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AcuSolve Tutorials

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Contents

1 Introduction to AcuSolve Tutorials ...................................................................... 6

1.3 Introduction to AcuSolve Tutorials ..................................................................................... 9

Objectives ....................................................................................................................9
Prerequisites ................................................................................................................ 9
Basic Workflow .............................................................................................................9
Operating System Used for Tutorial Development ............................................................10
Supporting Files ..........................................................................................................10
Typographical Conventions Used in this Guide ................................................................ 10

2 Turbulence ............................................................................................................... 12

2.3 ACU-2000: Turbulent Flow in a Mixing Elbow .................................................................... 15

2.3.1 Analyze the Problem ...........................................................................................15
2.3.2 Define the Simulation Parameters .........................................................................19
2.3.3 Import Geometry and Define the Model ................................................................ 26
2.3.4 Assign Mesh Controls ..........................................................................................39
2.3.5 Compute the Solution and Review the Results ........................................................ 47
2.3.6 Summary .......................................................................................................... 63
2.6 ACU-2100: Turbulent Flow Over an Airfoil Using the SST Turbulence Model ............................ 66
2.6.1 Analyze the Problem ...........................................................................................66
2.6.2 Define the Simulation Parameters .........................................................................67
2.6.3 Import Geometry and Define the Model ................................................................ 76
2.6.4 Assign Mesh Controls ..........................................................................................82
2.6.5 Compute the Solution and Review the Results ........................................................ 92
2.9 ACU-2200: Transition Flow over an Airfoil Using the SA Transition Models .............................101
2.9.1 Analyze the Problem ......................................................................................... 102
2.9.2 Introduction to Theory ...................................................................................... 102
2.9.3 Define the Simulation Parameters ....................................................................... 104
2.9.4 Import Geometry and Define the Model ............................................................... 111
2.9.5 Compute the Solution and Review the Results ...................................................... 127
2.9.6 Post-Processing with AcuFieldView ...................................................................... 130
2.9.7 Summary ........................................................................................................ 139
2.12 ACU-2201: Transition Flow over an Airfoil using the SST Transition Models ..........................142
2.12.1 Analyze the Problem ....................................................................................... 143
2.12.2 Introduction to Theory .....................................................................................144
2.12.3 Define the Simulation Parameters ..................................................................... 145

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 2.12.4 Import Geometry and Define the Model ............................................................. 152
2.12.5 Compute the Solution and Review the Results .................................................... 168
2.12.6 Summary .......................................................................................................180

3 Heat Transfer .........................................................................................................181

3.3 ACU-3000: Enclosed Hot Cylinder: Natural Convection ...................................................... 184

3.3.1 Analyze the Problem ......................................................................................... 185
3.3.2 Introduction to Theory ...................................................................................... 186
3.3.3 Define the Simulation Parameters ....................................................................... 187
3.3.4 Import Geometry and Define the Model ............................................................... 196
3.3.5 Compute the Solution and Review the Results ...................................................... 214
3.3.6 Summary ........................................................................................................ 224
3.6 ACU-3100: Conjugate Heat Transfer in a Mixing Elbow ......................................................228
3.6.1 Analyze the Problem ......................................................................................... 228
3.6.2 Define the Simulation Parameters ....................................................................... 232
3.6.3 Import Geometry and Define the Model ............................................................... 238
3.6.4 Assign Mesh Controls ........................................................................................ 254
3.6.5 Compute the Solution and Review the Results ...................................................... 264
3.6.6 Summary ........................................................................................................ 282
3.9 ACU-3101: Transient Conjugate Heat Transfer in a Mixing Elbow .........................................285
3.9.1 Analyze the Problem ......................................................................................... 285
3.9.2 Define the Simulation Parameters ....................................................................... 293
3.9.3 Import Geometry and Define the Model ............................................................... 303
3.9.4 Compute the Solution and Review the Results ...................................................... 305
3.9.5 Summary ........................................................................................................ 319
3.12 ACU-3200: Greenhouse Nocturnal Climate Simulation-Enclosure Radiation and
Porous Media ....................................................................................................................... 322
3.12.1 Analyze the Problem ....................................................................................... 322
3.12.2 Define the Simulation Parameters ..................................................................... 325
3.12.3 Import Geometry and Define the Model ............................................................. 332
3.12.4 Create Surface Groups and Apply Surface Boundary Conditions ............................. 337
3.12.5 Assign Mesh Controls ...................................................................................... 349
3.12.6 Compute the Solution and Review the Results .................................................... 357
3.12.7 Summary .......................................................................................................375
3.15 ACU-3201: Greenhouse Daytime Climate Simulation – Solar Radiation and
Thermal Shell ...................................................................................................................... 378
3.15.1 Analyze the Problem ....................................................................................... 378
3.15.2 Define the Simulation Parameters ..................................................................... 381
3.15.3 Import Geometry and Define the Model ............................................................. 388
3.15.4 Assign Mesh Controls ...................................................................................... 405

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 3.15.5 Compute the Solution and Review the Results .................................................... 414
3.15.6 Summary .......................................................................................................420

4 Multiphase .............................................................................................................. 421

4.3 ACU-4000: Dam Break Simulation: Two Phase Problem .....................................................424

4.3.1 Analyze the Problem ......................................................................................... 424
4.3.2 Define the Simulation Parameters ....................................................................... 425
4.3.3 Import Geometry and Define the Model ............................................................... 429
4.3.4 Compute the Solution and Review the Results ...................................................... 441
4.3.5 Summary ........................................................................................................ 446
4.6 ACU-4001: Water Filling in a Tank ................................................................................. 449
4.6.1 Analyze the Problem ......................................................................................... 449
4.6.2 Define the Simulation Parameters ....................................................................... 450
4.6.3 Import Geometry and Define the Model ............................................................... 453
4.6.4 Assign Surface Parameters .................................................................................461
4.6.5 Assign Mesh Controls ........................................................................................ 466
4.6.6 Compute the Solution and Review the Results ...................................................... 473
4.6.7 Summary ....................................................................................................... 478

5 Moving Body .......................................................................................................... 479

5.3 ACU-5000: Blower - Steady (Rotating Frame) ..................................................................483

5.3.1 Analyze the Problem ......................................................................................... 483
5.3.2 Define the Simulation Parameters ....................................................................... 484
5.3.3 Import Geometry and Define the Model ............................................................... 488
5.3.4 Create Surface Groups and Apply Surface Boundary Conditions ............................... 493
5.3.5 Assign Mesh Controls ........................................................................................ 500
5.3.6 Compute the Solution and Review the Results ...................................................... 507
5.3.7 Summary ........................................................................................................ 516
5.6 ACU-5001: Blower - Transient (Sliding Mesh) .................................................................. 519
5.6.1 Analyze the Problem ......................................................................................... 519
5.6.2 Define the Simulation Parameters ....................................................................... 522
5.6.3 Assign Mesh Controls ........................................................................................ 535
5.6.4 Compute the Solution and Review the Results ...................................................... 545
5.6.5 Summary ........................................................................................................ 557
5.9 ACU-5100: Modeling of Fan_Component: Axial Fan ......................................................... 561
5.9.1 Analyze the Problem ......................................................................................... 561
5.9.2 Define the Simulation Parameters ....................................................................... 565
5.9.3 Import Geometry and Define the Model ............................................................... 569
5.9.4 Compute the Solution and Review the Results ...................................................... 589

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 5.9.5 Summary ........................................................................................................ 594
5.12 ACU-5200: Rigid-Body Dynamics of a Check Valve ......................................................... 597
5.12.1 Analyze the Problem ....................................................................................... 597
5.12.2 Define the Simulation Parameters ..................................................................... 603
5.12.3 Import Geometry and Define the Model ............................................................. 608
5.12.4 Create Surface Groups and Apply Surface Attributes ............................................ 616
5.12.5 Assign Mesh Controls ...................................................................................... 626
5.12.6 Compute the Solution and Review the Results .................................................... 634
5.15 ACU-5201: Coupled Simulation of a Check Valve using AcuSolve and MotionSolve ................649
5.15.1 Analyze the Problem ....................................................................................... 649
5.15.2 Define the Simulation Parameters ..................................................................... 655
5.15.3 Import Geometry and Define the Model ............................................................. 661
5.15.4 Create Surface Groups and Apply Surface Attributes ............................................ 666
5.15.5 Assign Mesh Controls ...................................................................................... 675
5.15.6 Compute the Solution and Review the Results .................................................... 683
5.15.7 Summary .......................................................................................................699
5.18 ACU-5300: Ship Hull Static ......................................................................................... 702
5.18.1 Analyze the Problem ....................................................................................... 703
5.18.2 Define the Simulation Parameters ..................................................................... 705
5.18.3 Import Geometry and Define the Model ............................................................. 710
5.18.4 Create Surface Groups and Apply Surface Parameters .......................................... 715
5.18.5 Assign Mesh Controls ...................................................................................... 727
5.18.6 Compute the Solution and Review the Results .................................................... 733
5.18.7 Summary .......................................................................................................737
5.21 ACU-5301: Ship Hull Dynamics .................................................................................... 741
5.21.1 Analyze the Problem ....................................................................................... 741
5.21.2 Define the Simulation Parameters ..................................................................... 744
5.21.3 Compute the Solution and Review the Results .................................................... 755
5.21.4 Summary .......................................................................................................760
5.24 ACU-5400: Piezoelectric Flow Energy Harvester: A Fluid-Structure Interaction
(P-FSI) ................................................................................................................................ 763
5.24.1 Analyze the Problem ....................................................................................... 764
5.24.2 Introduction to Theory .....................................................................................765
5.24.3 Define the Simulation Parameters ..................................................................... 766
5.24.4 Import Geometry and Define the Model ............................................................. 769
5.24.5 Assign Mesh Controls ...................................................................................... 780
5.24.6 Compute the Solution and Review the Results .................................................... 798
5.24.7 Post-Processing with AcuFieldView .....................................................................800
5.24.8 Summary .......................................................................................................809
5.27 ACU-5401: Piezoelectric Flow Energy Harvester - PFSI & IMM .......................................... 813
5.27.1 Analyze the Problem ....................................................................................... 814

4
 5.27.2 Define the Simulation Parameters ..................................................................... 815
5.27.3 Import Geometry and Define the Model ............................................................. 820
5.27.4 Assign Mesh Controls ...................................................................................... 831
5.27.5 Compute the Solution and Review the Results .................................................... 849
5.27.6 Summary .......................................................................................................860
5.30 ACU-5402: Piezoelectric Flow Energy Harvester with Rigid Body Rotation ........................... 864
5.30.1 Analyze the Problem ....................................................................................... 865
5.30.2 Define the Simulation Parameters ..................................................................... 866
5.30.3 Compute the Solution and Review the Results .................................................... 876
5.30.4 Post-Process with AcuFieldView ......................................................................... 878
5.30.5 Summary .......................................................................................................887

6 AcuTrace ................................................................................................................. 888

6.3 ACU-6000: Static Mixer Simulation - AcuTrace ................................................................891

6.3.1 Analyze the Problem ......................................................................................... 891
6.3.2 Define the Simulation Parameters ....................................................................... 892
6.3.3 Compute the Solution and Review the Results ...................................................... 897
6.3.4 Compute the Particle Paths and Review ............................................................... 904
6.3.5 Post Processing with AcuFieldView ...................................................................... 905
6.3.6 Summary ........................................................................................................ 908

7 HyperWorks ............................................................................................................909

7.3 ACU-6100: HyperWorks-AcuSolve Integration .................................................................. 912

7.3.1 Analyze the Problem ......................................................................................... 913
7.3.2 Introduction to HyperMesh .................................................................................914
7.3.3 Introduction to HyperView ................................................................................. 917
7.3.4 Define the Simulation Parameters ....................................................................... 920
7.3.5 Set up the Mesh Controls .................................................................................. 927
7.3.6 Set up Simulation Parameters for AcuSolve .......................................................... 936
7.3.7 Run AcuSolve ...................................................................................................941
7.3.8 Post-Processing with HyperView ..........................................................................945
7.3.9 Summary ........................................................................................................ 954

Index.................................................................................................................................955

5
Introduction to AcuSolve Tutorials 1
Introduction to AcuSolve Tutorials

This chapter covers the following:

• 1.3 Introduction to AcuSolve Tutorials (p. 9)

AcuSolve Tutorials 9

1.3 Introduction to AcuSolve Tutorials

This guide contains a collection of simulation cases with explicit instructions for setting up, solving and
post-processing. A range of tutorials are included to illustrate the basic AcuSolve workflow and to provide
guidance for setting up a variety of problems.

Objectives

The objectives of the AcuSolve tutorials are to:

• Present the basic AcuSolve workflow
• Introduce the capabilities of AcuSolve to new users
• Provide guidance for the use of AcuSolve with industrial applications

Prerequisites

No experience with AcuSolve is needed prior to running through the tutorials included in this guide.
It is expected that you have some exposure to basic principles of engineering and computer assisted
engineering. It is strongly recommended that you complete ACU-2000: Turbulent Flow in a Mixing Bowl
prior to running any of the other tutorials. This tutorial walks you through the basic simulation workflow
and the use of AcuConsole, the graphical user interface for AcuSolve. The subsequent tutorials are written
to be used as stand-alone guides so that you can work through them in any order.

Basic Workflow

The basic workflow for setting up, solving and post-processing a problem with AcuSolve consists of the
following tasks:
a. Analyze the problem and identify the important attributes that need to be provided to AcuSolve.
b. Start AcuConsole and create the simulation database.
c. Set general simulation attributes.
d. Set solution strategy attributes.
e. Set material model attributes.
f. Import the geometry for the simulation.
g. Apply attributes to volumes.
h. Create surfaces, such as inlet, outlet and wall, and apply boundary conditions.
i. Set global meshing attributes.
j. Set user-defined zones for mesh refinements to areas not linked to a particular surface.
k. Set surface meshing attributes.
l. Generate the mesh.

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AcuSolve Tutorials 10

m. Run AcuSolve to calculate the solution.

n. Post-process results with AcuProbe (to visualize data related to the progress of the calculations) and/
or with AcuFieldView to visualize simulation data with contours, vectors, streamlines, and the like.

While all steps needed to complete these tutorials are explicitly mentioned, default values, initial
conditions, and discussions of other turbulence models are intentionally left out of the tutorials.

Note: Validation (comparison with experimental results) and verification (determination of

a mesh independent solution) approaches are not covered in this guide. Please refer to the
AcuSolve Validation Manual for validation cases.

For tutorials that illustrate more complicated problems, such as those involving transient physics or mesh
motion, details of additional tasks are provided in the tutorial.

Operating System Used for Tutorial Development

The AcuSolve tutorials are prepared using AcuConsole, AcuSolve, AcuProbe and AcuFieldView on a
workstation running a Windows operating system. While the steps for starting AcuConsole on Windows
differ from those steps on Linux or OS X (Mac), other steps can be completed on all supported operating
systems.

Supporting Files

Supporting files are provided for use in completing the tutorials. These files are located in a
compressed .zip archive located in the <AcuSolve installation directory>\model_files\tutorials
directory. Copy Acu_tutorial_inputs.zip to a directory and expand it to a location of your choice. You
will need to know this location in order to load files for any given tutorial.

Typographical Conventions Used in this Guide

Different type styles are used to indicate workspace items and inputs, for example:

Set the Turbulence equation to Spalart Allmaras.

Enter Symmetry as the name of the surface.

A mini flow chart is used to indicate menu selections that lead to a specific command or dialog box, for
example,

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AcuSolve Tutorials 11

Open View > Defined Views and set the view to +Z.

This indicates that the View menu is clicked, then the Defined Views menu item is selected, and that
the button labeled +Z is clicked on the dialog box that is opened.

A mini flow chart is also used to indicate items in the Data Tree to be expanded, for example,

Expand the Model > Surfaces > Small Inlet tree item.

This indicates that first the Model tree item is expanded, then the Surfaces item underneath it is
expanded, and finally, the Small Inlet item under Surfaces is expanded.

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Turbulence 2
Turbulence

This chapter covers the following:

• 2.3 ACU-2000: Turbulent Flow in a Mixing Elbow (p. 15)

• 2.4 Products (p. 64)
• 2.5 Terms (p. 65)
• 2.6 ACU-2100: Turbulent Flow Over an Airfoil Using the SST Turbulence Model (p. 66)
• 2.7 Products (p. 99)
• 2.8 Terms (p. 100)
• 2.9 ACU-2200: Transition Flow over an Airfoil Using the SA Transition Models (p. 101)
• 2.10 Products (p. 140)
• 2.11 Terms (p. 141)
• 2.12 ACU-2201: Transition Flow over an Airfoil using the SST Transition Models (p. 142)
AcuSolve Tutorials 15

2.3 ACU-2000: Turbulent Flow in a Mixing Elbow

This tutorial provides the instructions for setting up, solving, and viewing results of a simulation of 3D
turbulent flow in a mixing elbow. It is designed to introduce you to the AcuSolve tool set with a simple
problem.

In order to run this tutorial, you will need access to a licensed version of AcuSolve 2017. As this is
the first tutorial in the introductory tutorial sequence, no prior experience with AcuConsole, AcuSolve, or
AcuFieldView is expected.

Prior to running through this tutorial, copy Mixing_Elbow\mixingElbow.x_t from <AcuSolve

installation directory>\model_files\tutorials\AcuSolve\Acu_tutorial_inputs.zip to a
working directory.

The color of objects shown in the graphics window in this tutorial and those displayed on your screen
may differ. The default color scheme in AcuConsole is "random," in which colors are randomly assigned to
groups as they are created. In addition, this tutorial was developed on Windows. If you are running this
tutorial on a different operating system, you may notice a slight difference between the images displayed
on your screen and the images shown in the tutorial.

2.3.1 Analyze the Problem

An important first step in any CFD simulation is to examine the engineering problem to be analyzed
and determine the settings that need to be provided to AcuSolve. Settings can be based on geometrical
components (such as volumes, inlets, outlets, or walls) and on flow conditions (such as fluid properties,
velocity, or whether the flow should be modeled as turbulent or as laminar).

The problem to be addressed in this tutorial is shown schematically in Figure 1. This is a typical industrial
example for mixing in a pipe by injecting high-velocity fluid from a small inlet into relatively low-velocity
fluid in the main pipe. It consists of a 90° mixing elbow with water entering through two inlets with
different velocities. The geometry is symmetric about the XY midplane of the pipe, as shown in the figure.
This symmetry allows the flow to be modeled with the use of a symmetry plane. The use of a symmetry
plane leads to reduced computation time while still providing an accurate solution.

Figure 1: Schematic of Mixing Elbow

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AcuSolve Tutorials 16

Details of the problem characteristics are shown in the following images extracted from a sample worksheet
that was created prior to setting up the case for AcuSolve.

The diameter of the large inlet is 0.1 m, and the inlet velocity (v) is 0.4 m/s. The diameter of the small
inlet is 0.025 m, and the inlet velocity is 1.2 m/s.

