CFdesign Simulation Software to Strengthen Autodesk Solution for Digital Prototyping

Autodesk Completes Acquisition of Blue Ridge Numerics, Inc.

SAN RAFAEL, Calif - Autodesk, Inc announced that it has completed the acquisition of Blue Ridge Numerics, Inc., a leading simulation software provider, for approximately $39 million in cash, subject to a working capital adjustment. Autodesk announced its intent to purchase Blue Ridge Numerics on Feb. 17, 2011.

The addition of Blue Ridge Numerics’ CFdesign software will enhance the Autodesk solution for Digital Prototyping with powerful thermal and fluid flow simulation capabilities, enabling mechanical and building system engineers to virtually test and predict real-world behavior of designs and eliminate expensive physical prototyping cycles in the lab.

“Simulation is critical for product or building system designers to be successful and to compete more effectively,” said Robert “Buzz” Kross, senior vice president, Manufacturing Industry Group at Autodesk. “Autodesk customers can now better understand the impact of fluid flow and heat transfer on their designs before they are built, helping to improve quality and drive profitability.”

Business Outlook

This transaction is expected to have no impact on guidance issued on Feb. 24, 2011.

Blue Ridge Numerics Issues 26-Page eZine Focused on Upfront CFD for the Built Environment

Technical and Business Information to Help AEC and MEP Professionals Address Sustainability, Certification, and Human Comfort Design Issues.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va : Blue Ridge Numerics, Inc., the leader in upfront CFD software, today announced the availability of “Upfront CFD for the Built Environment,” an in-depth new eZine that provides real-world case studies and critical design information for Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) and Mechanical, Engineering, and Plumbing (MEP) professionals. The eZine looks at how AEC/MEP firms of all sizes can integrate computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis upfront in the design and engineering process to more efficiently and cost-effectively achieve sustainability objectives, meet government certifications, and increase human comfort in new and existing building designs.

Upfront CFD software provides architectural designers and MEP engineers with an easy to use 3D simulation environment that enables validation and optimization of design issues such as thermal comfort, energy savings, occupant safety, and air quality using data directly from leading building information modeling (BIM) software systems. The new eZine provides a collection of articles that help AEC/MEP professionals address these issues, while saving clients significant amounts of time and money and providing a more accurate picture of the ongoing operating costs.

Key topics discussed in “Upfront CFD for the Built Environment”

Case studies based on recent real-world applications of upfront CFD simulation
- Interview with Jason Sambolt, LEED AP of SmithGroup, on use of Upfront CFD for Sustainability
- DP Architects and UNStudio collaborate using BIM and upfront CFD in green practice
- AlaJor Engineering improves client’s air quality and saves $100,000
- Genesys Engineering brings more comfort and fewer contaminants to Yale Medical Lab
- Morson Projects ensures safe airflow in parking garage design

Critical issues facing AEC/MEP firms
- LEED Certification: CFD Brings Sustainability Upfront in the Design Process
- Data Center Cooling: Controlling the data center’s unquenchable energy thirst
- ASHRAE Standards: ASHRAE sets down challenge to model a sustainable world
- BIM Software: BIM-driven design simulation: an idea whose time has come

Exploring CFD
- 5 Vanishing CFD Myths
- What to look for in an Upfront CFD software package

Jason Sambolt, LEED AP of SmithGroup, a national architectural, engineering, and interiors planning firm, interviewed in the eZine says, “Upfront CFD software has allowed SmithGroup to confidently implement new technology and ideas through proof of concept verification. For example, a room with a chilled beam system can be modeled quickly and easily during the design process to ensure thermal comfort will be maintained. Additionally, CFD can be used to determine the feasibility of a natural ventilation design for a retrofit of an existing building.”

Historically, CFD software has been viewed as a highly specialized application that required years of expertise. Now Upfront CFD enables architects, designers, and engineers to leverage CFD software right out of the box with very little training to simulate such needs as data center cooling, solar loading, smoke visualization, external wind loading, and energy audits.

“Upfront CFD can be applied to almost any architectural project, ranging from component-level studies to wind/wake studies on the scale of a city block and can be leveraged by both large and small AEC and MEP firms,” says Parker Wright, AEC segment manager for Blue Ridge Numerics. “Integrating CFD into the design process is helping firms increase agility, differentiate themselves from the competition, mitigate risk, and positively impact the bottom line.”

