Altair Case Studies Optimizing Indoor Climate Control with Simulation and Optimization

	Optimizing Indoor Climate Control with Simulation and Optimization Altair

Optimizing Indoor Climate Control with Simulation and Optimization

Altair

Technology Category	Analytics & Modeling - Digital Twin / Simulation Sensors - Environmental Sensors
Applicable Industries	Buildings Equipment & Machinery
Applicable Functions	Product Research & Development Quality Assurance
Use Cases	Digital Twin Virtual Reality
Services	System Integration Testing & Certification
Challenge	Kampmann GmbH, a leading specialist in heating, cooling, air-conditioning, and integrated building automation, faced the challenge of reducing physical prototypes and gaining early insights into system performance via a virtual development approach. The company's flagship products, KaTherm HK, a trench unit, and KaDeck, a ceiling system for heating and cooling, had to be customized to the needs of each customer and individual environment. This often required individual design adjustments that had to be tested and approved on site. Before the introduction of simulation, the air-conditioning systems were physically tested, which resulted in longer development time and required greater effort. The challenge was to find a solution that would allow for early testing of functionality and special requirements prior to production, thereby reducing the need for physical prototypes and shortening the development cycle. Read More
About Customer	Kampmann GmbH is an internationally leading specialist for heating, cooling, air-conditioning, and integrated building automation. The company employs more than 720 people at 14 locations all over the world. Traditionally, Kampmann’s expertise is in series production, offering a broad range of system variants and appealing solutions that are project-based and individually customized. The flagship products of the company are KaTherm HK, a trench unit, and KaDeck, a ceiling system for heating and cooling. The company prides itself on its ability to customize its products to the needs of each customer and individual environment. Read More
Solution	Kampmann adopted a virtual development process using the Altair HyperWorks® software suite, specifically AcuSolve®, the CFD solver; OptiStruct®, the suite's FE-solver and an optimization tool; and HyperMesh® for modeling and meshing tasks. For plant control design, Kampmann considered solidThinking Activate®, a mapping software for control systems. This simulation approach allowed Kampmann engineers to gain insights into the internal processes of the system, which were difficult to study through physical testing. The simulation made it possible to test multiple variants and optimize the system, so the perfect solution for each customer could be designed. After final physical testing, the design could be approved by the customer on site. The use of simulation also helped Kampmann engineers shorten testing time by an entire week during a recent project to optimize the trench heating/cooling system Katherm HK. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Analytics & Modeling - Digital Twin / Simulation

Sensors - Environmental Sensors

Applicable Industries

Buildings

Equipment & Machinery

Applicable Functions

Product Research & Development

Quality Assurance

Use Cases

Digital Twin

Virtual Reality

Services

System Integration

Testing & Certification

Challenge

Kampmann GmbH, a leading specialist in heating, cooling, air-conditioning, and integrated building automation, faced the challenge of reducing physical prototypes and gaining early insights into system performance via a virtual development approach. The company's flagship products, KaTherm HK, a trench unit, and KaDeck, a ceiling system for heating and cooling, had to be customized to the needs of each customer and individual environment. This often required individual design adjustments that had to be tested and approved on site. Before the introduction of simulation, the air-conditioning systems were physically tested, which resulted in longer development time and required greater effort. The challenge was to find a solution that would allow for early testing of functionality and special requirements prior to production, thereby reducing the need for physical prototypes and shortening the development cycle.

About Customer

Kampmann GmbH is an internationally leading specialist for heating, cooling, air-conditioning, and integrated building automation. The company employs more than 720 people at 14 locations all over the world. Traditionally, Kampmann’s expertise is in series production, offering a broad range of system variants and appealing solutions that are project-based and individually customized. The flagship products of the company are KaTherm HK, a trench unit, and KaDeck, a ceiling system for heating and cooling. The company prides itself on its ability to customize its products to the needs of each customer and individual environment.

Solution

Kampmann adopted a virtual development process using the Altair HyperWorks® software suite, specifically AcuSolve®, the CFD solver; OptiStruct®, the suite's FE-solver and an optimization tool; and HyperMesh® for modeling and meshing tasks. For plant control design, Kampmann considered solidThinking Activate®, a mapping software for control systems. This simulation approach allowed Kampmann engineers to gain insights into the internal processes of the system, which were difficult to study through physical testing. The simulation made it possible to test multiple variants and optimize the system, so the perfect solution for each customer could be designed. After final physical testing, the design could be approved by the customer on site. The use of simulation also helped Kampmann engineers shorten testing time by an entire week during a recent project to optimize the trench heating/cooling system Katherm HK.

Impact #1	The use of simulation has brought numerous operational benefits to Kampmann. It has provided deep insights into the system's behavior, helping engineers to better understand the correlations within the system and to identify and implement means to improve the system. These targeted design changes and analyses had to be physically tested before simulation came into play. Once a design variant has been identified, physical testing can be reduced to a minimum of prototypes. This has helped to streamline the development process and make it more flexible. By means of CFD simulation with AcuSolve, air flows can be visualized, which helps the engineers to get a deeper understanding of the system and lets them discuss the results directly with the customer to agree on needed changes and improvements. The use of simulation at Kampmann will certainly increase in the future and expand to include applications which are not yet covered today.

Impact #1

The use of simulation has brought numerous operational benefits to Kampmann. It has provided deep insights into the system's behavior, helping engineers to better understand the correlations within the system and to identify and implement means to improve the system. These targeted design changes and analyses had to be physically tested before simulation came into play. Once a design variant has been identified, physical testing can be reduced to a minimum of prototypes. This has helped to streamline the development process and make it more flexible. By means of CFD simulation with AcuSolve, air flows can be visualized, which helps the engineers to get a deeper understanding of the system and lets them discuss the results directly with the customer to agree on needed changes and improvements. The use of simulation at Kampmann will certainly increase in the future and expand to include applications which are not yet covered today.

Benefit #1	Reduction in the number of physical prototypes needed
Benefit #2	Shortened development cycle by an entire week during a recent project
Benefit #3	Reduced calculation time from 10 days to 3 hours

Benefit #1

Reduction in the number of physical prototypes needed

Benefit #2

Shortened development cycle by an entire week during a recent project

Benefit #3

Reduced calculation time from 10 days to 3 hours

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Overview

Optimizing Indoor Climate Control with Simulation and Optimization

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit