Flotherm

Flotherm is a 3D simulation software for the thermal analysis of electronic devices. The program uses the method of computational fluid dynamics ( in English: "Computational Fluid Dynamics, CFD abbreviation ' ) for calculation of air flows, temperatures and heat transfer processes in electronic components , printed circuit boards and in complete devices.

The first program version was brought onto the market in September 1989 by the Flomerics company. The developers were David Tatchell and Harvey Rosten, who founded the company in England in 1988. Tatchell was CEO until 2006 and Rosten headed development until 1997. Flomerics' second product, FloVENT, was launched in 1990. It is used to simulate the building air conditioning ( English: Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning, abbreviation HVAC ). In 1995 the Flomerics company went public in London. In 2008, the Flomerics Group PLC was taken over by the Mentor Graphics company in the newly founded Mechanical Analysis Division, which has since been selling the software worldwide.

Applications

Flotherm is used z. B. in the computer and telecommunications industry, with the manufacturers of semiconductor components, medical devices, components for aerospace, defense and transportation systems, in the automotive sector and in consumer electronics.

Special features

• Graphic pre- and post-processor , GUI
• SmartParts: predefined electronic components (fans, heat sinks, flat modules, housings, perforated sheets, heat pipes etc.)
• Automatic generation of the calculation grid
• Automatic implementation of parameter studies (DoE: Design of Experiments)
• Analysis of time-dependent behavior (e.g. switch-on and switch-off processes)
• Interaction of thermal conduction , thermal radiation and convection
• Automatic calculation of exchange coefficients and visibility factors for thermal radiation
• Integration of libraries with materials and components
• Automatic calculation of solar radiation
• Multi-fluid currents

CAD / EDA integration

FloTHERM can take over data from common CAD and EDA programs.

Competing products

• Ansys , program module Icepak
• FutureFacilities , 6SigmaET program

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Mentor Graphics acquires Flomerics ( Memento of the original dated December 5, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. English, accessed March 29, 2012 
2. ↑ Ansys official website , accessed January 15, 2016
3. ↑ http://alpha-numerics.de/waermemanagement_elektronik,7,6.html

Web links

Commons : Flotherm  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Mentor Graphics Product Info English, version from May 26, 2009
• Flotherm case studies English, version from May 26, 2009
• Flomerics celebrates 20th anniversary ( memento from March 29, 2012 on WebCite ), accessed on March 29, 2012