SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation
Simulate the fluid flow, heat transfer, and fluid forces that are critical to the success of your designs
Why Choose SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation?
Intuitive Integration with SOLIDWORKS CAD
Forget switching between multiple applications. Flow Simulation is fully embedded in SOLIDWORKS, making setup, geometry modification, and result analysis seamless. Changes to your 3D model instantly update simulation results, accelerating design iterations.
Accurate and Trusted Results
SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation uses validated CFD solvers trusted by thousands of companies worldwide. Its mathematical models accurately predict fluid behavior, enabling engineers to make informed design decisions.
Save Time and Reduce Costs
Virtual testing cuts down on physical prototypes, which are expensive and time-consuming. Early detection of design flaws improves product reliability and market speed.
Customizable Reports and Visualizations
Generate professional reports automatically with all critical parameters, graphs, and images. Visualize flow vectors, temperature contours, and pressure fields in 3D with clear plots and animations — ideal for stakeholder presentations.
SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation – Overview
SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation is an intuitive, embedded Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) tool that empowers design engineers to simulate liquid and gas flow, heat transfer, and fluid forces directly within the SOLIDWORKS CAD environment. It bridges the gap between complex fluid flow analysis and mechanical design — allowing teams to test performance, validate efficiency, and solve real-world challenges early in the product development cycle.
Whether you’re designing electronics cooling systems, optimizing HVAC layouts, improving aerodynamics, or simulating pumps and valves, Flow Simulation provides fast, accurate, and accessible insights — without leaving your 3D design.
Core Features and Capabilities
Internal and External Flow Simulation
SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation models fluid behavior inside ducts, pipes, and valves, as well as around external bodies like vehicles and buildings. This helps engineers optimize HVAC systems, aerodynamics, and ventilation with precision.
Heat Transfer and Thermal Management
Simulate heat movement through solids and fluids using conduction, convection, and radiation. It’s ideal for electronics cooling, thermal shielding, and selecting energy-efficient materials.
Rotating and Moving Components
Analyze rotating systems such as pumps, fans, and turbines to study flow behavior and efficiency. Predict noise, vibration, and performance before physical testing begins.
Free Surface and Multiphase Flow
Simulate interactions between fluids like air and water in dynamic conditions. Useful for tank sloshing, mixing processes, and open-channel flows.
Automatic Optimization Tools
Run design studies with varying parameters to find the most efficient solution automatically. This accelerates product development and reduces reliance on prototypes.
Electronics Cooling Module
Designed for electronics engineers, this module models fan curves, Joule heating, and compact airflow. Prevents overheating in dense electronic assemblies and devices.
HVAC Module
Analyze airflow, temperature, and comfort levels in buildings with real-world accuracy. Ensure energy-efficient and code-compliant indoor environments.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How accurate is the SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation software?
The software is as accurate as any general-purpose CFD program. There are validation examples that come with the installation that showcase the similarities between experimental and analytical results with results from Flow Simulation.
What are the hardware requirements for SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation?
Processor: 3.3GHz or faster, Intel® Core i7, Xeon or equivalent AMD®
Operating System : Windows® 10 and 7 (2020 is the last year for Windows 7 support)
Memory: 16GB or more as required
Hard Drive: Solid State Drive (SSD) > 250GB, keeping 10% drive capacity free space
Graphics Cards: NVIDIA® Quadro® RTX 4000
Can we outsource computing?
Yes. Using the remote solving capability, users can send their Flow Simulation calculation to another computer on their network.
What kind of CAD data do I need to run Flow Simulation?
Since Flow Simulation is embedded in SOLIDWORKS, it can use any solid body geometry that was created or can be imported into SOLIDWORKS.
MATRIX
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HVAC MODULE |
ELECTRONICS COOLING MODULE |
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| Design Data Reuse |  |
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Multi-Parameter Optimization |
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SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation Capabilities |
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Material Database |
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Internal – External |
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Heat Conduction in Solids |
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Gravity |
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Rotation |
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Free Surface |
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| Symmetric | |
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Gases, Liquid, and Steam |
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Boundary Layer Description |
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| Mixing Flows | |
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Non Newtonian Fluids |
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| CAD Standards Checking (Design Checker) | |
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Flow, Thermal, and Wall Conditions |
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Porous Components |
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| Visualization | |
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| Results Customization | |
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Communication & Reporting |
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Two-Phase (Fluid + Particles) Flows |
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Noise Prediction (Steady State and Transient) |
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| HVAC conditions | |
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| Tracer Study | |
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| Comfort Parameters | |
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| Electronic Conditions | |
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| Circuit Board Component Simplifications | |
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| Joule Heating | |