Where to Obtain A Copy of “Upfront CFD for the Built Environment” eZine
The eZine is free and available for immediate download
http://info.cfdesign.com/aec-ezine.html

Autodesk Agrees to Acquire Blue Ridge Numerics, Inc.

SAN RAFAEL, Calif - Autodesk, Inc announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Blue Ridge Numerics, Inc., a leading provider of simulation software, for approximately $39 million in cash. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in Autodesk’s first quarter of fiscal 2012 (which ends on April 30, 2011).

Charlottesville, Virginia-based Blue Ridge Numerics’ CFdesign technology will be an important addition to the Autodesk simulation software portfolio for manufacturers, which currently includes Autodesk Inventor, Autodesk Algor Simulation and Autodesk Moldflow. It will broaden the Autodesk solution for Digital Prototyping to provide customers with a spectrum of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) capabilities that help automate fluid flow and thermal simulation decision-making for designs, while eliminating costly physical prototyping cycles.

“Simulation represents a significant growth area for Autodesk, and we are focused on strengthening our portfolio in this area both organically and through acquisitions,” said Robert “Buzz” Kross, senior vice president of the Manufacturing Industry Group at Autodesk. “The acquisition of Blue Ridge Numerics will add important new simulation capabilities to virtually test and predict how a product or building design will work, allowing our customers to compete more effectively at every step of the design process.”

“Since 1992, Blue Ridge Numerics’ comprehensive CFD tools have helped engineers improve quality, accelerate time-to-market and drive profitability,” said Ed Williams, president and co-founder of Blue Ridge Numerics. “Autodesk is a valued business partner, and the combination of both companies’ proven Digital Prototyping technologies will help customers worldwide tackle complex engineering challenges and ultimately be more successful with their designs.”

Proposed Integration

Blue Ridge Numerics’ CFdesign software allows mechanical and building system engineers to virtually test and predict real-world behavior of new and existing designs and eliminate expensive physical prototyping cycles in the lab. Its CFD software allows engineers to make informed, up-front decisions about air flow, fluid flow or electronics cooling to help design and manufacture safer, quality products or construct more energy efficient buildings.

Blue Ridge Numerics has successfully broken down technological barriers that previously prevented the integration of CFD within the mainstream product development process. The company’s robust, general-purpose analytical engine produces accurate simulations set up within a range of CAD systems with little human time or simulation experience required.

Upon completion of the acquisition, Autodesk's intent is to integrate Blue Ridge Numerics into its Manufacturing Industry Group and to continue developing and selling Blue Ridge Numerics CFdesign products, supporting Blue Ridge Numerics customers and integrating them into the Autodesk Manufacturing Community. Autodesk is also committed to continue developing the Blue Ridge Numerics products with a multi-CAD approach, allowing direct data exchange between CFdesign products and multiple computer aided design software offerings.

Business Outlook

This transaction is expected to decrease Autodesk’s GAAP diluted earnings per share in its fiscal first quarter of fiscal 2012 by approximately $0.01 and non-GAAP diluted earnings per share by approximately $0.01. For the full year fiscal 2012, this transaction is expected to decrease Autodesk’s GAAP diluted earnings per share by approximately $0.02-$0.03 and non-GAAP diluted earnings per share by approximately $0.01-$0.02. Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share exclude $0.01 for amortization of acquisition related intangibles, net of tax.

CFdesign 2011 Winter Update Cuts Simulation Time in Half

Blue Ridge Numerics, Inc has announced the CFdesign 2011 Winter Update is available for immediate download through the CFdesign customer portal. This latest update is part of the quarterly release schedule and includes many enhancements including significant solver speed improvement that reduces simulation time by up to half, deeper integration with Siemens NX software and support for Solid Edge ST3, SolidWorks 2011, SpaceClaim 2010 and CATIA, version 5, release 20.

Engineering challenges are growing in size and complexity. These problems can often involve solving large coupled sets of equations depending on the physics being solved. Solving these large set of algebraic equations reliably is extremely complex and, if not done in an optimum manner, can be very time consuming. The CFdesign 2011 winter update features an optimized parallel, iterative matrix solver that interprets and adjusts complex mathematics, on the fly, which results in a two-fold speedup for multi core machines.

“Today’s engineering environment requires large models and multi-scenario design studies to be solved fast with a high degree of accuracy. Engineers are expected to significantly increase productivity and look to CFdesign to help meet this challenge,” explains Derrek Cooper, CFdesign Product Manager. “Automation tools on the front-end are vital to engineering productivity, but it is equally important to continuously harness cutting edge software programming methods and computing environments to drive, accurate solutions so that engineers can confidently do design exploration on the fly and make design studies an organic part of the design process.”

