For over 10 years, we have been combining project work and software development for numerical simulations. Examples of our work in the following areas can be found below:
Custom-made Calculation software
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InsightCAE – Examples
Tutorials
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Our Services
InsightCAE We implement automated calculation workflows according to your wishes and specifications. We can easily provide and maintain these as add-on modules for InsightCAE. Here are some examples of apps we have developed for our customers:
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InsightCAE – Documentation
The documentation is here: InsightCAE Manual. The sources of the LaTeX document can be found on Github: InsightCAE Manual (PDF). Installation The installation is described in the InsightCAE Manual in the section “Obtaining InsightCAE.”.
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InsightCAE – The Idea
To use open-source software productively and efficiently for daily tasks, the automation framework InsightCAE from silentdynamics is provided. InsightCAE serves as a framework for the automated execution of analysis procedures. The goal is to provide interfaces to all tools and simulation programs required for a specific calculation task. Our additional service: Individual open-source projects...
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InsightCAE Case Builder for Thermal Simulations
Preparation and case setup for thermal simulation with open source software such as OpenFOAM, Elmer, etc. Our InsightCAE software enables fast and automated pre- and post-processing for a robust simulation of heat propagation. Installation of the InsightCAE software incl. OpenFOAM on Windows and Linux computers, implementation of software addons, provision of computing resources (HPC) as well as support ensure fast and reliable...
Maritime Hydrodynamics
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Virtual Towing Tank - Calculate Ship Resistance Digitally
Traditional towing tests in physical model basins are costly and time-consuming. Our virtual towing tank based on InsightCAE and OpenFOAM enables precise ship resistance simulations—faster, more cost-effective, and fully reproducible. And best of all: you don't have to deal with the simulation software yourself—we can carry out the simulations entirely on your behalf upon request. What is a virtual...
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Behavior in the Open Sea: Methods, Tools, and Key Performance Indicators
Seakeeping analysis is a central element of ship design and forms the basis for evaluating the behavior of ships and floating structures in real sea conditions. It provides crucial information for safety assessment and operational planning. What is seakeeping analysis and why is it important? Seakeeping refers to the dynamic forces generated by wind, waves, and currents, to which...
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High Speed Planing Craft
VOF Simulation of High-Speed Planing Craft: Challenges and Solutions The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation of fast vessels — particularly planing boats and planing yachts — presents significant challenges even for experienced engineering firms. In particular, the widely used Volume of Fluid (VOF) method exhibits specific numerical weaknesses at high Froude numbers and planing speeds, which, without targeted countermeasures, lead to unreliable or even unusable simulation results. We have specialized methods…
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Ship resistance
Ship resistance calculation with open-source CFD: The InsightCAE framework. The hydrodynamic optimization of ships is one of the central challenges in modern shipbuilding. Low ship resistance reduces fuel consumption, lowers CO₂ emissions, and improves the economic efficiency of the entire operation. At the same time, the precise calculation of ship resistance traditionally requires deep expert knowledge in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) as well as costly commercial software licenses. With...
Turbomachinery and Propellers
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CFD Analysis and Design of Turbomachinery with Open-Source Software
Turbomachinery – from centrifugal pumps and compressors to turbines and fans – is the backbone of modern industrial and energy systems. Their design and optimization require a deep fluid-mechanical understanding and precise numerical tools. We combine both: sound engineering expertise with cutting-edge CFD technology based entirely on free software. Performance analysis and design of turbomachinery using CFD We conduct fundamental...
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Fluid-Structure Coupling for Composite Propellers: CFD with OpenFOAM and Code_Aster
Modern marine and flow propellers made of fiber-reinforced composites offer significant advantages over traditional metal propellers – lower weight, improved cavitation characteristics, and the possibility of passive pitch adjustment through tailored anisotropy. However, their flexibility poses special challenges for design: the aerodynamic or hydrodynamic performance can only be correctly evaluated if the structural deformation under operational load is [included/accounted for] in the simulation...
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Cavitation Simulation in Turbomachinery: CFD Prediction with OpenFOAM
Cavitation is one of the most critical and costly phenomena in fluid-machinery. It limits the operating range, reduces efficiency, causes noise and vibration—and in the worst case, can lead to irreversible material damage within a short period of time. CFD-based cavitation simulation is currently the most reliable tool to effectively counteract this phenomenon as early as the design phase. What is...
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Propulsion Analysis and Thrust Performance Prediction with Open-Source Software
After determining a propeller open-water curve using CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) or another calculation method, further analysis—in particular a propulsion analysis—is required to reliably predict the propulsion power for a specific ship. We have developed specialized analysis software solutions that enable seamless integration into the ship design process while relying exclusively on open-source software. From the...
Thermodynamics
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InsightCAE Case Builder for Thermal Simulations
Preparation and case setup for thermal simulation with open source software such as OpenFOAM, Elmer, etc. Our InsightCAE software enables fast and automated pre- and post-processing for a robust simulation of heat propagation. Installation of the InsightCAE software incl. OpenFOAM on Windows and Linux computers, implementation of software addons, provision of computing resources (HPC) as well as support ensure fast and reliable...
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Water bodies as energy reservoirs - heat pumps, cooling water, and thermal simulation
Natural bodies of water offer enormous potential as an energy reservoir for modern heat pump systems. The targeted use of surface water, lakes, and rivers for heat extraction and discharge opens up sustainable alternatives to conventional heating solutions – but requires precise hydraulic and thermal planning to meet ecological and regulatory requirements. Discharge of cooling water from a heat pump into the body of water For heat pump systems that use body of water...
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CFD Simulation of Airbag Gas Generators – Compressible Flows and Shock Waves
The gas generator is the safety-critical core of every airbag system. Within a few milliseconds, it must provide a defined amount of gas with precisely controlled pressure and temperature—reliably, reproducibly, and under extreme conditions. The fluid-physical processes taking place—shock waves, expansion waves, heat transfer, and real gas behavior—are highly dynamic and can hardly be fully captured by measurement techniques. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is…
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CFD Simulation of Solar Collectors – Thermal Design and Flow Optimization
The efficiency of a solar collector depends on a multitude of interacting physical influencing factors – solar radiation, outside temperature, wind speed, collector geometry, flow routing, and heat transfer to the heat transfer medium. A purely experimental design is costly and time-consuming and yields only point-specific insights. Numerical flow and thermal simulation (CFD), on the other hand, enables a complete, spatially resolved analysis of the thermal and fluid-mechanical behavior –...
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Building Climate Control – Simulation of Temperature Distribution and Air Circulation
The numerical simulation of temperature distribution and air conditioning enables precise, data-driven planning of rooms and halls – even before the first spade goes in the ground or the next renovation begins. Using modern CFD methods (Computational Fluid Dynamics), thermal weaknesses can be identified early and resolved in a targeted manner. What does thermal building simulation achieve? Our simulation solutions cover the full spectrum of thermal and...
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Simulation of inductive heating – Elmer and OpenFOAM
Inductive heating is an established and highly efficient process in modern manufacturing and process technology. Whether hardening, brazing, shrinking, or targeted heat treatment – the non-contact, rapid, and locally precise heat input makes induction heating the method of choice in numerous industrial sectors. However, the underlying physical interactions between the electromagnetic field, induced current, and resulting heat distribution are complex...
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Coupled Heat Transfer – Conjugate Heat Transfer
In some simulation problems, not only the heat transport within the fluid itself plays a role, but also that in the adjacent solid. In such cases, a coupled simulation of heat propagation between the solid and the fluid (CHT – Conjugate Heat Transfer) must be performed. We master such simulations using our open-source tools, e.g., OpenFOAM. For rapid optimization of heating and cooling performance by means of...
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Heat transfer
Stationary and transient 3D simulation of heat propagation in complex components made of different materials. Cooling and heating of components to determine critical heat flows, required cooling loads or e.g. avoidance of thermal stresses. Optimization of component geometries through automated geometry creation and simulation processes.
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Dispersion of gases in the environment
CFD Simulation of Gas Dispersion in Accidental Scenarios – Safety Analysis for Light and Heavy Gases In industrial plants, chemical facilities, energy supply infrastructures, and safety-relevant installations, the uncontrolled release of gases during an accident poses a significant risk to people, the environment, and material assets. The precise prediction of gas dispersion is therefore an essential component of modern safety analyses, risk assessments, and emergency planning. Simulation-based accident analysis with…
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Cooling of electronic components
Thermal simulation and thermal management in electronics and luminaire development In modern development processes, thermal management is a key challenge – particularly in high-performance components such as electronic assemblies, power electronics, and LED light sources. Using 3D CFD simulations (Computational Fluid Dynamics) and FEM-based thermal analysis (Finite Element Method), a precise thermal analysis is carried out for the cooling of various components, including electronics, light sources, and embedded systems. Heat transfer mechanisms…
Hydrology
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See
Thermal flow simulation for spatial energy planning using lake water Lakes and other surface water bodies represent an enormous natural energy storage system that can be utilized both ecologically and economically. Through the use of lake water heat pumps, this stored thermal energy can be tapped for the heating and cooling supply of buildings, thus making a significant contribution to the decarbonization of municipal heat supply…
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Harbor basin
As part of an innovative energy concept, a harbour basin is used as a natural heat source and sink for the cooling and heating operation of surrounding office buildings. Surface waters such as harbour basins, lakes or rivers are ideally suited as a basis for water-based heat pump systems due to their thermal storage capacity and can achieve significant energy savings compared to conventional air conditioning systems. To evaluate the thermal effects on the...
Strength and Structure
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FEA Simulation of Adhesive Bonds – Precise Stress Analysis for Secure Joining Technology
Adhesive joints play an increasingly important role in modern designs – from aerospace and automotive engineering to wind turbines and general mechanical engineering. In contrast to form-fit joints such as screws or rivets, adhesive joints transmit loads over an area, reduce notch stresses, and enable the joining of a wide variety of materials. This makes reliable computational evaluation all the more important –...
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FEM Simulation with Code_Aster – Over 10 Years of Experience in Structural Analysis
Code_Aster is one of the most powerful and at the same time most demanding open-source finite element codes worldwide – developed and continuously maintained by the French energy company EDF. With a range of functions that surpasses many commercial FEM programs, Code_Aster is particularly suited for complex structural mechanical, thermal, and coupled analyses in industrial and scientific environments. We have more than 10 years of practical experience in professional use...
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Fluid-Structure Coupling for Composite Propellers: CFD with OpenFOAM and Code_Aster
Modern marine and flow propellers made of fiber-reinforced composites offer significant advantages over traditional metal propellers – lower weight, improved cavitation characteristics, and the possibility of passive pitch adjustment through tailored anisotropy. However, their flexibility poses special challenges for design: the aerodynamic or hydrodynamic performance can only be correctly evaluated if the structural deformation under operational load is [included/accounted for] in the simulation...