Based on the inquiries we receive concerning Caedium and our business model I thought it would be useful to share the most common clarifications. Also you can find answers to common questions in our FAQs. Don't see the clarification that you seek? Then feel free to ask your question in the comments below.

Caedium Professional in Action

It used to be that to design and build a flying machine was an expensive endeavor, what with pilots, wind tunnel tests, prototypes, etc. Not any more though - welcome to the brave new world of Unmanned Autonomous Systems (UAS) or Unmanned Autonomous Vehicles (UAV) or, more popularly, simply drones. How did we get to this point and where is it going? What role, if any, will Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) play in this drone future?

Quadcopter DroneBy Airbunny (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

The 2015 Tour de France is in full swing and it is abundantly clear that aerodynamics has risen to be the primary technological focus of the event. Just like the aerodynamic transformation of Formula 1 (F1) that took place in the 1960s, cycling is now pre-occupied with all things aero. Unlike F1 the concern for cycling is to minimize drag, whereas the realization in F1 was that downforce, not drag, was the key to improved performance.

State-Of-The-Art Aero Road Bike

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software is not like other desktop applications, such as a word processor. Using a word processor to write a novel is usually undertaken without expecting that the word processor software vendor to also provide help constructing sentences and paragraphs. Yet in the CFD industry that is exactly the expectation (need) of CFD users, i.e., CFD users expect help from a CFD vendor on how to construct a model (sentences) and run a simulation (paragraphs).

CFD Support Gets You There

After replicating the classic pipes screensaver in Caedium for fun, the next obvious step was to run Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations for each pipe network to ramp up the fun even higher.

CFD Simulation of Multiple Pipe NetworksParticles represented by arrows

Rather than wait until your project schedule dictates it's time for Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis, allocate time now to 'play' with CFD. By 'play' I mean construct simple geometry and keep your cases relatively small, so you can get familiar with the basic features of your particular CFD software in a timely manner.

Caedium at PlayMimicking the classic pipes screensaver

Enhance your Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) experience by considering some additional, freely available, complimentary apps. Combined with your CFD software these apps form a complete toolset for maximizing your productivity and, dare I say it, make it fun?

EvernoteIf it's good enough for Jamie Hyneman then it's good enough for CFD

If you are given production-ready detailed CAD geometry (nuts, bolts, and all) for Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis you have to ask yourself, is this really an engineering endeavor or a marketing exercise? Given the effort to produce a complete, detailed CAD model, it is unlikely that any significant changes will be looked upon favorably. Instead you will likely find that CFD is to be used in its weakest form, i.e., Colorful Fluid Dynamics (CFD) for marketing.

Weak Form CFD for Complex GeometryAirflow around Tower Bridge

When you find yourself tasked with the design of something unconventional, then Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is here to help. For instance consider the aircraft industry. It used to be that the dominant type of aircraft required a pilot and therefore a cockpit with a good view of the world. Then Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) went mainstream and everything changed.

Unconventional UAV CFD Simulation

ixCube 4-10 is a comprehensive design tool for tensile structures, also known as membranes. By sharing your membranes with Caedium Professional you can perform Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis to determine wind loads (e.g., pressure coefficient) and then export those results from Caedium and import them back into ixCube 4-10 for further stress and shape analysis. Watch the video for instructions on the process.

How To Share Caedium CFD Results with ixCube 4-10