Integrations

Coupling CAESES and OpenFOAM: Propeller Example

The purpose of this tutorial is to learn the integration of a 3 rd party CFD software, in this case
OpenFOAM. You will connect an existing propeller model and couple this with the propeller
tutorial which is provided with OpenFOAM.
The propeller tutorial of OpenFOAM is basically an Open Water simulation with a sliding mesh
approach. Due to the mesh motion, the actual simulation time will take some hours.
The propeller model of CAESES, which is provided with this tutorial, is prepared in a way, that it
has the same dimensions and exported parts like the OpenFOAM propeller of the tutorial.
All you need is a basic understanding of how
geometry gets created in CAESES, but it is not
necessary. Some feature definitions are used
as well in this model; see the feature
definitions tutorial for more information.
The coupling is done with OpenFOAM 2.0, but
could be used with all OpenFOAM versions as
long as the dimensions of the propeller model
do not change. The integration part can be
done with CAESES versions > 3.1.1.
For any further questions please use the CAESES forum.
CAESES Project
This tutorial model can be found in the section samples > tutorials of the documentation
browser.

Tutorial
Propeller Model: Brief Overview

The

first

step

of

modeling

propeller blade is to define the

profile definition. This is done with a feature definition
(using NACA 66) which is the input for a generic blade.
Different parameters such as lift coefficient and chord
length can be defined here. The generic blade is a surface
type and needs a curve engine as input, where the functions
for the radial distribution of parameters like rake, skew or
pitch are provided. With these two-dimensional functions
the three dimensional blade is created. The functions are
usually smooth B-Spline curves where the x-value defines
the radial coordinate and the y-value the value of the
parameter. These y-values can be controlled by design
variables. All the predefined design variables are located in
01_bladeModeling|1_parameters. The yellow objects are
design variables and the blue ones are parameters. You can
play around with the design variables in certain ranges and
see how the parametric model gets changed.
The generic blade is not a closed surface, which is why the
tip and trailing edge have to be modeled separately
(01_bladeModeling|2_blade|closings_blade01). All surfaces
are combined into a Brep with the name BladeBRep.
Shaft and hub BReps are prepared for the OpenFOAM
tutorial.

This

is

done

in

the

scope

03_prepareForOpenFoamTutorial.
The first step is to rotate the created blade by using the feature PeriodicBRep. Afterwards the
all the BRep parts are combined and scaled to the dimensions of the OpenFOAM tutorial. In
order to give the exported STL patches names, we use custom colors with the desired names, in
this case ascii. This is done with a feature called ExportSTLPatchNamesByColor. The BReps
will finally be exported as Multi Body STL.

Tutorial
Software Connector Start with Input Geometry

Lets get started: The software connector is the widget where external
tools can be plugged-in. We will set up the connection step by step:

Open the file 81_OpenFOAM_Propeller.fdb from the tutorials section (samples > tutorials)
in the documentation browser and safe it somewhere on your harddisc.

Go to the Connections tab in the pull down menu and create a software connector.

Drag and drop the 7 BReps from 03_prepareForOpenFoamTutorial into the Input Geometry
Window of the software connector.

Click on each of the 7 parts in the connector, and specify the export name and the type,
respectively. Set the export type for each geometry part to MultiBodySTL. Since the STL
location is in a subfolder of the OpenFOAM project directory, we have to specify the file
names as follows:
o

constant/triSurface/innerCylinderSmall.stl

constant/triSurface/innerCylinder.stl

constant/triSurface/outerCylinder.stl

constant/triSurface/propellerStem1.stl

constant/triSurface/propellerStem2.stl

constant/triSurface/propellerStem3.stl

constant/triSurface/propellerTip.stl

By specifying the path e.g constant/triSurface/myGeometry.stl, CAESES will automatically

create this folder in the current design directory.

Tutorial
Input Files

In the next step, we will insert the OpenFOAM text files:

Click on the plus button in the Input Files window. Select the files from the OpenFOAM
propeller tutorial. You can find it in
/OpenFOAM2.x.x/tutorials/incompressible/pimpleDyMFoam/propeller.

You can delete all geometry files which end by .obj and the Allclean file.

Now, for each file the absolute path is shown. This means that the software connector
references to the absolute patch on the disc. But as we want to modify the files, we want the
copy and load the files into the CAESES project.

This is simply done by double-clicking on each file: With a double click, you will be directed
into the file window.

Click on Overview to see the software connector main window again.

Tutorial
Allrun File

We modify the Allrun file in this step, note again that we work on a copy
of the original file.

Double-click on Allrun.

Since the Allrun script calls the

Allrun.pre script, which has no
permission to be executed, we have
to insert a line into the Allrun file:
chmod +x Allrun.pre

Insert another line: If you dont

want to start CAESES from the
terminal and you want to run
OpenFOAM, we also need to source
the

OpenFOAM

environment

variable. This could be done for

example in the following way:
wmUNSET
source

/opt/OpenFOAM/OpenFOAM-2.2.0/etc/bashrc

For postprocessing reasons, we need to create the case.foam file by adding the following
command into the Allrun script:
touch case.foam

Tutorial
Introduce Parameters in Dict Files

In this step, we introduce some parameters, which control OpenFOAM

settings.

First, it is useful to add a parameter which scales the mesh uniformly in all directions.

Double-click on the blockMeshDict file.

Switch to plain mode by clicking on the little pen on the top left of the file.

Mark the number (12) which specifies the direction

of cells in x-direction and choose right click > select
new entry.

In the properties tab, rename this entry to

blockMesh_x.

Change the value to 12*0.5.

