FlownexSE

flownexse

Flownex Simulation Environment (Flownex SE) is the next generation of Flownex that evolved from user requests and industry needs.

Flownex is a systems CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) code that enables users to perform detail design, analysis, optimization and even monitoring of a wide range of thermal-fluid systems ranging from simple pipe networks to complex systems such as gas turbine engines or combined cycle power plants. Flownex SE allows and controls the co-simulation of several solvers. Such solvers may include the Flownex systems CFD solver, any amount of new internal solvers (like control systems, and electrical network solvers) as well as external solvers (like Matlab or Aspen). Flownex SE also allows users to add or create their own solvers and models.

Flownex SE builds on the power of previous versions of Flownex and adds the following enhanced features:
  • Allows faster setup times for simulations and makes it easier to view the results of a simulation.
  • Improves ease of use with drag-and-drop variable selection for transients, graphs, designers and sensitivity analyses.
  • Support for organization and simplification of extremely large simulations with multiple drawing pages and multiple views for components in a single project.
  • Allows the user much more freedom in terms of user coding to write their own mathematical solvers, customize existing solvers or efficiently link to third party specialized solvers.
  • The ability to create new compound reusable components from existing components.
  • Creation of powerful user defined/user coded components.
  • Improved error and warning diagnostic capability including the ability to double click on an error and the component causing the error will be automatically selected on the drawing canvas and the user can immediately locate and address the warning.
  • Vast improvement in terms of visualization capability, graphs, push buttons, dials, slides, animation, etc.
fse1
Figure - Example of new visualization controls used in FlownexSE to control a simulation.

  • Graphing capabilities now include bar graphs, pie charts, plots of variables against each other (and not just against time) and locus plots of two phase fluids.
  • Even faster solver times by utilizing multiple processor capability and an all new and improved iterative temperature solver for larger networks.
  • Improved user interaction with the component and fluid libraries, similar to normal Windows Explorer behavior.
  • The ability to perform design and optimization not only for steady state, but also for dynamic simulations.
  • An improved Automatic Programming Interface (API) that allows users to add components to the simulation and modify solver, component and chart data from external programs.
  • The simulation state can now be “snapped” to allow the user to load a snap to obtain the results of a simulation instead of re-running the simulation as was previously the case. Snaps also serve as input sets.
  • Many user requests have been added to Flownex SE which was not possible with the previous version of Flownex. These include grid type editors for multiple components to allow quick and easy modification of similar inputs.
  • Addition of Excel component where Excel can be integrated in the solution of a thermal flow network or used to do in time processing of data.
  • Integrated .chm Help Manuals.

Flownex SE is now an advanced platform that can be used to integrate software from many different vendors. To this end:
  • Flownex SE has a very open, extendible architecture.
  • Scheduling of different solvers all utilized to solve an integrated model is done by Flownex SE.
  • It is extremely simple and fast to expand – quick to add new models, calculations or displays.
  • It is optimized to do very large scale simulations/data processing in real time or much faster on desktop computers.
  • Data can be acquired from nearly any existing source.
  • All of the logistics like saving of data and linking of data from different sources can be handled for you.
  • Every industry with data processing/calculations, subsequent representation of results and user interaction is a target.
  • Flownex SE can be used to replace or compliment legacy software.