International TechneGroup Limited (ITI) is pleased to receive a three-year R&D grant award from the UK Government, supported by the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), for participation in the AuGMENT project. In collaboration with Cambridge Flow Solutions (CFS), the lead partner on this initiative, ITI will support the development of leading-edge advanced geometry processing and automated meshing solutions for the aerospace industry. The project is receiving funding from the joint industry and government funding commitment for aerospace R&D, a partnership between the ATI, Innovate UK and Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
Numerical simulation is traditionally the most efficient way to reduce risk and quantify design performance for testing designs in contexts otherwise not physically practical. Aerospace companies rely heavily on numerical simulation even though preparation of the geometric model is still typically a manual process that takes time and runs the risk of human error.
Through the AuGMENT project grant, ITI and CFS will engage in R&D work to develop advanced tools for Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) geometry preparation and meshing that will allow engineering simulation to participate fully and effectively in the earliest stages of industrial design. According to ITI’s Mark Gammon, “The goals of the project are to create a hybrid CFD meshing capability that combines the unique geometry handling strengths of ITI’s CADfix tool with the digital geometry and meshing strengths of CFS’ BoXeR tool. The intended result is to offer CFD analysts the best of both worlds.”
CFS and ITI are unique companies offering unique and differing representations of geometry and automated meshing approaches. ITI’s solution is CADfix, which offers CAE analysts the ability to automatically and interactively repair and transform CAD geometries prior to analysis and ensures that solid or surface models are translated effectively into target systems. In addition, CADfix offers a full range of import and export functionality for pre-processing CAD data from native and neutral formats.
“CFS’ approach is to digitalize geometry and enable users to tackle complex, real-world applications using defect-tolerant and highly-scalable software, within the integrated parallel simulation environment that is BoXeR”, commented Albert Demargne, Cambridge Flow Solutions. “By integrating both approaches into interoperable end-user products, aerospace companies may realize the full benefits of both.”
Simon Weeks, Chief Technology Officer for the ATI, said, “The AuGMENT project puts engineering simulation at the heart of industrial design and aligns well with our national technology strategy, endeavoring to maintain the UK’s world-leading aircraft design and manufacturing capability. This partnership highlights the unique strengths of CFS and ITI and provides industrial users with a powerful combined toolset.”