Firehole Composites (formerly Firehole Technologies, Inc.) was a supplier of

computer-aided engineering Computer-aided engineering (CAE) is the broad usage of computer software to aid in engineering analysis tasks. It includes , , , durability and optimization. It is included with computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) ...

(CAE) software and

consulting A consultant (from la, consultare "to deliberate") is a professional (also known as ''expert'', ''specialist'', see variations of meaning below) who provides advice and other purposeful activities in an area of specialization. Consulting servic ...

services specializing in analysis of

composite materials A composite material (also called a composition material or shortened to composite, which is the common name) is a material which is produced from two or more constituent materials. These constituent materials have notably dissimilar chemical or ...

. Founded in 2000, the company's mission is to provide enabling technologies to further the widespread use of composite materials. Their products include Helius:MCT (a multiscale simulation tool for composite progressive failure analysis), Helius:CompositePro (a classical laminate theory and simple structural analysis tool), Helius:MatSim (an online micromechanics lamina simulator), and Prospector:Composites (an online composite material properties

database In computing, a database is an organized collection of data stored and accessed electronically. Small databases can be stored on a file system, while large databases are hosted on computer clusters or cloud storage. The design of databases sp ...

hosted by IDES Inc.). Firehole’s principal product, Helius:MCT, is a simulation tool built to improve the accuracy of composite structure analysis and is available as an advanced capability add-on to commercial

finite element analysis The finite element method (FEM) is a popular method for numerically solving differential equations arising in engineering and mathematical modeling. Typical problem areas of interest include the traditional fields of structural analysis, heat ...

(FEA) packages (such as

Abaqus Abaqus FEA (formerly ABAQUS) is a software suite for finite element analysis and computer-aided engineering, originally released in 1978. The name and logo of this software are based on the abacus calculation tool. The Abaqus product suite consis ...

and ANSYS). It is based on Multicontinuum Technology (MCT), an analysis methodology developed specifically for composites which, rather than treating the composite as a homogeneous material, extracts the separate stress and strain fields for the constituents (fiber and matrix) of a composite material. In doing so, distinct failure criteria and material nonlinearity can be applied separately. This permits Helius:MCT to identify failure of individual material constituents and degrade a composite material accordingly, providing a robust progressive failure simulation that captures failure initiation all the way up to and beyond ultimate structural failure. Firehole was acquired by Autodesk in 2013 for an undisclosed sum.

Company background

Firehole Composites began in the academic research of composite material analysis during the mid-1990s. The core technology was part of an academic research project underway in the

Mechanical Engineering Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and mathematics principles with materials science, to design, analyze, manufacture, and ...

Department of the

University of Wyoming The University of Wyoming (UW) is a public land-grant research university in Laramie, Wyoming. It was founded in March 1886, four years before the territory was admitted as the 44th state, and opened in September 1887. The University of Wyoming ...

. In 2000, a number of graduate students and faculty at UW saw the commercial potential of the technology and founded Firehole Composites. Firehole Composites continues a collaborative relationship with the University of Wyoming and sponsors ongoing research into composite analysis technology. During its first years of existence the company focused on the research and development of composite technologies utilizing the US Small Business Innovation Research (

SBIR The Small Business Innovation Research (or SBIR) program is a U.S. government funding program, coordinated by the Small Business Administration, intended to help certain small businesses conduct research and development (R&D). Funding takes the ...

) and Small Business Technology Transfer ( STTR) Programs. Recent technology demonstration efforts have included participation in the World Wide Failure Exercise and a large structures failure analysis and test program with the US

AFRL The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is a scientific research organization operated by the United States Air Force Materiel Command dedicated to leading the discovery, development, and integration of aerospace warfighting technologies, pl ...

Space Vehicle’s Directorate. In January 2009, Firehole launched their first commercial product – Helius:MCT. The name

Helius In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Helios (; grc, , , Sun; Homeric Greek: ) is the god and personification of the Sun (Solar deity). His name is also Latinized as Helius, and he is often given the epithets Hyperion ("the one above") an ...

, a general branding for Firehole products, refers to the Greek god of sun and vision and represents the idea of added vision or insight into composite material analysis.

Associations

ASME The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is an American professional association that, in its own words, "promotes the art, science, and practice of multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences around the globe" via "continuing ...

– American Society of Mechanical Engineers * NAFEMS – National Agency for Finite Element Methods and Standards *

AIAA The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is a professional society for the field of aerospace engineering. The AIAA is the U.S. representative on the International Astronautical Federation and the International Council of ...

– American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Firehole name

Firehole Composites name sake is the

Firehole River The Firehole River is located in northwestern Wyoming, and is one of the two major tributaries of the Madison River. It flows north approximately from its source in Madison Lake on the Continental Divide to join the Gibbon River at Madison Junc ...

, a

Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...

river that originates in

Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone National Park is an American national park located in the western United States, largely in the northwest corner of Wyoming and extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U.S. Congress with the Yellowston ...

. The Firehole is unique because it flows through several geyser basins which empty hot water into it, often causing steam to rise. It was named by early trappers because the steam makes it appear as if it is on fire. The Firehole is also known for exceptional fly fishing.

References

{{reflist Software companies based in Wyoming Companies based in Wyoming Privately held companies based in Wyoming Defunct software companies of the United States