Quality Assurance and Engineering Simulations
This year we are more focused than ever on quality assurance. Quality Assurance is a critical aspect of making decisions based on predictive models such as engineering simulations. The three dimensions of a sound Quality Assurance approach are:
1. Software Reliability
STAR-CCM+ is our primary CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) tool and it has recently achieved ASME (The American Society of Mechanical Engineers) Nuclear Quality Assurance (NQA-1) Certification. Kudos to Siemens PLM Software on that achievement. This qualification ensures the code meets industry-standard requirements and gives added assurance that services delivered are consistent and of the highest quality.
2. User Knowledge
User knowledge can only be gained through a combination of education and experience. To calibrate where we stand in this regards, we recently went through the certification process with Siemens PLM Software. We are proud to say we are now Platinum Level certified STAR users. Platinum Level is the highest of five levels (Blue, Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum), and Platinum Level users of STAR_CCM+ are considered experts in the computational simulation of advanced multiphysics simulations.
3. Process Control
Protocols that define the engineering simulation cycle are essential to a reliable process. This starts with a good understanding of the project objectives and quantities of interest and ends with a well documented understanding of confidence in results. A snapshot of the cover page of our QA protocol is shown in the figure below. If you'd like to know more about our QA program get in touch with us via our contact page and we will be happy to share.
