PHOENICS 3.1 - using virtual reality to simulate fluid flow

Citation

(1998), "PHOENICS 3.1 - using virtual reality to simulate fluid flow", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 70 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.1998.12770dab.012

PHOENICS 3.1 - using virtual reality to simulate fluid flow

PHOENICS 3.1 ­ using virtual reality to simulate fluid flow

Keywords CHAM, Fluid dynamics, Simulation, Software

Concentration, Heat and Momentum Limited (CHAM), a consultancy and software house in the field of fluid flow, heat transfer and chemical reaction simulations, has launched the latest version of its general purpose CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) package, PHOENICS 3.1. Designed to simulate a range of fluid flow processes from the operation of air-conditioning systems to the prediction of oil spill patterns, PHOENICS 3.1 provides an accurate, reliable and easy to use tool for non-specialists in CFD.

PHOENICS 3.1 has been designed to allow both first time and experienced users alike to access CFD simulation technology. The package incorporates two main advances to achieve this aim: a virtual reality (VR) interface, which provides a smooth path from CAD to CFD and allows a direct representation of the actual environment, in combination with a comprehensive series of drop down menus, which provide access to all PHOENICS capabilities.

The new developments enable users to choose objects and conditions which are present in the process or environment they are simulating by simply selecting options listed in the VR editor. For example walls, chairs, fans and heat sources can all be selected and positioned within the virtual environment, while temperatures, textures, materials, flow direction and turbulence can also be specified. The VR viewer allows simulation results to be easily and accurately displayed in a 3-D environment.

The numerical and physical models powering the simulations have also been updated, for example the program now incorporates the latest multi-fluid turbulence model and simultaneous fluid flow, heat transfer and solid stress analysis.

As different models can then be directly compared, PHOENICS 3.1 can assist in planning a variety of applications from securing the optimal positioning of health and safety features such as fire alarms, to establishing the most appropriate response to pollution incidents.

To ensure that CFD technology can be utilised by as many users as possible, PHOENICS 3.1 is available on a wide range of operating platforms including DOS, Win95, Win NT, UNIX, Supercomputer and Parallel. To take advantage of the increasing power of PCs, a parallel version of PHOENICS 3.1 has been developed to run on PC clusters.

For further information contact CHAM. Tel: +44 (0) 181 947 7651 Fax: +44 (0) 181 879 3497; E-mail: phoenics@cham.co.uk or visit the CHAM Web site at www.cham.co.uk