From Nuremberg to the Aberdeen Science Centre: Experience physics interactively

This video provides insight into the “Blade Pitch” installation at ASC and how it came to be: https://youtu.be/5WonVqvtnFc

Efficiency matters. Guests at the Energy Area in the Aberdeen Science Centre (ASC) can see for themselves just how much of a difference even small modifications can make in the generation of energy from wind power with the help of a unique new exhibit. The detailed miniature version of a wind turbine and its surroundings invites visitors to change relevant parameters and then immediately see the effect on the energy output generated. A special feature of “Blade Pitch”, which was developed especially for the ASC and the topic of renewable energies, is its digital component: Everything that is physically triggered by the changes can immediately be seen live as a simulation on a screen. Right: Experiment. Left: Simulation. “Blade Pitch” was conceived and implemented by the Hüttinger company from Schwaig near Nuremberg, whose mission is to make complex scientific phenomena literally “tangible” through extraordinary interactive exhibits for museums, science centers and other institutions. Hüttinger exhibits are almost always unique and can be experienced in facilities all over the world. More than 60 Hüttinger exhibits are located in Aberdeen, a region that stands for the topic of energy production like no other in Great Britain.

David Rodger, CEO Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group (AREG): “As we move toward carbon neutrality, it has never been more important for young people to learn about the complexities of the energy industry and how our energy is produced. This exhibit brings learning to life and is a fantastic addition to the Aberdeen Science Centre”.

Simulation software from the world of engineers

“Blade Pitch” is the world’s first scientific installation ever to integrate the still very young technology of live simulation – digital transformation sends its regards! The software behind it has been gaining ground in the research and development departments of companies and in engineering education at universities for several years. As with the exhibit, it enables its users – mostly design engineers and product managers – to predict the effects of design changes on general product performance immediately on the screen. In an almost playful way, ideas can be tested quickly and easily, and variants can be compared with each other. Unlike in the ASC, the simulation software does not interact with the real product, but with its digital image, i.e., a 3D CAD model.

What is also remarkable about “Blade Pitch” is that it doesn’t use just any software or even freeware in the ASC; it uses Ansys Discovery,  a powerful and popular program used for live simulations among engineers globally. Ansys Discovery is a product of ANSYS, Inc. (Nasdaq ANSS), the market leader in engineering simulation. The makers at Hüttinger were provided with practical support in the implementation of the Ansys Discovery product by CADFEM GmbH, based in Grafing near Munich, which is completely dedicated to the subject of simulation, and has a channel partnership with the software provider, Ansys, that goes back decades.

Matthias Rudloff, Project leader at Hüttinger: “When I first saw live simulation, I thought ‚OK, an animation.‘ But that falls short. Because what you see literally happens live and shows the real physical processes. Such a wow effect is a great addition to our range of interactive exhibits.”

This video provides insight into the “Blade Pitch” installation at ASC and how it came to be: https://youtu.be/5WonVqvtnFc

About Hüttinger Interactive Exhibitions
Hüttinger from Schwaig near Nuremberg, Germany, supplies exhibition planning, production and installation to Europe and all over the world. The Hüttinger team designs and implements adventures that take visitors into a lively and “tangible” world of experience, allowing them to discover new things. Complex projects of this kind come from a single source: from concept to design to production. www.huettinger.de

About ASC – Aberdeen Science Centre
The Aberdeen Science Centre (ASC), known as Satrosphere until three years ago, has been an important educational institution in the northeast of the UK for almost 30 years. Founded in 1988, the ASC was the first science center in Scotland. Its mission to bring science to life in an interactive way is still the cornerstone of its work today. www.aberdeenscience.org

About Ansys
If you’ve ever seen a rocket launch, flown on an airplane, driven a car, used a computer, touched a mobile device, crossed a bridge or put on wearable technology, chances are you’ve used a product where Ansys software played a critical role in its creation. Ansys is the global leader in engineering simulation. Through our strategy of Pervasive Engineering Simulation, we help the world’s most innovative companies deliver significantly better products to their customers. By offering the best and broadest portfolio of engineering simulation software, we help them solve the most complex design challenges and create products limited only by imagination. www.ansys.com.

About CADFEM
CADFEM GmbH supports companies, research and university institutions in making the best possible use of the potential of numerical simulation in the entire product development process. As an Ansys Elite Channel Partner, CADFEM relies on the leading technology from ANSYS, Inc. Because software alone does not guarantee simulation success, CADFEM customers benefit from a comprehensive range of complementary products, services and knowledge offerings – all from a single source. www.cadfem.net