The Oracle Team USA AC72 trimaran is an amazing piece of aero and hydrodynamic machinery... and just a few months ago, it won the 34th America's cup in an amazing comeback win.
Back in August, about a month before the race, cupinfo.com published an informative interview with the AC72 designer, Andrew Mason. In it he discusses utilization of Computational Fluid DYnamics, CFD, in conjunction with a bespoke velocity prediction program (VPP).
Fast forward to earlier this year, when Desktop Engineering posted an article (http://www.deskeng.com/de/cfd-provides-the-winning-edge/) discussing the massive amount of simulation that went in to the design and engineering of the Oracle Team USA Trimaran. One thing that we lean in this article is how much CFD analysis they were running during the race. They were taking data from the race, plugging into their CFD boundary conditions, and fine tuning the setup on the fly. How did it work for them? Some say they accomplished the greatest comeback in the history of world sports.
You see, just like many engineering and manufacturing companies today, Oracle Team USA is trying to squeeze more performance out of their design in a shorter amount of time. Many companies today are launching products before they have completed all tests - it's a calculated risk. One that is mitigated with a proper simulation plan.
How Fastway Analyzes on the Fly
Here at Fastway, we help many companies analyze their product after it has been launched to production - or "after the race starts", so to speak. Whether it's troubleshooting a failure in the field, tracking down warranty trends, or optimizing manufacturing process, Engineering Simulation can give you insight quicker and with more detail than testing. When coupled with a properly designed DOE, an optimum solution can be found in no time at all.
Contact us today to learn more about how Fastway Engineering can help you improve on a product that's already in the field.
Not ready to contact us, but still want to stay in touch? Sign up for our newsletter below, and get information on Training Discounts, Industry News, Fun Events, and other smart stuff!
