Ricardo sets new benchmark in powertrain design

The latest release of WAVE, Ricardo’s world-leading engine performance and gas dynamics simulation software, takes its performance and modelling capacity to a new level in the quest to meet increasingly demanding fuel economy and emissions standards. WAVE 8.0 – the product of more than a year of intense development by Ricardo Software – features a dramatically improved interface and radically upgraded 3D functions among a host of enhancements designed to vastly reduce product development lead times

Since its launch almost 20 years ago, Ricardo’s WAVE product has become the must-have software tool for engine developers: today’s demanding fuel economy and emissions requirements mean that accurate engine performance simulation has never been more important. Used by automakers and Tier 1 suppliers around the world, WAVE offers unparalleled ease of use and all the processing power that powertrain professionals need to get answers quickly and above all, accurately. Now, WAVE 8.0 raises the bar still higher with several more unique features such as Controls on Canvas and the revolutionary new WAVE3D. And as always, Ricardo’s development of the software has sought to anticipate future directions in powertrain design. Key new features include:

Controls on Canvas: This smart, easy-to-master new front end for WAVE transforms the way in which users use and manage control elements. The Elements Manager has been extended to include all control elements such as sensors, actuators PID controllers, valve actuators, interpolation maps and load models, all of which can be manipulated on a simple drag and drop basis. Wiring now links actuators, sensors and control elements, so there’s no need to hunt through drop down menus to work out the connectivity. There are new control elements too, including integrator, differentiator and function, the latter allowing the user to introduce logic expressions into the simulation. Control circuits can be dimmed, turned off or viewed alone for increased clarity.

WAVE3D: This incredibly powerful new feature gives WAVE 8.0 a 3D modelling capability way ahead of current levels. A fully-integrated solution for 1D/3D co-simulation within the WAVE environment, WAVE3D is so sophisticated it allows a 1D analyst to perform an advanced simulation without any input from a CFD analyst. A 3D CFD computational mesh can be created quickly and easily, the simulation set up simply and post-processing performed without any additional software tools or expertise. For the first time, it is possible to perform a 1D/3D co-simulation without the need for two different sets of software and crucially, without the need for two different skill sets.

WAVE Live!: Users can now interact with the WAVE model while the simulation is running and see responses to changes they make as they happen. Interactive control inputs include turbine wastegate, rack position, EGR valve position, combustion timing, duration and heat exchanger effectiveness.

WaveBuild/ WavePost: Significant improvements to WAVE’s primary pre-processor and
post-processor have increased both productivity and scope. The interface has been significantly enhanced so that users can load multiple models using tabbed models on canvas. This feature allows quick comparisons to be made between designs and the seamless copy and paste of elements between models. Rectangular ducts can be modelled for the first time and mapless turbocharger elements allow rapid assessment of a turbo engine model in its early stages without the need for a manufacturer’s data map. Turbocharger modelling is greatly enhanced too, including modelling of reverse flow and surge. An R-CAT SCR model now allows analysis of this important area of diesel emissions control. In addition to these important new features, WaveBuild has also undergone many other detailed refinements including, for example, the ability to export raw plot data to Microsoft Excel.

Commenting on the release of WAVE 8.0, president of Ricardo Software, Steve Sapsford, said: “WAVE is an absolutely key product, central to all engine design programmes and the analytical tasks you need to perform when designing engines. The latest developments in WAVE 8.0 have focused on what we perceive to be critical areas including turbo development and real time modelling. WAVE’s development is deeply integrated into Ricardo’s own technology roadmap. Ricardo is looking years ahead and the development of WAVE reflects this with each release gaining essential new features early on. This makes it a unique product because Ricardo has a view of the future which other software developers simply don’t have.”