The Decision Center is the environment for comparing design alternatives. Use it to identify the design that satisfies your design objectives by performing the following tasks:

• Extract specific results values
• Compare results from multiple scenarios

Visualization objects such as Results Parts, Results Planes, Result Points, and XY-plots form the basis of the Decision Center. Create an object on one Scenario, designate it as a "Summary" object, and the Decision Center computes the results on every scenario in the Study.

To open the Decision Center, click the Decision Center tab.

Use the Decision Center to manage all summary items:

There are three principal components of the Decision Center:

Visual: Summary Images

Use Summary Images and the Design Review Center to visually compare results from multiple scenarios. It is a good way to compare flow and thermal performance of two or more scenarios in a design study.

Compare results either by incrementing through a set of scenarios in a single view or by positioning multiple images side-by-side.

Use the Design Review Center to answer questions like "Which design produces the most uniform flow distribution?" and "Which design keeps the critical components coolest?"

For an example of the use of the Design Review Center

For more about the Design Review Center

Tabular: Summary Values

Use Summary Values for comparing results from individual and multiple scenarios.

There are three types of Summary Entities. Each answers questions such as "What is the maximum temperature?", "Which design produces the lowest pressure drop?", "Does the velocity at a point near a critical component exceed a design limit?"

Summary Parts

Summary Parts are used to assess results on several different types of materials and devices. Use them to extract the following quantities:

Material or Device type	Summary Value Quantities
Fluids and Solids	Volume Average, Maximum, and Minimum Temperature
Compact Thermal Model and LED	Board temperature Board heat flux Case temperature Case heat flux Junction temperature
Internal Fans	Flow rate pressure drop
TEC	Cold side temperature Cold side heat flux Hot side temperature Hot side heat flux Power Conductivity Current Coefficient of performance Figure of merit
Heat sink	Thermal resistance Chip heat flux Approach velocity Approach temperature
Heat exchanger	Heat absorbed Temperature change Pressure drop Volume flow rate
Resistance	Pressure Volume flow rate
Centrifugal pump/blower	Pressure Volume flow rate

Use Summary Parts to answer questions like: "What is the maximum temperature on these chips?" and "What is the operating condition of this fan?"

Summary Planes

Summary Planes are planar cutting surfaces at critical locations in the model. Average values from each summary plane are presented in the Summary Values table.

Summary Planes are ideal for:

• Determining the pressure, flow rate, and average flow velocity through a channel or at an opening
• Comparing results at openings from several design alternatives.

Use Summary Planes to answer questions like: "Which design produced the lowest pressure drop?" and "Which leg of the manifold has the highest flow rate?"

Summary Points

Summary Points are locations within a model on which specific result quantities are monitored. Summary Points are ideal for:

• Determining the temperature, pressure, or local velocity at critical locations within a model
• Comparing results at finite points from several design alternatives

Use Summary Points to answer questions like: "Which design produces the most uniform velocity or temperature distribution across a set of points?" and "Does the pressure at a point near a critical component exceed a design limit?"

The Summary Values table lists results from Summary Items. The table provides a simple way to quickly extract, present, and compare results from individual and multiple scenarios.

For more about Summary Values

Graphical: Summary Plots

Compare results by overlaying XY Plot data from multiple scenarios on a single plot.

Use Summary Plots to answer questions like: "How does the pressure vary across the flow channel as the design is changed?" and "How does the temperature gradient respond as the design is modified?"

For more about Summary Plots