Figure 2:

The fluid in this problem is water, with the following properties that do not change with temperature; a
3 -3
density (ρ) of 1000 kg/m , a molecular viscosity (μ) of 1 X 10 kg/m-sec, a conductivity (k) of 0.598 W/
m-K, and a specific heat (cp) of 4183 J/kg-K, as shown in the worksheet.

Figure 3:

Based on mass conservation, the combined flow rate (Q) yields a velocity of 0.475 m/s downstream of
the small inlet. This value is useful in determining the Reynolds number, which in turn can be used to
determine if the flow should be modeled as turbulent, or if it should be modeled as laminar.

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AcuSolve Tutorials 17

Figure 4:

In order to determine whether the modeled flow would be turbulent or whether it would be laminar, the
Reynolds number (Re) should be calculated. The Reynolds number is given by:

where ρ is the fluid density, v is the fluid velocity, D is the diameter of the flow region, and μ is the
molecular viscosity of the fluid. When the Reynolds number is above 4,000, it is generally accepted that
flow should be modeled as turbulent.

The Reynolds numbers of 40,000 at the large inlet, 30,000 at the small inlet, and 47,500 for the combined
flow indicate that the flow is turbulent throughout the flow domain.

Figure 5:

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AcuSolve Tutorials 18

The simulation will be set up to model steady state, turbulent flow.

Figure 6:

In addition to setting appropriate conditions to capture the physics of the simulation, it is important to
generate a mesh that is sufficiently refined to provide good results. In this tutorial the global mesh size is
set to provide at least 30 mesh elements around the circumference of the large inlet. For this problem, the
global mesh size is 0.0106 m. This mesh size was chosen to provide a quick turnaround time for the model.
For real-world simulations, you would modify your mesh settings after an initial solution until a mesh-
independent solution is reached (that is, a solution that does not change with further mesh refinement).

Figure 7:

AcuSolve allows for mesh refinements in a user-defined region that is independent of geometric
components of the problem such as volumes, model surfaces, or edges. It is useful to refine the mesh in
areas where gradients in pressure, velocity, eddy viscosity, and the like are steep.

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AcuSolve Tutorials 19

Figure 8:

Once a solution is calculated, results of interest are the steady state velocity contours on the symmetry
plane, velocity vectors on the symmetry plane, and pressure contours on the symmetry plane.

2.3.2 Define the Simulation Parameters

Start AcuConsole

AcuConsole is the workspace that is used for building simulations and running them with AcuSolve.

Start AcuConsole from the Windows Start menu by clicking Start > All Programs > Altair HyperWorks
<version> AcuSolve > AcuConsole.

Start AcuConsole on Linux by entering AcuConsole in a terminal window that has the AcuSolve
environment configured. Please refer to the Hyperworks Installation Guide for instructions on configuring
AcuSolve on Linux.

The main AcuConsole window is comprised of eight major components.

• Menu bar
• Toolbar
• Data Tree
• Data Tree Manager
• View Manager toolbar
• Modeling window
• Detail panels

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• Information window

When AcuConsole is first opened, the Data Tree, detail panel, graphics window and Information window are
empty. The following figure from a partially defined case is used to illustrate the parts of the workspace.

Menu Bar Toolbar

View
Data Tree Manager
Manager Toolbar
Data Tree

Graphics
Window
Detail
Panel
Information
Window

Figure 9:

The items in the Data Tree are separated into two main areas, Global and Model. The Global tree item
contains geometry independent settings that apply to the AcuSolve simulation, such as the physics to be
modeled, the solution strategy, material properties and geometry independent mesh controls. The Model
branch in the Data Tree contains settings that apply to specific portions of the geometry of the model,
such as boundary conditions, material used for a volume region and meshing attributes that apply to a
specific component of the model geometry.

In this tutorial, you will begin by creating a database, populating the geometry-independent settings,
loading the geometry, creating groups, setting group attributes, adding geometry components to groups
and assigning mesh controls and boundary conditions to the groups. Next you will generate a mesh and run
AcuSolve to converge on a steady state solution. Finally, you will visualize the results using AcuFieldView.

Create the Simulation Database

In the next steps you will create a database for the storage of AcuConsole settings and set the location
for saving mesh and solution information for AcuSolve.

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1. Click the File menu, then click New to open the New data base dialog.

Tip: You can also open the New data base dialog by clicking on the toolbar.

2. Browse to the location that you would like to use as your working directory.
This directory is where all files related to the simulation will be stored. The AcuConsole database
file (.acs) is stored in this directory. Once the mesh and solution are created, additional files and
directories will be created within this directory.
3. Create a new folder named Mixing_Elbow and open this folder.
4. Enter Mixing_Elbow as the File name for the database.

Note: In order for other applications to be able to read the files written by AcuConsole,
the database path and name should not include spaces.

5. Click Save to create the database.

Set General Simulation Parameters

In the next steps you will set parameters that apply globally to the simulation. To simplify this task, you
will use the BAS filter in the Data Tree Manager. The BAS filter limits the options in the Data Tree to show
only the basic settings.

The physical models that you define for this tutorial correspond to steady state, turbulent flow. You will
also provide some general information about the AcuSolve case, such as a title and subtitle.

1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.

Figure 10:

2. Double-click the Global Data Tree item to expand it.

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Tip: You can also expand a tree item by clicking next to the item name.

Figure 11:

3. Double-click Problem Description to open the Problem Description detail panel.

Tip: You can also open a panel by right clicking a tree item and clicking Open on
the context menu.

4. Enter Introductory Tutorial as the Title.

5. Enter Mixing Elbow – Turbulent as the Sub title.
6. Accept the default Analysis type.

Note: By default, AcuSolve cases are run as steady state simulations.

7. Set the Turbulence equation to Spalart Allmaras.

a) Click the Turbulence equation drop-down.
b) Click Spalart Allmaras from the list.
The robustness and accuracy of the Spalart Allmaras turbulence model makes it an excellent
choice for simulation of steady state flows.

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Note: The detail panel can be resized by dragging the right frame of the panel.

Figure 12:

Set Solution Strategy Parameters

In the next steps you will set parameters that control the behavior of AcuSolve as it progresses during
the solution.

1. Double-click Auto Solution Strategy to open the Auto Solution Strategy detail panel.
2. Enter 0.4 for the Relaxation factor.
The relaxation factor is used to improve convergence of the solution. Typically a value between 0.2
and 0.4 provides a good balance between achieving a smooth progression of the solution and the
extra compute time needed to reach convergence. Higher relaxation factors cause AcuSolve to take
more time steps to reach a steady state solution. A high relaxation factor is sometimes necessary
in order to achieve convergence for very complex applications.

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Figure 13:

Set Material Model Parameters

AcuConsole has three pre-defined materials, Air, Aluminum, and Water.

In the next steps you will verify that the pre-defined material properties of water match the desired
properties for this problem.

Figure 14:

1. Double-click Material Model in the Data Tree to expand it.

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2. Double-click Water in the Data Tree to open the Water detail panel.
The Material type for water is Fluid.
3
3. Click the Density tab. Verify that the density of water is 1000.0 kg/m .
4. Click the Specific Heat tab. Verify that the specific heat of water is 4183.0 J/kg-K.
5. Click the Viscosity tab. Verify that the viscosity of water is 0.001 kg/m-sec.
6. Click the Conductivity tab. Verify that the conductivity of water is 0.598 W/m-K.

Figure 15:

7. Save the database to create a backup of your settings. This can be achieved with any of the following
methods.
• Click the File menu, then click Save.
• Click on the toolbar.
• Click Ctrl+S.

Note: Changes made in AcuConsole are saved into the database file (.acs) as they
are made. A save operation copies the database to a backup file, which can be used
to reload the database from that saved state in the event that you do not want to
commit future changes.

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2.3.3 Import Geometry and Define the Model

Import the Mixing Elbow Geometry

You will import the geometry in the next part of this tutorial. You will need to know the location of
mixingElbow.x_t in order to complete these steps. This file contains the solid model of the mixing elbow
in the Parasolid ASCII format.

1. Click File > Import.

2. Browse to the directory containing mixingElbow.x_t.
3. Change the File name filter to Parasolid File (*.x_t *.xmt *X_T …
a) Click the drop-down button to the right of the File name field.
b) Click Parasolid File (*.x_t *.xmt *X_T … from the drop-down list.
4. Click mixingElbow.x_t and Open to open the Import Geometry dialog.
5. Click Ok to complete the geometry import.

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Figure 16: Mixing Elbow Case with Geometry Imported

At this point, your graphics window should look similar to what is shown in Figure 16.

The color of objects shown in the graphics window in this tutorial and those displayed on your
screen may differ. The default color scheme in AcuConsole is "random," in which colors are randomly
assigned to groups as they are created. In addition, this tutorial was developed on Windows. If you
are running this tutorial on a different operating system, you may notice a slight difference between
the images displayed on your screen and the images shown in the tutorial.

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Manipulate the View in the Modeling Window

In the next steps you will do some basic manipulations of the mixing elbow view to help you become
familiar with the mouse actions in the graphics window. The mouse buttons that are used for rotating,
panning, and zooming are shown in the following table:

Action Mouse Button

rotate left

move (pan) middle

zoom right

1. Rotate the view.

a) Left-click in the graphics window.
b) Drag the cursor to the right and observe the display.
The model should rotate to the right.
c) Drag the cursor to the left to rotate the model to the left.
d) Drag the cursor up or down to rotate the model up or down.

Note: You will only see half of the pipe when you manipulate the view. As this
geometry is symmetric around the midplane only half of the geometry needs to
be modeled, which reduces computation time.

e) Restore the initial view by clicking on the View Manager toolbar.

Figure 17:

2. Pan the view.

a) Middle-click in the graphics window.
b) Drag the cursor to the right to move the model to the right.
c) Drag the cursor to the left to move the model to the left.
d) Restore the initial view by clicking on the View Manager toolbar.

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3. Zoom in on and out from the view.

a) Right-click in the graphics window.
b) Drag the cursor up to zoom out from the view.
c) Drag the cursor down to zoom in on the view
d) Restore the initial view by clicking on the View Manager toolbar.

Note: You can also fit the model to the window by clicking on the View Manager
toolbar.

Apply Volume Parameters

Volume groups are containers used for storing information about a volume region. This information
includes solution and meshing parameters applied to the volume and the geometric regions that these
settings are applied to.

When the geometry was imported into AcuConsole, all volumes were placed into the "default" volume
container.

In the next steps you will rename the default volume group, toggle the display, and assign the material
for the volume as water.

1. Expand the Model tree item by clicking .

2. Expand the Volumes tree item.
3. Toggle the display of the default volume container by clicking and next to the volume name.

Note: You may not see any change when toggling the display if Surfaces are being
displayed, as surfaces and volumes may overlap.

4. Rename the default volume group.

a) Right-click default under Volumes and click Rename on the context menu.

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Figure 18:

b) Type Mixing Elbow and click Enter.

5. Set the material model used for the fluid in the simulation.
a) Expand the Mixing Elbow tree item.

Note: By default, when an item in the Data Tree is specified, the corresponding
geometric elements are highlighted in the modeling window.

b) Double-click Element Set to open the Element Set detail panel.

c) Click the Material model drop down arrow.
d) Click Water.

Figure 19:

For the next set of steps it is useful to turn off the display of Elbow Volume by clicking so that
it is in the off ( ) state.

Create Surface Groups and Apply Surface Boundary Conditions

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Surface groups are containers used for storing information about a surface. This information includes the
list of geometric surfaces associated with the container, as well as attributes such as boundary conditions,
surface outputs, and mesh sizing information.

In the next steps you will define surface groups, assign the appropriate attributes for each group in the
problem, and add surfaces to the groups.

Set Inflow Boundary Conditions for the Large Inlet

In the next steps you will define a surface group for the large inlet, set the inlet velocity, and add the
main inlet from the geometry to the surface group.

Figure 20:

1. Create a new surface group.

a) Right-click Surfaces in the Data Tree.
b) Click New.
2. Rename the surface to Large Inlet .
a) Right-click Surface 1 under Surfaces and click Rename on the context menu.
b) Enter Large Inlet.
3. Expand the Large Inlet surface in the tree.
4. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition under Large Inlet to open the Simple Boundary
Condition detail panel.
5. Change the Type to Inflow.
6. Change the Inflow type to Average Velocity.
This type of boundary condition is used by AcuSolve to approximate a fully developed flow with a
given average velocity.
7. Set the Average velocity to 0.4 m/sec.

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Figure 21:

8. Add a geometry surface to the Large Inlet group.

a) In the Data Tree, right-click Large Inlet and click Add to.
The Add to dialog is used in conjunction with the graphics window to select geometry items
to associate with model groups such as volumes, surfaces, or edges. When using the Add to
capability, zoom, pan, and rotate actions are performed by holding down the Ctrl key and using
the mouse buttons.
b) If needed, expose the graphics window, by dragging the Add to dialog to the side.
c) Rotate the model to expose the large inlet by Ctrl+left-clicking near the left side of the geometry
and dragging the cursor to the right.
d) Click on the large inlet face.

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Figure 22:

At this point, the inlet should be highlighted.

e) Click Done to add this geometry surface to the Large Inlet surface group.

Note: You can also use the middle mouse button to complete the addition of
geometry components to a group.

Set Inflow Boundary Conditions for the Small Inlet

In the next steps you will define a surface group for the small inlet, assign the appropriate attributes, and
add the small inlet from the geometry to the surface group.

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Figure 23:

1. Create a new surface group.

2. Rename the surface to Small Inlet.
3. Expand the Small Inlet surface in the tree.
4. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition under Small Inlet to open the Simple Boundary
Condition detail panel.
5. Change the Type to Inflow.
6. Change the Inflow type to Average Velocity.
7. Set the Average velocity to 1.2 m/sec.

Figure 24:

8. Add a geometry surface to the Small Inlet group.

a) In the Data Tree, right-click Small Inlet and click Add to.
b) Rotate the model to expose the small inlet by Ctrl+left-clicking near the bottom of the geometry
and moving the cursor toward the top of the window.

Note: If you need to zoom in or out, Ctrl+right-click and drag the cursor down
or up. You can also restore the initial view by clicking .

c) Left-click on the small inlet face.

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Figure 25:

At this point, the small inlet should be highlighted.

d) Click Done to add this geometry surface to the Small Inlet group.

Set Wall Boundary Conditions for the Large Pipe

In the next steps you will define a surface group for the pipe walls, assign the appropriate attributes, and
add the elbow pipe walls from the geometry to the surface group.

1. Create a new surface group.

2. Rename the surface to Large Pipe.
3. Expand the Large Pipe surface in the tree.
4. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition under Large Pipe to open the Simple Boundary
Condition detail panel.
The default wall settings will be used for the pipe wall.

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Figure 26:

5. Add geometry surfaces to this group.

a) Right-click Large Pipe and click Add to.
b) Click on the pipe near the large inlet, the pipe near the elbow, and the pipe near the outlet to
select the three surfaces that make up the main pipe wall.

Figure 27:

At this point, the pipe walls should be highlighted.

c) Click Done to add these geometric surfaces to the Large Pipe group.

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Set Wall Boundary Conditions for the Small Pipe

In the next steps you will define a surface group for the side pipe wall, assign the appropriate attributes,
and add the side pipe wall from the geometry to the surface group.

1. Create a new surface group.

2. Rename the surface to Small Pipe.
3. Expand the Small Pipe surface in the tree.
4. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition under Small Pipe to open the Simple Boundary
Condition detail panel.
As with the large pipe, the default boundary condition Type is Wall. The default is appropriate for
this group and no other changes are needed.
5. Add geometry surfaces to this group.
a) Right-click Small Pipe and click Add to.
b) Click on the pipe near the side inlet.

Figure 28:

At this point, the side pipe wall should be highlighted.

c) Click Done to associate this geometry surface with the Small Pipe surface container.

Set Outflow Boundary Conditions for the Outlet

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In the next steps you will define a surface group for the outlet, assign the appropriate attributes and add
the outlet from the geometry to the surface group.

1. Create a new surface group.

2. Rename the surface to Outlet.
3. Expand the Outlet surface in the tree.
4. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition under Outlet to open the Simple Boundary Condition
detail panel.
5. Change the Type to Outflow.
6. Add a geometry surface to the Outlet surface container.
a) In the Data Tree, right-click Outlet and click Add to.
b) Rotate the model to expose the outlet by Ctrl+left-clicking near the top of the geometry and
moving the cursor toward the bottom of the window.
c) Click on the outlet face.

Figure 29:

At this point, the outlet should be highlighted.

d) Click Done to associate this geometry surface with the surface settings of the Outlet group.

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Set Symmetry Boundary Conditions for the Symmetry Plane

This geometry is symmetric about the XY midplane, and can therefore be modeled with half of the
geometry. In order to take advantage of this, the midplane needs to be identified as a symmetry plane.
The symmetry boundary condition enforces constraints such that the flow field from one side of the plane
is a mirror image of that on the other side.

In the next steps you will rename the default surface and apply appropriate settings.

When the geometry was loaded into AcuConsole, all geometry surfaces were placed in the default surface
group. In the previous steps, you selected geometry surfaces to be placed in the groups that you created.
At this point, all that is left in the default surface group is the symmetry plane. Rather than create a new
container, add the symmetry surface in the geometry to it, and then delete the default surface container,
you will rename the existing container.

1. Rename the default surface to Symmetry

2. Expand the Symmetry surface in the tree.
3. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition under Symmetry to open the Simple Boundary
Condition detail panel.
4. Change the Type to Symmetry.

Figure 30:

2.3.4 Assign Mesh Controls

Set Global Meshing Parameters

Now that the simulation has been defined, parameters need to be added to define the mesh sizes that
will be created by the mesher.

AcuConsole supports three levels of meshing control, global, zone and geometric.
• Global mesh controls apply to the whole model without being tied to any geometric component of
the model.

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• Zone mesh controls apply to a defined region of the model, but are not associated with a particular
geometric component.
• Geometric mesh controls are applied to a specific geometric component. These controls can be
applied to volume groups, surface groups, or edge groups.

In the next steps you will set global meshing parameters. In subsequent steps you will create zone and
surface meshing parameters.

Figure 31:

1. Click MSH in the Data Tree Manager to filter the settings in the Data Tree to show only the controls
related to meshing.
2. Expand the Global Data Tree item.
3. Double-click Global Mesh Attributes to open the Global Mesh Attributes detail panel.
4. Change the Mesh size type to Absolute.
5. Enter 0.0106 m for the Absolute mesh size.
This absolute mesh size is chosen to ensure that there are at least 30 mesh elements around the
circumference of the main pipe.
6. Turn off the Curvature refinement parameters option.

