What's New

View new features for AcuSolve 2024.1.

Altair AcuSolve 2024.1 Release Notes

Highlights

  • Battery Thermal Runaway ARC data support
  • New Feedback Condition command
  • Visualization of heat transfer coefficient through various calculation methods

New Features

Battery Thermal Runaway ARC Data Support
Accelerated Rate Calorimetry (ARC) testing is common in the Electrification industry as a means of characterizing a battery cell for thermal runaway simulation. In this version, you have two (2) new options regarding the input and treatment of ARC data. In the first method, you specify Arrhenius equation coefficients that have been extracted following a fit of the ARC data to the Arrhenius equation. The second method reads and applies the ARC data directly to the simulation model. In the fitting approach the ARC data can be split into a maximum of five (5) stages, each fit to a separate Arrhenius equation generally accounting for a specific battery cell component decomposition.
Battery Thermal Third Order ECM
The third-order equivalent circuit model (ECM) represents the battery’s dynamic behavior using three resistor-capacitor pairs. This model has an advantage over lower-order versions by more accurately capturing the battery’s dynamic voltage response.
Feedback Condition Command
A new command, named FEEDBACK_CONDITION, is introduced to allow you to control heat input conditions in the model based on the temperature calculated elsewhere in the model. Currently, point locations are supported for providing the feedback temperature which can control the effect of either surface or volumetric heat flux conditions. Controls involve cutting off the heat input or maintaining a given temperature when the condition is reached.
Visualizing Heat Transfer Coefficient
You have the option to select from three (3) different methods for calculating heat transfer coefficients (HTC). The first and default method leverages the Thermal Law of the Wall to calculate HTC and is equivalent to what has been previously available. The second method, called the Direct method, calculates HTC and reference temperature based on a user-provided y+ value. The third method takes as input from you a constant reference temperature to calculate HTC. In all cases, the distributed values of HTC and reference temperature are available for visualization. The behavior of these methods is consistent with AcuTherm.

Enhancements

Updates to the Element Quality view
The Element Quality view now supports the Quality Index Range (QI Range) legend, in addition to the existing Criteria legend. The QI Range legend enables you to investigate the model with overall element quality categorized as Worst, Fail, Warn, Good and Ideal.
Documentation Additions
  • The theory and guidelines for battery thermo-electric solutions have been added to the Training Manual.
  • The theory and guidelines for battery thermal runaway have been added to the Training Manual.
  • Radiation symmetry setup guidelines have been added to the Training Manual.
  • Information about files generated during solving and the file in ACUSIM.DIR has been moved out of the appendix of the Tutorial Manual to the same level as the physics topics in the Training Manual.
  • Guidelines for running topology optimization have been added to the Training Manual.
  • A section describing the theory behind topology optimization has been added to the Training Manual.
  • Information about setting the host name and port number for multi-node AcuSolve/EDEM coupled jobs has been added to the Training Manual.
  • A new section for Enclosure radiation has been added to the Training Manual.
  • A description of the acuTopoBlock script has been added to the Program Reference Manual.
SimLab-based Tutorial Additions
Two (2) new tutorials for the SimLab CFD user interface have been added. The new tutorials are:
  • ACU-T: 7300 / SL-2510 DOE using Altair Inspire, SimLab and HyperStudy
  • ACU-T: 7301 / SL-2515 Solution DOE

Known Issues

The following known issues will be addressed in a future release as the performance of the software is continuously improved:
  • OSF output for HTC data is not directly available via acuTrans. You may still use AcuTherm to output nodal data.

Resolved Issues

  • A minor correction has been made to the equation for the Haider Levenspiel drag model.
  • A correction has been made to the calculation of sphericity for non-spherical drag coefficient models used in the AcuSolve / EDEM coupling.
  • An issue with assigning mass flow or average velocity to hemispherical surfaces has been corrected.
  • Wedge elements are now supported for topology optimization.

Altair AcuSolve 2024 Release Notes

Highlights

  • Velocity Magnitude to OSI data
  • Heat Flux to standard nodal output

New Features

Velocity Magnitude to OSI data
Velocity magnitude is now available under the surface integrated output list of data. This resultant vector magnitude is available for plotting of 2D data.
Heat Flux to standard nodal output
Heat flux was previously available from the extended nodal output list, requiring you to request and load additional data that might not be needed for all simulations.
Note: This variable has been moved to the standard list of nodal field data and can be accessed without the need to load extra data.

Enhancements

  • Large model domain decomposition is now available on Linux using PT-Scotch libraries, currently accessible via a cnf parameter.
Documentation Additions
The Training Manual section of the AcuSolve documentation has been reorganized. While the Introduction and Theoretical Background sections remain largely unchanged, a new section, simply titled AcuSolve has been added. This new section includes a wealth of information from the general workflow of creating models for AcuSolve, to solver specific information about convergence criteria and the format of time statistics at the end of the Log file, to sections dedicated to specific physics areas supported by the solver. The various types of boundary conditions available in AcuSolve, along with their respective applications and usage scenarios have been documented in the AcuSolve Training Manual. Additionally, a new comprehensive explanation of the Atmospheric Boundary Layer (ABL) inlet boundary condition has been incorporated into the Training Manual under the section of boundary conditions. This addition includes the general description of the ABL inlet condition and the wind velocity profile equations alongside turbulence equations. Finally, new sections covering radiation modeling with participating media and mass transfer with AcuSolve/EDEM bi-directional co-simulation have been added.
Documentation for the topology optimization parameter, min_filter_radius, has been added to the Command Reference Manual. This solver parameter was first introduced in v2023.1.
Documentation for the -to_probe option of acuRun has been added to the Program Reference Manual. This option was first introduced in v2023.1.
HyperMesh CFD-based Tutorial Updates
Two (2) tutorials for the HyperMesh CFD user interface have been updated. The updated tutorials are:
  • ACU-T: 3600: Melting of Diesel Exhaust Additive within an Enclosed Tank
    • Updates have been made to the tutorial geometry file
  • ACU-T: 6106: AcuSolve - EDEM Bidirectional Coupling with Mass Transfer
    • Improvements to the instructions have been made to clarify the tutorial process
SimLab-based Tutorial Updates
One (1) tutorial for the SimLab CFD user interface has been updated. The updated tutorial is:
  • ACU-T: 7200/SL 2500: Topology Optimization
    • Geometry includes one inlet and two outlets

Resolved Issues

  • The expected variable naming for field_flux and convective_field_flux variables with respect to the various forms of multiphase has been enhanced.