PreonLab 6.2.8 is a meshless, particle-based simulation software developed by FIFTY2 Technology (now part of AVL) for advanced multiphysics applications, including fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, and fluid-structure interactions (FSI). This minor update in the 6.2 series builds on the core enhancements of version 6.2, focusing on stability improvements, bug fixes, and minor refinements to GPU acceleration and solver performance. It supports a unified representation of fluids and solids using Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH), enabling simulations of Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids, multiphase flows, and deformable bodies without meshing complexities.

The software is ideal for automotive, aerospace, biomedical, and consumer goods industries, offering rapid model setup and high-fidelity results for applications like vehicle suspension dynamics, blood flow modeling, and snow interaction.

Key Features

  • Core Simulation Capabilities:
    • Meshless SPH solver for incompressible/compressible fluids, solids, and multiphase interactions, with adaptive particle resolution for efficiency.
    • GPU-accelerated simulations via NVIDIA CUDA (optimized data structures for up to 6x performance gains over multi-CPU setups; supports compute capabilities 5.2 to 9.0).
    • Rigid body dynamics with enhanced solver support, including collision detection and contact forces.
  • New and Enhanced Models (from 6.2 Series):
    • Full Car Suspension Model (FCSM): Advanced extension of the Car Suspension Model (CSM), calculating individual wheel deflection forces accounting for fluid dynamics, acceleration/deceleration, weight shifts, and road interactions for realistic vehicle handling simulations.
    • Carreau-Yasuda Model: Non-Newtonian fluid rheology for shear-thinning/thickening behaviors, applicable to blood flow (biomedical), food/beverage processing, and polymer flows.
    • Experimental Linear Elastic Deformable Solver: SPH-based FSI tool with Corotated Linear Elasticity and St. Venant-Kirchhoff models for simulating solid deformations under fluid loads.
    • Thermodynamics and Multiphase Improvements: Refined heat transfer, phase change, and interface tracking for greater accuracy in thermal-fluid coupling.
    • Snow Model Enhancements: Improved particle cohesion and layering for winter vehicle/terrain simulations.
  • Post-Processing and Usability:
    • Calculation Objects for custom field computations and data export.
    • Enhanced pathlines sensor with improved trajectory tracking.
    • Q-criterion visualization for vortex and flow structure analysis.
    • PreonPy scripting for Python 3.8–3.12 automation and custom workflows.
  • Integration and Workflow:
    • PreonCLI and PreonNode for batch processing and headless simulations.
    • Supports RHEL 7.x (last version) and Linux/Windows platforms; includes xcb-util-cursor fixes for Linux UI stability.
    • Binary GPU kernels to skip JIT compilation on startup, reducing initial load times.