A major release of CFdesign is delivered annually each fall followed by three scheduled quarterly updates, a unique approach in the CAE industry that draws rave reviews from Engineers and managers alike. This consistent development process assures that CFdesign remains compatible and can take advantage of the latest release of each CAD tool, Microsoft Windows, and new hardware advancements.

CFdesign Adds Advanced Pump Design Simulation Training to CFD-University

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va: Blue Ridge Numerics, Inc., the leader in upfront CFD software, today announced the availability of the Advanced Pump Design Simulation Training course as part of the CFD-university.

This new pump design curriculum provides customers with the convenience of on-demand access to a comprehensive suite of video segments which contain the latest tips, techniques and best practices for conducting pump simulation design studies. Although focused on pumps, this information can also be applied to other turbomachinery applications such as fans or turbines while the segmented design promotes use as a refresher course by allowing the viewer to quickly jump to a specific topic of interest.

“I have found that the CFD-university is a fantastic tool. The online CFD-university classes clearly guided me through the steps of setting up a project, solving it and then viewing the results,” explains Ilan Braunstein, Mechanical Engineer, MRV Communication (Networks) LTD.

“CFdesign provides design engineers insight into their pump design that cannot be obtained by using traditional physical prototyping methods. By using CFdesign, engineers are able to develop more innovative and efficient products.” explains Mark Decker, CFdesign Application Team Leader focused on Turbomachinery.

By attending this online class you will discover applications for upfront CFD, learn how to build simulation-ready models and simulation design studies in Autodesk® Inventor®, and make decisions based on simulation results.

CFD-university supports expanded use of CFdesign through on-demand self-paced fundamentals training, advanced training and a series of live application specific Webinars. This suite of training options, available to active maintenance customers through the CFdesign Customer Portal, provides ready access to the theoretical and practical information necessary to solve flow and thermal problems within a digital prototyping process.

Blue Ridge Numerics Renews the CFdesign Collegiate Competition Sponsorship Program for Next Season

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va : Blue Ridge Numerics, Inc has announced that it will again offer the CFdesign Collegiate Competition Program for the 2010-2011 season. After a second successful program year, Blue Ridge Numerics will continue to provide a free license of CFdesign software to qualifying teams to help them optimize their designs and gain real-world engineering experience.

Japheth Learn, Lead Aerodynamics Engineer, Rochester Institute of Technology Formula SAE Racing Team explains “RIT continues to do very well in the Formula SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) competitions. By using CFdesign simulation software we are able to improve the design of key vehicle components giving our team a critical completive edge.” With hard work and CFdesign, this year’s Formula RIT team achieved an impressive fifth place out of over 100 competing universities.

As a part of the Collegiate Competition Program, Blue Ridge Numerics provides free commercial-grade CFdesign licenses and full access to technical support. Teams can also access the customer portal to download the latest version, currently CFdesign 2010, watch CFD-tv training videos and interact with engineering peers on the user forum.

“We are pleased to offer CFdesign to the collegiate competition teams for another year.” Says Paul Whalen, Collegiate Competition Manager, Blue Ridge Numerics. “Providing CFdesign to college students gives them access to real-life engineering software which not only helps them innovate their vehicle designs today, but also provides a valuable engineering experience they can reference to help differentiate themselves to future employers in today’s competitive business environment.”

CFdesign Sponsored Collegiate Competitions for the 2010-2011 Season:
Blue Ridge Numerics will support the following competitions during the 2010-2011 school year. All teams participating in these competitions are encouraged submit a license request at: http://www.cfdesign.com/Academic/Collegiate-Sponsorships-Request.aspx

• EcoCAR Challenge
• Formula Hybrid
• Formula SAE Series
• Baja SAE Series
• Formula Student
• North American Solar Challenge
• Solar Decathlon

Blue Ridge Numerics’ CFdesign 2010 Receives NASA Tech Briefs Product of the Year Award

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va - Blue Ridge Numerics, Inc., the leader in upfront CFD software, today announced that CFdesign 2010 has been named Product of the Year by NASA Tech Briefs magazine.

The 15th annual NASA Tech Briefs Readers’ Choice Product of the Year winners is a select group drawn from the 12 NASA Tech Briefs Product of the Month recipients throughout 2009. At the end of the year, NASA Tech Briefs readers’ are asked to vote on a Product of the Year from those 12 monthly nominees.

Linda L. Bell, NASA Tech Briefs Editorial Director, explains “The NASA Tech Briefs Products of the Year are those with the highest practical value and technical merit for our design engineering audience. Selected by the readers of NASA Tech Briefs, the winners represent the most significant new products introduced to the design engineering community during 2009.”

“What makes this award so special is that the winners are selected by the readers of NASA Tech Briefs,” says Ed Williams, CEO, Blue Ridge Numerics. Ed continues “we are extremely honored to have received the award this year. It is a great testament to our continued commitment to bring our multi-scenario design study environment for upfront CFD software to the engineering community, and helping to drive innovative fluid flow and thermal product designs to market faster than anyone else.”

Blue Ridge Numerics Presents Webinars on Digital Prototyping in a Flow and Thermal World

CHARLOTTESVILLE, V - Blue Ridge Numerics, Inc today announced that it will be offering two live Webinars on Digital Prototyping in a Flow and Thermal World. The first Webinar will be on Wednesday, April 28, 2010, at 11:00 a.m. ET and cover the importance of flow and thermal simulations from within the CAD environment, presented by Luke Mihelcic, Product Marketing Manager, CFdesign. Luke will be joined by our special guest presenter Mark Owens, Mechanical Engineering Manager, Industrial Scientific Corporation. The second event will be on Thursday, April 29, at 12:00 noon ET and will cover the importance of thermal simulations from within the CAD environment with focus on the LED lighting industry. This Webinar will be presented by Ryan Abel, Lighting Application Engineer, CFdesign.

The presenters will discuss:

* Managing design studies from within the CAD environment using the CFdesign Design Study Manager
* Performing multi-scenario design studies in the CFdesign Design Study Environment
* Comparatively reviewing critical values in the CFdesign Design Center
* The process of simultaneously assessing performance of multiple designs in the CFdesign Design Review Center

To register for the events:

Digital Prototyping in a Flow and Thermal World - Wednesday, April 28, at 11:00 a.m. ET

LED Lighting - Digital Prototyping in a Thermal World – Thursday, April 29, at 12 noon ET

Using CFdesign engineers are able to make insightful design decisions based on fluid flow and heat transfer simulations while continuing to work in their CAD environment. The simulations begin from within the CAD package using the design study manager, and the native model along with its associative information is opened within the CFdesign design study environment. The unique multi-scenario design study environment in CFdesign 2010 allows engineers to view multiple designs at one time and visually compare the different results. CFdesign enables engineers to obtain accurate simulation results early in the development process where the value of true upfront computational fluid dynamic (CFD) software is greatest.

Blue Ridge Numerics releases the CFdesign 2010 Spring Update

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va - Blue Ridge Numerics, Inc., a developer of upfront CFD software, today announced that the CFdesign 2010 Spring Update has been released. This latest release is part of the quarterly product update release schedule and includes many product enhancements including Autodesk Inventor 2011 certification, PTC Pro/E Wildfire 5 support, SpaceClaim 2009+ support and an improved license sharing process.

Using CFdesign engineers are able to make insightful design decisions based on fluid flow and heat transfer simulations while continuing to work in their CAD environment. The simulations begin from within the CAD package using the design study manager, and the native model along with its associative information is opened within the CFdesign design study environment. The unique multi-scenario design study environment in CFdesign 2010 allows engineers to view multiple designs at one time and visually compare the different results. CFdesign enables engineers to obtain accurate simulation results early in the development process where the value of true upfront computational fluid dynamic (CFD) software is greatest.

“The CFdesign 2010 Spring Release continues our commitment to providing the most comprehensive upfront CFD software package to the design engineer,” says Derrek Cooper, CFdesign Product Manager, “CFdesign enables engineers to create and compare multiple designs and scenarios to make important ‘what if’ design decisions early in the development process while working in their CAD familiar environment.”

CFdesign is released annually each fall followed by three scheduled quarterly updates, which is unique to the CAE industry. This consistent development process assures that CFdesign remains compatible and can take advantage of the latest release of each CAD tool, Microsoft Windows, and new hardware advancements.

Blue Ridge Numerics Announces CFdesign 2010 is Officially Certified for Autodesk Inventor 2011

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va - Blue Ridge Numerics, Inc today announced that Autodesk has officially certified CFdesign 2010 as an Inventor 2011 integrated application. The Inventor 2011 enhancements, coupled with the design study environment feature already found in CFdesign 2010, give the engineer incredible power and speed in making insightful design decisions based on fluid flow and heat transfer simulations.

