Take vehicle design to the next level with ELEMENTS-Adjoint optimization.
ELEMENTS-Adjoint delivers powerful topology and shape optimization, leveraging advanced adjoint-based CFD technology to refine designs for superior performance.
Optimize vehicle aerodynamics, HVAC systems, turbocharges, and more with our continuous adjoint technology.
STREAMLINED WORKFLOW
Designed to deliver surface and volume sensitivities within a single solver execution.
1
Primal solution setup
Refers to the “normal” CFD solution. Mesh generation, material properties, boundary conditions, numerical settings and monitoring functions as usual.
2
Adjoint setup
Definition of adjoint solution parameters, such as number of iterations, objective functions (minimize power loss, maximize uniformity, etc.), geometry surfaces allowed to change, among other parameters.
3
Single Flow Run
ELEMENTS-Adjoint runs both Primal and Adjoint solutions at once, calculating the surface or volume sensitivities based on the objective functions selected.
4
Results
Besides the surface or volume sensitivities fields, ELEMENTS-Adjoint automatically changes the baseline geometry to accommodate the selected objective function target. The result is an optimized STL surface.
UNIQUE FEATURES
Unique features of ELEMENTS-Adjoint.
Single solver execution
ELEMENTS-Adjoint calculates the surface or volume sensitivities within a single solver execution, without the need of an iterative workflow from the user.
Low RAM requirements
Unlike the discrete adjoint method, which requires high memory capacity, the continuous adjoint method requires similar hardware capcity than usual CFD simulations.
Streamlined workflow
ELEMENTS-Adjoint was designed for simplified ease-of-use. With a few additional parameters to a standard CFD simulation, you can successfully run an adjoint optimization case.
Multi-objective
ELEMENTS-Adjoint has a wide set of pre-defined objectives and constraints, that can be combined and used at the same time.
Robust and accurate
ELEMENTS-Adjoint provides 2nd order approximation for the adjoint momentum equation for improved accuracy.
Steady and transient
Sensitivities are calculated from RANS, uRANS, DES, and LES primal calculations to take advantage of steady-state and transient flow solutions.
elements-adjoint capabilities
Single solver execution.
Real engineering problems. Streamlined workflow.
ELEMENTS-ADJOINT FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions about ELEMENTS-Adjoint.
What are the benefits of continuous over discrete adjoint formulation?
- Lower Memory Consumption: Continuous adjoint formulation requires significantly less memory compared to the discrete approach. This makes it more feasible for large-scale engineering problems.
- Flexibility: Continuous adjoint methods are derived from the continuous governing equations, providing greater flexibility to adapt to various mesh types and flow regimes.
- Handling of Complex Physics: The continuous approach can better accommodate complex physical phenomena and boundary conditions due to its derivation from the original continuous equations.
Overall, the continuous adjoint formulation is better suited for practical engineering applications, offering a balance of flexibility, efficiency, and lower memory consumption.
As a customer, can I access ELEMENTS-Adjoint source code?
Yes, all our ELEMENTS-Adjoint customers have full access to it’s source code.
Does ELEMENTS-Adjoint only solve simpler cases, like other software?
No. ELEMENTS-Adjoint was specifically designed using the continuous adjoint formulation to address real-world engineering challenges effectively. Our continuous adjoint approach ensures lower memory consumption, making it feasible to handle large-scale problems efficiently. Over the past 10 years, our customers have successfully used HELYX-Adjoint to run cases with more than 200 million cells, demonstrating its robustness and reliability for complex engineering applications.
Can I combine objective functions that yields opposite results (e.g. lift and drag)?
Yes, you can combine multiple objective functions in ELEMENTS-Adjoint and assign different weights to each one. The adjoint solver will then find the best approximate optimal solution that satisfies the combined objective functions. This flexibility allows you to tailor the optimization process to meet specific engineering requirements and achieve balanced results.
References
De Villiers, E. et.al. “Adjoint Optimisation for Vehicle External Aerodynamics”. JSAE 2015.
Othmer, C. “The Adjoint Method Hits the Road: Applications in Car Aerodynamics”. Stanford University 2014.
Othmer, C. “Adjoint Methods for Cars Aerodynamics”. Journal of Mathematics in Industry 2014.
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