New in SimulationX 3.5

As a reference in physical modeling of mechatronic systems, SimulationX 3.5 introduces about a hundred new features that help to speed up the development process while making it more efficient. The new release comes with a bunch of new libraries for quick simulations of planar mechanisms or vibrational and energetic analyses of hybrid drives, for instance. Also modeling multi-body systems has now become even easier through enhanced visualization and interactive manipulation. Output options and settings for properties, result variables and transformations have been completely revamped. In addition, new interfaces with MSC Nastran®, VehicleSim® or ETAS LABCAR, for instance, but also advanced COM functionalities guarantee an easy exchange of data within a closed toolchain. 

 

The topics of all innovations and enhancements in SimulationX 3.5 at a glance:

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User Interface

• Interactive 3D view
• Result windows with new layout and additional options for analyses
• Organization of external libraries
• New: automatic connections in the diagram view

 

SimulationX – model libraries and user packages

• New SimulationX model libraries
• New SimulationX user packages
• SimulationX library extensions

 

Analysis

• Homotopy operator
• Fixed-step solver
• Power balance

 

Advanced modeling

• New features in the FluidDesigner
• SimulationX SPICE Translator

 

Interfaces

• COM interface: access to natural frequency analysis and steady-state simulation
• FEM import from Abaqus® and MSC Nastran®
• Code export for VehicleSim® and LABCAR
• FMI support

 

Modelica® in SimulationX

 

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SimulationX model libraries and user packages

 

New SimulationX model libraries

 

Planar Mechanics
The library Planar Mechanics covers a new domain. It supports efficient modeling, calculations and analyses of mechanic systems that only operate within a plane (translations in x- and y-directions as well as rotations around z). Compared to MBS Mechanics, analyzing planar systems requires far fewer parameters. The library includes the following groups of basic elements:

• Rigid bodies
• Force elements
• Joints
• Sensors

 

Belt Drives
Complementing the new library “Planar Mechanics”, a new model library “Belt Drives” for simulating belt and rope drives in a plane has been introduced. The library is divided into three groups:

• Drums and sheaves
• Belt models
• Constraints

 

Thermal-Fluid IId
The new thermo-fluid library contains several cooling agents, such as R407C, R134a, R744 and R1234yf, which were developed especially for real-time simulations.

 

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New SimulationX user package

 

Hybrid Powertrain

The new user package Hyprid Powertrain is based on a Modelica library with open source element types which can be extended by the user or used as mere templates for custom models. Those element types comprise mechanical structures for simulating powertrains (motors, transmissions) and vehicles, electrical structures for batteries and electric machines as well as control elements. With a bus system for control engineering, creating control configurations in complex systems is now even easier while maintaining a tidy model view.

 

Industiral Utilities

The new Industrial Utilities Package bundles common model elements and tools for industrial energy related applications together. It contains model types for air pressure generators, heat pumps, cooling units, gas turbines, gas engines and industrial furnaces amongst others. This user package is compatible with the SimulationX libraries Hydraulics, Pneumatics and Thermal-Fluids. In conjunction with these libraries, the Industrial User Package can be used for efficiency evaluations of applications, for testing various configurations/technologies or for analyzing malfunctions and pollutant emissions.

 

Green Building

The new user package Green Building helps simulate energy efficient buildings and was developed together with EA Systems GmbH. Based on the open language Modelica, this software solution allows for simulations of all energy flows within a system permitting ecological system layouts. It does not stop short of the building itself, but also includes the inhabitants’ behavior, additional consumption, e.g. by hybrid and electric vehicles, grid connections and the Smart Grid technology.

 

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SimulationX library extensions

 

Version 3.5 offers over 50 new elements and extensions across SimulationX’ existing libraries facilitating the design process for models of mechatronic systems and are provided to ITI’s existing maintenance customers free of charge.

 

Translational and rotational mechanics

The new Power Sensor models measure the power flow between mechanical elements (mechanical power). There are power sensors for rotational and for translational systems. The sensors measure also the cutting torque as well as the cutting force and provide them as results.

Drive technology

The models for motors and engines permit calculations for specific fuel consumption and fuel mass flow. A new sample model shows a simple combustion engine with a rotational speed controller for the required fuel injection.

The new sub-library Brakes contains the two element types Drum Brake and Disc Brake. Both types allow for efficient modeling of such brakes through internal computational approaches for the friction torque and actuation. Geometric design parameters are factored in as much as temperature-dependent friction behavior. Both models have also thermal connectors for thermal models designed for cooling the brakes.

Dog clutches can now be modeled with rectangular dogs and negative undercut angle.

The new model type General Torque Converter represents a torque converter without lock-up clutch and freewheel, i. e. the stator is fixed to the housing. This converter can thus be operated also the other way around driving the turbine side. The model Cardan Shaft now also accounts for skewed forks offering the new parameter psi to define an assembly angle between the joints freely.

The real-time synchronizers simulate the sequence of the synchronization processes in a numerically efficient way. In the model, the synchronization time is determined through the synchronizer’s geometric and friction properties and may vary according to the applied shift force. The model can be mechanically coupled with manual, hydraulic or electromechanical actuation models. Based on these synchronizer models, the user can quickly assemble entire manual or automated synchromesh gearboxes for real-time simulations as well as efficient concept assessments.

