Press
Release
|
Geometry-based
Fluid Network Modeling: A Novel Technique for the Thermal
Analysis of Electronics |
Littleton,
Colorado, August 2001
C&R Technologies,
Inc. is introducing FloCAD®, a flow analysis module
that joins the popular Thermal Desktop® and RadCAD® heat
transfer analysis software suite. FloCAD provides unique and
revolutionary capabilities for the thermal design of electronics
packaging.
Thermal Desktop
is a design environment for generating thermal simulation models
of electronics and vehicles. It is based in Autodesk’s
AutoCAD® (R2000) and Mechanical Desktop® products,
although little knowledge of CAD methodologies is required to
use it. RadCAD is an optional thermal radiation analysis package
for high temperature and/or vacuum applications. Using Thermal
Desktop, engineers can use native AutoCAD or Mechanical Desktop
drawings either directly as a thermal model, or indirectly as
scaffolding for fast “snap on” attachment of Thermal
Desktop elements, surfaces, and solids. CAD models imported using
Autodesk’s STEP or IGES translators is also a commonly
exploited option. Structural/FEM models (e.g., MSC/NASTRAN, SDRC’s
FEMAP, IDEAS/FEA, etc.) can also be imported and used either
as the basis of the thermal model (perhaps using automatic node
suppression techniques), or merely as the basis of accurate interpolation
and automated data exchange with structural software.
FloCAD adds
the capability of modeling flow circuits, including fans and
convective heat transfer, attached directly to the surfaces and
solids representing PCB boards, chips, etc. It is specifically
targeted for electronic packaging design tasks, but since it
provides full access to the powerful and general-purpose SINDA/FLUINT
thermohydraulic analyzer, FloCAD will find use in other industries
as well.
FloCAD is fully
compatible with Thermal Desktop features, including full parameterization
using spreadsheet-like variables and arbitrarily complex expressions
as input, rather than hardwired numbers. This allows complex
models to be rapidly manipulated using a few keystrokes, meaning
that updating or maintaining a model is trivially easy, as is
performing sensitivity studies and investigating what-if scenarios.
This provides access to SINDA/FLUINT’s Optimization and
Reliability Engineering modules, which can be used to size components,
maximize performance, find worst-case operating conditions (design
cases), correlate models to test data, and even treat uncertainties
statistically.
“FloCAD
is the answer both for thermal engineers who are troubled by
the high cost and inflexibility of CFD approaches, as well as
those who find nongeometric fluid network modeling (FNM) approaches
to be too cumbersome because they lack strong connectivity to
geometry-based heat transfer models.”
said Cindy Beer, Director of Marketing for C&R.
Headquartered
just outside of Denver, Colorado, C&R is a world leader in
software and technologies for thermal/fluid engineers in various
industries, including electronics, automotive, and aerospace.
Information about C&R’s products and services can be
found at www.crtech.com.
Shown
below: A 3D thermal model of circuit boards on a chassis
is combined with a ducted flow model representing coolant air
circulated with a fan.
Formed
in 1992, C&R Technologies provides products and services
in the areas of heat transfer and fluid flow design and analysis.
C&R Technologies are the authors of worldclass thermal and
fluid software including SINDA/FLUINT, Thermal Desktop®,
RadCAD®,
FloCAD® and
SinapsPlus®.
For more information on C&R Technologies, Inc., contact us
at 303.971.0292.
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