Does anyone know which CFD package is cooperative with Pro/Engineer design software? Thanks in advance!

Take a look at CFdesign for Pro/Engineer. Point your browser at www.CFdesign.com.

Regards

Mike Clapp

I think you will find that several CFD codes are compatible with Pro/Engineer.

For example, Pro/Engineer can create STL solid models which can then be exported directly into the PHOENICS VR interface.

Peter

You can export step files (*.st*p) from Pro/E and import them into Gambit (preprocessor for FLuent)

Good Luck finding a package that will interface directly with ProE. As you probably know ProE is great at creating the part; however, if you want the fluid domain it may require several weeks of work by either internal or external ProE experts. There are several methods to create the fluid domain on simple parts (pipes, valves, connectors, etc.); however, if you go to large assemblies (i.e. auto underhoods) it takes lots of time, due to the gaps between components. Once you have the fluid domain, you can export it to either .stl, .vda, .step, .unv, etc. of which one of many the major commerical CFD could probably import.

Please see other replies for codes and prefered import file format.

Hello,

The ICEM CFD preprocessor links directly to PROE. Its more than just a translator. It actually sits inside the PROE system. The ICEM CFD preprocessor can then export to almost every solver including Fluent, CFX and STAR.

You can find out more at www.icemcfd.co.uk

Regards

David

CFdesign is fully integrated within Pro/Engineer and requires no geometry translation.

Pro/E offers several methods of creating the "fluid volume" from the most complicated of assemblies. These techniques are part of the basic functionality of Pro/E and can be easily performed by a novice.

I strongly recommend that you NOT export models through the various translation formats. They tend to corrupt geometry and may require weeks of work to "heal" and recreate the geometry in the downstream application. It is always best to use a package that works with the native Pro/E geometry.

Jeff

Jeff, are you saying that CFDesign directly discretises the native ProE geometry model? Surely there must be some translation into a form that your solver understands?

It used to take weeks to heal and 'pamper' exported geometry but with the uptake of STEP, the maturity of the various solid modelling kernals and translator softwares data translation is NOT the problem it used to be.

Anyway, the real issue is the fact that the geometric description required for efficient analysis is rarely a 1 to 1 mapping of the geometry that exists in the MCAD tool, especially if production quality MCAD models require analysis. This is a far more common occurence than the MCAD tool being used just as an analysis preprocessor which seems to be how CFDesign is being applied. So, I doubt the the productivity gains BRNI talk about are realised in practise, in real design environments, on real industrial time scales.

Fred.

Fred,

>>Jeff, are you saying that CFDesign directly discretises the native ProE geometry model?

Yes.

>>Surely there must be some translation into a form that your solver understands?

Hmmm... it's an FEA solver.

IGES and STEP work well for fairly simple geometry, but still require considerable cleanup work for complex surfaces... common knowledge. You are correct that native kernals (Parasolid, Acis) avoid the issues of IGES and STEP. That's why they are included as input options for CFdesign.

MCAD tools are the obvious choice for analysis pre-processing. Today's tools use features and parameters that allow for quick and easy geometry modifications. This provides huge time savings on multiple design iterations... Most real-world design processes are not limited to a single analysis. Engineers need to quickly assess the importance of a variety of design characteristics. It is crucial to avoid the time and effort required by the old MCAD/Export/Pre-processor/Solver one-way process.

Jeff