For the representation of torsional vibration dampers in powertrains, this library contains the new model type Pendulum Absorber. It is now also possible to model variable pendulum lengths. Beside exchangeable symbols for various vehicle classes, there are also editable preset parameter values available.

 

Drive technology MBS

The new package MBS Actuating Elements contains two MBS models for differential cylinders one of which is a hydraulic differential cylinder. The model encompasses a closed kinematic MBS structure and can be connected with models from MBS Mechanics. Furthermore, it contains a hydraulic sub-model of a differential cylinder from the Hydraulics library for modeling hydraulic properties. The same holds for the pneumatic differential cylinder with relevant pneumatic properties.

Electro-Mechanics

The library Electro-Mechanical has been extended by the new element types Induction Motor and Induction Motor with Parameters from Datasheet. Parameterization of induction motors is possible on the basis of an equivalent circuit or data sheets. All electric motors now come with thermal connectors translating electrical losses into heat flow.

Pneumatics

The Pneumatic Fluid Database includes the following new fluids:

Gases:

• Butane (C4H10),
• Ethane (C2H6),
• Nitrogen dioxide (NO2),
• Nitrogen monoxide (NO),
• Water vapor

Gas mixtures:

• Water vapor-air mixture

The new element type Flow Source applies user-defined values for mass or volume flows. Pressure Source and Exhaust allow boundary conditions to be modeled without fixed temperatures.

 

Hydraulics

The Hydraulic Fluid Database now includes the new lubricant ATF DEXRON II (D) as well as the following new fluids in the heat transfer group: Water-Glycol (50% H2O), Water-Glycol (70% H2O).

The settings for aeration in the connection now include a parameter alphaUconst under the standard options enabling the definition of a constant mass fraction of air that cannot be dissolved. In addition to the standard option, Only Constant Undissolved Gas Fraction allows for a simplified and faster simulation with a constant mass fraction of air. Pressure Source allows exhausts to be modeled without fixed temperatures.

The new element type Pressure Intensifier allows generating a pressure ratio between hydraulic connectors by parameterizing two pressurized areas or the ratio itself. It is also possible to use different fluids. Dynamic effects can be modeled through the translational-mechanical connector.

SimulationX 3.5 comes with four new 2/2 proportional valves with one or two external hydraulic controller connectors. Depending on the type, these externally controlled pressure control valves are by default (a) closed or (b) opened. The pressure parameter “pSet” can be used to specify a one-sided spring pre-load.

The new element type Power Sensor – integrated in the connection – measures hydraulic power without generating additional power losses itself providing values of the internal variables “pressure” and “volume flow”.

The new element type “Multiplier” is used for splitting or combining multiple identical mass flows. In doing so, symmetry effects can be utilized to simplify a complex model’s multiple identical, hydraulic branches. As only one branch needs to be modelled, the size of the model itself as well as computation time can be reduced a great deal.

The element types Hose Line and Distributed Pipe now also include two new options for describing “Relative Volumetric Expansion” and “Volumetric Expansion” in order to define wall elasticity. Both description types can be parameterized through values or data tables.

 

Thermo-Fluidics

The new element type Liquid Receiver is a collector for two-stage circuits. The inlet can take vapor, wet steam or liquids. If the liquid receiver holds not only pure vapor, pure liquid is discharged through the outlet.

Interfaces

The following enhancements were introduced in SimulationX 3.5:

 

COM interface: access to natural frequency analysis and steady-state simulation

The extended COM functionality now grants full access to results of natural frequency analyses (API). Following classes are available:

• NaturalFrequencies
• EigenVectorElements
• Deviations
• Energies

 

Furthermore, results of steady-state simulations are now also provided through the COM interface improving automated analyses of calculated variants and test runs significantly. Moreover, it is possible to save all recorded results of a transient simulation automatically as a text or XML file. All settings for the representation of results can now also be accessed through the COM interface.

 

FEM import from Abacus and MSC Nastran®

The interface SimulationX FEM Import 1.0.3.” now supports importing three-dimensional, mechanically elastic structures from Abaqus and MSC Nastran into SimulationX MSB models.

Code export for VehicleSim® and LABCAR

As new target project types for code export, VehicleSim applications “CarSim”, “BikeSim” and “TruckSim” are now supported, a tool collection for efficient simulations of vehicles and motorcycles by the company Mechanical Simulation Corporation. There is also a co-simulation solution available for the integration of VehicleSim.
SimulationX’ generated C-code for Simulink’s S-function can now also be ported to ETAS LABCAR through the MATLAB Real-Time Workshop®.

FMI support

The Functional Mockup Interface (FMI) was developed between 2008 and 2011 by the joint research venture “Modelisar”, a European consortium of renowned developers, users from the industry and research partners (www.functional-mockup-interface.org). It describes an interface for the exchange of models and for co-simulation between CAE environments from various providers. ITI played an active role in its development and remains strongly committed to maintaining this standard.
Functional Mockup Units (FMU) for Model Exchange or Co-Simulation can be generated from SimulationX models via code export. The import function guarantees a seamless integration of FMUs into SimulationX models. By these capabilities, SimulationX supports the entire spectrum of FMI 1.0 standards.