SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation

Understand the performance of your design before you build a single prototype.

SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation: Why Choose It?

A product’s success often depends on understanding how air and liquid flow in, through, and around it. With a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) tool integrated into your CAD system, you can create designs like never before. Flow Simulation enables engineers and designers to:

  • Integrated into the SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD interface
  • Looks and behaves like SOLIDWORKS
  • Allows designers and engineers to simultaneously design and simulate – testing a product’s performance in rapid time
  • Provides immediate feedback on the performance of designs as they change
  • Simulates fluid flow and heat transfer on a product design before production

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Why choose SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation?

Tools in Flow Simulation

CFD

Computational Fluid Dynamics is a quick and accessible simulation of liquid or gas flow. SOLIDWORKS Flow can generate any number of traditional studies from internal or external domains, time-dependent studies, or compressible/incompressible fluids.

Visualization

Pictures are the best way to convey complex information. With Flow Simulation, you can illustrate heat transfer, deformation due to heat or pressure, fluid trajectory, or document alternative designs quickly and efficiently.

Thermal Fluid Considerations

Identify thermal hotspots and optimize cooling in your design from the beginning with Flow. The Thermal Fluid capabilities of Flow allow designers to test the impact of things like adding additional fins to a heatsink.

Electronics Thermal Considerations

PCBs and TECs require a unique theory to model. SWX Flow accommodates this and gives the end user specific toolsets to solve complex electronic engineering problems.

Rotating Domains

Thermal issues are usually resolved with the help of a fan. The ability to accurately model these designs’ rotational domain and D-rate is a critical capability of SWX Flow.

Free Surface

Need to solve a problem with both gas and liquid media? The free surface feature allows engineers to mix immiscible fluids. The applications for this type of study are endless.

What Is the Best SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation Package for You?

SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation

SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation

By using the Finite Volume Method (FVM), SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation calculates product performance based on “what if” studies that can be used for optimization.
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SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation - HVAC Module

HVAC Module

Heat, ventilation, and air conditioning simulation tools.
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Electronics Cooling Module

Electronics Cooling Module

Thermal management simulation tools for accurate thermal analysis of electronic Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) and enclosures.
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Package Comparison Matrix

SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation

HVAC Module

Electronics Cooling Module

Ease of Use

SOLIDWORKS Simulation is fully integrated into SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD to ensure data integrity and ease of use. Toolbars, menus, and context-sensitive right-click menus ensure rapid familiarization with SOLIDWORKS’ user interface. You can learn and troubleshoot using the built-in tutorials and searchable online help.

Design Data Reuse

It is easy to analyze multiple loads and product configurations with SOLIDWORKS Simulation, as it supports SOLIDWORKS materials and configurations.

Multi-Parameter Optimization

Using the Design of Experiments and Optimization parametric study, perform an optimization study for more than one input variable. Calculate design points and find optimum solutions.

SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation Capabilities
  • Flows of gases, liquids, and incompressible fluids
  • Transonic, supersonic, and subsonic gas flows
  • Ability to consider heat transfer by conduction in fluids, solids, and porous media. Conjugate heat transfer may be included or not (Fluid-Solid), and heat resistance may be included or not (Solid-Solid).
Material Database

Flow Simulation: A customizable engineering database allows users to build models for solids, fluids, and fans.

HVAC Engineering Database Extension: The HVAC engineering database extension adds specific HVAC components to SolidWorks.

Electronic Cooling Module: This comprehensive engineering database contains information about specific electronic components and their thermal characteristics.

Internal Flow Analysis

Internal flow analysis calculates air or liquid flow through a product design.

External Flow Analysis

External flow analysis calculates air or liquid flow outside and around a product design.

2D to 3D

The calculations are always performed in 3D by default. It is also possible to run simulations in 2D planes without affecting accuracy when applicable.

Heat Conduction in Solids

There is an option for calculating temperature changes in the solid geometry of the product. Combining convection, conduction, and radiation to transfer heat is possible. Users can include thermal contact resistance in calculations.

