It with Icepak’s geometry, which streamlines the entire design and setup You import detailed CAD from external sources, you can mix, match, and simplify There are also routinesįor extracting openings on surface, such as the rectangular vent arrays on theįront and back as well as the patterned grille on the side. Icepak’s geometry tools include some very convenient parameterized functionsįor quickly constructing and positioning fans and heatsinks, in addition to theīasic ability to create and manipulate simple volumes. Some additional items like heatsinks, fan models, or simple PCB components. The front and back have vents/fans while the side has a rectangular patterned grille.įor a CAD model like the one above, we may want to include Tools built into Icepak to quickly process the important features.įigure 2: A computer case with motherboard imported from SpaceClaim. For the case geometry, it may be more convenient to import this fromĪ more comprehensive modeler like SpaceClaim and then take advantage of the Management of the system is strongly related to the physics of conjugate heat Well represented by rectangular prisms and cylinders, and the thermal The geometries of the board and its components are typically On at least some of the sides to facilitate controlled airflow. Is enclosed within some kind of box (a computer case) with vents/filters/fans Motherboards covered with all kinds of little chips and capacitors and oftenĭominated by a CPU mounted with a heatsink and fan. In a real-world environment,Īnyone that has looked at the inside of a computer is likely familiar with Questions is a PCB with attached components. The first thing that comes to mind for both of these Problems/applications are best suited for it? Offer for an optimized user experience over other tools, and what kinds of So, beyond these generalities, what does Icepak actually The same ribbon menus, project manager, history tree, and display window as other EDT products. Even if complete adoption by these users is not practical, this same environment can serve as a happy medium for collaboration with thermal and fluids experts.įigure 1: AEDT Icepak interface. While they may not already be intimately familiar with the physics and setup process for CFD/thermal simulations, being able to follow a very similar workflow certainly lowers the barrier to entry for accessing useful results. This not only results in a slick modern appearance but also provides a very familiar environment for the electrical engineers and designers who typically use the other EDT tools. One of the advantages of Icepak is in its interface consistency with the rest of the Electronic Desktop (EDT) products. In this regard, Icepak can be thought of as a system level Multiphysics simulation tool. On the front end, it is an all-in-one pre and post processor that is streamlined for electronics thermal management, including the explicit simulation and effects of fluid convection. On the back end, it is a tremendously capable CFD solver through the use of the Ansys Fluent code. The role of Ansys Electronics Desktop Icepak (hereafter referred to as Icepak, not to be confused with Classic Icepak) is in an interesting place.