2. Industrial digital simulation practices and players

2.1 Modeler, mesher, solver

The tools needed to run a numerical simulation are generally available within the same IT environment, and combine three main functionalities.

• A modeler associates the laws of physics with a geometry created by computer-aided design (CAD). It lists the model data (dimensions of parts represented, physical characteristics of materials used, etc.) and visualizes the object studied in three dimensions.

• A mesher ensures the discretization of the part under study, as a prelude to its calculation. The quality of the mesh resulting from discretization can have a more or less significant influence on the calculation result, depending on the physical phenomena involved. In order to...