SimLab 2022 Release Highlights
Altair EmployeeThe SimLab 2022 release is packed with a lot of great new features and enhancements in the following areas:
Structural
Altair SimLab is a process-oriented simulation environment to analyse the performances of single components or complex assemblies. As illustrated below multiple physics can be modelled in SimLab:
For structures SimLab supports a wide variety of applications. Some of them are represented in this table:
 |  |  |  |  |
| Linear, Non-linear, Static & Dynamic | Noise, Vibration & Harshness | Impact | Durability | Structural Optimization |
All these applications are supported for Altair solvers such as OptiStruct and Radioss. However, as an open architecture SimLab also supports solvers widely used in the industry like Abaqus, Permas, ADVC…
The latest version of SimLab adds many exciting features and enhancements to enable our users considering new modelling approaches and speed up the process of CAD to results.
PCB modelling
Because of the increasing design complexity of PCB it is more and more important to propose efficient modelling tools to engineers so that they can quickly simplify the layer definition of their PCB without reducing significantly the accuracy of their model.
To meet this need SimLab continues to innovate and propose new methods to define equivalent material of PCB. For example, in SimLab 2022 users now have the possibility to reduce the size of the PCB model by approximating it as a composite shell with lamina properties equivalent to the ECAD layer properties.
Element can also be grouped based on their material properties to reduce the number of materials written in the solver deck.
Acoustic solution for e-Motors
A new solution dedicated to the acoustic analysis of e-Motors has been introduced in SimLab 2022. Starting from an existing magnetic transient 2D analysis of an e-Motor, users can map magnetic forces onto their acoustic model to create automatically harmonic loads and corresponding loadcases.
To post-process the acoustic pressure in various locations, a new tool called “Sound receiver” has also been added to the “Analysis” ribbon of the acoustic solution.
Drop Impact
The number of OptiStruct physics supported in SimLab has been extended. Indeed in SimLab 2022 user has the capability to define Drop Impact solutions with OptiStruct solver.
For Radioss solver new features have been introduced such as the support of the LAW28 which enables user to define Honeycomb materials. Shell property and the visual failure model can also be defined in conjunction with Johnson-Cook materials.
Transient Heat Transfer
Simlab 2022 includes several enhancements for transient heat transfer analysis. Heat sources and free convection boundary conditions can now be time dependent as shown in the following picture.
Import Materials from Altair® Material Data Center™
Altair® Material Data Center™ is a cloud-based standalone application that enables users to browse, search and compare materials. All material data can be written into a specific format that can be directly imported in SimLab 2022.
Post processing
Multiple post processing capabilities have been introduced for structural solutions in SimLab 2022. For instance, SimLab is now able to calculate additional strain and stress components based on the strain and stress tensor results calculated by solvers:
When strain and stress results are available at Gauss points and / or element corners, SimLab 2022 also proposes additional options to average results at nodes:
Thanks to these new capabilities users can analyse results more precisely and better predict the mechanical behaviour of their system.
CFD
The latest version of SimLab adds many exciting features and enhancements to enable users to setup, solve and post-process CFD use cases. SimLab has dedicated workflows for vertical CFD solution as well as Multiphysics applications. The new features help solve a variety of problems starting from multiphase to including electrical effects such as Joule Heating. Below is the list of major flow-related features and enhancements available in V2022 release.
Electric Potential
Electric Potential (Joule Heating) models the passage of electrical current through a conducting material produces heat. Applications include electrical fuses, LEDs, busbars etc.
Eulerian Multiphase
This feature models interaction between different phases such as fluid, gas and solid. Some of the common applications include fluidized beds, mixing tanks etc.
Nucleate Boiling
Both single-phase and multiphase nucleate boiling is supported. Single phase is based on wall heat transfer model sub-cooled boiling. Multiphase is based on Algebraic Eulerian model with phase change.
Atmospheric Boundary Layer
This creates an inlet velocity profile prescribed via log law while inlet turbulence properties are computed according to the chosen turbulence model.
Postprocessing
This is the first official release of SimLab Independent postprocessing. In this mode, multiple Boundary groups, cutting planes, Iso-surfaces and Streamlines can be created. In addition, SimLab continues to support the default Integrated post-processing mode. There has been a huge performance improvement made to the Integrated post and a speed-up of at least 2-3X is observed compared to the previous release.