The inclusion of Fusion direct modeling within Inventor 2011 gives CFdesign users greater flexibility when making design changes. Fusion gives users the ability to edit and create parts and assemblies in a history free modeling environment. In addition, enhancements to Inventor 2011 Shrinkwrap provide the perfect matchup to CFdesign by providing highly efficient model preparation for simulation. Shrinkwraps are fully associative to production models providing for even greater gains in efficiency.

CFdesign is launched from Inventor 2011 using the design study manager, and the native model along with its associative information is opened within the CFdesign design study environment.

"Autodesk Inventor and CFdesign users that move to Inventor 2011 will find themselves working in their familiar Inventor CAD environment, yet having tremendous power to easily run fluid flow and heat transfer simulations," says Derrek Cooper, CFdesign Product Manager, "CFdesign enables engineers to create and compare multiple designs and scenarios to make important "what if" design decisions early in the development process where the value of true upfront computational fluid dynamic (CFD) software is greatest."

Blue Ridge Numerics announces the availability of CFdesign 2010

New Version of Upfront CFD Software Helps Mechanical and Thermal Engineers Achieve Pass-Fail and What-If Engineering Objectives Early in the Design Cycle.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va - Blue Ridge Numerics, Inc., the leader in upfront CFD software, today announced the availability of CFdesign 2010, the first computational fluid dynamics (CFD) application to provide a comprehensive CAD-driven design study environment that enable design engineers in the electronics industry to achieve pass-fail and what-if engineering scenarios as part of a highly efficient workflow.

This major upgrade addresses the needs of design engineers by providing an integrated airflow and heat transfer environment that enables a simulation of the design, placement, and performance of critical components as well as the entire system. First time, occasional, and advanced users are able to make decisions that satisfy pass-fail targets, while exploring ideas that can improve quality and drive innovation all from the CAD system they are currently using.

CFdesign 2010 streamlines and strengthens the decision-making process. It provides a flexible and lightweight environment to create and manage electronics cooling and thermal management studies containing single or multiple scenarios. The new Decision Center provides a dashboard-like interface to asses process performance comparatively against competing designs and specified critical values. Additionally, design feedback is expressed in standard engineering terms, so engineers can locate critical pieces of information, such as junction temperatures, heat sink design, fan performance and location, as well as vent and airflow path locations on the first try without having to be a CFD expert or dig through mountains of CFD outputs. The straightforward flexible workflow brings the opportunity for design teams to satisfy multiple design criteria and drive innovation to the forefront.

“It is increasingly important that companies make simulation an essential part of the product development process. Design engineers need to be able to achieve confidence in the performance of their product designs before committing to a physical prototype, and CFdesign 2010 is a great step in that direction,” said Keith Meintjes, Research Director – CAE, CPDA: Collaborative Product Development Associates, LLC. “CFdesign 2010 empowers non-expert CFD end users in the CAD environment with a tool that allows easy evaluation of fluid flow performance with new single and multi-scenario design study capabilities. The new design study environment enables engineers to quickly compare different designs and make assessments of product performance upfront in the design process, resulting in overall improved product quality and innovation.”

“Traditional and embedded CFD products historically have not supported engineering design studies, as they have been built for a single analysis as the engineering objective, making multi-scenario design studies too time intensive, impractical, and at times impossible. As result, very few companies are getting the business impact they need from a CFD investment,” said Derrek Cooper, product manager, Blue Ridge Numerics. “CFdesign 2010 does what every CFD product has promised, but until now failed to do. It enables engineers to quickly create and compare different scenarios and make important product design decisions to satisfy pass-fail, quality, and innovation objectives early in the development process all from within their CAD software packages.”

Blue Ridge Numerics Annouces CFdesign 2010 Fully Supports NX 7

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Blue Ridge Numerics, Inc has announced that the recent Winter release of CFdesign 2010 fully supports NX 7. NX users are able to conduct computational fluid dynamic (CFD) studies seamlessly from the NX 7 environment.

The Winter release of CFdesign 2010 leverages the synchronous modeling tools found within NX 7 and provides even tighter integration with CFdesign’s multi-scenario design study environment.

CFdesign provides a straightforward flexible workflow with full associativity with the NX 7 CAD platform. NX customers can begin a fluid flow or heat transfer design study without having to export their geometry making the process seamless.

