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Ansys Fluent is free, if you can get access to your alma mater's engineering computer lab. I told you I was low-budget.
CPU time is mostly a function of mesh size, but I would expect the kind of simulation you're doing to run for hours, not weeks, on a modern home PC.
CAD files? It can import from PRO/Engineer and .dxf, among others.
Starting with a validation case, then increasing proximity to ground, sounds like the way to go. Ansys say they've run a number of validation cases themselves, so you can expect a known degree of accuracy if you've created a mesh that accurately represents the problem.
You should post on the forums at eng-tips.com. The folks there are very knowledgeable.
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