University of Birmingham Signs Collaboration Agreement with Altair HyperWorks for Teaching and Research

Altair HyperWorks and in particular AcuSolve^® will be used by the University of Birmingham as the standard tool for computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation. AcuSolve is a leading general-purpose CFD solver with superior robustness, speed and accuracy. Users can quickly obtain quality results without iterating on solution procedures. AcuSolve is seamlessly coupled with the structural solvers of HyperWorks, a comprehensive suite of CAE tools which enable businesses to create market-leading products efficiently and cost effectively.

Dr Hassan Hemida is currently leading the computational element in the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) project “The measurement of train aerodynamic phenomena in operational conditions”. The purpose of this research is to study the suitability of CFD applications to measure, predict, and examine the aerodynamic flow around a class-43 high-speed train. In order to validate the results of the CFD simulations, PhD student Justin Morden is comparing the flow characteristics around the train including aerodynamic forces, velocities, and surface pressures calculated by AcuSolve to the data from real-world and wind-tunnel model testing. Once the initial simulation results have been verified, reliable analysis of the flow regimes around the entire train will be virtually modelled using AcuSolve for CFD simulation.

Now that HyperWorks finite-element based technologies are widely available to students and staff at the University of Birmingham, students will receive the required training for AcuSolve via a taught course provided by Dr Hemida. He says the main advantage of using HyperWorks for teaching and research is that “HyperWorks comes with highly efficient, robust, scalable and accurate solvers for meshing, simulation and visualization.”

Jacquelyn Quirk, Academic Liaison for Altair UK explains how other academic institutions can benefit from using HyperWorks software: “Altair University offers students and researchers around the world the opportunity to access HyperWorks technology and learn the simulation techniques used by all the major engineering companies around the world. This is very much in line with Altair’s commitment to provide academia the tools and technical support needed to develop the next generation of engineers”