“The CFdesign 2010 support of NX 7 continues to provide NX users the value of working in their CAD-familiar environment and being able to efficiently run fluid flow and heat transfer simulations,” explains Derrek Cooper, product manager, Blue Ridge Numerics. “CFdesign 2010 enables engineers to quickly create and compare multiple designs and make important design decisions early in the development process.”

Blue Ridge Numerics Announces that CFdesign 2010 Fully Supports NX 7

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va - Blue Ridge Numerics, Inc., a provider of upfront CFD software, today announced that the recent Winter release of CFdesign 2010 fully supports NX 7.

NX users are able to conduct computational fluid dynamic (CFD) studies seamlessly from the NX 7 environment. The Winter release of CFdesign 2010 leverages the synchronous modeling tools found within NX 7 and provides even tighter integration with CFdesign’s multi-scenario design study environment.

CFdesign provides a straightforward flexible workflow with full associativity with the NX 7 CAD platform. NX customers can begin a fluid flow or heat transfer design study without having to export their geometry making the process seamless.

“The CFdesign 2010 support of NX 7 continues to provide NX users the value of working in their CAD-familiar environment and being able to efficiently run fluid flow and heat transfer simulations,” explains Derrek Cooper, product manager, Blue Ridge Numerics. “CFdesign 2010 enables engineers to quickly create and compare multiple designs and make important design decisions early in the development process.”

Blue Ridge Numerics announces full integration of CFdesign 2010 with Autodesk Revit

CFdesign's New Autodesk Revit Integration Gives Architecture and Design Engineers The Power of Performing AEC and MEP Design Studies.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va: Blue Ridge Numerics, Inc today announced the full integration of CFdesign 2010 with Autodesk Revit. This revolutionary development allows architecture and MEP engineers for the first time to run computational fluid dynamic (CFD) studies seamlessly from the Revit environment. Previously, traditional CFD software presented too many technical and time consuming barriers to be used by engineers at AEC firms.

CFdesign provides a straightforward flexible workflow with full associativity to the Revit model. This integration means Revit users won’t have to export/import their models. Now real world validation can be conducted on models at their desktop to understand how design changes can help achieve environmental objectives and energy certifications.

“The CFdesign and Autodesk Revit integration opens new doors for AEC firms. Never before have architecture and MEP engineers been so empowered to look at multi-scenario comprehensive fluid flow and heat transfer studies that seamlessly integrate with the Revit environment,” explains Derrek Cooper, product manager, Blue Ridge Numerics. “CFdesign 2010 enables engineers to quickly create and compare different models and make important design decisions early in the development process. AEC firms now have the ability to offer their customers more effective design options with greater efficiency and with less risk.”

With CFdesign architecture and MEP engineers can both validate and explore their Revit models for thermal comfort, energy audits, solar loading, smoke egress/ LMA, occupancy safety, and external wind loading. In addition, CFdesign allows you to perform simulations for data center cooling and clean room design.

Blue Ridge Numerics Named Autodesk MEP Preferred Industry Partner

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va: Blue Ridge Numerics, Inc today announced that it has been chosen as an MEP Preferred Industry Partner by Autodesk, Inc. The MEP Partnership expands the current Industry Preferred Partnership program that Blue Ridge Numerics and Autodesk has enjoyed since early 2008.

“The strong working relationship between Autodesk and Blue Ridge Numerics continues to grow with this formal partnership agreement,” explains Ed Williams, CEO of Blue Ridge Numerics. “However, it is the customer who will reap the greatest benefit from this expanded partnership through future product developments that will give Architecture and MEP engineers the ability to move flow simulation design studies early into the project cycle.”

The Autodesk MEP Preferred Industry Partner program delivers tightly integrated, industry-specific software solutions that leverage the power of Autodesk’s 3D modeling and simulation technologies to help create a competitive advantage for customers. Members of the Autodesk MEP Preferred Industry Partner program are market-leading software companies that Autodesk is working closely with to provide customers the breadth and quality of tools they need to perform best-in-class engineering studies.

Blueridge Analytics announces major update to SITEOPS® Multi Pad 4.1

CHARLOTTE, NC – Today BLUERIDGE Analytics, Inc. announced a major update to SITEOPS® Multi Pad 4.1, patented web-based land development software. Land developers, architects, and civil engineers who use SITEOPS Multi Pad 4.1 for conceptual site design now have an impressive array of intelligent auto-drawing tools to quickly create, revise, and optimize complex layouts.

