CAE is the use of software to help solve engineering tasks such as design, testing and manufacturing. However, in general when it comes to CAE only considered the use of software testing tasks. This article will talk about a free tool that can be used to study the mechanical behavior of structures.
Code Aster is a GPL licensed software developed by EDF ®, the largest electricity company in France. With this software can simulate different phenomena occurring strains and stresses in structures. The phenomena include thermal, acoustic and mechanical course. Besides these, can also be fitted with external software, and software to study fluid mechanics problems.
Code Aster ® is
optimized for isotropic nonlinear problems, including the use of nonlinear materials and large deformations. The software is incredibly stable and has all necessary certifications for use in nuclear industry. Compared with commercially available software (such as ANSYS ®, ABAQUS ® or), Code Aster ® has lots of examples and verifications, very good handling nonlinear and has useful tools, such as sub-modeling. Aster ®
Code has no graphical interface and integrated Mallador (a solver), it must be coupled with Salome or other pre-processor, which takes work. It is not a casual user software of FEM. No But those who have to use daily CAE necessarily know that you have to use scripts to perform complex tasks. This is where Aster ® Code takes them a great advantage to ABAQUS ® and ANSYS ®, which are programming interfaces which lead to headaches. Aster ® uses Python code to model problems. Python programming language is easy to use, very versatile and extensive documentation and web use.
The biggest problem with Code Aster ® is related to its development. EDF ® to be a French joint venture, Code Aster ® has full documentation, but only in the language in this country.
In conclusion, we can say that Code Aster is a tremendously powerful software, with lots of features, certifications better than commercial software and very stable which is not common with free software. There is software for the novice user of CAE, requires advanced knowledge and is intended for advanced applications, and a great job at the time of installation and the connection to other necessities, such as a pre-processor. Who use it must be able to read French, but a requirement disappointing. In future editions we will look at other free CAE tools such as Code Saturne, the counterpart of Code Aster in the field of software to solve problems in fluid dynamics.
information on how to download and install Code Aster can be found on page http://www.code-aster.org . An easy to use Code Aster, for starters, is using the LiveDVD that can be found in http://www.caelinux.com/ . In this are already integrated preprocessor and postprocessor with Code Aster and Code Saturne.