Additional features of 2022
- Restart supported for Flow solutions. Provides flexibility to update the solution and can even start a steady state solution as transient
- SimLab enables design modifications. This will allow updating the mesh along with the boundary conditions and solution settings.
- Parameters feature is now enhanced and now allow parametric model setup.
- Regenerate geometry in SimLab using the CAD Parameters in Inspire.
- Added 16 new flow tutorials to the SimLab Learning Center.
Electromagnetics
Altair SimLab is a Multiphysics platform, which includes now electromagnetic solutions to support the calculation of eMotors and electrical machines in general. Below are the current applications supported by Simlab electromagnetics.
The latest version of SimLab adds many exciting features and enhancements to enable our users to setup, solve and post process such electromagnetic use cases. Among others, SimLab now has dedicated workflows to speed up the process of CAD to results. Click on the images below to get a sneak peek of the individual workflows and the new features added in this release.
Magnetostatics 3D
Transient magnetics 2D
Parametric sketching
Simlab has an inbuilt parametric sketcher that used to create geometries. The sketcher includes a variable manager to allow the user to create parameters of different types and create a parametric sketch that can be varied during a DOE run. Simlab 2022 includes various performance upgrades that makes creating sketches easier and smoother than ever before. Click on the image below to see how the sketcher can be used to create eMotor sketches.
Meshing
Creating a mesh is an important aspect of electromagnetic simulations. Whether it is getting the mesh exactly correct in the eMotor airgap or creating mesh for periodicity, Simlab has all the features required to create the correct mesh for the use case. The enhancements in Simlab 2022 include various upgrades to the dedicated motor mesh tool to enable the uses to automatically create the mesh for a wide range of eMotor applications. Click on the image below to see the power of the motor mesh tool.
In addition to the motor mesh various improvements have been made in mesh controls to easily define periodic meshes for 3D cases.
Circuit template
Simlab 2022 includes a circuit template that allows users to easily and quickly setup the most common eMotor circuits. The circuit template is enhanced such that user can provide now multiple connections per coil. This will allow the creation of more complex circuits like double layer windings. Click on the image to see a video of how to create circuits in Simlab.
Solid conductor
SimLab 2022 introduces the solid conductor functionality. This allows the user to create open or no circuit solid conductors to define passive conductors and calculate eddy losses and proximity effects. In addition these can be used to compute the magnet losses created in the magnets of an eMotor. Click the image to see how magnet losses can be defined using the solid conductor component.
Post processing
Multiple post processing capabilities have now been introduced for the electromagnetic solution in Simlab 2022. Visualization of the complete device, 2D plots, contours and much more are now directly available inside SimLab. Click on the image to see how 2D plots can be used inside Simlab.
Injection Molding
Simplified Workflow
- Defaults for Initial temperature are estimated based on selected material
- Multiple time selection of inlet face is eliminated
Meshing Improvement
- SimLab 2022, brings robust auto meshing which works for Fast and Detailed Solver
- Implemented several updates to auto meshing algorithm to generate quality mesh for accurate injection molding simulation
Warpage Analysis of Fiber-Reinforced Parts
- The warpage analysis is enhanced to utilize multiscale designer (MDS) material data while computing the warpage of fiber-filled polymer parts.
- The solver now writes all the necessary input data files and launches the OptiStruct solver to perform structural analysis of the fiber-filled polymer parts using OptiStruct and Multiscale Designer without user intervention.
Polymer Material Data Analysis (PMDA)
- Polymer Material Data Analysis (PMDA) is introduced in the 2022.0 release. PMDA will identify issues in the material data before running the simulation. More error details are added in the log file. PMDA helps correct material before launching solver and save time.
Link to Inspire Mold
- Inspire extensions are added in SimLab to perform quick CAD manipulation
- Use Inspire Mold link to create complete runner system or custom CAD
Improvements To Sink Mark Computation
- In this release, significant improvements are made to the sink mark computations. E.g.
- Fixed – Models with no sink mark results.
- Fixed – Packing stage takes longer time to complete.
For all updates, please refer to detailed released notes in help document.