Users of SITEOPS Multi Pad 4.1 can:

* Have fully cost optimized conceptual site plans and takeoff budgets within minutes to hours
* View “quick” grading plans, along with cost estimates, in seconds
* Quickly compare options for a site, and know the costs of pursuing LEED certification points
* Auto-draw dynamic streets, parking, and drives, with control over details such as flares, buffers, and stacking
* Make major revisions, such as moving a building or setback, and the entire layout redraws in seconds
* Import DWG files and underlay JPEG images, such as Google Earth™ images of sites
* Import or draw multiple building footprints, and save them as “smart” spatial templates
* Annotate and export files in formats such as PDF, DWG, and LandXML

Mike Semeraro, Senior Principal of Langan Engineering & Environmental Services, says, “Langan has been a dedicated SITEOPS customer for three years. With SITEOPS, we produce better designs that cost our clients less money, and that gives us a strong competitive edge – even more essential in these tough economic times. Our firm participated in Beta testing for this new release, and we are amazed at how quickly the software has evolved into a full-featured package for conceptual design. We see SITEOPS Multi Pad 4.1 as a major leap forward in CAD.”

A.J. Whitaker, Director of Site Development for Ware Malcomb, comments, “This software has changed our workflow completely….The last time that such a disruptive technology rocked the civil engineering world to this extent was about 20 years ago, when CAD was replacing the drafting board.”

“Our efficient, innovative ‘cloud computing’ delivery means our clients don’t have to wait for upgrades or installations,” says Al Wojcik, VP of Sales for BLUERIDGE and former Senior Director of Global Accounts for Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) “SITEOPS products are available online, on-demand, and can be run from a standard PC with an Internet connection. Our users don’t have to install special hardware or software or work from a disc. BLUERIDGE anticipated the need for intelligent engineering tools and is building revolutionary products to serve the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) markets. I am thrilled to be a part of this dynamic company that is setting new standards for CAD.”

Blue Ridge Numerics Introduces 2009-2010 Collegiate Competition Sponsorship Program

Company to Provide Free CFdesign Licenses and Technical Support to Student Engineering Teams.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - Blue Ridge Numerics, creators of CFdesign CFD software, today announced the launch of its 2009-2010 Collegiate Competition Sponsorship Program. With the introduction of the program, the Company underscores its ongoing commitment to the academic community and the next generation of engineers by providing free licenses of CFdesign software to student teams in selected competitions. The Company has been a sponsor of the Formula SAE competition for the past few years and this year has decided to expand its support to include 6 additional competitions. By providing access to CFdesign, the Company aims to help engineering students accelerate innovation and gain real-world experience that will help them in their future careers.

As a part of the Collegiate Competition Sponsorship Program, Blue Ridge Numerics will provide free commercial grade CFdesign licenses and access to technical support to all teams that qualify. Students will have access to the newest version of the software, CFdesign 2010, which was released earlier this month. The new version will provide students with an easier interface than ever before and new features to help them easily integrate CFD into their design process.

"We are thrilled to be expanding our CFdesign Collegiate Competition Sponsorship Program to include 7 cutting edge programs this year," said Rebecca Porter, communication manager, Blue Ridge Numerics. "Engineering competitions such as the ones we selected provide students with the opportunity to think outside the box and gain beneficial hands-on experience that can only be learned outside the classroom. By giving the students access to our latest version, CFdesign 2010, we are providing them with a new and better way to engage with CFD as a decision-making tool through the use of multi-scenario design studies. Using upfront CFD will help them not only optimize their vehicle designs in the competition, but also help provide valuable experience to prepare them for the future."

Using CFdesign software, student teams are able to create multi-scenario fluid flow and heat transfer design studies as a part of their CAD-driven design process. Teams working on creating a hybrid vehicle, for example, can leverage CFdesign to optimize airflow through an engine intake design or create a cooling system for a lithium ion (Li-Ion) battery pack (as in the example from Penn State below). For teams working on a solar design, CFdesign can be used to simulate both heat transfer within a solar panel and wind loading on the panel. Upfront CFD can help students optimize their designs quickly and easily and enable them to look at options they may not have thought of before.

"The Penn State Advanced Vehicle Technology Team sought out CFdesign to design and simulate an effective cooling network for a Li-ion battery pack to be included in our EcoCar vehicle design," said Shawn Getty, Penn State AVT Team Member. "Using CFdesign, our team was able to easily simulate the heat generation cycles of the battery pack to analyze and improve the design of the cooling system. This helped us to ensure peak battery performance throughout the life of the vehicle."