Figure 32:

Set Zone Meshing Parameters

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In addition to setting meshing characteristics for the whole problem, you can assign meshing parameters
to a zone within the problem where you want to be able to resolve flow with a mesh that is more refined
than the global mesh. A zone mesh refinement can be created using basic shapes to control the mesh
size within that shape. These types of mesh refinement are used when refinement is needed in an area
that does not correspond to a geometric item.

In the next steps you will define mesh controls for a region around the small pipe and extending into
the main pipe by using a zone mesh control. The region of interest for this refinement is a cylinder that
encloses the small pipe and extends into the main pipe.

Figure 33:

1. Turn off the display of volumes.

2. Turn off the display of all surfaces except Symmetry.
3. Restore the initial view by clicking on the View Manager toolbar.
4. Right-click Zone Mesh Attributes under the Global branch in the Data Tree and click New.
5. Rename Zone Mesh Attributes 1 to Small pipe refinement.
6. Double-click Small pipe refinement to open the Zone Mesh Attributes detail panel.
7. Change the Mesh zone type to Cylinder.
8. Set the location of the mesh refinement by defining the center points of the end faces of the cylinder.
a) Click Open Array to open the Array Editor dialog.
b) Enter 0.143 for X-coordinate 1 and 2.
c) Enter -0.232 for Y-coordinate 1.
d) Enter -0.025 for Y-coordinate 2.
e) Enter 0.0 for Z-coordinate 2.
f) Click OK.

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Figure 34:

9. Enter 0.0254 m for the Radius.

This radius is used to define a cylinder that is larger than the small inlet.
10. Enter 0.0053 m for the Mesh size.
This will result in a zone where the mesh size is half of the mesh size in the rest of the pipe.

Note: When setting mesh size for refinement zones, the best practice is to choose
1 1 1
a value that is the global mesh size divided by a power of two, that is, /2, /4, /8,
and the like.

Figure 35:

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Figure 36:

Set Meshing Parameters for Surface Groups

In the following steps you will set meshing parameters that will allow for localized control of the mesh
size on surface groups that you created earlier in this tutorial. Specifically, you will set local meshing
parameters that control the growth of boundary layer elements normal to the surfaces of the main pipe
and of the side pipe.

Set Meshing Parameters for the Large Pipe

In the next steps you will set parameters that control the mesh size normal to the large pipe wall (boundary
layer mesh controls).
1. Expand the Model > Surfaces > Large Pipe tree item.
2. Click the checkbox next to Surface Mesh Attributes to enable the settings and open the Surface
Mesh Attributes detail panel.

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3. Change the Mesh size type to None.

This option indicates that the mesher will use the global meshing parameters when creating the
mesh on the surface of the pipe walls.
4. Turn on the Boundary layer flag option.
This option allows you to define how the meshing should be handled in the direction normal to the
walls.
5. Set the Resolve option to Total Layer Height.
Mesh elements for a boundary layer are grown in the normal direction from a surface to allow
effective resolution of the steep gradients near no-slip walls. The layers can be specified using a
number of different options. In this tutorial you will specify the height of the first layer, a stretch
ratio for successive layers (growth rate), and the total number of layers to generate. AcuConsole
will resolve the total layer height from the attributes that you provide. That is, total layer height will
be computed based on the height of the first element, the growth rate, and the number of layers
that you provide in the next few steps.
6. Keep the default value, 0.001 m, for First element height.
7. Enter 1.3 for the Growth rate.
8. Enter 4 for the Number of layers.

Figure 37:

Set Meshing Parameters for the Small Pipe

In the following steps you will set meshing parameters that will allow for localized control of the mesh
size near the walls of the small pipe.

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1. Expand the Small Pipe tree item.

Note: You will set the same attributes as for the large pipe.

2. Click the checkbox next to Surface Mesh Attributes to enable the settings and open the Surface
Mesh Attributes detail panel.
3. Change the Mesh size type to None.
4. Turn on the Boundary layer flag option.
5. Set the Resolve option to Total Layer Height.
6. Enter 1.3 for the Growth rate.
7. Enter 4 for the Number of layers.

Figure 38:

8. Save the database to create a backup of your settings.

Generate the Mesh

In the next steps you will generate the mesh that will be used when computing a solution for the problem.

1. Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuMeshSim dialog.

2. Click Ok to begin meshing.
During meshing an AcuTail window will open. Meshing progress is reported in this window. A
summary of the meshing process indicates that the mesh has been generated.

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Figure 39:

3. Display the mesh on surfaces.

a) Right-click Zone Mesh Attributes under Global in the Data Tree and click Display off.
b) Right-click Volumes in the Data Tree and click Display off.
c) Right-click Surfaces in the Data Tree and click Display on.
d) Right-click Surfaces in the Data Tree, select Display type and click solid & wire.
4. Rotate, move, or zoom the view to examine the mesh.
Details of the mesh on the side pipe are shown in Figure 40. The view was obtained by turning off
the display of all surfaces except Symmetry, then zooming in on the regions where the side pipe
joins the main pipe.

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Figure 40: Mesh Details Around the Pipe Intersection Viewed on the Symmetry Plane

Note that the mesh size in the main pipe decreases from left to right in the transition from a region
where global settings determine the size to the zone around the small pipe where the settings are
for a finer mesh.
5. Save the database to create a backup of your settings.

2.3.5 Compute the Solution and Review the Results

Run AcuSolve

In the next steps you will launch AcuSolve to compute the solution for this case.

1. Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuSolve dialog.

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Figure 41:

For this case, the default values will be used.

Based on these settings, AcuConsole will generate the AcuSolve input files, then launch the solver.
AcuSolve will run on a single processor to calculate the steady state solution for this problem.
2. Click Ok to start the solution process.
During meshing an AcuTail window will open. Meshing progress is reported in this window. A
summary of the meshing process indicates that the mesh has been generated.

The information provided in the summary is based on the number of processors used by AcuSolve.
If you used a different number of processors than indicated in this tutorial, the summary for your
run may be slightly different than the summary shown.

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Figure 42:

View Results with AcuFieldView

Now that a solution has been calculated, you are ready to view the flow field using AcuFieldView.
AcuFieldView is a third-party post-processing tool that is tightly integrated to AcuSolve. AcuFieldView can
be started directly from AcuConsole, or it can be started from the Start menu, or from a command line.
In this tutorial you will start AcuFieldView from AcuConsole after the solution is calculated by AcuSolve.

In the next steps you will start AcuFieldView, manipulate the view of the model, display velocity contours
and vectors on the symmetry plane, and display pressure contours on the symmetry plane.

Start AcuFieldView

1. Click on the AcuConsole toolbar to open the Launch AcuFieldView dialog.

2. Click Ok to start AcuFieldView.
When AcuFieldView is started from AcuConsole, the main window and the Boundary Surface dialog
are displayed. The main window is comprised of six components as shown in Figure 43.
• Menu bar
• Main toolbar

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• Transform Controls toolbar

• Viewer toolbar
• Modeling window
• Side toolbar

When you start AcuFieldView from AcuConsole, the results from the last time step of the solution
that were written to disk will be loaded for post-processing.

Menu Bar Transform Controls Main Toolbar

Toolbar

Viewer
Toolbar

Graphics
Side
window
Toolbar

Figure 43: AcuFieldView GUI with Mixing Elbow Loaded

Manipulate the Model View in AcuFieldView

When AcuFieldView is started directly from AcuConsole, the model will be displayed in an isometric view
with a Boundary Surface dialog open. The initial view is shown in perspective, with an outline around
the model. You will manipulate the view in the next steps, and in later steps will view different flow
characteristics using the Boundary Surface dialog.

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Figure 44:

1. Change the background color to white.

a) Click on the View menu.
b) Click Background Color.

Figure 45:

c) Click the white swatch, then click Close.

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Figure 46:

2.
Turn off the display of the outline around the model by clicking on the toolbar.
3. Change the view from perspective to orthographic.
a) Click on the View menu.
b) Click Perspective to disable this option.

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Figure 47:

4. Orient the model to view it from the positive Z direction (+Z).

a)
Click on the toolbar to open the Defined Views dialog.
b)
Click .
You will see the view change as soon as you click a button in the Defined Views dialog.

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Figure 48:

c) (Optional) Close the dialog.

You can move, zoom, and rotate the view in AcuFieldView in a similar fashion as in AcuConsole.
AcuFieldView uses a different mapping for mouse-button actions.

Action Mouse Button

move (pan) left

rotate middle

zoom right

Display Contours of Velocity Magnitude on the Symmetry Plane

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In the next steps you will create a boundary surface to display contours of velocity magnitude on the
symmetry plane.

1.
Click the icon to open the Boundary Surface dialog.

Note: The dialog may already be open. This step will put the focus on the dialog.

2. Disable the Show Mesh option.

3. Set velocity_magnitude as the scalar field to display.
a) Click Select in the Scalar Function control group to open the Function Selection dialog.
b) Select velocity_magnitude from the list.

Note: You may need to scroll down in the list to find velocity_magnitude.

c) Click Calculate.
4. Set the symmetry plane as the location for display of the contours.
a) Click OSF: Symmetry in the list of BOUNDARY TYPES.
b) Click OK.

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Figure 49:

The contours reflect the velocity profiles at the inlets, and show that at the elbow there is a
momentum transfer between the high-velocity side inlet flow and the flow in the main pipe,
represented by the change in the velocity magnitude.
5. Add a legend to the view.
a) In the Boundary Surface dialog, click the Legend tab .
b) Enable the Show Legend option.
c) Enable the Frame option.
d) In the Color group, next to Geometric, click the white color swatch, and then select the black
color swatch to set the color for the legend values to black.
e) Click the white color swatch next to the Title field and set the color for the title to black.
f) Move the legend by Shift+left-clicking and dragging the legend to the left.

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Figure 50:

Add Velocity Vectors to the View

In the next steps you will create a new boundary surface and display velocity vectors on that surface.

1. In the Boundary Surface dialog, in the Surface tab, click Create.

The new Surface ID will be 2.
2. Click the Geometric radio button in the COLORING group.
This sets the color of the vectors to a constant color. By default, the color is black.
3. Set vector options.
a) Click the Vectors radio button.
b) Click Options next to Vectors to open the Vector Options dialog.
c) Enable Head Scaling and set it to 0.5.
This option determines the size of the arrow head compared to the vector.
d) Set the Length Scale to 2.
The length scale determines the length of the vectors.
e) Enable the Skip option and set it to 37.5%.
The Skip option determines the percentage of vectors to skip from being displayed. The setting
of 37.5% will result in 62.5% of the vectors being displayed.

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f) Close the dialog.

4. Set the symmetry plane as the location for display of the vectors.
a) Click OSF: Symmetry in the BOUNDARY TYPES list.
b) Click OK.

Figure 51:

5. Zoom in on the junction of the small inlet with the main pipe to view details of velocity vectors.
a)
Click on the toolbar.
b) Draw a box around the junction of the two pipes.

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Figure 52:

Note: The Show Legend option for the velocity contour (Surface ID 1) is disabled in
order to capture this image.

The velocity vectors indicate the direction of flow. Notice that the velocity vector length corresponds
with the velocity contours. The vectors in the high-velocity region (red) are longest, and those in
the low-velocity region (blue) are shortest.

Display Contours of Pressure on the Symmetry Plane

In the next steps you will create a boundary surface and display contours of pressure on the symmetry
plane.

1. In the Boundary Surface dialog, in the Surface tab, click Create.

The new Surface ID will be 3.

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2. Enable the Smooth option in the DISPLAY TYPE control group.

3. Enable the Scalar option in the COLORING control group.
4. Set pressure as the scalar property to display.
a) Click Select in the Scalar Function control group to open the Function Selection dialog.
b) Select pressure from the list.
c) Click Calculate.
5. Set the symmetry plane as the location for display of the contours.
a) Click OSF: Symmetry in the list of BOUNDARY TYPES.
b) Click OK.
6. Turn off the visibility of the vectors and velocity contours.
a) Change the Surface ID to 2 or by clicking .
b) Disable the Visibility option to hide the velocity vectors.
c) Change the Surface ID to 1.
d) Disable the Visibility option to hide the velocity contours.

Note: Click on the Transform Controls toolbar to resize and center the view.

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Figure 53:

7. Change the color mapping to better resolve differences in the pressure contours.
When the scalar function for pressure is calculated by AcuFieldView, minimum and maximum values
are calculated for use in a colormap for the contour display. You can edit the coloring to better resolve
differences in the pressure distribution.
a) Set the Surface ID in the Boundary Surface dialog to 3.

Note: You could also make this the current surface by double-clicking the surface
in the graphics window.

b) Click the Colormap tab.

c) Enable the Local option.
d) Enter 200 for the upper SCALAR COLORING value.
e) Enter -60 for the lower SCALAR COLORING value.

Note: Decimal entries for values will be converted to scientific notation.

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Figure 54:

Notice that the Min: value for the Function Range changes when the Local option is toggled.
Notice also that the contours, especially near junction of the small pipe and the inside of the
bend in the main pipe, change as the option is toggled.
8. Add a legend to the view.
a) Click the Legend tab in the Boundary Surface dialog.
b) If needed, change the Surface ID to 3.
c) Enable the Show Legend option.
d) Enable the Frame option.
e) Move the legend by Shift+left-clicking and dragging the legend to the left.

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Figure 55:

2.3.6 Summary

In this tutorial you worked through a basic workflow to set up a simulation of flow through a mixing
elbow. Once the case was set up, you generated a mesh and computed a solution using AcuSolve. Results
were post-processed in AcuFieldView to allow you to create contour and vector views along the symmetry
plane of the model. In other tutorials, this basic workflow will be reinforced while additional modeling
capabilities are introduced.

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2.6 ACU-2100: Turbulent Flow Over an Airfoil Using the SST

Turbulence Model

This tutorial provides the instructions for setting up and using the SST and K-Omega turbulence models
in AcuSolve. The application that is investigated is the flow over a NACA0012 airfoil at an angle of attack
of 5 degrees. AcuSolve is used to extract the lift and drag forces on the airfoil. This tutorial is designed to
introduce you to a number of modeling concepts necessary to perform external aerodynamic simulations
using the SST and K-Omega turbulence models.

The basic steps in any CFD simulation were shown in the tutorial, Flow in a Mixing Elbow. The following
additional capabilities of AcuSolve are introduced in this tutorial:
• Use of the SST and/or K-Omega turbulence models
• Use of the farfield boundary condition type
• Use of the Variable Manager to store variables and expressions
• Entry of expressions into the panel area.

2.6 Prerequisites
You should have already run through the introductory tutorial, ACU-2000: Turbulent Flow in a Mixing
Elbow. It is assumed that you have some familiarity with AcuConsole, AcuSolve, and AcuFieldView. You
will also need access to a licensed version of AcuSolve.

Prior to running through this tutorial, copy NACA0012.x_t from <AcuSolve installation directory>
\model_files\tutorials\AcuSolve\Acu_tutorial_inputs.zip to a working directory.

2.6.1 Analyze the Problem

An important first step in any CFD simulation is to examine the engineering problem to be analyzed
and determine the settings that need to be provided to AcuSolve. Settings can be based on geometrical
components (such as volumes, inlets, outlets, or walls) and on flow conditions (such as fluid properties,
velocity, or whether the flow should be modeled as turbulent or as laminar).

The problem to be addressed in this tutorial is shown schematically in the figure below. It consists of
a cylindrical bounding region containing air that flows past a NACA0012 airfoil profile. The simulation is
performed as 2D by including only a single layer of extruded elements in the airfoil span direction. The
velocity vector at the far field boundary of the domain is specified to yield an angle of attack of 5 degrees
and a Reynolds Number of 1.0e6. The airfoil chord is 1 meter, and standard air material properties are
used for the simulation.

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Figure 56:

The diameter of the cylindrical bounding volume for the airfoil is set to 500 times the airfoil chord. This
large bounding volume is selected to ensure that the farfield boundaries are sufficiently far from the airfoil
to prevent any influence of blockage of the domain on the solution.

The initial simulation of this airfoil will be considered fully turbulent and use the SST turbulence model.
These simulation conditions correspond to a scenario where the boundary layer on the leading edge of
the airfoil is tripped with some type of roughness elements to produce a fully turbulent boundary layer
over the length of the airfoil.

2.6.2 Define the Simulation Parameters

Start AcuConsole

In this tutorial, you will begin by creating a database and loading some predefined variables, populating the
geometry-independent settings, loading the geometry, creating groups, setting group attributes, adding
geometry components to groups and assigning mesh controls and boundary conditions to the groups.
Next you will generate a mesh and run AcuSolve to converge on a steady state solution. Finally, you will
review the results using AcuFieldView and AcuProbe.

In the next steps you will start AcuConsole, create the database for storage of AcuConsole settings and
set the location for saving mesh and solution information for AcuSolve.

1. Start AcuConsole from the Windows Start menu by clicking Start > All Programs > Altair
HyperWorks <version> AcuSolve > AcuConsole.
2. Click the File menu, then click New to open the New data base dialog.

Note: You can also open the New data base dialog by clicking on the toolbar.

3. Browse to the location that you would like to use as your working directory.
This directory is where all files related to the simulation will be stored. The AcuConsole database
file (.acs) is stored in this directory. Once the mesh and solution are created, additional files and
directories will be created within this directory.

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4. Create a new folder named TurbulentAirfoil_SST and open this folder.

5. Enter Turbulent_Airfoil_SST as the File name for the database.

Note: In order for other application to be able to read the files written by AcuConsole,
the database path and name should not include spaces.

6. Save the database to create a backup of your settings.

Define Expressions and Variables Using the Variable Manager

In this step, you will use the Variable Manager in AcuConsole to create a list of expressions that will be
used during the model setup process.

The Variable Manager is a useful utility that allows you to define variables and expressions that can later
be referenced as inputs to the various settings used throughout the process of building your model. When
a model is constructed in terms of variables, it is very easy to update the entire model with a simple
change of a single parameter from the Variable Manager. This process will be illustrated in this tutorial.

The AcuConsole expression syntax has two different types of entry methods. The first entry method is
known as immediate evaluation, and uses the = sign to perform assignments of values to a variable. For
example, consider an inlet boundary to a model with an area of 2 m and an average velocity of 2 m/s.
If you want to create a variable called volumeFlowRate, you can enter the expression into the Variable
Manager as follows:

Name Expression

volumeFlowRate =2*2

When using the = syntax, the expression is immediately evaluated when you click out of the text entry
area and the equation used to compute that expression is not stored in the database. However, if you wish
to store the expression as a relationship, you can use the relational expression definition by replacing the
= with :=. In that case, AcuConsole stores the expression and evaluates it when needed. This means that
you can define expressions that are functions of other expressions and changes to one will be propagated
to all other dependent expressions. For example, if you want to redefine the inlet flow rate using a relational
expression, you can do that as follows:

Name Expression

inletArea 2.0

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Name Expression

averageVelocity 2.0

volumeFlowRate :=inletArea*averageVelocity

Using this syntax, the formula for volumeFlowRate is stored in the database and will automatically update
whenever the inletArea or averageVelocity are updated. Any variables that are defined in the Variable
Manager can be referenced when specifying an integer or floating point value in the panels area. The
same expression syntax can be used.

1. Click the Variable List icon from the main toolbar:

Figure 57:

The Variable Manager opens.

2. To create new variables in the Variable Manager, click Add.
3. For Name, enter ReynoldsNumber.
4. For Expression enter 1000000.
5. For Description, enter Target Reynolds number for the simulation.
6. Repeat this process for the remaining variables shown in the table below:

Table 57:

Name Expression Description

ReynoldsNumber 1000000 Target Reynolds number for

the simulation

rho 1.225 Density of air

mu 1.781e-5 Molecular viscosity of air

chord 1.0 Airfoil chord

alpha 5.0 Angle of attack (degrees)

windSpeed :=ReynoldsNumber*mu/ Velocity of air (m/s)

(rho*chord)

xVelocity :=windSpeed*cos(alpha*deg)X component of velocity

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Name Expression Description

yVelocity :=windSpeed*sin(alpha*deg)Y component of velocity

turbIntensity 0.00025 Turbulence intensity

viscosityRatio 0.03 Viscosity ratio (turbulent

viscosity / molecular
viscosity)

globalMeshSize :=200*chord Global maximum element

size

surfaceMeshSize :=.02*chord Maximum surface element

size

firstLayerHeight 1.2e-5 Boundary layer first layer

height

stretchRatio 1.2 Boundary layer element

growth rate

totalLayerHeight 0.004 Total height of boundary

layer element stack

sweepAngle 7.0 Sweep angle for boundary

layer blends at sharp edges

Once the expressions are entered, the Variable Manager should appear similar to what is shown
below:

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Figure 58:

7. At this point all variables and expressions are defined and you can close the Variable Manager by
selecting Close.

Set General Simulation Parameters

In the next steps you will set parameters that apply globally to the simulation. To simplify this task, you
will use the BAS filter in the Data Tree Manager. The BAS filter limits the options in the Data Tree to show
only the basic settings.

The general attributes that you will set for this tutorial are for turbulent flow, and steady state time
analysis.

1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.

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Figure 59:

2. Double-click the Global Data Tree item to expand it.

Tip: You can also expand a tree item by clicking next to the item name.

Figure 60:

3. Double-click Problem Description to open the Problem Description detail panel.

4. Enter NACA0012 Airfoil as the Title for this case.
5. Enter Fully turbulent as the Sub title for this case.
6. Change the Analysis type to Steady State.
7. Click the Turbulence equation drop down menu to see the available turbulence models.

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Figure 61:

8. Select the SST turbulence model. Note that the SST and K-Omega models both require the same
set of inputs. So, the steps in this tutorial also apply to the K-omega model. If you wish to use the
K-Omega model instead of SST, you can select it from this menu.

Figure 62:

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Set Solution Strategy Parameters

In the next steps you will set the parameters that control the behavior of AcuSolve as it progresses during
the transient solution.

1. Double-click Auto Solution Strategy to open the Auto Solution Strategy detail panel.
2. Enter 0.4 for Relaxation factor.
This value is used to improve convergence of the solution. Typically a value between 0.2 and 0.4
provides a good balance between achieving a smooth progression of the solution and the extra
compute time needed to reach convergence. Higher relaxation factors cause AcuSolve to take more
time steps to reach a steady state solution. A high relaxation factor is sometimes necessary in order
to achieve convergence for very complex applications.

Figure 63:

Set Material Model Parameters

In the next steps you will modify the pre-defined material properties of air using an expression that was
created in the Variable Manager.

1. Double-click Material Model in the Data Tree to expand it.

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2. Double-click Air in the Data Tree to open the Air detail panel.
3. Click the Density tab and in the Density value field, enter :=rho.
This sets the value of density to be equal to the value entered in the Variable Manager.
4. Click the Viscosity tab and enter :=mu in the Viscosity field.
This sets the value of viscosity to be equal to the value entered in the Variable Manager.

Define Nodal Initial Conditions

In the next steps you will define the nodal initial conditions.

1. In the Data Tree double-click Nodal Initial Conditions.

For the SST and K-Omega turbulence models, you need to enter the initial values for Kinetic energy
and Eddy frequency. If you have a reasonable estimate of these values, you can enter them directly
in the fields. One option is to use the same values that are assigned at the inlet boundary. In the
absence of good estimates for the initial conditions, it is also possible to let AcuSolve perform an
automatic initialization of the turbulence variables. By leaving these values set to zero, AcuSolve
will trigger an automatic initialization of these variables.
2. Set the Kinetic energy and Eddy frequency to 0.0 to trigger the automatic initialization.

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Figure 64:

Save the Database

Save the database to create a backup of your settings.

1. Save the database to create a backup of your settings. This can be achieved with any of the following
methods.
• Click the File menu, then click Save.
• Click on the toolbar.
• Click Ctrl+S.

Note: Changes made in AcuConsole are saved into the database file (.acs) as they
are made. A save operation copies the database to a backup file, which can be used
to reload the database from that saved state in the event that you do not want to
commit future changes.

2.6.3 Import Geometry and Define the Model

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Import Airfoil Geometry

You will import the geometry in the next part of this tutorial. You will need to know the location of
NACA0012.x_t in order to complete these steps. This file contains the solid model of airfoil in the Parasolid
ASCII format.

1. Click the File menu, then Import.

2. Set the file filter to Parasolid File(*.x_t).
3. Browse to the directory containing NACA0012.x_t.
4. Select NACA0012.x_t and click Open to open the Import Geometry dialog.
5. In the Import Geometry dialog, set Volume Group Option to All in default.
6. In the Import Geometry dialog, set Surface Group Option to All in default.
7. Click OK to close the dialog.

Create a Volume Group and Apply Volume Parameters

Volume groups are containers used for storing information about volumes. This information includes the
list of geometric volumes associated with the container, as well as parameters such as material models
and mesh sizing information.

When the geometry was imported into AcuConsole, all volumes were placed into the default volume
container.

In the next steps you will rename the default group to Fluid, set the material for that group and add the
volume from the geometry to that volume group.

1. Expand the Model Tree.

2. Expand Volumes.
3. Toggle the display of the default volume container by clicking and next to the volume name.

Note: You may not see any change when toggling the display if Surfaces are being
displayed, as surfaces and volumes may overlap.

4. Rename the default group.

a) Right-click default.
b) Click Rename.
c) Enter Fluid.
5. Expand Fluid in the Data Tree.
6. Double-click Element Set to open the Element Set detail panel.

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7. Ensure that the Material model is set to Air.

Figure 65:

Create Surface Groups and Apply Surface Parameters

Surface groups are containers used for storing information about a surface. This information includes the
list of geometric surfaces associated with the container, as well as parameters such as boundary conditions,
surface outputs and mesh sizing information.

In the next steps you will define surface groups, assign the appropriate parameters for each group in the
problem and add surfaces to the groups.

Set Farfield Boundary Conditions

In the next steps you will define a surface group for the farfield boundary, set the inlet velocity and add
the corresponding surface from the geometry to this group.

1. Add a new surface group by right-clicking Surfaces and click New.

2. Rename Surface 1 to Far Field.
3. Expand the Far Field surface in the tree.
4. Right-click Far Field in the Model Tree.
5. Select Add to.
6. Select the edge surface in the visualization window (highlighted in gray below) and then select Done.

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Figure 66:

7. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition under Far Field to open the Simple Boundary
Condition detail panel.
8. Change the Type to Far Field.
When using the Far field boundary condition, you need to enter the vector direction of the flow
velocity. Based on this direction, AcuSolve determines whether each element face should be acting as
an inlet or an outlet. Using this direction vector, in conjunction with the outward facing normal at each
element, it applies the appropriate boundary conditions to the faces of the model. For faces where
the flow is entering the model, a nodal boundary condition for velocity and turbulence variables is
assigned. For faces where the flow is exiting the model, an element boundary condition for pressure
is assigned, that is, an outflow condition.
To facilitate ease in changing the angle of attack for this simulation, you will set the inlet velocity
vector at the far field boundary using the variables that were previously defined. Set the values
using the following inputs.
9. For X Velocity, enter :=xVelocity.
10. For Y Velocity, enter :=yVelocity.
When using the SST or k-omega turbulence models, you need to provide values for the Kinetic
energy and Eddy frequency at far field boundaries. AcuConsole supports various different ways of
doing this. You can specify the values directly using turbulence input type = Direct, or you can have
AcuConsole compute the values based on an estimation of the Turbulence Intensity and Length Scale

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or based on an estimation of the Turbulence Intensity and Viscosity Ratio. For this case, we will use
the Turbulence Intensity and Viscosity Ratio.
11. Set Turbulence input type to Intensity Viscosity Ratio.
12. Set Turbulence intensity type to Value.
13. Set Percent turbulence intensity to :=turbIntensity*100
14. Set Turbulence viscosity ratio to :=viscosityRatio.

Figure 67:

Set Remaining Boundary Conditions

In the next steps you will define surface groups for slip and wall boundaries.

1. Add a new surface group by right-clicking Surfaces and click New.

2. Rename Surface 1 to +z slip.
3. Expand the +z slip surface in the tree.
4. Right-click +z slip.
5. Select Add to.
6. Select the edge surface in the visualization window (highlighted in gray below) and then select Done.

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Figure 68:

7. Click Simple Boundary Condition.

8. Set Type to Symmetry.
9. Add another new surface group by right-clicking Surfaces and click New.
10. Rename Surface 1 to -z slip.
11. Expand the -z slip surface in the tree.
12. Right-click -z slip in the Model Tree.
13. Select Add to.
14. Select the edge surface in the visualization window (highlighted in gray below) and then select Done.

Figure 69:

15. Click Simple Boundary Condition.

16. Set Type to Symmetry.
17. In the tree, rename the default surface to airfoil.
18. Expand the airfoil surface in the tree.

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19. Turn off the display of the other surfaces in the Model Tree and then zoom into the remaining surface.
20. Right-click airfoil in the Model Tree.
21. Select Add to.
22. Select the edge surface in the visualization window (shown below) and then select Done.

Figure 70:

23. Click Simple Boundary Condition.

24. Set Type to Wall. Leave all the default settings.

2.6.4 Assign Mesh Controls

Set Global Meshing Parameters

Now that the simulation has been defined, parameters need to be added to define the mesh sizes that
will be created by the mesher.

AcuConsole supports three levels of meshing control, global, zone and geometric.
• Global mesh controls apply to the whole model without being tied to any geometric component of
the model.
• Zone mesh controls apply to a defined region of the model, but are not associated with a particular
geometric component.
• Geometric mesh controls are applied to a specific geometric component. These controls can be
applied to volume groups, surface groups or edge groups.

1. Click MSH in the Data Tree Manager to filter the settings in the Data Tree to show only the controls
related to meshing.
2. Double-click the Global Data Tree item to expand it.
3. Double-click Global Mesh Attributes to open the Global Mesh Attributes detail panel.

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4. Change the Mesh size type to Absolute.

5. Set Absolute mesh size to :=globalMeshSize.
6. Set the Curvature refinement parameters to Off.
7. Set the Mesh growth rate to 1.2.
When this option is set, the mesher will ensure that the mesh grows smoothly when transitioning
between different size. Note that the growth rate of 1.2 does not directly corresponds to a change in
length scale of adjacent elements of 1.2, but rather a gradual expansion. The mesh growth rate can
be adjusted between a value of 1 and 2. Values closer to 1.0 indicate a smoother transition, whereas
a value closer to 2.0 indicates a faster transition. A value of 1.0 disables this setting and reverts to
the default meshing behavior. It should be noted that this option can significantly increase the time
necessary to produce the mesh as well as the total number of nodes/elements created by the mesher.
8. Set Maximum sweep angle to :=sweepAngle.
This setting instructs the mesher to use the sweepAngle parameter to define the maximum angle
between radial element lines when creating radial edge blends during the boundary layer meshing
process.

Figure 71:

Set Mesh Process Parameters

Due to the large range of mesh sizes that will be created on the surface of the airfoil, you will need to
instruct the boundary layer mesher how to resolve poor quality elements that result from the requested
boundary layer controls. For example, you request the boundary layers to grow to a constant height across
the airfoil surface, but the local surface element size varies drastically. So, in some areas this will lead to
boundary layer elements that are much taller than they are wide. The mesher views this as a poor quality
element and needs to resolve this in some manner. There are two mechanisms by which to resolve this:
• Locally reduce the number of layers in the boundary layer stack to maintain high quality boundary
layer elements.
• Locally reduce the height of the boundary layer stack, but keep the total number of layers constant.
Using this approach, the height of each layer is scaled by a constant factor to reduce the total height
of the stack and avoid the creation of the poor quality boundary layer elements.

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For this simulation, the mesher will locally reduce the height of the boundary layer stack.

1. Under the Global Tree, double-click on Mesh Process Attributes.

2. In the detail panel, set the Shrink mixed flag to On.
3. Set the 2D Boundary layer adjacent height smoothing ratio to 0.25.
This parameter controls how smoothly the local boundary layer heights vary from one element to
the next after the layers height are adjusted locally to resolve poor quality elements. A low value
of this parameter smooths the variation in height over a large distance, while a value closer to 1.0
enforces a more abrupt change in height. Note that there are separate values of this setting for
2D and 3D boundary layers. For this application, you will be creating a 2D mesh and extruding it
in the third direction to create the volume. Therefore, the 2D setting will control the behavior of
the mesh in this case.

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Figure 72:

Set Surface Mesh Parameters

The surface mesh size on the airfoil is controlled through a combination of the mesh size set on the
perimeter edges of the airfoil and the mesh size applied directly to the surface. In this tutorial you will
also use the region of influence option of the surface mesh to create a refined mesh at a specified distance
from the airfoil surface.

1. Expand Model > Surfaces > Airfoil.

2. Activate the Surface Mesh Attributes option.

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3. Select Absolute as the Mesh size type.

4. Enter :=surfaceMeshSize as the Absolute mesh size.
This assigns a constant mesh size on the surface that corresponds to the value created in the
“surfaceMeshSize” variable.
5. Set the Region of influence parameters to On.
6. Set the Influence type to Simple.
When using a region of influence type = Simple, the mesh size that was assigned on the surface
is maintained for a specified distance from the surface. The distance from the surface at which the
surface mesh size is retained is defined by the "Influence distance”. It is also possible to scale the
mesh size as a function of distance from the surface. This can be achieved by setting the influence
size factor. When this value is set, the local mesh size is linearly interpolated from the size specified
on the surface to the scaled value at the furthest extent of the refinement distance. Note that the
size used by the “region of influence” meshing is the absolute mesh size that is defined in the surface
mesh attributes parameter. It does not take into account any local variation of the mesh size due
to curvature refinement, and so on. Therefore, the current settings on the airfoil surface are only
used to drive the region of influence sizing. The desired element size on the surface to resolve the
shape of the airfoil will be controlled with edge meshing.
7. Set Boundary layer flag to On.
8. Set the Boundary layer type to Full Control.
9. For the Resolve field, select Number of Layers.
With this setting, you will specify the first layer height of the boundary layer elements, the total
layer height and the growth rate. The total number of layers required to satisfy these settings will
be computed by AcuConsole.
10. For First element height, enter :=firstLayerHeight.
11. For Total layer height, enter :=totalLayerHeight.
12. For Growth rate, enter :=stretchRatio
13. Set the Boundary layer blends flag to On.
14. Set the Boundary layer element type to Tetrahedron.
15. Set the Maximum sweep angle to :=sweepAngle.
With these settings, the boundary layer mesher will create radial edge blends with a maximum angle
defined by the sweepAngle variable.

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Figure 73:

Set Edge Mesh Parameters

To create an optimum mesh on the surface of the airfoil, it is necessary to have high levels of refinement
near the leading and trailing edges and a large element size near the mid chord. Since the surface mesh
size was set to constant to serve as the size that is propagated into the volume for the region of influence
refinement, you will use an edge mesh parameter to control the placement of nodes along the airfoil
surface. To accomplish this, you will first need to create an edge group that contains the perimeter edges
of the airfoil.

1. Add a new edge by right-clicking Edges and click New.

2. Rename Edge 1 to Perimeter Edges.
3. Select the two perimeter edges of the airfoil to add them to this group.
a) Right-click Perimeter Edges and click Add to.
b) Select the two perimeter edges of the airfoil shown below.

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Figure 74:

c) Select Done.
4. Activate Edge Mesh Attributes and then double-click on it.
5. Set the Mesh size type to Absolute Expression.

Figure 75:

6. Click on the Absolute mesh size expression button to open a text editor where you can write
an expression for the mesh size.
This expression will be evaluated by the mesher to determine the local mesh size that should be
used at each location on edges in the edge set.
7. Enter the following expression:

sizeMin = 0.0025
sizeMax = 0.1

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xMin =(0.0)
xMax =(1.0)

xCenter =((xMin+xMax)/2.0)
dx = ((xMax-xMin)/2.0)

fac = ((dx - abs(x-xCenter) )/dx )

power = (ln(sizeMax/sizeMin))
expVal = sizeMin*exp(power*fac)

linVal = sizeMin+(sizeMax-sizeMin)*fac

value = expVal

This expression takes the min and max surface mesh size (sizeMin and sizeMax) along with the
location of the leading and trailing edge (xMin and xMax) and computes a logarithmic expansion
of the surface mesh size as a function of distance from the leading and trailing edges. The mesh
size at the leading and trailing edge corresponds to sizeMin and the size at the mid chord location
corresponds to sizeMax.

Figure 76:

8. Click Ok to close this text editor area and accept the expression.

Set Mesh Extrusion Parameters

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The final step in the setup of the meshing for the airfoil is the creation of a mesh extrusion attribute. This
extrusion will be defined such that a single element is created across the span of the airfoil.

1. Create a new Mesh Extrusion.

a) Right-click Mesh Extrusions and select New.
b) Right-click Mesh Extrusion 1 and select Rename.
c) Rename it to Z extrusion.
2. Double-click Z extrusion to open the settings dialog.
Two types of extrusion are supported with the mesh extrusion attributes. The first type is surface.
When selecting this type, the input to the mesher is a set of two surfaces for which the mesh will be
extruded between. The resulting mesh is an extruded volume mesh. The second type of extrusion
that is supported is an edge extrusion. Using this type of extrusion, two edges are chosen and the
resulting mesh is an extruded surface mesh that lies between the two edges. For this application,
you will set Geometry type to surface to generate an extruded volume mesh.
3. Ensure the Geometry type is set to surface.
4. For Side 1, from the drop down, select +z slip.
5. For Side 2, from the drop down, select –z slip.
6. Set the Extrusion type to Number of layers.
7. Enter 1 for the total number of layers.
8. Under Extrusion options, select Mixed elements to create a single layer of extruded prism elements
across the span of the airfoil.
9. Click OK to accept these settings.

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Figure 77:

Generate the Mesh

In the next steps you will generate the mesh that will be used when computing a solution for the problem.

1. Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuMeshSim dialog.

2. Leave the default settings and select OK.
3. Inspect the mesh around the surface of the airfoil.
Note the refinement at the leading and trailing edge of the airfoil that resulted from the expression
that was used for edge mesh attributes. Also note the refinement of the mesh around the airfoil
surface. This was caused by the region of influence meshing.
4. Zoom in on the trailing edge of the airfoil to see the impact of setting the boundary layer blends flag
to on. The radial edge blend at the trailing edge of the airfoil is clearly evident.

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Figure 78:

2.6.5 Compute the Solution and Review the Results

Run AcuSolve and Examine the .log File

In the next steps, you will launch AcuSolve to compute the solution for this case.

1. Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuSolve dialog.

2. Enter 4 for Number of processors, if your system has 4 or more processors.
The use of multiple processors can reduce solution time.
3. Ensure the Restart radio button is set to Off.
4. Accept all other default settings.
Based on these settings, AcuConsole will generate the AcuSolve input files, then launch the solver.
AcuSolve will run on four processors to calculate the transient solution for this problem.
5. Select Ok to start the solution process.
As the solution progresses, an AcuTail dialog will open. Solution progress is reported in this dialog. A
summary of the solution process indicates that the simulation has been completed. The information
provided in the summary is based on the number of processors used by AcuSolve.

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6. Once the analysis is complete, scroll up to the top of the file and look for the message about initializing
turbulence field values.
This is because the nodal initial conditions were set to 0. Notice that it reports the min, max and
average values of the initialized variables.

Figure 79:

7. Review a single timestep.

One thing to notice is that eddy frequency and kinetic energy are solved for three times in each
timestep. This is the most efficient way to get a converged solution when using the SST and k-
omega turbulence models.

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Figure 80:

8. Click Close to close the .log file.

Monitor the Solution with AcuProbe

While AcuSolve is running, you can monitor the kinetic energy using AcuProbe.

1.
Click on the toolbar to open the AcuProbe dialog.
2. Clear the plot by right-clicking Residual Ratio and selecting Plot None.
3. Expand Residual Ratio and All.
4. Right-click kinetic_energy and select Plot.

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Figure 81:

5. Right-click kinetic_energy and select Don’t Plot to clear the plot.

6. Right-click Final and select Plot All.

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Figure 82:

7. Close the AcuProbe dialog.

Start AcuFieldView

1. Click on the AcuConsole toolbar to open the Launch AcuFieldView dialog.

2. Click OK to start AcuConsole.

When you start AcuFieldView from AcuConsole, the results from the last time step of the solution
that were written to the disk will be loaded for post-processing.

Display Square Root of the Eddy Period

In the next steps you will create a boundary surface to display contours of a new variable, called the square
root of the eddy period. When solving for the SST and k-omega turbulence models, AcuSolve introduces
three new variables to the output; kinetic_energy (k), eddy_frequency (ω) and sqrt_eddy_per ( ). The
sqrt_eddy_per variable is useful for visualizing the turbulent time scale since the eddy_frequency variable
has such a large range of values, it is often times easier to visualize sqrt_eddy_per.

These steps are provided with the assumption that you are able to manipulate the view in AcuFieldView. If
you are unfamiliar with basic AcuFieldView operations, refer to Manipulate the Model View in AcuFieldView.

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1.
Click on the side toolbar to open the Boundary Surface dialog.

Note: The dialog may already be open. This step will put the focus on the dialog.

2. Under Scalar Function, click Select.

3. Select sqrt_eddy_period and then select Calculate.

Note: You may have to scroll down to find sqrt_eddy_period. This is a new variable
and it represents one over the square root of omega. It has been added as it is a more
well bounded variable to plot, as compared to the eddy frequency.

Figure 83:

4. Zoom into the airfoil to view the sqrt_eddy_period around the airfoil.

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Figure 84:

Change the Angle of Attack and Compute the Solution

Because this database was set up using variables and expressions, it is easy to re-run the simulation again
using a different angle of attack. To accomplish this, open the Variable Manager, and set “alpha” to 0.0.
Because the xVelocity and yVelocity variables that were defined for the initial and boundary conditions are
a function of this parameter, the database will automatically be updated to reflect the new settings. You
can simply write the input again and run the solver to obtain the zero angle of attack solution.

1.

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2.9 ACU-2200: Transition Flow over an Airfoil Using the SA

Transition Models

2.9
This tutorial provides the instructions for setting up, solving and viewing results for a steady simulation
of transition flow over a S809 airfoil using the SA transition models. AcuSolve is used to compute the
intermittency and predict the point where the boundary layer transitions from the laminar mode to
turbulence mode. This tutorial is designed to introduce you to the modeling concepts necessary to perform
simulations using the transition models coupled with the SA Turbulence model.

The basic steps in a CFD simulation were shown in ACU-2000: Turbulent Flow in a Mixing Elbow and the
steps to set up external turbulent flow were shown in ACU-2100: Turbulent Flow Over an Airfoil Using the
SST Turbulence Model. The following additional capabilities of AcuSolve are introduced in this tutorial:
• Use of the Gamma transition model
• Use of the Gamma-ReTheta transition model

In this tutorial you will do the following:

• Analyze the problem
• Start AcuConsole and create a simulation database
• Set general problem parameters
• Set solution strategy parameters
• Import the geometry for the simulation
• Create a volume group and apply volume parameters
• Create surface group and apply volume parameters
• Set global and local meshing parameters
• Generate the mesh
• Run AcuSolve
• Monitor the solution with AcuProbe
• Post-processing the nodal output with AcuFieldView

2.9 Prerequisites
You should have already run through the introductory tutorial, ACU-2000: Turbulent Flow in a Mixing
Elbow. It is assumed that you have some familiarity with AcuConsole, AcuSolve, and AcuFieldView. You
will also need access to a licensed version of AcuSolve.

Prior to running through this tutorial, copy Acu_tutorial_input.zip from <AcuSolve installation
directory>\model_files\tutorials\AcuSolve\Acu_tutorial_inputs.zip to a working directory.
Extract s809_blunt.x_t from Acu_tutorial_input.zip.

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The color of objects shown in the graphics window in this tutorial and those displayed on your screen
may differ. The default color scheme in AcuConsole is "random," in which colors are randomly assigned to
groups as they are created. In addition, this tutorial was developed on Windows. If you are running this
tutorial on a different operating system, you may notice a slight difference between the images displayed
on your screen and the images shown in the tutorial.

2.9.1 Analyze the Problem

2.9.1
An important step in any CFD simulation is to examine the engineering problem and determine the
important parameters that need to be provided to AcuSolve. Parameters can be based on geometrical
components (such as volumes, inlets, outlets, or walls) and on flow conditions (such as fluid properties,
velocity, or whether the flow should be modeled as turbulent or as laminar).

The problem to be addressed in this tutorial is shown schematically in Figure 1. It consists of a cylindrical
bounding region containing air that flows past a S809 airfoil profile. The simulation is performed as the
two-dimensional problem by including only a single layer of extruded elements in the airfoil span direction.
The velocity vector at the far field boundary of the domain is specified to yield an angle of attack of one
degree and a Reynolds Number of ~250000. The airfoil chord is 1 m, and standard air material properties
are used for the simulation.

Figure 85: S809 Airfoil in the Flow Domain

The diameter of the cylindrical bounding volume for the airfoil is set to 500 times the airfoil chord. This
large bounding volume is selected to ensure that the farfield boundaries are sufficiently far from the airfoil
to prevent any influence of blockage of the domain on the solution.

The simulation will be carried out by activating the turbulence transition models. The underlying turbulence
model used will be the one-equation Spalart-Allmaras model. The problem will be solved with the transition
models available in AcuSolve – the one-equation Gamma and the two-equation Gamma-ReTheta transition
models. As the name suggests, the transition models predict the point where the boundary layer transitions
from the laminar mode to turbulence mode. When in the turbulence regime, the underlying turbulence
model, SA in this case, will be used to determine the flow characteristics.

2.9.2 Introduction to Theory

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2.9.2 Transition and Transition Models

In the real world, laminar flow and turbulent flow coexist when obstacles are located inside of a fluid
flow. Transition flows from laminar to turbulent flow regimes can be found in many industrial applications
including turbomachinery, vehicles, drones, and wind turbines.

A transition from laminar flow to turbulent flow occurs due to various external factors such as freestream
turbulence level (vertical disturbances), sound waves (acoustic disturbances), temperature fluctuations
(entropy disturbances), streamwise pressure gradients, surface roughness, surface curvature, and
vibration. Depending on the external factor or factors, the development of various transition (instability)
mechanisms cause the flow to trip from laminar to turbulent. Here are three main mechanisms responsible
for transition:
a. Natural Transition: In the laminar flow regime, viscous forces usually damp out the disturbances.
However, when the free stream turbulence is low (below 1%) and the Reynolds number is higher
than the critical Reynolds number, viscous forces destabilize the shear layer, causing the fluid to
transition to a turbulent regime via the development of the three initial disturbances (waves, vorticity
and vortex breakdown). This mechanism is called the Natural Transition. It is usually very subtle
and progresses very slowly, over a long distance scale.
b. Bypass Transition: When the initial disturbances are high (due to surface roughness or freestream
turbulence levels higher than 1%), turbulence are generated without development of the three
initial disturbances (T-S waves, spanwise vorticity, and vortex breakdown) observed in the natural
transition.
c. Separated-Inducted Transition: When a laminar flow experiences adverse pressure gradients (such
as airfoil suction surfaces and flow over a sphere), the fluid flow detaches from the wall surface. If the
disturbances are low, separation can cause the generation of structures found in natural transition.
Larger disturbances generate Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities, where vortices roll up before breaking
down into turbulence. The process involved in separation-induced transition depends on the size of
the adverse pressure gradient and the presence of additional disturbances (for example, obstacles).

Since transition affects the flow development, lift, drag, heat transfer, and others, it is important to predict
the transition phenomena properly. It is known that conventional turbulence models over-predict the wall-
shear stress for transitional flows. Thus, transition models can be used to improve the accuracy of CFD
solutions when flows encounter transition in the boundary layer.

2.9.2 Transition Models in AcuSolve

AcuSolve has two transition models (Gamma-ReTheta and Gamma) coupled with the Spalart-Allmaras (SA)
and the Shear Stress Transport (SST) turbulence models, resulting in total of four choices of the transition
modelling, including: SA-Gamma, SA-Gamma-ReTheta, SST-Gamma, and SST-Gamma-ReTheta.
a. Gamma-ReTheta Transition Model: The Gamma-ReTheta () model is a correlation-based
intermittency model that predicts natural, bypass, and separation-induced transition mechanisms.
It is based on two transport equations for intermittency () and transition momentum thickness
Reynolds number (). The intermittency is a measure of the flow regime that varies between zero

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(laminar) and one (fully turbulent). It is used to turn on the turbulent kinetic energy production in
the turbulent kinetic energy equation, while the transition momentum thickness Reynolds number
is used as the transition onset criteria. The Gamma-ReTheta model is more suitable for cases when
freestream turbulence intensity may be high or adverse pressure gradients are present in the flow.
Most internal flows and some external flows fall in this category.
b. Gamma Transition Model: The Gamma () transition model is a one-equation transition model and
follows Galilean invariance by modifying the correlations. The Gamma transition model is well suited
for the external aerodynamic cases where freestream turbulence intensity is low.

2.9.2 Transition Model Usage Guidelines

a. Meshing Guidelines
i. Generate boundary layer meshes on surfaces where transition onset occurs
ii. The first layer height of the boundary layer mesh should be y+ < 5
iii. The stretch ratio of the boundary layer mesh should be in the range between 1.1 and 1.2
iv. The transition between the boundary layer mesh and the freestream mesh should be smooth
v. The streamwise surface mesh spacing should be small enough to capture separation bubbles
b. Convergence Monitoring
i. The residual and solution ratios of the transition simulations are sometimes stagnated
(commonly seen when the bubble forms near the leading-edge of an airfoil)
ii. Despite the appearance of residual and/or solution ratio stagnations, the integrated force and
moment over the airfoil could be converged to the satisfactory level. Thus, the monitoring of
quantities such as lift, drag, thrust, power, torque, etc. is highly suggested.

The purpose of this tutorial is to provide the instructions for setting up the steady transition simulation
of the S809 airfoil using the SST transition models. To keep the total computing time within 5 minutes,
some of the meshing guidelines described above have not been followed. However, you must follow these
guidelines when solving a problem if a high accuracy in results is desired.

This tutorial consists of two parts. In the first part, you will setup and solve the problem, using the Gamma
transition model. After successfully having run the problem with the Gamma model, you will modify the
database setup to use the Gamma-ReTheta transition model, and generate the solution again.

2.9.3 Define the Simulation Parameters

Start AcuConsole

In this tutorial, you will begin by creating a database, populating the geometry-independent settings,
loading the geometry, creating volume and surface groups, setting group attributes, adding geometry
components to groups and assigning mesh controls and boundary conditions to the groups. Next you will

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generate a mesh and run AcuSolve to solve for the number of time steps specified. Finally, you will review
some characteristics using AcuFieldView.

In the next steps you will start AcuConsole, create the database for storage of the simulation settings.

1. Start AcuConsole from the Windows Start menu by clicking Start > All Programs > Altair
HyperWorks <version> AcuSolve > AcuConsole.
2. Click the File menu, then click New to open the New data base dialog.

Note: You can also open the New data base dialog by clicking on the toolbar.

3. Browse to the location that you would like to use as your working directory.
This directory is where all files related to the simulation will be stored. The AcuConsole database
file (.acs) is stored in this directory. Once the mesh and solution are created, additional files and
directories will be created within this directory.
4. Create a new folder named SA_Transition_Models and open this folder.
5. Enter sa_transition as the File name for the database.

Note: In order for other applications to be able to read the files written by AcuConsole,
the database path and name should not include spaces.

6. Save the database to create a backup of your settings.

Define Expressions and Variables Using the Variable Manager

In this step, you will use the Variable Manager in AcuConsole to create a list of expressions that will be
used during the model setup process.

1. Click the Variable List icon from the main toolbar:

Figure 86:

The Variable Manager opens.

2. To create new variables in the Variable Manager, click Add.
3. For Name, enter Uinf.
4. For Expression, enter 4.0.

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5. For Description, enter Free Stream Velocity of Air.

6. Repeat this process for the remaining variables shown in the table below:

Table 86:

Name Expression Description

Uinf 4.0 Free Stream Velocity of Air

alpha 1.0 Angle of attack (degrees)

xVel :=Uinf * cos(alpha*deg) X component of velocity

yVel :=Uinf * sin(alpha*deg) Y component of velocity

Once the expressions are entered, the Variable Manager should appear similar to what is shown
below:

Figure 87:

7. At this point all variables and expressions are defined and you can close the Variable Manager by
selecting Close.

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Set General Simulation Parameters

In the next steps you will set attributes that apply globally to the simulation. To simplify this task, you
will use the BAS filter in the Data Tree Manager. The BAS filter limits the options in the Data Tree to show
only the basic settings.

1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.

Figure 88:

2. Double-click the Global Data Tree item to expand it.

Tip: You can also expand a tree item by clicking next to the item name.

Figure 89:

3. Double-click Problem Description to open the Problem Description detail panel.

4. Enter S809 as the Title for this case.
5. Enter SAS Transition as the Sub title for this case.
6. Ensure the Analysis type is set to Steady State.
7. Click Turbulence equation and select Spalart Allmaras.
8. Click Turbulence Transition model and select Gamma.

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Figure 90:

Set Solution Strategy Parameters

1. Double-click Auto Solution Strategy to open the Auto Solution Strategy detail panel.
2. Check that the Analysis type is set to Steady State.
3. Set the Max time steps to 100.
4. Set the Convergence tolerance to 0.0001.
5. Enter 0.5 for Relaxation factor.
6. Ensure that both the Turbulence and Turbulence transition flags are set to On.

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Figure 91:

Set Material Model Parameters

AcuConsole has three pre-defined standard materials, Air, Aluminium, and Water, with standard
parameters defined. In the next steps you will check and if needed modify the material characteristics of
the predefined "Air" model to match the desired properties for this problem.

1. Double-click Material Model in the Data Tree to expand it.

2. Double-click Air in the Data Tree to open the Air detail panel.
The Material type for air is Fluid. Fluid is the default material type for any new material created
in AcuConsole.
3. In the Density tab check the following.
a) The Type is set to Constant
3
b) The Density value is set to 1.225 kg/m
4. Click the Viscosity tab.

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-5
The viscosity of air is 1.781 x 10 kg/m - sec

The remaining thermal and other material properties are not critical to this simulation. However, you
may browse through the tabs to check the complete material specification.
5. Save the database to create a backup of your settings. This can be achieved with any of the following
methods.
• Click the File menu, then click Save.
• Click on the toolbar.
• Click Ctrl+S.

Note: Changes made in AcuConsole are saved into the database file (.acs) as they
are made. A save operation copies the database to a backup file, which can be used
to reload the database from that saved state in the event that you do not want to
commit future changes.

Set Initial Conditions

1. Under Global in the Data Tree, double-click Nodal Initial Condition to open the dialog in the detail
panel.
2. Set the X velocity to :=xVel.
3. Set the Y velocity to :=yVel.
This will set the X and Y velocities equal to the values specified in the Variable Manager.

For the Spalart-Allmaras turbulence model, you need to provide the initial value for Eddy viscosity. For
the Gamma transition model, you need to provide the initial value for Intermittency, or . If you have
a reasonable estimate of these values, you can enter them directly in the nodal initial condition fields.
One option is to use the same values that are assigned at the inlet boundary. In the absence of good
estimates for the initial conditions, it is also possible to let AcuSolve perform an automatic initialization
of the turbulence and transition variables. By setting these values to zero, AcuSolve will trigger an
automatic initialization of these variables.
4. Set the Eddy viscosity and Intermittency to 0.0 to trigger the automatic initialization.

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Figure 92:

5. Save the database to create a backup of your settings.

2.9.4 Import Geometry and Define the Model

Import Airfoil Geometry

You will import the geometry in the next part of this tutorial. You will need to know the location of
s809_blunt.x_t in order to complete these steps. This file contains the solid model of airfoil in the
Parasolid ASCII format.

1. Click the File menu, then Import.

2. Set the file filter to Parasolid File(*.x_t).
3. Browse to the directory containing s809_blunt.x_t.
4. Select s809_blunt.x_t and Open the Import Geometry dialog.

For this tutorial, the default values for the Import Geometry dialog are used to load the geometry.
If you have previously used AcuConsole, be sure that any settings that you might have altered are
manually changed to match the default values shown in the figure. With the default settings, volumes
from the CAD model are added to a default volume group. Surfaces from the CAD model are added to
a default surface group. You will work with groups later in this tutorial to create new groups, set flow
parameters, add geometric components, and set meshing parameters.
5. Click OK to complete the geometry import.

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Figure 93:

6. Rotate and zoom in the visualization to view the entire model.

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Figure 94:

Apply Volume Parameters

Volume groups are containers used for storing information about a volume region. This information
includes solution and meshing parameters applied to the volume and the geometric regions that these
settings are applied to.

When a new geometry is imported, by default AcuConsole will place all volumes from a geometry in a
single volume container named "default". You should be able to see it in the data tree upon successful
import of your model in the last step, under Model > Volumes > default.

Since the model for this tutorial has only a single volume, it will be the only volume in the default volume
group when the geometry is imported. Even when there is a single volume in the model, it is advisable
to rename the volume for ease of identification in future. In the next steps you will rename the default
volume group container, and set the material and other properties for it.

1. Minimize Global in the Data Tree Manager and expand the Model tree item by clicking .
2. Right-click on Surfaces and select Display off to turn off the display of surfaces
3. Expand the Volumes tree item.
4. Toggle the display of the default volume container by clicking and next to the volume name.

Note: You may not see any change when toggling the display if Surfaces are being
displayed, as surfaces and volumes may overlap.

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5. Rename the default volume group to Fluid.

a) Right-click default.
b) Click Rename from the context menu.
c) Enter Fluid as the new name, and click Enter.

Note: When an item in the Data Tree is renamed, the change is not saved until
you press the Enter key on your keyboard. If you move the input focus away from
the item without entering it, your changes will be lost.

6. Set up the fluid volume element set.

a) Expand the fluid volume group in the tree.
b) Double-click Element Set under fluid to open it in the detail panel.
c) Check that the Medium for the volume is set to Fluid. If not, click on the drop-down selector
next to Medium and select Fluid.

Note: The default Medium for a volume in AcuConsole is Fluid.

d) Click on the drop-down selector next to Material model and select Air.

Figure 95:

Create Surface Groups

Surface groups are containers used for storing information about a surface, including solution and meshing
parameters, and the corresponding surface in the geometry that the parameters will apply to.

In the next steps you will define surface groups, assign the appropriate attributes for each group in the
problem and add surfaces to the groups.

In the process of setting up a simulation, you need to move into different panels for setting up the boundary
conditions, mesh parameters, etc. which can sometimes be cumbersome (especially for models with too

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many surfaces). To make it easier, less error prone, and for saving time two new dialogs are provided
in AcuConsole which you can use to verify and provide the information for all surface or volume entities
at once. They are the Volume Manager and Surface Manager. In this section some features of Surface
Manager are exploited.

1. Right-click on Volumes and select Display off to turn off the display of Volumes.
2. Right-click Surfaces and select Surface Manager.
3. In the Surface Manager dialog, click New 3 times to create 3 new surface groups.
4. Turn display off for all surfaces except for default surface.
5. Rename Surface Names (column 1) for Surface 1 to Surface 3, and set the Simple BC Active and
Simple BC Type columns as per the table shown below.

Figure 96:

6. Assign the surfaces to the z_pos and z_neg surface groups.

a) In the z-pos row, click Add to.
b) Select the planar surface with the maximum z-coordinate as shown in figure below and click
Done.
c) Similarly assign the surface with the minimum z-coordinate to the z_neg surface group.

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Figure 97:

7. Assign the outer peripheral surface of the domain to the farfield surface group. Use the following
figure as the reference for selecting the required surfaces.

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Figure 98:

When the geometry was loaded into AcuConsole, all geometry surfaces were placed in the default
surface group container. This default surface group was renamed to wall. In the previous steps, you
assigned some surfaces to various other surface groups that you created. At this point, all that is
left in the airfoil surface group are the surfaces which make up the airfoil.
8. Close the Surface Manager dialog.

Assign the Surface Parameters

1. Set up the airfoil surface parameters:

a) In the Data Tree, under Surfaces, expand the airfoil surface group.
b) Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the detail panel.
c) Ensure the Type is set to Wall.
2. Set up the z_pos and z_neg surface parameters:
a) In the Data Tree, under Surfaces, expand the z_pos surface group.
b) Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the detail panel.
c) Ensure the Type is set to Symmetry.
d) Similarly, check that the Simple Boundary Condition type for z_neg is also set to Symmetry.
3. Set up the farfield surface parameters:
a) In the Data Tree, under Surfaces, expand the farfield surface group.
b) Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the detail panel.

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c) Ensure the Type is set to Far Field.

When using the Far field boundary condition, you need to enter the vector direction of the flow
velocity. Based on this direction, AcuSolve determines whether each element face should be
acting as an inlet or an outlet. Using this direction vector, in conjunction with the outward facing
normal at each element, it applies the appropriate boundary conditions to the faces of the
model. For faces where the flow is entering the model, a nodal boundary condition for velocity
and turbulence variables is assigned. For faces where the flow is exiting the model, an element
boundary condition for pressure is assigned (that is, an outflow condition).
To facilitate ease in changing the angle of attack for this simulation, you will set the inlet velocity
vector at the far field boundary using the variables that were previously defined. Set the values
using the following inputs.
d) For X Velocity, enter :=xVel.
e) For Y Velocity, enter :=yVel.
f) Check that the Turbulence input type is set to Auto.
With the Auto setting, AcuSolve will automatically compute the values for the turbulence
variables to be applied at the inflow nodes of the boundaries.
g) Set the Turbulence intensity type to Value from the drop down selector menu.
h) Set the Percent turbulence intensity to 0.025.

Figure 99:

Set Global Meshing Parameters

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Now that the flow characteristics have been set for the whole problem, a sufficiently refined mesh has
to be generated.

Global mesh attributes are the meshing parameters applied to the model as a whole without reference
to a specific geometric volume, surface, edge, or point. Local mesh attributes are used to create mesh
generation controls for specific geometry components of the model.

In the next steps you will set the global mesh attributes.

1. Click MSH in the Data Tree Manager to filter the settings in the Data Tree to show only the controls
related to meshing.
2. Double-click the Global Data Tree item to expand it.
3. Double-click Global Mesh Attributes to open the Global Mesh Attributes detail panel.
4. Change the Mesh size type to Absolute.
a) Click the drop-down control next to Mesh size type.
b) Click Absolute.
5. Set Absolute mesh size to 200.0 m.
6. Set the Mesh growth rate to 1.4.
7. Set Maximum sweep angle to 5.0 degrees.

Figure 100:

Set Mesh Process Parameters

For this simulation, the mesher will locally reduce the height of the boundary layer stack but will keep the
total number of layers constant. Using this approach, the height of each layer is scaled by a constant factor
to reduce the total height of the stack and avoid the creation of the poor quality boundary layer elements.

1. Under the Global Tree, double-click on Mesh Process Attributes.

2. Set Shrink mixed flag to On.
3. Set the 2D Boundary layer adjacent height smoothing ratio to 0.25.

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This parameter controls how smoothly the local boundary layer heights vary from one element to
the next after the layers height are adjusted locally to resolve poor quality elements. A low value
of this parameter smooths the variation in height over a large distance, while a value closer to 1.0
enforces a more abrupt change in height. Note that there are separate values of this setting for
2D and 3D boundary layers. For this application, you will be creating a 2D mesh and extruding it
in the third direction to create the volume. Therefore, the 2D setting will control the behavior of
the mesh in this case.

Figure 101:

Set Surface Mesh Parameters

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Surface mesh attributes are applied to a specific surface in the model. It is a type of local meshing
parameter, used to create targeted mesh controls for one or more specific surfaces.

Local mesh attributes such as surface mesh attributes are not mandatory to be set. When a local mesh
attribute is not found for a component, the global attributes will be used as the mesh generation control
for that component. If a local mesh attribute is present, it will take precedence over the global setting.

In the next steps you will set the surface meshing attributes for the airfoil surface group.

1. Expand Model, Surfaces and then Airfoil.

2. Double click Surface Mesh Attributes to open the detail panel.
3. Click the Surface Mesh Attributes checkbox to activate it.
The detail panel is populated with more options.
4. Set the Mesh size type to Absolute.
5. For Absolute mesh size, enter 0.01 m.
6. Set the Region of influence parameters to On.
Mesh controls related to influence region from the surface are now visible.
Region of influence is a size control that allows you to control the size and growth rate of the surface
and volume mesh surrounding a surface based on the distance from the surface.
7. Set the Influence parameters as follows:
a) Influence type: Simple
b) Influence size factor: 2.0
c) Influence distance: 0.1
8. Set Boundary layer flag to On.
Mesh controls related to boundary layer meshing will be visible now.
9. Set the Boundary layer type to Full Control.
10. For Resolve, select Number of Layers.
11. Set the remaining parameters as follows:
a) First element height: 0.0004
b) Total layer height: 0.04
c) Growth rate: 1.2
d) Boundary layer elements type: Tetrahedron

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Figure 102:

Set Edge Mesh Parameters

To create an optimum mesh on the surface of the airfoil, it is necessary to have high levels of refinement
near the leading and trailing edges and a large element size near the mid chord. Since our surface mesh
size was set to constant to serve as the size that is propagated into the volume for the region of influence
refinement, you will use an edge mesh attribute to control the placement of nodes along the airfoil surface.
To accomplish this, you will first need to create an edge group that contains the perimeter edges of the
airfoil.

1. Add a new edge by right-clicking Edges > New.

A new entity, Edge 1 is created under Edges in the data tree.
2. Rename Edge 1 to Perimeter Edges.
3. Select the two perimeter edges of the airfoil to add them to this group.
a) Right-click Perimeter Edges and click Add to.
b) Select the two perimeter edges of the airfoil shown below.
c) Click Done.

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Figure 103:

4. Activate Edge Mesh Attributes and then double-click on it.

5. Set the Mesh size type to Absolute Expression.
6. Click Absolute mesh size expression to open a text editor where you can write an expression
for the mesh size.
This expression will be evaluated by the mesh engine to determine the local mesh size that should
be used at each location on the edges in the edge set.
7. Enter the following expression in the text area editor:

sizeMin = 0.002
sizeMax = 0.05

xMin = (0.0)
xMax = (1.0)

xCenter = ((xMin+xMax)/2.0)
dx = ((xMax-xMin)/2.0)

fac = ((dx - abs( x-xCenter) )/dx )

power = (ln( sizeMax/sizeMin))

expVal = sizeMin*exp(power*fac)

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linVal = sizeMin+(sizeMax-sizeMin)*fac

value = expVal

This expression takes the min and max surface mesh size (sizeMin and sizeMax) along with the
location of the leading and trailing edge (xMin and xMax) and computes a logarithmic expansion
of the surface mesh size as a function of distance from the leading and trailing edges. The mesh
size at the leading and trailing edge corresponds to sizeMin and the size at the mid chord location
corresponds to sizeMax.
8. Select Ok to close this text editor area and accept the expression.

Define Mesh Extrusion

The present simulation is equivalent to a representation of a 2D cross section of the model. In AcuSolve
2D models are simulated by having just one element across the faces of the cross section. Thus when
these faces are set up with a similar boundary condition, it coerces the corresponding nodes across the
faces to have same results. In this problem, these faces are the negative and positive z-surfaces. This
kind of mesh is achieved in AcuSolve with mesh extrusion process. In the following steps you will define
the process of extrusion of the mesh between these surfaces.

1. Right-click Mesh Extrusions and select New.

2. Right-click Mesh Extrusion 1, select Rename and enter Z extrusion.
3. Double-click Z extrusion to open the settings dialog.
4. Verify that Geometry type is set to surface.
5. For Side 1, from the drop down, select z_neg.
6. For Side 2, from the drop down, select z_pos.
7. Set Number of Layers to 1.
8. Under Extrusion options, select All tets.
9. Click OK to accept these settings.

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Figure 104:

Generate the Mesh

In the next steps you will generate the mesh that will be used when computing a solution for the problem.

1. Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuMeshSim dialog.

2. Leave the default settings and select OK.
During meshing an AcuTail dialog will open. Meshing progress is reported in this window. A summary
of the meshing process indicates that the mesh generation has finished.

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Figure 105:

Note: The actual number of nodes and elements, and memory usage may vary slightly
from machine to machine.

3. Close the AcuTail dialog and save the database to create a backup of your settings.
4. You can visualize the mesh in the visualization area now. Turn on the display of surfaces, and set
the display type to solid and wire.
5. You can rotate and zoom in the model to analyse the various mesh regions.

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Figure 106:

2.9.4.1 No TOC

2.9.5 Compute the Solution and Review the Results

Run AcuSolve

In the next steps, you will launch AcuSolve to compute the solution for this case.

1. Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuSolve dialog.

For this case, the default settings will be used. AcuSolve will run using four processors (if available,
higher number of processors may be specified) and AcuConsole will generate AcuSolve input files
and will launch AcuSolve. AcuSolvewill calculate the steady state solution for this problem.
2. Select Ok to start the solution process.
As the solution progresses, an AcuTail dialog will open. Solution progress is reported in this dialog. A
summary of the solution process indicates that the simulation has been completed. The information
provided in the summary is based on the number of processors used by AcuSolve.

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Figure 107:

Post-Processing with AcuProbe

AcuProbe can be used to monitor various variables over solution time.

1.
Open AcuProbe by clicking the icon on the toolbar.
2. Double-click Residual Ratio to expand the tree.
3. Right-click Final and click Plot All.
This will plot the residuals for all the variables, pressure, velocity, eddy viscosity, and intermittency,
in the plot area.

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Note: You might need to click the icon on the toolbar in order to properly display
the plot.

Figure 108:

4. Right-click Final and click Plot None.

5. Expand the Surface Output group entry, and under Surface Output expand the airfoil surface
group.
6. Right-click x-traction > Plot and y-traction > Plot to plot both of them.

Note: You might need to click the icon on the toolbar in order to properly display
the plot.

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Figure 109:

The traction values on the airfoil surface have nearly converged. When using correlation-based
transition models, it is always a good practice to examine not only the residuals but also the actual
solution quantities of interest for convergence before accepting the solution. In some other cases,
it is also possible that the flow field has converged even while the residuals show minor oscillations.
The user thus should observe both in tandem before taking an informed decision about the validity
of the solution.
7. You can also save the plots as an image.
a) From the AcuProbe dialog, click File > Save.
b) Enter a name for the image and click Save.

2.9.6 Post-Processing with AcuFieldView

The tutorial has been written with the assumption that you have become familiar with the AcuFieldView
interface and basic operations. In general, it will be helpful to understand the following basics:
• How to find the data readers in the File menu and open up the desired reader panel for data input.
• How to find the visualization panels either from the Side toolbar or the Visualization panel menu to
create and modify surfaces in AcuFieldView
• How to move the data around the graphics window using mouse actions to translate, rotate and
zoom in to the data.

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This tutorial shows you how to work with steady state analysis data.

1. Click on the AcuConsole toolbar to open the Launch AcuFieldView dialog.

2. Click OK to start AcuConsole.
You will see that the pressure contours have already been displayed on all the boundary surfaces
with mesh.

Figure 110:

Set Up AcuFieldView

1. Click Viewer Options.

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2. In the Viewer Options dialog:

a) Deselect Perspective to turn off the perspective view.
b) Click Axis Markers to disable the axis markers.
c) Click Close.
3.
On the toolbar, click the Colormap icon .
4. In the Scalar Colormap Specification dialog, click Background and select White.
5. Close the Scalar Colormap Specification dialog.
6.
Click the Toggle Outline icon on the toolbar to turn off the outline display.
Your display should look similar to Figure 111.

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Figure 111:

Coordinate the Surface Showing Turbulence Viscosity on the Mid Coordinate Surface

1. From the Surface tab in the Boundary Surface dialog, turn off the Visibility for the active boundary
surfaces.
2.
Click the icon to open the Coordinate Surface dialog.
3. Click Create to create a new coordinate surface.
4. Select Z as the Coordinate Plane.
This will create a coordinate surface at the mid – Z coordinate plane. The coordinate surface created
is the mid plane between the two side surfaces in the model.
5. Change the Coloring to Scalar.
6. Change the Display Type to Smooth.
7. For Scalar Function, select eddy_viscosity.
8. From the Defined Views list, select +Z as the viewing direction.
Your view should be similar to figure 1

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Figure 112:

You can clearly see the turbulent flow developing at about halfway through the chord of the airfoil.
Before the onset of turbulence, the boundary layer on the airfoil surface is laminar.
9. For Scalar Function, select Intermittency.

Figure 113:

A closer look at the contour plot of intermittency will show that the value of intermittency transitions
to one at the point where the flow transitions from laminar to turbulent. In the region where the
flow is laminar, from the leading edge of the airfoil to the halfway, the intermittency is zero.

Set Up the Gamma-ReTheta Transition Model

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At this stage you have successfully setup and ran the S809 airfoil problem with the Gamma transition model
and Spalart-Allmaras turbulence model. In this part of the tutorial you will modify your open database to
setup the problem so as to use the Gamma-ReTheta transition model.

1. Close the open AcuFieldView window and return to the open AcuConsole window.
2. Save the database to retain the setup for the Gamma transition model.
3. Create a new directory within your existing working directory, or at any other location of your choice,
and name it SA_Gamma_Re_Theta.
4. Click File > Save As
5. Navigate into the SA_Gamma_Re_Theta directory. Enter sa_transition_gammaretheta as the File
name for the database, or choose any name of your preference.
6. Save the database to create a backup of your settings.

Update General Simulation Attributes

1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.
2. Double-click the Global Data Tree item to expand it.
3. Double-click Problem Description to open the Problem Description detail panel.
4. Enter SA Transition Gamma Re-Theta as the new Sub title for this case.
5. Change the Turbulence transition model from Gamma to Gamma-Re Theta.

Figure 114:

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Update the Nodal Initial Conditions

The Gamma-Re Theta transition model is a two equation model and introduces a new variable, transition
Re-theta, or . Like other variables, an initial value for this variable also needs to be provided. As before,
you will set it to zero to trigger the automatic initialization of by AcuSolve.

1. Double-click Nodal Initial Condition in the data tree to open the detail panel.
2. Set the Transition re theta to 0.0 to trigger the automatic initialization.

Figure 115:

The remaining settings in the setup need not be modified. You can now launch AcuSolve to get the
solution of the S809 airfoil problem with the Gamma-Re-theta transition case. Follow the same steps
as in the previous case to post-process the results.

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Figure 116:

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Figure 117: Gamma-Re Theta - Residuals Plot

Figure 118: Gamma-Re Theta - X and Y Traction Plot

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2.9.7 Summary

2.9.7
In this AcuSolve tutorial you successfully set up and solved a turbulence transition problem. The underlying
turbulence model employed was the Spalart-Allmaras model. The problem simulated a S809 wind turbine
airfoil in an external flow field. You started the tutorial by creating a database in AcuConsole, importing
and meshing the geometry, and setting up the simulation parameters. The database was initially set up
with the one-equation Gamma transition model. Once the case was setup, the solution was generated
with AcuSolve. Results were post-processed in AcuProbe and AcuFieldView. In AcuFieldView you observed
the inter-relation between onset of turbulence viscosity and intermittency. After successfully getting a
solution for the Gamma transition model, you modified the database to use the two-equation Gamma-
Re-Theta as the transition model.