Then select the value 0.5 in the editor, choose right click > create
design variable, which could be renamed as meshScaling.

You can find the design variable in the CAD tab below the three scopes.

Do the same for the other directions, while using the meshScaling
design variable for all three directions.

We can also create a parameter which controls the end time of the
solution.

In the software connector, select the controlDict file and create a

new entry for the item endTime.

In the Configuration tab, create a parameter for the endTime

similar to what we did for the meshScaling, and reduce the time to 0.001.

Put the parameter endTime and the design variable meshScaling into a scope called
04_OpenFOAM_settings.

Tutorial
Consider STL in Dicts

We

have

to

adjust

snappyHexMeshDict

as

well

as

surfaceFeatureExtractDict since we will use an .stl instead of the .obj

format.

Select snappyHexMeshDict and replace the endings of the imported geometry from .obj
and .obj.gz to .stl.

Select surfaceFeatureExtractDict and replace the endings of the imported geometry from
.obj to .stl.

In order to get the moments and forces of the calculation, we have to include following code into
the end of controlDict:
Functions
(
forces
{
type

forces;

functionObjectLibs

(libforces.so);

patches

(propellerTip);

CofR

(0 0 0);

rhoName

rhoInf;

rhoInf

998;

outputControl

timeStep;

outputInterval 1;
}
);

Tutorial
Software Connector: Computation

For postprocessing we need to have results files and values, which will
be inserted in the Results Files and Results Values window of the software

connector. In order to get these, we have to trigger a first run either with CAESES, or without
CAESES. Since we already changed parts of the input files in the previous steps, it makes sense
to trigger the computation from within CAESES. For this, we have to set up the computation:

Click on Runner in the middle of the software connector.

In the object editor of the selected object Runner, activate

Remove existing Result Files. This makes sure that with each
run the previous simulation files get deleted automatically, and
is similar to the Allclean command.

Create a new Local Application by

clicking on the plus-button next to the
attribute, and call it OpenFOAM.

As executable write Allrun. This will

trigger the Allrun script.

Run the computation by clicking the

green run button ().

While the computation is running, you

can check the output in the Task
Monitor.

When the computation is done, check the

results on your hard disc, to see how the
results are handled by CAESES: A new folder
was created, with the name of the current
project file (*.fdb). In this folder all results
can be found.

Tutorial
Result Values

In order to assess the simulation, we need to have results files which

provide for example pressure drop or, as given in this case, the torque

and forces. These values can be extracted from any text files, but usually from *.csv or *.dat file
formats. Since CAESES needs to know where the desired values are located in each design
directory, we have to provide an example file.

In your file explorer, go to the baseline directory which

was created during the last run and check for the
forces.dat file in postProcessing/forces/0/forces.dat.

Add the forces.dat file to the Results Values window of

the software connector by using either drag & drop, or by
using the plus button at the window.

Double click on forces.dat in the software connector to

see the content.

In the upper left corner of the window, add a subfolder

postProcessing/forces/0/

Add a value by clicking on the plus button and name it

thrust.

Set line to -1 (this means always the last row of the file).

Set column to 2.

Add a value by clicking on the plus button again, and name it moment_pressure.

Set line to -1.

Set column to 8 if you are using OpenFOAM 2.2.0 or less otherwise set the column to 11.

Add a value by clicking on the plus button, and name it moment_viscous.

Set line to -1.

Set column to 11 if you are using OpenFOAM 2.2.0 or less otherwise set the column to 14.

Now create a parameter of each value by clicking on the blue parameter symbol in the table
preview. These parameters will be the objectives of the simulation at a later stage.

Select the three evaluation parameters, and create a scope. Set the name of this scope
05_OpenFOAM_evaluation (note, names can be user-defined i.e. arbitrary).

Remember that these parameters are the result values of the last iteration or time step. If you
have a strong oscillating result, you might average the values over a specific time. This will be
explained in more detail later on.

Tutorial
Result Files

In the Result Files window of the connector, output files from the CFD
calculation are referenced. Typical output files are pictures, tables, text

files and CFD solutions.

Add the case.foam file from manual_results/baseline/Runner to this window, either by

using drag & drop, or by using the plus button in the corner.

10

Tutorial
Running the Case

10

Now the software connection is completed, and a first test case can be
started.

Increase the parameter endTime to 0.1, which is the original value from the OpenFOAM
tutorial.

You can also increase the meshScaling factor, but this will increase the computation time.

Go back to the software connector and run the simulation (again by using the button).

11

Tutorial
Postprocessing

11

When the computation has finished, we can do the postprocessing and

visualize the results.

Go to the Connections tab and open

Computations & Results > Runner.

Select the grey internalMesh symbol.

Create a new Visualization.

new

window

appears.

Select

FGridPlaneCut.

Set the position to 0.

Create a new visualization at the

bottom of this window.

Select FContourPlot.

Choose the mapped data you want to

visualize, for example U. In the 3D
window the visualization will appear.

You could also create a vector visualization,

streamlines, iso-surfaces or mesh visualizations.

12

Tutorial
Averaging Result Values

12

Some improvements can be made

which make it easier to evaluate the

simulation results. For instance, averaging result values:

Double click on the forces.dat file in the Results Values

part of the software connector

Select the thrust entry.

Select Average and set the value to 10. This means that
results of the last 10 rows is averaged.

You can do the same for the moments.

Another step that would follow up in an optimization process is to calculate the efficiency.
Therefor you will need the averaged values of the thrust and the moments over a specific
number of revolutions (for example the average value of the last revolution). To calculate this
you need the transient time step, the total number of revolutions and the time steps per
revolution.

13