History and Vision

Application-Specific, Easy to Use, and Cost-Effective CFD

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) has played a transformative role in industries like aerospace and automotive, enabling simulations that reduce design costs and development time. However, its high cost and complexity long restricted its use in other fields, including data center design—where airflow and thermal management are critical.

Recognizing this gap, a team of engineers at Fluent, Inc. (now Ansys, Inc.) developed CoolSim in 2005 as an application-specific CFD tool for data centers. In 2008, key members of the CoolSim team left Ansys to form Applied Math Modeling, Inc., with a vision to make CFD more accessible and cost-effective by leveraging cloud computing and a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model.

Intuitive and Industry-Specific Interface

Traditional CFD tools were designed for expert analysts, requiring significant computing power and specialized knowledge. CoolSim set out to eliminate these barriers by prioritizing:

• Ease of Use – Introducing an interface with industry-specific terminology, making CFD intuitive for data center professionals
• Cloud-Based Computing – Shifting simulations from expensive local hardware to remote high-performance computing clusters
• Affordability & Scalability – Moving away from rigid licensing to a flexible subscription model that adapts to project-based workflows

By integrating these principles, CoolSim has enabled data center designers to leverage CFD analysis without the need for deep technical expertise or costly hardware investments.

Ansys Partnership

Originally developed at Fluent, Inc. (now Ansys, Inc.), CoolSim integrates trusted CFD technologies with over 40 years of industrial validation across sectors. Through our partnership, CoolSim benefits from best-in-class meshing, solving, and post-processing technologies. As an Ansys Technology Partner, Applied Math Modeling continues to enhance CoolSim, ensuring cutting-edge CFD capabilities for data center designers.