Use Case: A pump manufacturer testing a new impeller geometry. Premium simulation reveals cavitation clouds forming at the tip of the blades during high-RPM operation. By tweaking the blade angle virtually, the engineer eliminates the cavitation before cutting a single metal prototype, saving thousands in tooling costs. Perhaps the most powerful feature in the Premium suite is FSI. This allows the software to solve for fluid flow and structural stress simultaneously. While many tools offer "one-way" FSI (fluid pressure mapped to a solid), Premium supports two-way FSI for transient analysis.
Flow Simulation Premium includes models for shear-thinning (pseudoplastic) and shear-thickening (dilatant) fluids, as well as viscoplastic materials that require a yield stress before they begin to move (like ketchup or toothpaste). solidworks flow simulation premium
As the fluid pushes against a solid (like a valve flapper or a sail), the solid deforms. That deformation changes the fluid boundary, which changes the pressure distribution, which pushes the solid again. Premium iterates these physics in real-time steps. Use Case: A pump manufacturer testing a new
If your project involves anything that goos , pops bubbles , or flexes under pressure , the upgrade to Premium is not just an option—it is a necessity. For the rest of the world, the standard Flow Simulation package remains a capable, user-friendly entry point into fluid dynamics. Disclaimer: Features and naming conventions (e.g., "Premium") are based on standard Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks product tiers as of the current release cycle. Always verify specific module availability with your reseller. Perhaps the most powerful feature in the Premium
Standard simulation might show low-pressure zones, but only the Premium solver tracks the formation, transport, and implosion of vapor bubbles. It calculates the volume fraction of vapor and the erosive potential of the collapse.
In the world of Computer-Aided Design (CAD), SolidWorks has long been the gold standard for parametric modeling. However, for engineers who need to understand not just how a part looks, but how it behaves in a real-world fluid environment, the conversation quickly turns to Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD).