Flow Science, Inc. announces the availability of a major new release of its FLOW-3D® computational fluid dynamics software. Version 8.0 features many new models, functionalities and improvements designed to increase user productivity and capabilities, and is perhaps the biggest leap forward for the well-respected software package in several years.

The most significant new feature is the introduction of the ability to create multiple grid blocks in the design of a simulation. Multi-block gridding in FLOW-3D® will enable users modeling complex flow phenomena to run their simulations faster yet, at the same time, more efficiently use computer resources. Each block will span a certain region of the whole flow domain and contain the standard structured rectangular mesh. Blocks will be able to be nested (one block contained entirely within another block) or linked (blocks are joined at their boundaries). Users will also be able to apply multiple mesh boundary conditions at the domain boundaries.

Using linked blocks, users can reduce problem size (reducing runtimes and saving storage and memory requirements) to create a pattern of flow that is limited to the actual flow domain. Likewise, where a particular area within the flow domain is of most interest to a user, one or more nested blocks of greater resolution can be placed inside a larger block with coarser resolution to allow a higher degree of accuracy of simulation in areas of interest (and again saving running time and storage and memory requirements).

Other major aspects of Version 8.0 are:

o New STL Viewer. Flow Science introduces an all-new STL viewer for FLOW-3D®. The new FLOW-VU viewer uses powerful OpenGL programming technology to enable much faster and easier viewing of simulation results, and introduces many new and useful capabilities not previously available in FLOW-3D®.

o New General Bubble Model. This new model extends FLOW-3D®’s Adiabatic Bubble model to add non-adiabatic mass and energy changes. Solid-to-void heat transfer provides for heat exchange between the gas in a bubble and solid obstacles exposed to the bubble. Mass and energy exchanges resulting from phase changes at the bubble’s surface can be included in cases where the bubble consists of liquid vapor. Potential uses include MEMS-level ink jet printer heads, biotechnology, optical switches, aerospace, etc.

o New Sediment Scour Model. This new model predicts the behavior of packed and suspended sediment and consists of two parts: drifting (of sediment suspended in flow) and lifting (from shear stress of liquid on a packed bed surface). Potential applications include erosion (such as around dams, piers, weirs and underwater pipelines) and removal and drifting of sand or snow around and over terrain.

o New Dielectric Phenomena Model. This capability allows the user to model fluid and particulate flows involving both free and induced charge densities by the addition of dielectric properties for particles, fluids and solids. This capability will find use in the area of electrostatic scrubbers and MEMS devices which make use of electric fields to move and control small amounts of liquid.

o New Automatic Limited Compressibility. For problems where pressure-velocity convergence may experience excessive stiffness, a new automatic feature has been added to allow for a small amount of limited compressibility, eliminating the need to experimentally determine a suitable value for limited compressibility. The amount is not enough to alter the essential incompressibility of fluid and will turn itself off when no longer needed.

o Improved Moving Obstacles. Improvements have been made to FLOW-3D®’s moving obstacle capability to allow for curved obstacle surfaces and even for flexing surfaces. Pistons will be able to be moved in and out of the computational domain as well. Through a customizable routine, users can control the flexing surfaces.

o Improved Implicit Viscous Model. A new algorithm based on the ADI method has been added which offers faster convergence for low Reynolds number flows. Meanwhile, the existing algorithm remains an option and its convergence has been improved by including under-relaxation.

o Improved Discrete Particles. New logic has been introduced to keep particles from moving outside a free surface or into solid surfaces defined through the FAVOR™ advantage.

o Improved Wall Adhesion. Improvements have been made to more accurately account for surface-tension driven wall adhesion on curving solid surfaces.

o Improved Drift-Flux Model. Newly introduced time-step control for this model improves accuracy and stability.

o Dynamic Particle Array Allocations. The user can define in the input the maximum number of particles to be used in a simulation.

o New Input for Heat Transfer Coefficient. Of particular interest to casting simulators especially, is the addition of new inputs for the heat transfer coefficient between obstacles and mesh wall boundaries.

o New User Controls to Limit File Size and Conserve Memory

· Estimate of File Size. This feature will allow the user to see an estimate of the file size to be generated by the problem he or she has set up to run.

· Spatial Data Edits. Using this option, a user can reduce the size of the flsgrf file.

· Optional Initial Restart Data Output.

· Dynamic Allocation of Arrays Based on Model Selection.

o New Steady State Notice. FLOW-3D®’s Mentor feature has been supplemented with a steady-state flow test. When the program detects that all important flow quantities are no longer changing by more than 2%, the Mentor will inform the user.

Flow Science has commenced shipment of the new release to customers under maintenance contracts.

Flow Science, Inc. is a privately held software company specializing in high fidelity fluid dynamics modeling software for industrial and scientific applications worldwide. Flow Science has Associates for FLOW-3D® sales and support in Japan, Germany, Korea, Finland, Russia, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and Spain.

For information, contact Flow Science, Inc. at

683 Harkle Road, Suite A Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA Telephone: (505) 982-0088 Fax: (505) 982-5551 E-mail: cfd@flow3d.com Website: www.flow3d.com