British Antarctic Survey uses Autodesk’s Digital Prototyping software to
find clues to beginning of life on earth and climate change
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul. 11, 2012--
An ambitious British expedition to Lake Ellsworth in Antarctica is using Autodesk
digital prototyping software to help discover new answers about the
evolution of life and effects of climate change.
British Antarctic Survey (BAS) engineers will transport equipment
overland for three days to the sub-glacial lake, where they will use a
hot water drill to melt a 2.2-mile hole in the ice covering the
submerged lake to extract water samples. The team will have a very short
window of 24 hours to gather their samples before the hole re-freezes.
This exploration of one of Antarctica’s subglacial lakes has been
planned for 15 years, but the team lacked the right tools to adequately
try and test their plan to ensure they could gather the samples they
need in the timeframe allowed. Through the use of Autodesk’s digital
prototyping and simulation technology for sustainable
design; BAS engineers can create a digital model of the drill;
simulate the conditions under which they will work; test and analyze
their approach; and make necessary adjustments before they embark on
their expedition.
“This is hot water drilling on a scale never achieved before,” said Andy
Tait, the BAS engineer managing the design of the hot water drill.
“Because everything will have to be done so quickly, it is vital that we
create an accurate 3D model of the entire drilling operation and
simulate its performance because there will be no room for error once we
are out on the ice.”
As a participant in the Autodesk
Clean Tech Partner Program, designed to help groundbreaking
environmental projects such as this, BAS received Autodesk’s digital
prototyping portfolio, including Autodesk
Showcase, a visualization tool, and Autodesk
Inventor Publisher for technical documentation. Tait will use
Autodesk Inventor Publisher to visually and interactively communicate
how the drills and its components work to colleagues and partners. He
also believes that Autodesk Showcase will be invaluable for developing
stunning presentations and other visualizations to help explain the
technology to wider audiences.
Autodesk Inventor automatically coordinates changes across the digital
model, streamlining the analysis, experimentation and eventual
optimization of a design. This has been important to this project, not
just because of because of need to carry out the operation within a
tight timeframe, but also because of size, weight and strength
parameters. The equipment must be transported over great distances and,
therefore, needs to be strong, lightweight, and capable of withstanding
extremely low temperatures.
“When our technology is being used to make this ambitious project
successful, it gives me great confidence in the collective power of
talented people working together to solve problems that otherwise could
not be solved in isolation,” said Lynelle Cameron, Autodesk’s senior
director of sustainability. “We’re delighted to be partnering with the
BAS team on their unprecedented expedition.”
For more information about the project see www.ellsworth.org.uk.
About the Clean Tech Partner Program
The Autodesk Clean Tech Partner Program supports the efforts,
innovations and environmental advancements of clean technology pioneers,
providing world-class software to design, visualize and simulate their
ideas through Digital Prototyping. Clean tech companies in North
America, Europe, Japan, and Singapore are invited to apply to receive up
to $150,000* worth of software for only $50. Access to a collection of
Autodesk industry-leading software includes up to five licenses each of Autodesk
Product Design Suite Ultimate, AutoCAD
Revit Architecture Suite, Autodesk
Simulation Mechanical, Autodesk
Inventor Publisher and Autodesk
Vault Professional software. Get more
information.
About Autodesk
Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) is a leader in 3D
design, engineering and entertainment software. Customers across the
manufacturing, architecture, building, construction, and media and
entertainment industries -- including the last 17 Academy Award winners
for Best Visual Effects -- use Autodesk software to design, visualize
and simulate their ideas. Since its introduction of AutoCAD software in
1982, Autodesk continues to develop the broadest portfolio of
state-of-the-art software for global markets. For additional information
about Autodesk, visit http://www.autodesk.com/.
*Value is based on up to five commercial licenses of each application.
Autodesk, AutoCAD, Alias, Autodesk Inventor, Inventor, and Revit are
registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its
subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries.
Academy Award is a registered trademark of the Academy of Motion Picture
Arts and Sciences. All other brand names, product names or trademarks
belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter
product and services offerings, and specifications and pricing at any
time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or
graphical errors that may appear in this document.
© 2012 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.
Source: Autodesk, Inc.
Autodesk, Inc.
Carolyn Rohrer, 415-547-2428
carolyn.rohrer@autodesk.com
or
The
OutCast Agency
John O’Brien, 415-345-4721
jobrien@theoutcastagency.com