SolidWorks Flow Simulation: Identify problems where no fluid exists by calculating pure heat conduction.

HVAC Module: Use semitransparent materials where transparency affects the product’s thermal load to provide accurate solutions.

Electrical Cooling Module: Model-specific electronics device effects, including thermoelectric coolers, heat pipes, and joule heating.

Gravity

Natural convection, free surfaces, and mixing problems require fluid buoyancy.

Rotation

Calculate the effect of rotating or moving devices by simulating moving surfaces or parts.

Free Surface

Simulates flows between immiscible fluids, such as gas-liquid, liquid-liquid, and gas-non-Newtonian liquid.

Symmetric
  • By taking advantage of symmetry, simulation solution times can be reduced.
  • Cartesian symmetry can be applied to the x, y, or z planes.
  • Using sector periodicity, users can calculate a sector of a cylindrical flow.
Gases

Flow calculations for subsonic, transonic, and supersonic conditions.

Liquids
  • It is possible to describe liquid flows as incompressible, compressible, or non-Newtonian (oil, blood, sauce, etc.).
  • It is also possible to determine the location of cavitation in water flows.
Steam

Water vapor condensation and relative humidity are calculated when steam is present in a flow.

Boundary Layer Description

A modified approach calculates laminar, turbulent, and transitional boundary layers.

Mixing Flows

Users can perform the flow of any two fluids, whether they are gases, liquids, or non-Newtonian liquids.

Non-Newtonian Fluids

Examine the flow behavior of non-Newtonian liquids, such as oil, blood, sauce, etc.

Flow Conditions

Users can define problems using velocities, pressures, masses, and volumes.

Thermal Conditions

For accurate setup, users can set thermal characteristics for fluids and solids locally and globally.

Wall Conditions

To set up an accurate wall, users can set thermal and roughness conditions locally and globally.

Porous Components

Simulate some model components as fluid cavities with distributed resistance to fluid flow or as porous media with fluid flowing through them.

Visualization

With customizable 3D plots, you can visualize your assembly’s thermal and fluid behavior. Animate the response of your assembly under loads to visualize flows, fluid mixings, pressure drops, and other optimization options.

Communication & Reporting

Communicate simulation results and collaborate with eDrawings using customized reports.

Two-phase (Fluid + Particles) Flows

It allows the calculation (with the post-processor) of particle motions (Particle Studies) or extraneous fluid flows (Tracer Studies) in the fluid flow without affecting it.

Noise Prediction (Steady State and Transient)

A fast Fourier Transformation (FFT) algorithm analyzes transient noise and converts a time signal to a complex frequency domain.

HVAC Conditions

Ensure accurate thermal analysis by including semi-permeable materials.

Tracer Study

There are a variety of HVAC applications. The optimization of airflow, the control of temperature, air quality, and the control of containment are all important factors for meeting thermal performance requirements.

Comfort Parameters

Thermal comfort factor analysis can be used to understand and evaluate thermal comfort levels in multiple environments.

Electronic Conditions
  • Heat Pipes
  • Thermal Joints
  • Two-resistor Components
  • Printed Circuit Boards
  • Thermoelectric Coolers
Technical Support

The Best Technical Support in the Industry

We at TPM have extensive knowledge of SOLIDWORKS and can assist you in achieving success using the software. You can count on our industry-leading team for assistance with any task you may need.

Customer Service

Quick Response Customer Service

Providing you with quick and accurate customer service is a priority of TPM’s Customer Experience team. We are here to help you no matter your business goals, whether it’s a question about your subscription or services.

Training for Manufacturers

SOLIDWORKS Training

TPM offers SOLIDWORKS training online and in person, taught by certified SOLIDWORKS instructors. TPM provides SOLIDWORKS certification preparation materials and a Course Completion Certificate to each student upon completion.

  • Open enrollment courses or specialized courses
  • Instructors who are certified in SOLIDWORKS
  • Smaller and more focused classes
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