Modelling and sensing
- ThermoCalc software and databases for alloy development
- MATLAB for mathematics, graphics and programming
- SolidWorks software package for Computer Aided Design (CAD)
- ANSYS software package for Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD).
- LIGGGHTS open source software for Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH)
- ABAQUS software package for Finite Element Modelling (FEM)
- ROCKY software licence for Discrete Element Modelling (DEM)
The ThermoCalc software is used to design alloy compositions and assess their response to heat treatments which, together with optimisation algorithms (MATLAB), is a powerful tool to accelerate the alloy development process. The LIGGGTS open source software is being used to study fundamental aspects of wear, with the intention of coupling these calculations with other software packages at a later stage (DEM, FEM and CFD).
The SolidWorks CAD software allows researchers to generate complex geometries for computational modelling, including: Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), Finite Element Modelling (FEM) and Discrete Element Modelling (DEM). The Rocky DEM software is currently being used to optimise the design of machine components in mining equipment, particularly rock crushers, minimising the wear and maximising the service life. This set of commercial software packages provide useful information, but the researchers also aim to improve the mathematical models embedded in these software packages to increase the accuracy of their predictions.