ANSYS® ICEM CFDTM
Cart3D®
1 2 .1 R E L E A S E
Automatically mesh for a
range of configurations
Key Features
4 Fast, automated fluid dynamics study,
allowing the designer/engineer to evaluate
the effect of multiple design parameters
on performance through a large number
of simulation runs
4 Ability to handle any change in geometry
during unsteady simulations because
the cartesian mesh is automatically
regenerated at each time step
4 Ability to tackle complex 6DOF problems
4 Very efficient algorithm that makes the
most out of available computational
resources
4 Highly efficient parallel processing
implementation
4 Powerful scripting language available to
develop and integrate custom applications
into ANSYS ICEM CFD and Cart3D
4 Powerful ANSYS ICEM CFD tools for
creating the initial surface mesh needed
by the Cart3D mesher
4 Easy to use ANSYS ICEM CFD Cart3D
interface
An Inviscid Fluid Dynamics Solution
ANSYS® ICEM CFD Cart3D is a high-fidelity, inviscid fluid dynamics analysis package for conceptual
TM
and preliminary aerodynamic design. It allows users to quickly and accurately perform automated
fluid dynamics analysis on complex geometry.
ANSYS® ICEM CFD™ Cart 3D software integrates Cart3D, developed by NASA Ames Research
Center, into the ANSYS ICEM CFD product. The integration into ANSYS ICEM CFD strengthens
Cart3D with a CAD interface, geometry manipulation tools, a user-friendly graphical user interface
(GUI) and a powerful post-processor.
Designed for Automation and Speed
Model Preparation
ANSYS ICEM CFD software includes a full suite of tools to import and prepare geometry for
meshing. Direct CAD interfaces, faceted geometry support and the ability to combine geometry or
mesh from many sources are powerful advantages. The patch-independent surface mesher is very
tolerant of poor geometry and allows the user to easily produce the surface mesh according to
the requirements of the Cart3D mesher.
Cartesian Mesh Generation
The automatic Cartesian mesh generator can handle arbitrarily complex configurations with ease.
The mesh generated is topologically unstructured and adaptively refined and the software has some
of the lowest memory usage and the highest speed of any mesh generator today:
• Gross memory usage typically 13-15 words/cell
• Speed approximately 1,000,000 cells/min (MIPS R10000, 195Mhz)
An automatic wetted surface finding algorithm allows for the automatic meshing of multi-component
geometry configurations in arbitrary arrangements and intersections.
Solver 600 Ideal
OpenMP Build
Massively parallel
MPI Build
Cart3D uses one of the most scalable,
500
Parallel Speedup
400
accurate and robust Euler equation solvers 300
in the industry. It solves the Euler equations 200 Pressure plot on
governing the inviscid flow of a compressible 100 missile with moving
control surfaces
fluid with parallel processing and multigrid 0
0 128 256 384 512 640
# of CPU’s
acceleration. In addition, it includes a
component-based force and moment calcula-
tion module developed as a post-processor
and data extractor. This flexible and powerful
package allows the user to extract flow
quantities for any component or group of
components in the configuration; compute
lift, drag and moment (LDM) for components,
component groups or configurations; and
extract point moments and line moments
(“hinge moments”) at arbitrary locations.

Mesh complex geometry automatically
Rapid solution for 6DOF
Next generation orbiter
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12.1 RELEASE
Automatic Design Trials Rapidly search
By combining the automated and efficient Cartesian the design
mesh generator with a fast, accurate and robust space for the
computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solver, Cart3D optimal design
allows for multiple designs and configurations to be
evaluated at multiple operating points. This allows
the designer to rapidly search the design space for
the optimal design.
Six Degrees of Freedom
Six degrees of freedom (6DOF) refers to the motion of uncon-
strained rigid bodies. In aerodynamics, a 6DOF problem refers to
rigid bodies in free-fall under the influence of aerodynamic forces.
By combining all of the components of Cart3D, ANSYS ICEM CFD
software delivers a 6DOF solution that is robust, easy to use and accurate.
Six-degrees-of-freedom problems are generally very difficult for traditional CFD software to
handle due to the frequent remeshing required. With the automatic Cartesian mesh generator,
Cart3D can generate a high-quality mesh with geometry-adapted refinement without the need
for user input. This makes it possible to run very complex 6DOF simulations.
Advantages of Cart3D
Cart3D is designed for aerospace applications and has been used to tackle a wide range of
problems from the design of supersonic transports to the analysis of debris falling from the
space shuttle.
The main benefits of Cart3D are its degree of automation and ability to evaluate a large number
of scenarios quickly. Generally, this is most beneficial at the conceptual and preliminary design
stages of product development. At these stages, the designer must evaluate the cost and benefits
of multiple designs at multiple operating conditions, which could result in hundreds of fluid
dynamics calculations and meshing operations.
Cart3D is an ideal tool for conducting a thorough investigation of the design space and
identifying the optimal designs or configurations. For systems with multiple parts and very
complex configurations, the relative positions of the parts can be changed without the need to
change the CAD geometry, since Cart3D makes use of the automatic wetted surface detection
routine. The cartesian meshing is able to keep up, adjusting the refinement as necessary. This
further extends the ability to automate design investigations
The ANSYS Advantage
With the unequalled depth and unparalleled breadth of our engineering simulation solutions,
companies are transforming their leading edge design concepts into innovative products and
processes that work. Today, 97 of the top 100 industrial companies on the “FORTUNE Global 500”
invest in engineering simulation as a key strategy to win in a globally competitive environment.
They choose ANSYS as their simulation partner, deploying the world’s most comprehensive multi-
physics solutions to solve their complex engineering challenges.The engineered scalability of our
solutions delivers the flexibility customers need, within an architecture that is adaptable to the
processes and design systems of their choice. No wonder the world’s most successful companies
turn to ANSYS — with a track record of almost 40 years as the industry leader — for the best
in engineering simulation.
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