Issue link: https://resources.randsim.com/i/1547515
About Rand Simulation Rand Simulation is focused on helping organizations bring their product vision to reality through incorporating engineering simulation technology into the product development process. Rand Simulation caters to product development organizations looking to compress the design process, maximize innovation, strengthen competitive differentiation and grow bottom-line profitability. Rand Simulation serves as both a North American reseller of Ansys engineering simulation software and as a trusted design consultant offering insights gained on over 3,000 design projects using engineering analysis software to balance design performance with size, cost, DFM and aesthetics. simulation@rand.com | RandSIM.com | 888.483.0674 The next major opportunity is to extend this methodology from individual fabric samples and cylindrical models to full-body simulations of cyclists. This will introduce additional computational demands, as accurately representing an athlete's body and the fine details of a skinsuit requires significantly greater simulation resources. To address these challenges, D2H is investigating ways to simplify early-stage simulations using reduced-order modeling and targeted analysis techniques. These approaches could help accelerate initial design evaluations before progressing to more detailed, high-resolution simulations. The team is also exploring how Ansys Fluent's advanced optimization capabilities could help identify the most effective fabric combinations for different areas of an athlete's body. As Aidan explained: "We could use Ansys Fluent's adjoint solver to determine the drag sensitivity to turbulation in each area on a cyclist's skinsuit. We can then select the correct fabric combinations more quickly rather than simply trying each one." By combining advanced simulation, digital fabric development, and aerodynamic optimization, D2H is moving closer to a future where skinsuits can be tailored to the unique characteristics of individual athletes. For elite cyclists, where even marginal performance improvements can influence competitive outcomes, the potential benefits are significant. Through its innovative approach and the advanced simulation capabilities of Ansys Fluent, D2H is helping redefine how aerodynamic performance can be analyzed, optimized, and ultimately translated into competitive advantage. Crossing Over: Enabling Further & Faster Travel The simulation technology described here is being used specifically for the development of skin-suits, but that is not the limit of its applicability. • Every part of a bike frame, even the tyres, is operating in the same Reynolds number regime, and so surface optimisation can help to ensure attached flow and lower drag. • Hydrofoiling boats are growing in popularity because of their low wetted area and reduced drag. The foils themselves are operating in the transition realm, so understanding and controlling transition is of vital importance for safety and performance • Distributed Surface Roughness (DSR) is a growing field for reducing drag on flying objects. DSR goes down to even smaller surface features than we have dealt with here, but the simulation technology required is the same, albeit at an even larger scale. Aerodynamic drag affects almost every aspect of transport on land, sea or air. It is inevitable that transition simulation will be increasingly used to help us travel further, faster. D2H Advanced Technologies: Olympic Success Through Simulation