Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to common questions about Convergent Science and its products.

CONVERGE™ CFD CODE

1. Is CONVERGE a full CFD code or just a grid generation package?
2. Is the grid generation process in CONVERGE really automatic?
3. There’s no such thing as a free lunch. Am I sacrificing geometric accuracy by using automatic runtime grid generation?
4. I really like the idea of not having to create a grid, but will I still have control over mesh resolution?
5. If I purchase CONVERGE, do I have to pay extra for the SAGE detailed chemistry solver?
6. Can CONVERGE be used for applications other than engines?
7. I would like to be able to add my own custom sub-models to CONVERGE. Is this possible?
8. Was CONVERGE previously called MoSES?

Licensing

1. I would like to use CONVERGE in my research at a university. Do you offer discounts for academic institutions?
2. Are trial licenses available for CONVERGE?

Installation

1. What are the requirements to run CONVERGE?
2. Can I do a local installation of CONVERGE?

Convergent Science

1. Did your company used to be called Convergent Thinking, LLC?
2. Are you available for consulting projects?

SAGE Chemistry Solver

1. If I purchase CONVERGE, do I have to pay extra for the SAGE detailed chemistry solver?
2. Can SAGE be used with other CFD codes besides CONVERGE?

CONVERGE™ CFD CODE

1. Rating: +3

   

   Is CONVERGE a full CFD code or just a grid generation package?

   CONVERGE is a full CFD code! We like to talk a lot about grids because we believe that our meshing strategy is superior to what is done in other codes. In CONVERGE all of the grid generation is done internally in its CFD solver, so as a user you never have to go through the painful process of generating a grid.

2. Rating: +1

   

   Is the grid generation process in CONVERGE really automatic?

   Yes, it really is automatic. In fact, the user spends absolutely no time creating grids for CONVERGE. All of the grid generation is performed internal to the CONVERGE solver (we call this “runtime grid generation”). As a result, highly complicated geometries with moving boundaries are just as easy to set up as simple geometries with stationary boundaries. Great care has been taken to minimize the CPU usage required for runtime grid generation. In fact, this process is so fast that the grid is recreated at the start of each computational time-step when necessary!

3. Rating: -1

   

   There’s no such thing as a free lunch. Am I sacrificing geometric accuracy by using automatic runtime grid generation?

   You’re right, there is no such thing as a free lunch. In this case, we’re paying for your lunch! All of the complexity that a user would normally have to deal with when making a mesh has been taken out of your hands and is done at runtime using our innovative techniques. Sacrificing geometric accuracy? You’re actually gaining accuracy over codes that require a grid ahead of time because with CONVERGE, adding resolution at the boundaries (i.e., through fixed embedding or adaptive mesh refinement) results in improved accuracy in near-wall flow predictions. With other codes the accuracy of the geometry is limited to the resolution of the original grid.

4. Rating: +3

   

   I really like the idea of not having to create a grid, but will I still have control over mesh resolution?

   Absolutely! In fact, you have ultimate control since changing the global mesh resolution is as easy as changing the values of three numbers (dx, dy, dz) in the input files. Local mesh resolution can be added in specific areas for all or part of a simulation using our fixed embedding options. The locations of increased resolution can also be added automatically using our Adaptive Mesh Refinement (AMR) option.

5. Rating: +1

   

   If I purchase CONVERGE, do I have to pay extra for the SAGE detailed chemistry solver?

   No, the SAGE detailed chemistry solver comes standard with CONVERGE.

6. Rating: +0

   

   Can CONVERGE be used for applications other than engines?

   Yes! CONVERGE is a general CFD code. It is especially powerful for complicated geometries with or without moving boundaries.

7. Rating: +1

   

   I would like to be able to add my own custom sub-models to CONVERGE. Is this possible?

   Yes, we offer packages that include limited source code to allow users to implement their own custom or proprietary models.

8. Rating: +1

   

   Was CONVERGE previously called MoSES?

   Yes, we used MoSES as a development name for our CFD software.

Licensing

1. Rating: +2

   

   I would like to use CONVERGE in my research at a university. Do you offer discounts for academic institutions?

   We encourage the use of CONVERGE at universities. Please contact us directly for more information about using CONVERGE for your research projects.

2. Rating: +1

   

   Are trial licenses available for CONVERGE?

   Yes, please contact us for more information on how to obtain CONVERGE trial licenses.

Installation

1. Rating: +2

   

   What are the requirements to run CONVERGE?

   Currently CONVERGE is available for Linux (x86), IBM AIX, and Windows. In addition, if you are interested in running parallel computations, your installed parallel interface must be MPI-1 compatible. If you are interested in running CONVERGE on a platform not listed here, please contact us.

2. Rating: +0

   

   Can I do a local installation of CONVERGE?

   Yes, you do not need administrative privileges to install CONVERGE on our supported Unix platforms. You do, however, need administrative privileges to install CONVERGE on Windows systems.

Convergent Science

1. Rating: +0

   

   Did your company used to be called Convergent Thinking, LLC?

   Yes, we changed our name to Convergent Science when we incorporated in 2007.

2. Rating: +0

   

   Are you available for consulting projects?

   Yes. Convergent Science has been providing high-quality, cost-effective consulting to our clients for over ten years. And with CONVERGE we are able to do consulting projects at an even lower cost since grid generation time (typically a major portion of the cost of a CFD project) is not included. This results in an enormous savings for our clients. Please contact us to request a quote for your project.

SAGE Chemistry Solver

1. Rating: +0

   

   If I purchase CONVERGE, do I have to pay extra for the SAGE detailed chemistry solver?

   No, the SAGE detailed chemistry solver comes standard with CONVERGE.

2. Rating: +2

   

   Can SAGE be used with other CFD codes besides CONVERGE?

   Yes, SAGE can be used with other CFD codes (e.g., KIVA). SAGE is a very cost-effective way to incorporate detailed chemistry in your CFD simulations. If you are interested in using SAGE with your CFD code, please contact us.

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