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If you ask experienced CAE engineers which platform they reach for when they need reliable, production-grade simulation across multiple physics domains, Altair comes up consistently. The Altair engineering simulation platform has earned that reputation over decades — not through marketing, but through the quality of its solvers and the breadth of its application coverage.

But knowing that Altair is capable and knowing how to deploy it effectively are two different things. This article walks through the top workflows for structural, fluid, and thermal management simulations — the ones that consistently deliver value in real engineering programmes.

Structural Simulation: Altair OptiStruct and Radioss

Altair structural simulation centres on two primary solvers, each suited to different problem types.

OptiStruct: Linear Statics, Dynamics, and Optimisation

OptiStruct is Altair’s flagship implicit solver, handling linear and nonlinear structural analysis, normal modes, frequency response, and random vibration. It’s also the solver of choice for topology optimisation — automatically finding the most efficient material distribution for a given set of loads and constraints.

A well-structured OptiStruct workflow typically includes:

• Model setup in Altair HyperWorks — mesh, material assignment, connections, and boundary conditions
• Load case definition — static, dynamic, or fatigue loading as appropriate
• Solve and post-process in HyperView — extracting stress, displacement, and fatigue results
• Optimisation loop — running topology or gauge optimisation to refine the design based on structural performance

Radioss: Crash, Impact, and High-Strain-Rate Events

Radioss is Altair’s explicit dynamics solver, purpose-built for crash simulation, drop testing, and other high-velocity, short-duration events. Its integration within the Altair ecosystem makes it a natural fit for automotive crash and safety programmes.

Effective Radioss workflows require careful attention to contact definitions, time step control, and energy balance monitoring throughout the analysis.

Fluid Dynamics Simulation: Altair AcuSolve

Altair CFD simulation is anchored by AcuSolve, a finite element-based CFD solver known for its robustness on complex geometry and its scalability on HPC environments.

AcuSolve workflows in engineering applications typically cover:

• External aerodynamics — vehicle drag, lift, and pressure coefficient distributions for automotive styling and packaging decisions
• Internal flow analysis — cooling duct design, HVAC system optimisation, and hydraulic circuit performance
• Thermal-fluid coupling — combining convective heat transfer with structural thermal loading
• Underhood thermal management — predicting component temperatures under realistic drive cycle conditions

The HyperMesh-to-AcuSolve workflow benefits significantly from consistent meshing strategies. AcuSolve’s stabilised finite element formulation is generally more tolerant of complex mesh topologies than some competing CFD solvers — a practical advantage when working with geometrically complex assemblies.

Thermal Simulation: Altair SimLab and Coupled Workflows

Altair thermal simulation capabilities span from simple conduction analyses in OptiStruct through to complex conjugate heat transfer problems in AcuSolve, and electromagnetic heat generation modelling in Altair Flux.

For thermal management engineering — electronics cooling, powertrain heat rejection, battery thermal management in electric vehicles — the most valuable Altair workflows are often coupled ones:

• Electromagnetic-thermal coupling in Flux for electric motor and transformer thermal analysis
• CFD-thermal coupling in AcuSolve for convective cooling system design
• Structural-thermal coupling in OptiStruct for predicting thermally induced stress and deformation

Multi-Physics Simulation with Altair: Bringing It Together

The full power of Altair CAE simulation workflows emerges when multiple physics domains are connected. Multi-physics simulation with Altair is enabled by the platform’s integrated architecture — shared model data, consistent material libraries, and established data transfer protocols between solvers.

A well-executed multi-physics workflow on the Altair platform:

• Starts with a common geometric model in HyperMesh or SimLab
• Uses solver-specific meshing strategies for each physics domain
• Establishes clear data transfer protocols — temperatures to structural loads, pressures to thermal boundaries
• Validates each physics domain independently before coupling
• Processes and presents coupled results in HyperView or the Altair dashboard environment

Practical Tips for Getting the Most from Altair Simulation Workflows

Experience with the Altair engineering simulation platform teaches a few consistent lessons:

• Invest in model setup quality — the time spent on clean geometry and well-structured meshing pays dividends in solver reliability and result accuracy
• Use HyperStudy for design of experiments and optimisation — it interfaces natively with all major Altair solvers and dramatically extends the analytical value of each simulation model
• Leverage PBS Works for job scheduling — on HPC environments, effective job management is as important as solver efficiency
• Maintain consistent model templates across projects — reducing setup time and improving result comparability across programmes

At PELF Engineering, we deploy Altair CAE simulation tools across automotive, heavy engineering, and industrial applications. Our teams work across the full platform — structural, fluid, thermal, and coupled analyses — with the workflow discipline to produce results that are both technically rigorous and genuinely useful for engineering decisions.

If you’re looking to improve the efficiency or depth of your Altair simulation workflows, our team is ready to help.