Open Source CAE software

A way to reduce cost?

Background
The license cost for CAE software can easily
accumulate to large sums.
Even if wages can be reduced by moving work
to low cost countries, the cost of software
licenses remains unchanged and can exceed to
hourly rate of the engineers
Open Source software
Open source software can legally be used
without a need for any licensing fee – although
a donation to the projects that create the
software is commendable.
The capabilities of this software can reach or
even exceed the capabilities of commercial
software.
 What is available
●
Operating systems – Linux, BSD
●
Solvers for linear, nonlinear and CFD analysis
●
Post processing tools to visualize results
●
Multi disciplinary optimization tools

OpenRADIOSS, Salome-Meca, Calculix, OpenFOAM,

Elmer, Salome-CFD, MBDyn
 What is missing
●
Pre-processors - Currently none of the Open Source Pre-
Processing tools can match the capabilities of the commercial software. This
can be overcome by hiring a few programmers and modify the software or
add the required features. This would be a one time investment.
●
Multi Body dynamics – support for tyre models
●
1D – no tools for range, performance, thermal
analysis
●
Support for encrypted materials
Pro’s
●
No license fees required
●
Full access to the source code allows
adjustment to specific needs, modifications, etc
●
Proven to work in multiple areas
Con’s
●
Often no support from a software vendor
●
Often not as user friendly as commercial
software
●
Certain features might be missing
●
Not for all tasks available
Examples - OpenRADIOSS

https://openradioss.org/
 Examples -Calculix
http://www.calculix.de/

Calculix was written to

use an input format
similar to ABAQUS.

It is co-developed with
Modal of a disc with rim Bending of a wire industry users:
 Salome-Meca & Salome-CFD
The SALOME project started in the early 2000s as
an initiative from OPEN CASCADE, at the time an
EADS MATRA DATAVISION company within the
French National Network for Research and
Innovation in Software Technologies (RNTL).
The integrated solvers Code_Aster and
Code_Saturne were developed by EDF to analyze
their nuclear power plants.
https://www.salome-platform.org/?page_id=117
https://www.salome-platform.org/?page_id=313
 Examples - OpenFOAM
Aerodynamics
OpenFOAM® solvers ranging from steady-state and
transient, turbulence LES-enabled, with incompressible and
compressible numerics are specifically sponsored, openly
released and finely tuned to deliver the accuracy required by
international standards and efficiency required by production
engineering.

Aeroacoustics
OpenFOAM® transient and compressible solvers directly
capture turbulence pressure fluctuations (broadband),
coherent shedding (tonal) and pressure-wave propagation in
the fluid medium.

https://www.openfoam.com/
 Examples - MBDyn
What MBDyn is:
●
a command-line, direct initial-value problem solver with a large
versatile multifield element library
●
a research tool
●
a community developed, research driven free software
What MBDyn is not:
●
a complete out-of-the-box ‘bells and whistles’ GUI for solid modeling
●
a commercial tool
●
a 24/7 supported software

https://www.mbdyn.org/