v2024.2

AXCENT

Updated Agile Link with COMPAL to ensure seamless transition of secondary flow paths

The COMPAL meanline programs can now send  front and rear leakage path geometry to AxCent through the Agile Link. The leakage paths are matched to the impeller geometry using the existing leakage path controls. 

Defining secondary flow path junction point behavior

You can now control the flow path junction point behavior as fixed, free or constrained. In addition, the junction points are now color-coded in red or green for you to distinguish among them more easily.

New methodology for calculating passage area

The passage area can  now be calculated based on the flow along geometric streamlines. This provides better throat area assessment, especially for twisted, bowed  and leaned blades.

Ability to copy an axial blade segment to another segment

You can now copy multiple axial segments from another design, and import them into a new design.

New 3D geometry visualizations

A 3D VTK view is now available, offering the user greater visual detail, including wireframes, isolines and metallic reflections. You can also choose to change color.

Additional features

• AxCent: Post-processing plots using %Camberline as an x-axis variable.
• AxCent: Spline-based control of 2D nozzles.

CFD

Integration of CFX

The Ansys CFX solver is currently integrated in AxCent.

Design mode added to Throughflow

The Throughflow solver is now available for Design mode, in which you can define the exit flow angle or the target average absolute total pressure. In this mode the blade angles are automatically adjusted to meet flow angle and pressure targets.

Made Fine Turbo expert parameters available

Expert parameters  are now available for the Cadence FINE/Turbo solver.  Now you can specify expert parameter values without having to work directly in the Fine Turbo solver.

Additional features

• pbCFD: Updated defaults in pbCFD pre-processing
• TurboLINK: Theta v. M available for 2D plots
• TurboLINK: User defined number of QOs for export

AXIAL

Addition of Craig & Cox correction for gaps

The Craig and Cox correlation has been implemented for use on the vaneless (duct) segments of the design. This loss model technique can be applied to implicit and explicit ducts and gives a more accurate prediction of the overall stage or machine performance. 

 

PUMPAL

Expansion of branched leakage functionality 

Branched leakage has been expanded to allow for up to four branches and allows for the flow to be used in multiple ways. The inclusion of leakage flows in the analysis allows for better predictive performance.

Additional features for Pumpal

• Updated mixing model for managing branched leakage
• Validation of Simplified Gradual Mixing model
• Updated use of diffuser correlations

RITAL

Management of two-phase flow at the inlet

Gas and liquid domains are now defined by temperature and pressure. Two-phase flow is now available at the inlet of a rotor, allowing for more accurate fluid definition, which in turn provides more accurate performance prediction.

Added power as the design objective to design mode

Design mode methods with power as an input parameter have been added. Turbines are often designed with power as a target as a primary design objective.

RITAL: Additional features

• Enabled inclusion of leakage path with new RTP-C solver
• Refactoring of diffuser modeling
• Updated UI to remove deprecated functionality
• Updated output filters

TurboOPT II

Addition of Correlation Matrix

Use the correlation matrix to view a statistical analysis for Dakota optimization. 
Using this matrix, you can identify values with no significant effect on the objectives or on the constrained outputs, as well as design variables closely correlated with critical or tightly constrained outputs. 

 

Enhanced Usability of Scalar Plots 

View successful optimizer results and feasible solution points on three parameter axes using a scalar plot, which includes a color scale. Scalar plots use color to show the value progression of a parameter with respect to two other parameters (x and y).

Update Dakota to version 6.19

The latest Dakota installation of version 6.19 is now available in TurboOPT II.

MAX-PAC

Preview tilt planes

Tilt plane visualization for clad finishing and roughing is now available.

Now you can preview an approximation of the tilt planes used for collision avoidance for a better understand of the orientation.

Only the planes corresponding to the active row in the table are displayed. You can click through the rows to see how they change across the part.

APT formatting (MP-588)

You can now configure APT formatting directly in MAX-PAC, allowing customization of the APT file.

Mixer improvements

New functions and keywords for inserts, retracts and connectors are now available to create connecting motions between passes for more control over the toolpath's movement between passes and depths.

• Using the insert/retract functions, you can add new inserts and retracts as well as extract an existing insert/retract from a specific pass or depth group.

• Using the connect function, you can generate new transition moves between adjacent passes.

Additional support for operation types

New support for leading edge, trailing edge and the import of APT operations now appears in the mixer. The new APT formatting includes lines denoting the start of depths, transitions and passes to be parsed by the mixer. You can also optimize APT operation feeds and speeds for MAX-PAC operations in a third party software and re-import the APT for use in the mixer.

Support for multiple spindle speeds

Previously, mixer operations used only a single spindle speed at the start.

Now the spindle speed for the parent operations is used and a SPINDL/ call is added each time the parent operation changes in the Mixer output.

Define boundary by surface

Define a hub or shroud simply by selecting the surface instead of selecting the curves, which can speed up the collection process for some CAD models. It is still assumed that the standard shroud or hub is a revolved surface.

Edit boundary interpolation/extrapolation

Improvements have been made for the editing of hub and shroud surfaces.

Previously when you were in edit mode, the value of the new point defaulted to 0,0,0.

Now the values for added points are extrapolated based on the rest of the definition if a point is added before the first point or after the last point in the definition.

This feature more quickly extends the shroud/hub definition if this definition does not cover the full blade length and you are encountering warnings about trimming the blade. Because the point spacing for extrapolated points is based on the spacing for the rest of the curve, the points that you add between points on the curve are interpolated between two adjacent points.

CAD features

Bolder curves during selection

A bolder line weight now appears for curves and edges when you hover your cursor to select them, making it easier to see which curve is being selected and providing better contrast with the surrounding curves and surfaces.

Create surface from Auto curve and Guided patch curves tools

Create a surface from autocurve and guided patch curve tools, which allows for the easy lofting of a new surface through the re-fit curves and for preventing the extra step of selecting the resulting curves by using the Loft surface tool.

AutoCurve dialog box	Guided patch curves dialog box

 

Blade finish toolpath, Step ahead semi-finish offset

A new option for step finishing is now available, which allows you to cut more pre-finish passes before returning to the finish passes.

UX focused features

Show open cases in Windows menu

Now you can view all open cases directly in the Window menu, making it easier to switch between cases without opening their full windows.

Machine simulation preferences

A new preferences tab for Machine Simulation has been added, allowing you to enable collision and proximity detection.

MRS Settings

New settings for MRS (material removal settings) appear for color prferences, for tool assembly behavior, and for collision.

Notes tab for all operations

Use the new Notes tab for all operations to take notes on the reasons for certain settings and parameters or on testing, all which are useful when revisiting the programs [operations?] later.

Additional features

Auto resizing text in tree and output window

The CAM window now displays longer comments and truncates the comments based on the width of the window. The width of columns in the Operation info tab of the Output window now persists when changed manually. Right-click the columns to use options for resetting the default widths.

Vericut export tool improvements

Now when you export tool assemblies in the Vericut format, the mounting distance specified in the holder definition in MAX-PAC is included in the exported file for use in Vericut.

Collision checking for surface milling

Surface milling operations now support limited collision checking of the blade surfaces. This can be found on the Orientation tab when the configuration is unselected. Note that this does not currently check hub/shroud surfaces, but this functionality will be released in a future version.