Your Design Partner

What is FEA & CFD? And more importantly what it means to you?
While we could get into the mathematics and engineering and how it works what's most important to our clients is
"What's it going to do for me?" and "How will it help my products?".
FEA (Finite Element Analysis) and CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) are both branches of CAE (computeraided engineering ) whereby we're using the power of computers to solve what can be the most complicated
engineering problems.
FEA & CFD involves some of the highest levels of mathematics, engineering, computer programming and computer
software & hardware specifications, and can give amazing results that can be displayed in picture and diagram
format that is easily understood.

Top left: CFD simulation of 4 engine

aircraft "jet blast" against C-shaped blast
fence.
Top right & lower left: examples of
results of FEA studies - red shows high
stress areas.
Lower right: CFD simulation of wind load
on solar energy panels.

Both FEA & CFD allow us to validate and optimize our designs to best ensure that we meet our goals for the
required safety, performance and quality standards. This can be done before any materials are cut and fastened
together. FEA & CFD methods are widely accepted as the best form of simulation for real world situations but like
all areas of engineering and science it is constantly improving through new knowledge obtained by research &
development.
With FEA you can solve, for example, static structural problems, mass transport, heat transfer, dynamics, stability
and radiation problems. In the simplest form, FEA helps answer the question of how strong is my new design. In the
more complicated problems you can simulate on the computer what happens in a car accident to the vehicle, the
driver and the passengers and then use these answers to design safer vehicles.
325 Renfrew Drive, Suite 202, Markham, ON Canada L3R 9S8
(905) 943-7667 Fax (905) 943-7411 info@onecad.com www.onecad.com

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Your Design Partner

FEA gives us the chance to answer the "what if" scenarios. What if we use a different material, that is lighter or
stronger and more cost-effective to manufacture? What if we change the design due to a new manufacturing
process? Will it fail? Will it withstand the forces? Where do we need to improve it? Now that we know the weak
points, what if we use larger (stronger) cross sections in this area? (i.e. thicker beams) Where is it "over-designed"?
Where can we save on materials and costs since the loads in these areas are lower than other areas?
With CFD we can calculate the path of the fluid flow of a liquid or gas and how it behaves or reacts in respect to the
objects that it encounters along its pathway. Many people may be familiar with seeing videos of wind tunnel testing
of the air flow over a new car design showing how "sleek" and "smooth" the car is as it cuts through the wind. This
is all done with the goal of making the car more aerodynamic and ultimately more fuel efficient. Performing a CFD
study on the vehicle allows us to simulate the wind tunnel test and run all the possible "what if" scenarios so that we
can test as many different designs changes as we wish before choosing the best and finishing our design.

CFD simulation of jet blast against jet blat fence.

With a CFD study, the analyst can also determine the forces that the fluid projects onto the objects in its path and
using those values, in a subsequent FEA study, they can determine how the structure of the object is affected by
the fluid. For example, at OneCAD we use CFD to test the design of our jet blast fence and its efficiency to deflect
the jet blast based on our client's needs (i.e. to deflect the flow over a roadway or building). We then with FEA apply
the resultant pressures obtained from the CFD on the face of the fence surface to verify the strength of the fence
structure.

Bottom Line: Utilizing FEA & CFD while still in the design stage is the best way to optimize a design and solve
problems before they happen resulting in better and safer products and overall lower costs during the lifecycle of
the product.

About OneCAD Solutions Ltd.

OneCAD Solutions is the 911 of mechanical design services. OneCAD provides mechanical engineering
contract design services, 3D CAD & 2D drafting, FEA & CFD analysis and reverse engineering. OneCAD will
work on your design projects when overtime wont keep you on schedule and hiring your next designer cant be
justified. OneCAD is authorized by the Professional Engineers of Ontario to offer professional engineering
services.

325 Renfrew Drive, Suite 202, Markham, ON Canada L3R 9S8

(905) 943-7667 Fax (905) 943-7411 info@onecad.com www.onecad.com

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