It’s that time of year again. The long summer days are behind us. It’s the season when routines settle in again and at Volupe, it has also become the season for another tradition: the Simcenter User Conference. Four years in a row now, we’ve gathered our community not just to talk about engineering and simulation, but to pause, recharge, and listen to keynote speakers who challenge us to think differently.
These keynotes have grown into a highlight of the event. They remind us that innovation isn’t just about sharper tools and faster solvers, but also about leadership, balance, and mindset.
This year, we were fortunate to host Ola Rosling, co-founder and president of the Gapminder Foundation. With his dedicated energy, he invited us to challenge our assumptions about global development. We consistently underestimate the progress humanity has made. As an illustration, he tested us with a set of fact-based questions about the state of the world and, collectively, we scored worse than monkeys choosing randomly. His message was clear: not everything is getting worse. In fact, much of the world has improved, but our perception hasn’t kept pace.
Aerodynamics at Sea – Felipe, Knud E. Hansen
The technical program kicked off with Felipe from Knud E. Hansen, who opened our eyes to an area of ship design that has long been overlooked: aerodynamics. While hydrodynamics usually takes the spotlight, the way air flows around a vessel also carries available potential for efficiency gains.
Felipe presented a detailed study on the dispersion of pollutants from an offshore service vessel on its deck. These findings from CFD, combined with wind tunnel results, highlight how smart design can improve exhaust gas distribution, making vessels both cleaner and more economical to operate.
Thermal Management of Rapid Charging Cables – Amir Barani, Knightech
Next up, Amir Barani from Knightech presented his remarkable master’s thesis on one of today’s hottest topics: rapid charging technology. With electric vehicles demanding ever-higher charging power, the cables themselves become a bottleneck. High current generates significant heat, and without proper management, performance and safety are at risk.
Amir’s work explored innovative thermal management solutions for charging cables. His study compared different cable designs and evaluated two liquid cooling approaches (using water and oil). While the simulations feature fluid dynamics as well as heat flux, the results provided valuable insights into how cooling strategy influences charging infrastructure.
Unsteady Simulations and the Gate Rudder – Norbert Bulten, Wärtsilä
Norbert Bulten from Wärtsilä then took us on an investigative journey into why the innovative gate rudder design consistently outperforms conventional rudders. Unlike many performance studies, this wasn’t an easy case to crack. The benefits of the gate rudder only reveal themselves through advanced unsteady simulations that cover longer physical time spans.
Sea trials have already shown significant fuel savings, yet initial CFD studies and model tests struggled to confirm the same gains. To solve this puzzle, Wärtsilä developed new types of full-scale CFD simulations, including:
- Captive runs with rudder steering angles, steady drift, and turning circles.
- 3DOF simulations of vessel turning circles and zig-zag maneuvers.
Detailed analysis of these simulations uncovered consistent trends: vessels with gate rudders achieve significantly higher speeds. Beyond fuel savings, the concept also shows strong potential as an energy-saving device for wind-assisted propulsion, thanks to its favourable drift characteristics and reduced propeller loading.
Propeller Modelling Approaches for VTOL Aircraft – Erik Varbit & Álvaro Pay, Pipistrel
We then took off to the skies with Erik Varbit and Álvaro Pay from Pipistrel, who shared their systematic investigation into propeller modelling approaches for their autonomous cargo VTOL aircraft. Using Simcenter STAR-CCM+, they did not only compare three methods: MRF (Multiple Reference Frame), RBM (Rigid Body Motion), and BEM (Blade Element Method) but astonished the audience as well with the new feature of studio scenes for photorealistic representation of the geometry.
Their findings were clear: for accurate rotor analysis, unsteady simulation is essential, disqualifying the simplified MRF approach. RBM provided higher-fidelity results but required greater computational effort. While BEM doesn’t capture exact geometry, it provided acceptable performance with the advantages of stability and fast run times, making it a valuable option for early design stages.
Conjugated Heat Transfer in Truck Wheel Houses – Rodrigo Meyer Lafayette Gelio, FS Dynamics
Back on solid ground, Rodrigo Meyer Lafayette Gelio presented his master’s thesis work at FS Dynamics, exploring conjugated heat transfer in truck wheelhouses. The motivation behind the study was to reduce rolling resistance by keeping tires above a certain temperature range.
While truck aerodynamics demand a very fine overall discretization, the wheelhouse itself is only a small area of interest. Rodrigo’s solution was to apply a local modelling approach, essentially creating a subdomain around the wheel housing for detailed design studies. To ensure realism, boundary conditions from the full vehicle simulation were prescribed to this subdomain, which is a smart use of arbitrary planes in Simcenter STAR-CCM+.
The results showed that through insulation and careful body design, tire temperatures could indeed be maintained, reducing drag and improving efficiency. It was a great example of how creative simulation strategies can balance detail with computational efficiency.
Cooling Strategies for Data Centres – Precious Ogbodo, WSP
Precious Ogbodo highlighted the growing relevance of data centre simulations. The industry already consumes 3% of global electricity. With such energy intensity, efficient cooling is critical, and CFD plays an increasingly important role in understanding airflow and temperature distribution.
Precious highlighted key uncertainties, such as air leakage through server racks and the difficulty of modelling temperature variations caused by fluctuating server loads. Even external factors like wind speed and direction can significantly impact the performance of chillers.
To streamline the setup process, she demonstrated how Rhino and a Python script were used to automatically name surfaces before importing models into Simcenter STAR-CCM+. This approach reduces manual work and speeds up simulation preparation.
Electromagnetic Simulation and Busbar Optimization – Michael Hansen, Kirkholm
Staying with the theme of electricity, Michael Hansen from Kirkholm presented work on optimizing high-current busbars using a combination of electromagnetic simulations and conjugate heat transfer. By analysing the electromagnetic fields inside the conductors, they were able to identify material-efficient and cost-effective design solutions without compromising performance.
One of the most exciting outcomes was the development of novel 3D-printed busbar concepts. These new designs not only fit into existing connections but also delivered extraordinary properties: they were significantly lighter, used alloy materials, and still maintained excellent conductivity and heat transfer capacity.
Subsea Cooling with Ägir – Henrik Alfredsson, Volupe Technology
The conference concluded with Henrik Alfredsson from Volupe Technology, who presented the Ägir product, a novel subsea cooler concept. What set this talk apart was not only the technology itself, but also the design process behind it.
Using a combination of Simcenter AMESIM, STAR-CCM+, and Reduced Order Modelling (ROM), Henrik demonstrated how design time can be cut dramatically—from weeks to just minutes. In a live demonstration, he showcased a web-based tool that generates both CAD models and performance predictions on the spot, illustrating a workflow that is both efficient and highly scalable.
Ending on this note, the message was clear: with the right simulation tools and smart integration, innovation cycles don’t just improve products—they transform the way we work.
Concluding
The fourth edition of the Simcenter User Conference once again showed the strength of our community. From global perspectives on optimism to highly technical studies on ships, trucks, cables, data centres, and subsea systems, the message was consistent: simulation drives progress and adds value. It is amazing to meet the people behind the simulations: students, professionals, and innovators who make this progress real.
We’re proud to have hosted such a diverse set of voices, and we look forward to continuing this tradition next year.
The Author
Florian Vesting, PhD
Contact: support@volupe.com
+46 768 51 23 46
