http://icemcfd.com/icepak.html (World Wide Web Directory, 06/1995)
Icepak is an object-oriented thermal analysis system for electronic components. It was developed by ICEM CFD Engineering of Berkeley, CA, and Fluid Dynamics International of Evanston, Il.
The screendump above shows the first phase of running an analysis in Icepak: setting up the model of the cabinet and the components it contains. Basic component types include printed circuit boards, fans, vents, heat sources, and several others -- in "Model" mode they are listed at the top of the screen underneath the 5 mode buttons.
To the right of the graphics window is an object-specific edit form, and in the lower right of the screen are forms that allow the user to specify detailed parameters of various objects. Objects can be edited in a variety of ways: directly on the screen using the mouse, via the edit menu to the right, and using the detailed forms.
In addition to creating models directly using Icepak, the user may also import data from pre-existing models from other formats, such as IGES and DXF.
In many CFD systems, generating the mesh can be a very time-consuming process, taking up to 70% of the total analysis time. In Icepak, mesh generation is somewhat simpler: just click on a button named "Generate mesh" and wait for a few minutes. The mesh generator is completely automatic, and generates body-fitted grids with O-grids automatically inserted whereever necessary to gain mesh density around objects without increasing the overall element count unnecessarily. The above picture shows a cut plane through a mesh generated for the model shown in Step 1.
When control over the mesh is desired, it can be obtained in a number of ways. The maximum size of elements in each direction can be specified, along with the maximum height of an element away from an object. If further control is desired, a number of parameters can be given for each object that controls the nature of the mesh around it.
Setting up and running the flow solver is also quite simple. In general, the default parameters which are computed by Icepak for the solution are adequate, and, just like for mesh generation, a single button click is enough to perform the simulation. On the right of the above picture is a convergence graph, which shows how the solution is progressing as a function of time, and on the left is a form that the user can use to change various parameters, if necessary.
Once the solution is finished, a variety of tools are available to examine the results. Shown above are a particle trace of the air flowing from the fan, colored by temperature, and a plane cut, also colored by temperature. Also available are iso-surfaces, point probes, variation and history plots, and detailed ascii reports.
If you want to learn more about Icepak, including sales information, please contact:
Mary Jo Hamilton
Sales Manager
ICEM CFD Engineering
9 Westfield Road
Hopkinton, MA 01748
(508) 497-2341
(508) 497-2351 (FAX)
mj@icemcfd.com