What Is CAE Software?
CAE software is software that uses a personal computer or supercomputer to calculate air flow, heat transfer, and stresses on a structure.
CAE software is often used as an alternative to building and testing in a laboratory or on a structure.
Since experimental facilities and large structures can be difficult to prototype, low-cost CAE software is used.
Uses of CAE Software
CAE software is mainly used in the product development process and is widely used in the manufacturing industry, such as in the automotive industry, where CAE software can be used to build prototypes and evaluate product performance without experimentation.
This has the advantage of shortening development time and reducing prototype costs. CAE software is also used in the aerospace and other fields as an alternative to experiments on large structures or in special environments. For example, when studying airflow around the wings of an airplane, it is necessary to build a reduced-size model and conduct experiments, which are costly and time-consuming.
With CAE software, however, it is possible to obtain wind velocity and pressure distributions on a computer that are more detailed than those obtained from experiments. This more detailed data may be useful in clarifying the causes of defects, making it highly practical.
Principle of CAE Software
CAE software can reproduce various physical phenomena on a computer by solving equations on a PC or workstation. For example, RIKEN’s simulation on splashing droplets is the result of reproducing the phenomenon of splashing droplets.
Simulation begins with the creation of CAD data. Then, after a preparatory stage (pre-processing), such as element partitioning and setting of boundary conditions and physical properties, the simulation begins (post-processing), in which the equations are calculated. After the simulation is complete, the results are visualized and analyzed.
Some software specializes in pre-processing, such as element partitioning, while others specialize in visualizing the results after post-processing. Most CAE software integrates pre-processing and post-processing, while CAE software in general is software that calculates equations, i.e., software that performs only post-processing.
CAE software uses a technique called discretization, in which elements are partitioned so that the equations of the fluid or structure under consideration are easy to solve. In most cases, the equations solved by CAE software are partial differential equations. Since solutions to partial differential equations are often not available, calculations are performed on a computer to obtain approximate solutions. The basic role of CAE software is to find approximate solutions by computer after discretization.
Other Information on CAE Software
1. Discretization of CAE Software
The finite difference method and the finite element method are well-known methods of discretization, which are used to discretize space and structures. For simulating phenomena that vary with time, implicit and explicit methods are used.
CAE software also uses mathematical formulas to determine physical properties that depend on temperature and other factors, and there is a wide variety of methods used in CAE software.
2. CAE Software Simulation Software
CAE Software has a wide variety of simulation software. Typical examples include thermo-fluid analysis software, structural analysis software, and electromagnetic field analysis software.
Thermo-Fluid Analysis Software
Thermo-fluid analysis software is software that can analyze thermal fluid by solving equations that model fluid flow and heat transfer using a computer and expressing them through simulation.
Structural Analysis Software
Structural analysis software is software that uses simulation to analyze physical quantities that change when loads are applied to the analysis target. The finite element method and other methods are often used in structural analysis software.
Electromagnetic Field Analysis Software
Electromagnetic field analysis software is used to investigate the effects of electromagnetic waves and magnetic forces on objects. It is used in a wide range of industries, such as automotive, space, and defense.