fluid Flow (CFD)

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) models how gases and liquids flow through and around objects. CFD simulations help engineers improve efficiency and performance in fluid-related systems.

For instance, HVAC simulations are essential for engineers looking to optimize airflow and temperature distribution in buildings. By using CFD, engineers can design systems that enhance energy efficiency while maintaining occupant comfort.

3. Heat Transfer

Heat transfer simulations model the distribution of heat within systems, helping engineers design effective cooling or heating solutions.

Thermal simulations are particularly valuable for improving battery thermal management. By modeling thermal distribution, engineers can prevent overheating and enhance the lifespan of electric vehicle batteries, ensuring both performance and safety.

4. Electromagnetics

Electromagnetic simulations predict how electric and magnetic fields interact with components. These simulations are crucial for optimizing electrical devices and minimizing interference.

For example, electromagnetic simulations can help optimize the design of electric motors by modeling the interactions of electric and magnetic fields. This enables engineers to identify inefficiencies, reduce energy losses, and enhance motor performance, ensuring reliable operation and cost savings in the long term.

5. NVH (Noise, Vibration, and Harshness) Simulation

NVH simulations evaluate and minimize noise and vibration in mechanical systems. This is especially valuable for automotive engineers seeking to enhance vehicle comfort (user experience) and product quality. For example, by modeling and reducing cabin noise and vibrations, engineers can create smoother and quieter rides, enhancing the overall driving experience for passengers.

SimScale supports all these applications in a single cloud-native platform, making it easier for engineers to switch between different types of simulations seamlessly.

The Role of Physics Simulation in Optimizing Designs

By leveraging the power of the cloud with SimScale, engineers can efficiently identify design flaws early in the development process, significantly reducing the need for physical prototypes. The platform’s ability to explore multiple design variations quickly not only accelerates development cycles but also lowers associated costs and enhances precision and accuracy.

Additionally, the flexibility of SimScale’s user-defined physics capabilities provides engineers with customization capabilities, enabling them to adapt simulations to address unique and specialized challenges and ensure results remain accurate and highly relevant to the problem at hand.

Case Study: Bühler Group

Bühler, a global leader in industrial equipment, leveraged SimScale’s cloud-native simulation to revolutionize their design process. By deploying early-stage simulations across 25 departments, over 100 engineers were able to run simulations online and on demand without capacity limitations. This approach enabled faster design convergence and reduced reliance on physical prototypes, saving both time and costs.

SimScale allowed Bühler to evaluate 60 design variants in just two weeks, a feat that previously required far more time and resources. This rapid iteration capability not only accelerated innovation but also supported bottom-line savings by eliminating the need for expensive hardware and traditional simulation tools. By streamlining workflows and enhancing collaboration across globally distributed teams, Bühler could achieve greater operational efficiency and bring products to market faster. Read more about Bühler’s success here.

“Integrating simulation early in the product development process allows one to better understand the physics and gain confidence in design choices. With SimScale, every design engineer has access to simulation.”

Clément Zémerli Senior Simulation Engineer in Corporate Technology at Bühler

Advanced Model Management Capabilities

SimScale’s advanced model management tools provide engineers with the capabilities to organize, track, and collaborate on their simulation projects seamlessly. These features are designed to enhance productivity, streamline workflows, and ensure precision throughout the simulation process.

SimScale’s model management capabilities stand out by providing:

• Version Control: Engineers can manage and track multiple iterations of their simulations, ensuring no critical updates are lost, and previous iterations remain accessible.
• Collaboration Tools: Customizable user permissions allow teams to collaborate securely, ensuring data integrity even with multiple contributors.
• Search and Organization: Engineers benefit from features such as tags, filters, and efficient search functions, enabling them to organize and locate simulation files with ease.
• Cloud-Native Integration: All model data is stored securely in the cloud, making it accessible from any location and removing the need for specialized hardware setups.
• AI-Powered Simulation Insights: SimScale leverages artificial intelligence to analyze simulation data, offering engineers predictive insights and optimization suggestions. This feature accelerates decision-making by identifying potential performance improvements or design flaws early in the process.

These tools empower engineers to streamline project workflows and make informed decisions efficiently.

Guided Simulation Workflows for Efficient Modeling

SimScale’s guided simulation workflows allow simulation experts to create templates and standardized processes. These workflows ensure consistency and help non-experts perform reliable simulations.

Step-by-Step Process

1. Import your CAD file into a SimScale template.
2. Adjust simulation parameters based on your company design guide.
3. Run the simulation in the cloud and get instant, standardized results.
4. Access, track, and share your results in SimScale from anywhere and with any team member.
5. Sync your results with your PLM system for seamless integration into your workflow.

Benefits of Guided Templates

• Efficiency: Standardized workflows reduce setup time.
• Accuracy: Templates ensure simulations are performed correctly.
• Collaboration: Teams can follow established processes, enhancing teamwork.

More about SimScale’s guided simulation workflows here.

The Power of Multiphysics Simulation in SimScale

SimScale’s Multiphysics simulation in the cloud allows engineers to model multiple physical phenomena in a single comprehensive analysis. This provides a more accurate representation of real-world behavior.

It also enables flexibility and a seamless combination of analyses, all in a single workbench. SimScale’s “One Platform, Broad Physics” approach enables engineers to combine different physics types, such as thermal, structural, electromagnetic, and fluid simulations, to analyze complex interactions within a design.

Here are some real-world examples:

• EV Motor Development: Analyze heat, stress, magnetic flux, and fluid interactions to optimize motor performance.
• Battery Thermal Management: Ensure efficient cooling in battery packs to prevent overheating.
• Fluid Flow Optimization: Improve industrial processes by modeling fluid dynamics accurately.

Give SimScale a Try?

Physics simulation enables engineers to overcome design challenges with precision and speed, making it an indispensable tool in modern engineering. By providing access to multiphysics analysis, guided workflows, and real-time collaboration, SimScale ensures engineers can streamline their processes and achieve optimized designs faster and more effectively.

Explore SimScale’s comprehensive resources for more information, or start simulating today by clicking the button below.

The post Physics Modeling Software: The Ultimate Guide to Physics Simulation appeared first on SimScale.