CFdesign Sponsored Collegiate Competitions for the 2009-2010 Season:

Blue Ridge Numerics will be supporting the following competitions during the 2009-2010 school year. All teams participating in these competitions are encouraged to contact us to learn more about securing their free CFdesign license.

-- EcoCAR Challenge
-- Formula Hybrid
-- Formula SAE Series
-- Baja SAE Series
-- Formula Student
-- North American Solar Challenge
-- Solar Decathlon

Teams interested in learning more about becoming a CFdesign Premier Sponsored team should visit
http://www.cfdesign.com/Academic/Collegiate-Sponsorships-Request.aspx

Cornell Pump Company Experiences 100x Speed Up Generating Performance Curves Using CFdesign Simulation Software

New CFdesign Motion Module Helps Engineers Reduce Turbomachinery Design and Validation Process Time from 200 hours to 2 Hours.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Blue Ridge Numerics, Inc. today announced that Cornell Pump Company experienced a 100x speed up of a full transient system-level simulation and performance curve generation using the new CFdesign Motion and high performance computing (HPC) Modules, released earlier this month. Cornell design engineers were able to perform a series of transient simulations to develop a complete performance curve, enabling evaluation of a centrifugal pump design in only two hours, down from 200 hours, resulting in a significant reduction in product development time. Similar to the Cornell team, multitasking engineers designing high performance fans, blowers, turbomachinery, and many other products can now benefit from the upgraded Motion Module, allowing for more iterations upfront in the design process.

“In the past design teams have typically had to choose between a slower simulation time for a full system-level transient model simulation or a less accurate fixed-rotor approach,” said Derrek Cooper, product manager, Blue Ridge Numerics. “With the new capabilities in the Motion Module, CFdesign now offers a more complete and reliable solution that is faster than any other options out there, so design teams no longer have to sacrifice accuracy for speed.”

The significant performance increases the Cornell team experienced using CFdesign will have major implications for development of new pumps. Beyond cutting computer simulation time from weeks to hours, it is expected to reduce the number of pump castings that have to be made for physical testing. Eliminating just one of the physical tests could save the Cornell team as much as three months of development time.

“With much faster running speeds, we will be able to do many more simulation runs in less time,” said Andrew Enterline, design engineer, Cornell Pump Company. “We’ll spend more time designing the product and less time and money in pattern rework, re-pouring castings, and physical development testing, helping us create more optimized product designs from the start.”

In the past, generating a typical pump curve for the Cornell design team required 300 iterations at 1.5 iterations per hour to evaluate a single design, so the team explored options to speed up the development cycle. New rotational algorithms for transient rotating modeling included in the latest release of the Motion Module help speed up simulation time by 20x on a standard desktop computer, allowing Cornell and other design teams to more quickly and accurately evaluate performance curves. In addition, the Motion Module can be combined with the new CFdesign HPC Module to provide an overall 100x speed up. Cornell leveraged the power of the Motion and HPC Modules to speed up their design process by partnering with R Systems, a provider of high-end computing resources for research, to conduct their simulations on an 8 node HPC cluster setup, allowing them to complete 300 iterations now in only two hours.

The CFdesign Motion Module

Several mechanical engineering applications require understanding of the behavior of liquid and gas flows as they interact with solid objects. The CFdesign Motion Module allows users to create a virtual prototyping environment to better understand these behaviors by simulating the way components interact and respond to prescribed flows. All the physical effects of the motion as well as the time-history are output for data review and to create animations for visual studies. In addition to the simulation of rotating turbomachinery described, CFdesign also helps engineers model:
• Flow-Driven Motion
• Orbital Motion
• Nutating Disk Motion
• Combined Linear and Angular Motion
• Sliding Vane Pump Motion
• Automatic and Adaptive Time Step Determination
• External Driving and Spring Resistance Models

The CFdesign HPC Module
The CFdesign HPC Module allows CFdesign users to harness the power and investment of Windows HPC Server 2008, enabling more design studies in less time and reducing the time it takes to achieve solutions for large complex models. The Module can be used with a small cluster, a data center, or service providers, such as R Systems to gain access to HPC resources.

CFdesign, Motion Module, and HPC Module Availability
CFdesign v10, the Motion Module and the HPC Module are all available immediately as an integrated, associative solution for Autodesk Inventor, CATIA, CoCreate, NX, Pro/ENGINEER, SolidWorks, Solid Edge, and SpaceClaim.