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2.12 ACU-2201: Transition Flow over an Airfoil using the SST

Transition Models

2.12
This tutorial provides the instructions for setting up, solving and viewing results for a steady simulation
of transition flow over a S809 airfoil using the SST (Shear Stress Transport k-ω) turbulence model with
transition models (Gamma or Gamma-ReTheta). AcuSolve is used to compute the intermittency and
predict the point where the boundary layer transitions from the laminar mode to turbulence mode. This
tutorial is designed to introduce you to the modeling concepts necessary to perform simulations using the
transition models coupled with the SST Turbulence model.

The basic steps in a CFD simulation were shown in ACU-2000: Turbulent Flow in a Mixing Elbow and the
steps to set up external turbulent flow were shown in ACU-2200: Transition Flow over an Airfoil Using the
SA Transition Models. The following additional capabilities of AcuSolve are introduced in this tutorial:
• Use of the SST turbulence model with the Gamma transition model
• Use of the SST turbulence model with Gamma-ReTheta transition model

In this tutorial you will do the following:

• Analyze the problem
• Start AcuConsole and create a simulation database
• Set general problem parameters
• Set solution strategy parameters
• Import the geometry for the simulation
• Create a volume group and apply volume parameters
• Create surface group and apply volume parameters
• Set global and local meshing parameters
• Generate the mesh
• Run AcuSolve
• Monitor the solution with AcuProbe
• Post-processing the nodal output with AcuFieldView

2.12 Prerequisites
You should have already run through the tutorials, ACU-2000: Turbulent Flow in a Mixing Elbow and
ACU-2200: Transition Flow over an Airfoil Using the SA Transition Models. It is assumed that you have
some familiarity with AcuConsole, AcuSolve, and AcuFieldView. You will also need access to a licensed
version of AcuSolve 2017.

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Prior to running through this tutorial, copy Acu_tutorial_input.zip from <AcuSolve installation
directory>\model_files\tutorials\AcuSolve\Acu_tutorial_inputs.zip to a working directory.
Extract s809_blunt.x_t from Acu_tutorial_input.zip.

The color of objects shown in the graphics window in this tutorial and those displayed on your screen
may differ. The default color scheme in AcuConsole is "random," in which colors are randomly assigned to
groups as they are created. In addition, this tutorial was developed on Windows. If you are running this
tutorial on a different operating system, you may notice a slight difference between the images displayed
on your screen and the images shown in the tutorial.

2.12.1 Analyze the Problem

2.12.1
An important step in any CFD simulation is to examine the engineering problem and determine the
important parameters that need to be provided to AcuSolve. Parameters can be based on geometrical
components (such as volumes, inlets, outlets, or walls) and on flow conditions (such as fluid properties,
velocity, or whether the flow should be modeled as turbulent or as laminar).

The problem to be addressed in this tutorial is shown schematically in Figure 119. It consists of a cylindrical
bounding region containing air that flows past a S809 airfoil profile. The simulation is performed as the
two-dimensional problem by including only a single layer of extruded elements in the airfoil span direction.
The velocity vector at the far field boundary of the domain is specified to yield an angle of attack of one
degree and a Reynolds Number of ~250000. The airfoil chord is 1 m, and standard air material properties
are used for the simulation.

Figure 119: S809 Airfoil in the Flow Domain

The diameter of the cylindrical bounding volume for the airfoil is set to 500 times the airfoil chord. This
large bounding volume is selected to ensure that the farfield boundaries are sufficiently far from the airfoil
to prevent any influence of blockage of the domain on the solution.

The simulation will be carried out by activating the turbulence transition models. The underlying turbulence
model used will be the two-equation SST turbulence model. The problem will be solved with the transition
models available in AcuSolve – the one-equation Gamma and the two-equation Gamma-ReTheta transition
models. As the name suggests, the transition models predict the point where the boundary layer transitions
from the laminar mode to turbulence mode. When in the turbulence regime, the SST turbulence model
will be used to determine the flow characteristics.

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2.12.2 Introduction to Theory

2.12.2 Transition and Transition Models

In the real world, laminar flow and turbulent flow coexist when obstacles are located inside of a fluid
flow. Transition flows from laminar to turbulent flow regimes can be found in many industrial applications
including turbomachinery, vehicles, drones, and wind turbines.

A transition from laminar flow to turbulent flow occurs due to various external factors such as freestream
turbulence level (vertical disturbances), sound waves (acoustic disturbances), temperature fluctuations
(entropy disturbances), streamwise pressure gradients, surface roughness, surface curvature, and
vibration. Depending on the external factor or factors, the development of various transition (instability)
mechanisms cause the flow to trip from laminar to turbulent. Here are three main mechanisms responsible
for transition:
a. Natural Transition: In the laminar flow regime, viscous forces usually damp out the disturbances.
However, when the free stream turbulence is low (below 1%) and the Reynolds number is higher
than the critical Reynolds number, viscous forces destabilize the shear layer, causing the fluid to
transition to a turbulent regime via the development of the three initial disturbances (waves, vorticity
and vortex breakdown). This mechanism is called the Natural Transition. It is usually very subtle
and progresses very slowly, over a long distance scale.
b. Bypass Transition: When the initial disturbances are high (due to surface roughness or freestream
turbulence levels higher than 1%), turbulence are generated without development of the three
initial disturbances (T-S waves, spanwise vorticity, and vortex breakdown) observed in the natural
transition.
c. Separated-Inducted Transition: When a laminar flow experiences adverse pressure gradients (such
as airfoil suction surfaces and flow over a sphere), the fluid flow detaches from the wall surface. If the
disturbances are low, separation can cause the generation of structures found in natural transition.
Larger disturbances generate Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities, where vortices roll up before breaking
down into turbulence. The process involved in separation-induced transition depends on the size of
the adverse pressure gradient and the presence of additional disturbances (for example, obstacles).

Since transition affects the flow development, lift, drag, heat transfer, and others, it is important to predict
the transition phenomena properly. It is known that conventional turbulence models over-predict the wall-
shear stress for transitional flows. Thus, transition models can be used to improve the accuracy of CFD
solutions when flows encounter transition in the boundary layer.

2.12.2 Transition Models in AcuSolve

AcuSolve has two transition models (Gamma-ReTheta and Gamma) coupled with the Spalart-Allmaras (SA)
and the Shear Stress Transport (SST) turbulence models, resulting in total of four choices of the transition
modelling, including: SA-Gamma, SA-Gamma-ReTheta, SST-Gamma, and SST-Gamma-ReTheta.
a. Gamma-ReTheta Transition Model: The Gamma-ReTheta () model is a correlation-based
intermittency model that predicts natural, bypass, and separation-induced transition mechanisms.

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It is based on two transport equations for intermittency () and transition momentum thickness
Reynolds number (). The intermittency is a measure of the flow regime that varies between zero
(laminar) and one (fully turbulent). It is used to turn on the turbulent kinetic energy production in
the turbulent kinetic energy equation, while the transition momentum thickness Reynolds number
is used as the transition onset criteria. The Gamma-ReTheta model is more suitable for cases when
freestream turbulence intensity may be high or adverse pressure gradients are present in the flow.
Most internal flows and some external flows fall in this category.
b. Gamma Transition Model: The Gamma () transition model is a one-equation transition model and
follows Galilean invariance by modifying the correlations. The Gamma transition model is well suited
for the external aerodynamic cases where freestream turbulence intensity is low.

2.12.2 Transition Model Usage Guidelines

a. Meshing Guidelines
i. Generate boundary layer meshes on surfaces where transition onset occurs
ii. The first layer height of the boundary layer mesh should be y+ < 5
iii. The stretch ratio of the boundary layer mesh should be in the range between 1.1 and 1.2
iv. The transition between the boundary layer mesh and the freestream mesh should be smooth
v. The streamwise surface mesh spacing should be small enough to capture separation bubbles
b. Convergence Monitoring
i. The residual and solution ratios of the transition simulations are sometimes stagnated
(commonly seen when the bubble forms near the leading-edge of an airfoil)
ii. Despite the appearance of residual and/or solution ratio stagnations, the integrated force and
moment over the airfoil could be converged to the satisfactory level. Thus, the monitoring of
quantities such as lift, drag, thrust, power, torque, etc. is highly suggested.

The purpose of this tutorial is to provide the instructions for setting up the steady transition simulation
of the S809 airfoil using the SST transition models. To keep the total computing time within 5 minutes,
some of the meshing guidelines described above have not been followed. However, you must follow these
guidelines when solving a problem if a high accuracy in results is desired.

This tutorial consists of two parts. In the first part, you will setup and solve the problem, using the Gamma
transition model. After successfully having run the problem with the Gamma model, you will modify the
database setup to use the Gamma-ReTheta transition model, and generate the solution again.

2.12.3 Define the Simulation Parameters

Start AcuConsole

In this tutorial, you will begin by creating a database, populating the geometry-independent settings,
loading the geometry, creating volume and surface groups, setting group attributes, adding geometry

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components to groups and assigning mesh controls and boundary conditions to the groups. Next you will
generate a mesh and run AcuSolve to solve for the number of time steps specified. Finally, you will review
some characteristics using AcuFieldView.

In the next steps you will start AcuConsole, create the database for storage of the simulation settings.

1. Start AcuConsole from the Windows Start menu by clicking Start > All Programs > Altair
HyperWorks <version> AcuSolve > AcuConsole.
2. Click the File menu, then click New to open the New data base dialog.

Note: You can also open the New data base dialog by clicking on the toolbar.

3. Browse to the location that you would like to use as your working directory.
This directory is where all files related to the simulation will be stored. The AcuConsole database
file (.acs) is stored in this directory. Once the mesh and solution are created, additional files and
directories will be created within this directory.
4. Create a new folder named SST_Transition_Models and open this folder.
5. Enter sst_transition as the File name for the database.

Note: In order for other applications to be able to read the files written by AcuConsole,
the database path and name should not include spaces.

6. Save the database to create a backup of your settings.

Define Expressions and Variables Using the Variable Manager

In this step, you will use the Variable Manager in AcuConsole to create a list of expressions that will be
used during the model setup process.

1. Click the Variable List icon from the main toolbar:

Figure 120:

The Variable Manager opens.

2. To create new variables in the Variable Manager, click Add.
3. For Name, enter Uinf.

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4. For Expression, enter 4.0.

5. For Description, enter Free Stream Velocity of Air.
6. Repeat this process for the remaining variables shown in the table below:

Table 120:

Name Expression Description

Uinf 4.0 Free Stream Velocity of Air

alpha 1.0 Angle of attack (degrees)

xVel :=Uinf * cos(alpha*deg) X component of velocity

yVel :=Uinf * sin(alpha*deg) Y component of velocity

Once the expressions are entered, the Variable Manager should appear similar to what is shown
below:

Figure 121:

7. At this point all variables and expressions are defined and you can close the Variable Manager by
selecting Close.

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Set General Simulation Parameters

In next steps you will set parameters that apply globally to the simulation. To make this simple, the basic
settings applicable for any simulation can be filtered using the BAS filter in the Data Tree Manager. This
filter enables display of only a small subset of the available items in the data tree and makes navigation
of the entries easier.

1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.

Figure 122:

2. Double-click the Global Data Tree item to expand it.

3. Double-click Problem Description to open the Problem Description detail panel.
4. Enter S809 Airfoil as the Title for this case.
5. Enter SST Transition as the Sub title for this case.
6. Ensure that the Analysis type is set to Steady State.
7. Change the Turbulence equation from Laminar to SST.
8. Change the Turbulence transition model from None to Gamma.

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Figure 123:

Set Solution Strategy Parameters

1. Double-click Auto Solution Strategy to open the Auto Solution Strategy detail panel.
2. Check that the Analysis type is set to Steady State.
3. Set the Max time steps to 100.
4. Set the Convergence tolerance to 0.0001.
5. Enter 0.5 for Relaxation factor.
6. Ensure that both the Turbulence and Turbulence transition flags are set to On.

Figure 124:

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Set Material Model Parameters

AcuConsole has three pre-defined standard materials, Air, Aluminium, and Water, with standard
parameters defined. In the next steps you will check and if needed modify the material characteristics of
the predefined "Air" model to match the desired properties for this problem.

1. Double-click Material Model in the Data Tree to expand it.

2. Double-click Air in the Data Tree to open the Air detail panel.
The Material type for air is Fluid. Fluid is the default material type for any new material created
in AcuConsole.
3. In the Density tab check the following.
a) The Type is set to Constant
3
b) The Density value is set to 1.225 kg/m
4. Click the Viscosity tab.
-5
The viscosity of air is 1.781 x 10 kg/m - sec

The remaining thermal and other material properties are not critical to this simulation. However, you
may browse through the tabs to check the complete material specification.
5. Save the database to create a backup of your settings. This can be achieved with any of the following
methods.
• Click the File menu, then click Save.
• Click on the toolbar.
• Click Ctrl+S.

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Note: Changes made in AcuConsole are saved into the database file (.acs) as they
are made. A save operation copies the database to a backup file, which can be used
to reload the database from that saved state in the event that you do not want to
commit future changes.

Set Initial Conditions

1. Under Global in the Data Tree, double-click Nodal Initial Condition to open the dialog in the detail
panel.
2. Set the X velocity to :=xVel.
3. Set the Y velocity to :=yVel.
This will set the X and Y velocities equal to the values specified in the Variable Manager.
4. Ensure all initial condition types in this panel are set to Constant.

For the SST turbulence model, you need to provide the initial value for kinetic energy and eddy frequency.
For the Gamma transition model, you need to provide the initial value for Intermittency, or . If you
have a reasonable estimate of these values, you can enter them directly in the nodal initial condition
fields. One option is to use the same values that are assigned at the inlet boundary. In the absence
of good estimates for the initial conditions, it is also possible to let AcuSolve perform an automatic
initialization of the turbulence and transition variables. By setting these values to zero, AcuSolve will
trigger an automatic initialization of these variables.
5. Set the Kinetic energy, Eddy frequency and Intermittency to 0.0 to trigger the automatic
initialization.

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Figure 125:

6. Save the database to create a backup of your settings.

2.12.4 Import Geometry and Define the Model

Import Airfoil Geometry

You will import the geometry in the next part of this tutorial. You will need to know the location of
s809_blunt.x_t in order to complete these steps. This file contains the solid model of airfoil in the
Parasolid ASCII format.

1. Click the File menu, then Import.

2. Set the file filter to Parasolid File(*.x_t).
3. Browse to the directory containing s809_blunt.x_t.
4. Select s809_blunt.x_t and Open the Import Geometry dialog.

For this tutorial, the default values for the Import Geometry dialog are used to load the geometry.
If you have previously used AcuConsole, be sure that any settings that you might have altered are
manually changed to match the default values shown in the figure. With the default settings, volumes
from the CAD model are added to a default volume group. Surfaces from the CAD model are added to

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a default surface group. You will work with groups later in this tutorial to create new groups, set flow
parameters, add geometric components, and set meshing parameters.
5. Click OK to complete the geometry import.

Figure 126:

6. Rotate and zoom in the visualization to view the entire model.

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Figure 127:

Apply Volume Parameters

Volume groups are containers used for storing information about a volume region. This information
includes solution and meshing parameters applied to the volume and the geometric regions that these
settings are applied to.

When a new geometry is imported, by default AcuConsole will place all volumes from a geometry in a
single volume container named "default". You should be able to see it in the data tree upon successful
import of your model in the last step, under Model > Volumes > default.

Since the model for this tutorial has only a single volume, it will be the only volume in the default volume
group when the geometry is imported. Even when there is a single volume in the model, it is advisable
to rename the volume for ease of identification in future. In the next steps you will rename the default
volume group container, and set the material and other properties for it.

1. Minimize Global in the Data Tree Manager and expand the Model tree item by clicking .
2. Right-click on Surfaces and select Display off to turn off the display of surfaces
3. Expand the Volumes tree item.
4. Toggle the display of the default volume container by clicking and next to the volume name.

Note: You may not see any change when toggling the display if Surfaces are being
displayed, as surfaces and volumes may overlap.

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5. Rename the default volume group to Fluid.

a) Right-click default.
b) Click Rename from the context menu.
c) Enter Fluid as the new name, and click Enter.

Note: When an item in the Data Tree is renamed, the change is not saved until
you press the Enter key on your keyboard. If you move the input focus away from
the item without entering it, your changes will be lost.

6. Set up the fluid volume element set.

a) Expand the fluid volume group in the tree.
b) Double-click Element Set under fluid to open it in the detail panel.
c) Check that the Medium for the volume is set to Fluid. If not, click on the drop-down selector
next to Medium and select Fluid.

Note: The default Medium for a volume in AcuConsole is Fluid.

d) Click on the drop-down selector next to Material model and select Air.

Figure 128:

Create Surface Groups

Surface groups are containers used for storing information about a surface, including solution and meshing
parameters, and the corresponding surface in the geometry that the parameters will apply to.

In the next steps you will define surface groups, assign the appropriate attributes for each group in the
problem and add surfaces to the groups.

In the process of setting up a simulation, you need to move into different panels for setting up the boundary
conditions, mesh parameters, etc. which can sometimes be cumbersome (especially for models with too

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many surfaces). To make it easier, less error prone, and for saving time two new dialogs are provided
in AcuConsole which you can use to verify and provide the information for all surface or volume entities
at once. They are the Volume Manager and Surface Manager. In this section some features of Surface
Manager are exploited.

1. Right-click on Volumes and select Display off to turn off the display of Volumes.
2. Right-click Surfaces and select Surface Manager.
3. In the Surface Manager dialog, click New 3 times to create 3 new surface groups.
4. Turn display off for all surfaces except for default surface.
5. Rename Surface Names (column 1) for Surface 1 to Surface 3, and set the Simple BC Active and
Simple BC Type columns as per the table shown below.

Figure 129:

6. Assign the surfaces to the z_pos and z_neg surface groups.

a) In the z-pos row, click Add to.
b) Select the planar surface with the maximum z-coordinate as shown in figure below and click
Done.
c) Similarly assign the surface with the minimum z-coordinate to the z_neg surface group.

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Figure 130:

7. Assign the outer peripheral surface of the domain to the farfield surface group. Use the following
figure as the reference for selecting the required surfaces.

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Figure 131:

When the geometry was loaded into AcuConsole, all geometry surfaces were placed in the default
surface group container. This default surface group was renamed to wall. In the previous steps, you
assigned some surfaces to various other surface groups that you created. At this point, all that is
left in the airfoil surface group are the surfaces which make up the airfoil.
8. Close the Surface Manager dialog.

