Updates to Simulation and Analysis Software Aid Vehicle Development

Ricardo Software announced significant updates to its proprietary suite of computer-aided engineering (CAE) simulation and analysis products. The latest 2019.1 release, which was recently previewed to customers at the company's user conferences in Europe and Japan, adds numerous new features, delivering greater functionality and efficiency for users, providing essential simulation and analysis tools for the complete vehicle development process.

The enhancements include the IGNITE complete vehicle system modeling and simulation package, which Ricardo Software says quickly and accurately produces conventional to highly complex vehicle system models - including hybrid and battery electric, conventional, as well as novel powertrain vehicles.

In all phases of the development process, users can take advantage of faster than real-time simulation and design and optimization tools that provide models that can help study a range of applications including vehicle performance, fuel economy, and emissions prediction.

With the 2019.1 release, IGNITE includes an assortment of new features aimed at requirements of those developing electrified vehicles, such as a new smart plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) controller for quick and easy out-of-the-box modeling of parallel hybrid architectures.

Also, new powertrain libraries support motorcycle development, both conventional and electric, as well as for powertrain auxiliaries such as dc converters, starters, and alternators.

Improvements are also featured in the 2019.1 release for WAVE, the 1D engine performance and NVH tool and the VECTIS 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tool, in terms of integration with other software products, their improved real-time performance, and the addition of a wide range of modeling capabilities.

Elsewhere, the latest version of the shaft, gear, and bearing conception and design package, SABR, holds a variety of new capabilities such as improved integration with VALDYN for transmission dynamic analysis.

WAVE - 1D engine performance tool for engine system optimization and virtual calibration

Fluid dynamics (CFD)

• Improved usability with scale-view schematics of the flow path and wall structures
• Automated interpolation map creator enable users to quickly and simply convert steady-state models into transient models for ease of integration into WAVE-RT
• Next-generation exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) knock model to map performance limits of SI engines
• Third-party FMUs in WAVE provide greater modeling capabilities of electrical, mechanical, liquids, fluids and more. This enables faster run times and the model can easily be used as a sub-system in any third-party simulation that supports the Functional Mockup Interface (FMI) standard.
• R-Desk, Ricardo's common interface to interact with our software tools, can now be used to set up multi-fuel models giving greater options to users.
• Simple and efficient Wiebe combustion models. Users can quickly and easily input three burn points generating fast and accurate results.
• The new spark ignition (SI) predictive combustion model has simpler inputs for improved usability. The model is directly exportable to WAVE-RT helping to minimize variations in combustion behavior.
• Dependent parameters can now be set up directly on the WAVE canvas using familiar source and interpolation map elements for a more efficient workflow.

VECTIS - 3D computational fluid mechanics tool for combustion and thermal systems

• The new VECTIS solvers support co-simulation with third-party tools.
• The Intel MPI has been upgraded to deliver robust parallel simulations.
• The material editor has been enhanced to offer properties for common gases and liquids.
• New chemistry mechanisms including H2, Dodecane, surrogate gasoline, detailed, diesel, detailed n-heptane and iso-octane mechanisms from LLNL have been added to our chemistry solver, RFLAME for more efficient chemistry calculations.

IGNITE - modeling and simulation of complex systems and sub-systems with comprehensive application-specific libraries

• The new smart PHEV controller and powertrain auxiliaries enable quick and easy out-of-the-box modeling of P0-P5 parallel hybrid architectures.
• Improved user experience including easily defined road profiles and other input data via a new table and graph editor. Simply create edit or copy input data from Microsoft Excel for all the IGNITE libraries.
• Motorcycle modeling is now available thanks to new powertrain libraries. This includes fuel economy, drive cycles and performance of standard conventional and electric motorcycles.
• Modeling support for N-D interpolation enabling the user to model multidimensional behaviors
• Users can now launch IGNITE directly from WAVE delivering an improved co-simulation experience.
• Option to time-out unsuccessful simulations
• Improved user experience to generate contour plots of engine and motor efficiency maps
• This version of IGNITE reduces the file size by 40% shortening the overall simulation run time as well as saving space during large simulation studies.
• A range of new examples now included with the installation

SABR - gearbox shaft, gear, and bearing software for quality and durability analyses

SABR includes new and improved calculation methods for tooth contact analysis (TCA) using micro-geometry information. The implementation of tip relief and crowning delivers more accurate and efficient ways to calculate transmission errors and harmonics as well as stress and stiffness.

• Transmission errors calculated in the new TCA can be exported to VALDYN to be used during the transmission dynamic analysis.
• Users can now analyze gear body deflection for faster and more accurate results. Calculate mesh misalignment with FE integration to convert standard results into skew and slope.
• SABR offers enhanced visualization of speed and torque binning using combined load cases. This helps users manage complex real road data.

"I'm very pleased that we are able to announce our new 2019.1 release which adds innovative new capabilities across our suite of CAE products," commented Dr. Michael Tiller, Ricardo Software VP of Product Development. "The enhancements in this release are the result of the focused R&D effort of our in-house development team, which is able to draw upon the skills and expertise of the entire Ricardo organization. We are working continuously toward greater integration of our tools to provide our customers with improved co-simulation capabilities for the simulation of complete vehicles, whether they are powered by internal combustion engines, electric motors or some combination of both. In this way, Ricardo Software's technology is helping to create a lower carbon, more fuel efficient and sustainable future for the automotive products of tomorrow, wherever they are designed or manufactured."