Assign the Surface Parameters

1. Set up the airfoil surface parameters:

a) In the Data Tree, under Surfaces, expand the airfoil surface group.
b) Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the detail panel.
c) Ensure the Type is set to Wall.
2. Set up the z_pos and z_neg surface parameters:
a) In the Data Tree, under Surfaces, expand the z_pos surface group.
b) Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the detail panel.
c) Ensure the Type is set to Symmetry.
d) Similarly, check that the Simple Boundary Condition type for z_neg is also set to Symmetry.
3. Set up the farfield surface parameters:
a) In the Data Tree, under Surfaces, expand the farfield surface group.
b) Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the detail panel.

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c) Ensure the Type is set to Far Field.

When using the Far field boundary condition, you need to enter the vector direction of the flow
velocity. Based on this direction, AcuSolve determines whether each element face should be
acting as an inlet or an outlet. Using this direction vector, in conjunction with the outward facing
normal at each element, it applies the appropriate boundary conditions to the faces of the
model. For faces where the flow is entering the model, a nodal boundary condition for velocity
and turbulence variables is assigned. For faces where the flow is exiting the model, an element
boundary condition for pressure is assigned (that is, an outflow condition).
To facilitate ease in changing the angle of attack for this simulation, you will set the inlet velocity
vector at the far field boundary using the variables that were previously defined. Set the values
using the following inputs.
d) For X Velocity, enter :=xVel.
e) For Y Velocity, enter :=yVel.
f) Check that the Turbulence input type is set to Auto.
With the Auto setting, AcuSolve will automatically compute the values for the turbulence
variables to be applied at the inflow nodes of the boundaries.
g) Set the Turbulence intensity type to Value from the drop down selector menu.
h) Set the Percent turbulence intensity to 0.025.

Figure 132:

Set Global Meshing Parameters

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Now that the flow characteristics have been set for the whole problem, a sufficiently refined mesh has
to be generated.

Global mesh attributes are the meshing parameters applied to the model as a whole without reference
to a specific geometric volume, surface, edge, or point. Local mesh attributes are used to create mesh
generation controls for specific geometry components of the model.

In the next steps you will set the global mesh attributes.

1. Click MSH in the Data Tree Manager to filter the settings in the Data Tree to show only the controls
related to meshing.
2. Double-click the Global Data Tree item to expand it.
3. Double-click Global Mesh Attributes to open the Global Mesh Attributes detail panel.
4. Change the Mesh size type to Absolute.
a) Click the drop-down control next to Mesh size type.
b) Click Absolute.
5. Set Absolute mesh size to 200.0 m.
6. Set the Mesh growth rate to 1.4.
7. Set Maximum sweep angle to 5.0 degrees.

Figure 133:

Set Mesh Process Parameters

For this simulation, the mesher will locally reduce the height of the boundary layer stack but will keep the
total number of layers constant. Using this approach, the height of each layer is scaled by a constant factor
to reduce the total height of the stack and avoid the creation of the poor quality boundary layer elements.

1. Under the Global Tree, double-click on Mesh Process Attributes.

2. Set Shrink mixed flag to On.
3. Set the 2D Boundary layer adjacent height smoothing ratio to 0.25.

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This parameter controls how smoothly the local boundary layer heights vary from one element to
the next after the layers height are adjusted locally to resolve poor quality elements. A low value
of this parameter smooths the variation in height over a large distance, while a value closer to 1.0
enforces a more abrupt change in height. Note that there are separate values of this setting for
2D and 3D boundary layers. For this application, you will be creating a 2D mesh and extruding it
in the third direction to create the volume. Therefore, the 2D setting will control the behavior of
the mesh in this case.

Figure 134:

Set Surface Mesh Parameters

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Surface mesh attributes are applied to a specific surface in the model. It is a type of local meshing
parameter, used to create targeted mesh controls for one or more specific surfaces.

Local mesh attributes such as surface mesh attributes are not mandatory to be set. When a local mesh
attribute is not found for a component, the global attributes will be used as the mesh generation control
for that component. If a local mesh attribute is present, it will take precedence over the global setting.

In the next steps you will set the surface meshing attributes for the airfoil surface group.

1. Expand Model, Surfaces and then Airfoil.

2. Double click Surface Mesh Attributes to open the detail panel.
3. Click the Surface Mesh Attributes checkbox to activate it.
The detail panel is populated with more options.
4. Set the Mesh size type to Absolute.
5. For Absolute mesh size, enter 0.01 m.
6. Set the Region of influence parameters to On.
Mesh controls related to influence region from the surface are now visible.
Region of influence is a size control that allows you to control the size and growth rate of the surface
and volume mesh surrounding a surface based on the distance from the surface.
7. Set the Influence parameters as follows:
a) Influence type: Simple
b) Influence size factor: 2.0
c) Influence distance: 0.1
8. Set Boundary layer flag to On.
Mesh controls related to boundary layer meshing will be visible now.
9. Set the Boundary layer type to Full Control.
10. For Resolve, select Number of Layers.
11. Set the remaining parameters as follows:
a) First element height: 0.0004
b) Total layer height: 0.04
c) Growth rate: 1.2
d) Boundary layer elements type: Tetrahedron

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Figure 135:

Set Edge Mesh Parameters

To create an optimum mesh on the surface of the airfoil, it is necessary to have high levels of refinement
near the leading and trailing edges and a large element size near the mid chord. Since our surface mesh
size was set to constant to serve as the size that is propagated into the volume for the region of influence
refinement, you will use an edge mesh attribute to control the placement of nodes along the airfoil surface.
To accomplish this, you will first need to create an edge group that contains the perimeter edges of the
airfoil.

1. Add a new edge by right-clicking Edges > New.

A new entity, Edge 1 is created under Edges in the data tree.
2. Rename Edge 1 to Perimeter Edges.
3. Select the two perimeter edges of the airfoil to add them to this group.
a) Right-click Perimeter Edges and click Add to.
b) Select the two perimeter edges of the airfoil shown below.
c) Click Done.

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Figure 136:

4. Activate Edge Mesh Attributes and then double-click on it.

5. Set the Mesh size type to Absolute Expression.
6. Click Absolute mesh size expression to open a text editor where you can write an expression
for the mesh size.
This expression will be evaluated by the mesh engine to determine the local mesh size that should
be used at each location on the edges in the edge set.
7. Enter the following expression in the text area editor:

sizeMin = 0.002
sizeMax = 0.05

xMin = (0.0)
xMax = (1.0)

xCenter = ((xMin+xMax)/2.0)
dx = ((xMax-xMin)/2.0)

fac = ((dx - abs( x-xCenter) )/dx )

power = (ln( sizeMax/sizeMin))

expVal = sizeMin*exp(power*fac)

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linVal = sizeMin+(sizeMax-sizeMin)*fac

value = expVal

This expression takes the min and max surface mesh size (sizeMin and sizeMax) along with the
location of the leading and trailing edge (xMin and xMax) and computes a logarithmic expansion
of the surface mesh size as a function of distance from the leading and trailing edges. The mesh
size at the leading and trailing edge corresponds to sizeMin and the size at the mid chord location
corresponds to sizeMax.
8. Select Ok to close this text editor area and accept the expression.

Define Mesh Extrusion

The present simulation is equivalent to a representation of a 2D cross section of the model. In AcuSolve
2D models are simulated by having just one element across the faces of the cross section. Thus when
these faces are set up with a similar boundary condition, it coerces the corresponding nodes across the
faces to have same results. In this problem, these faces are the negative and positive z-surfaces. This
kind of mesh is achieved in AcuSolve with mesh extrusion process. In the following steps you will define
the process of extrusion of the mesh between these surfaces.

1. Right-click Mesh Extrusions and select New.

2. Right-click Mesh Extrusion 1, select Rename and enter Z extrusion.
3. Double-click Z extrusion to open the settings dialog.
4. Verify that Geometry type is set to surface.
5. For Side 1, from the drop down menu, select z_neg.
6. For Side 2, from the drop down menu, select z_pos.
7. Check that the Extrusion type is set to Number of layers.
8. Set Number of layers to 1.
9. Set Extrusion options, select All tets.
10. Click OK to accept these settings.

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Figure 137:

Generate the Mesh

In the next steps you will generate the mesh that will be used when computing a solution for the problem.

1. Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuMeshSim dialog.

2. Leave the default settings and select OK.
During meshing an AcuTail dialog will open. Meshing progress is reported in this window. A summary
of the meshing process indicates that the mesh generation has finished.

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Figure 138:

Note: The actual number of nodes and elements, and memory usage may vary slightly
from machine to machine.

3. Close the AcuTail dialog and save the database to create a backup of your settings.
4. You can visualize the mesh in the visualization area now. Turn on the display of surfaces, and set
the display type to solid and wire.
5. You can rotate and zoom in the model to analyse the various mesh regions.

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Figure 139:

2.12.5 Compute the Solution and Review the Results

Run AcuSolve

In the next steps, you will launch AcuSolve to compute the solution for this case.

1. Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuSolve dialog.

For this case, the default settings will be used. AcuSolve will run using four processors (if available,
higher number of processors may be specified) and AcuConsole will generate AcuSolve input files
and will launch AcuSolve. AcuSolve will calculate the steady state solution for this problem.
2. Select Ok to start the solution process.
As the solution progresses, an AcuTail dialog will open. Solution progress is reported in this dialog. A
summary of the solution process indicates that the simulation has been completed. The information
provided in the summary is based on the number of processors used by AcuSolve.

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Figure 140:

Post-Processing with AcuProbe

AcuProbe can be used to monitor various variables over solution time.

1.
Open AcuProbe by clicking the icon on the toolbar.
2. Double-click Residual Ratio to expand the tree.
3. Right-click Final and click Plot All.
This will plot the residuals for all the variables, pressure, velocity, eddy viscosity, and intermittency,
in the plot area.

Note: You might need to click the icon on the toolbar in order to properly display
the plot.

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Figure 141:

4. Right-click Final and click Plot None.

5. Expand the Surface Output group entry, and under Surface Output expand the airfoil surface
group.
6. Right-click x-traction > Plot and y-traction > Plot to plot both of them.

Note: You might need to click the icon on the toolbar in order to properly display
the plot.

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Figure 142:

The traction values on the airfoil surface have nearly converged. When using correlation-based
transition models, it is always a good practice to examine not only the residuals but also the actual
solution quantities of interest for convergence before accepting the solution. In some other cases,
it is also possible that the flow field has converged even while the residuals show minor oscillations.
The user thus should observe both in tandem before taking an informed decision about the validity
of the solution.
7. You can also save the plots as an image.
a) From the AcuProbe dialog, click File > Save.
b) Enter a name for the image and click Save.

Post-Processing with AcuFieldView

The tutorial has been written with the assumption that you have become familiar with the AcuFieldView
interface and basic operations. In general, it will be helpful to understand the following basics:
• How to find the data readers in the File menu and open up the desired reader panel for data input.
• How to find the visualization panels either from the Side toolbar or the Visualization panel menu to
create and modify surfaces in AcuFieldView
• How to move the data around the graphics window using mouse actions to translate, rotate and
zoom in to the data.

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This tutorial shows you how to work with steady state analysis data.

1. Click on the AcuConsole toolbar to open the Launch AcuFieldView dialog.

2. Click OK to start AcuConsole.
You will see that the pressure contours have already been displayed on all the boundary surfaces
with mesh.

Figure 143:

Set Up AcuFieldView

1. Click Viewer Options.

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2. In the Viewer Options dialog:

a) Deselect Perspective to turn off the perspective view.
b) Click Axis Markers to disable the axis markers.
c) Click Close.
3.
On the toolbar, click the Colormap icon .
4. In the Scalar Colormap Specification dialog, click Background and select White.
5. Close the Scalar Colormap Specification dialog.
6.
Click the Toggle Outline icon on the toolbar to turn off the outline display.
Your display should look similar to Figure 144.

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Figure 144:

Coordinate the Surface Showing Turbulence Viscosity on the Mid Coordinate Surface

1. From the Surface tab in the Boundary Surface dialog, turn off the Visibility for the active boundary
surfaces.
2.
Click the icon to open the Coordinate Surface dialog.
3. Click Create to create a new coordinate surface.
4. Select Z as the Coordinate Plane.
This will create a coordinate surface at the mid – Z coordinate plane. The coordinate surface created
is the mid plane between the two side surfaces in the model.
5. Change the Coloring to Scalar.
6. Change the Display Type to Smooth.
7. For Scalar Function, select kinetic_energy.
8. Close the Coordinate Surface dialog.
9. From the Defined Views menu, select +Z as the viewing direction.
Your view should be similar to Figure 145

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Figure 145:

You can clearly see the turbulent flow developing at about halfway through the chord of the airfoil.
Before the onset of turbulence, the boundary layer on the airfoil surface is laminar.
10. Open the Coordinate Surface dialog, click Select next to Scalar Function and select
Intermittency.

Figure 146:

A closer look at the contour plot of intermittency will show that the value of intermittency transitions
to one at the point where the flow transitions from laminar to turbulent. In the region where the
flow is laminar, from the leading edge of the airfoil to the halfway, the intermittency is zero.

Set Up the Gamma-ReTheta Transition Model

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At this stage you have successfully setup and ran the S809 airfoil problem with the Gamma transition
model and SST turbulence model. In this part of the tutorial you will modify your open database to setup
the problem so as to use the Gamma-ReTheta transition model.

1. Close the open AcuFieldView window and return to the open AcuConsole window.
2. Save the database to retain the setup for the Gamma transition model.
3. Create a new directory within your existing working directory, or at any other location of your choice,
and name it SST_Gamma_ReTheta.
4. Click File > Save As
5. Navigate into the SST_Gamma_Re_Theta directory. Enter sst_transition_gammaretheta as the File
name for the database, or choose any name of your preference.
6. Save the database to create a backup of your settings.

Update General Simulation Parameters

1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.

Figure 147:

2. Double-click the Global Data Tree item to expand it.

3. Double-click Problem Description to open the Problem Description detail panel.
4. Enter SST Transition Gamma ReTheta as the new Sub title for this case.
5. Change the Turbulence transition model from Gamma to Gamma-ReTheta.

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Figure 148:

Update the Nodal Initial Conditions

The Gamma-ReTheta transition model is a two equation model and introduces a new variable, transition
ReTheta, or . Like other variables, an initial value for this variable also needs to be provided. As before,
you will set it to zero to trigger the automatic initialization of by AcuSolve.

1. Double-click Nodal Initial Condition in the data tree to open the detail panel.
2. Set Transition re theta to 0.0 to trigger the automatic initialization.
The remaining settings in the setup need not be modified. You can now launch AcuSolve to get the
solution of the S809 airfoil problem with the Gamma-ReTheta transition case. Follow the same steps
as in the previous case to post-process the results.

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Figure 149:

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2.12.6 Summary

2.12.6
In this AcuSolve tutorial you successfully set up and solved a turbulence transition problem. The underlying
turbulence model employed was the SST model. The problem simulated a S809 wind turbine airfoil in an
external flow field. You started the tutorial by creating a database in AcuConsole, importing and meshing
the geometry, and setting up the simulation parameters. The database was initially set up with the one-
equation Gamma transition model. Once the case was setup, the solution was generated with AcuSolve.
Results were post-processed in AcuProbe and AcuFieldView. In AcuFieldView you observed the inter-
relation between onset of turbulence viscosity and intermittency. After successfully getting a solution for
the Gamma transition model, you modified the database to use the two-equation Gamma-ReTheta as the
transition model.

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Heat Transfer 3
Heat Transfer

This chapter covers the following:

• 3.3 ACU-3000: Enclosed Hot Cylinder: Natural Convection (p. 184)

• 3.4 Products (p. 226)
• 3.5 Terms (p. 227)
• 3.6 ACU-3100: Conjugate Heat Transfer in a Mixing Elbow (p. 228)
• 3.7 Products (p. 283)
• 3.8 Terms (p. 284)
• 3.9 ACU-3101: Transient Conjugate Heat Transfer in a Mixing Elbow (p. 285)
• 3.10 Products (p. 320)
• 3.11 Terms (p. 321)
• 3.12 ACU-3200: Greenhouse Nocturnal Climate Simulation-Enclosure Radiation and Porous
Media (p. 322)
• 3.13 Products (p. 376)
• 3.14 Terms (p. 377)
• 3.15 ACU-3201: Greenhouse Daytime Climate Simulation – Solar Radiation and Thermal
Shell (p. 378)
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3.3 ACU-3000: Enclosed Hot Cylinder: Natural Convection

This tutorial provides the instructions for setting up, solving and viewing results for a simulation of a hot
cylinder contained within another air-filled cylinder. In this simulation, an internally heated cylinder is
surrounded by air which heats up as it comes in contact with the surface of the inner cylinder. The localized
heating near the surface induces a buoyancy driven flow in the air, generating convection currents. This
tutorial is designed to introduce you to modeling concepts related to natural convection simulations.

The basic steps in a CFD simulation have been discussed in the earlier tutorials. The following additional
capabilities of AcuSolve are introduced in this tutorial:
• Creating and specifying a new custom material in AcuConsole
• Specifying a volume group as a heat source
• Using the Boussinesq density model in buoyancy driven flows, such as cases involving natural
convection
• Set up periodic boundary conditions

In this tutorial you will do the following:

• Analyze the problem
• Start AcuConsole and create a simulation database
• Set general problem parameters
• Set solution strategy parameters
• Create a new custom material model in AcuConsole and assign material properties to it
• Import the geometry for the simulation
• Create a volume group and apply volume parameters
• Create surface groups and apply surface parameters
• Set global and local meshing parameters
• Set periodic boundary conditions
• Generate the mesh
• Set the appropriate boundary conditions
• Run AcuSolve
• Monitor the solution with AcuProbe
• Post-processing the nodal output with AcuFieldView

3.3 Prerequisites
You should have already run through the introductory tutorial, ACU-2000: Turbulent Flow in a Mixing
Elbow. It is assumed that you have some familiarity with AcuConsole, AcuSolve, and AcuFieldView. You
will also need access to a licensed version of AcuSolve.

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Prior to running through this tutorial, copy Acu_tutorial_input.zip from <AcuSolve installation
directory>\model_files\tutorials\AcuSolve\Acu_tutorial_inputs.zip to a working directory.
Extract twin_cylinder.x_t from Acu_tutorial_input.zip.

The color of objects shown in the graphics window in this tutorial and those displayed on your screen
may differ. The default color scheme in AcuConsole is "random," in which colors are randomly assigned to
groups as they are created. In addition, this tutorial was developed on Windows. If you are running this
tutorial on a different operating system, you may notice a slight difference between the images displayed
on your screen and the images shown in the tutorial.

3.3.1 Analyze the Problem

An important step in any CFD simulation is to examine the engineering problem at hand and determine
the important parameters that need to be provided to AcuSolve. Parameters can be based on geometrical
elements (such as inlets, outlets, or walls) and on flow conditions (such as fluid properties, velocity, or
whether the flow should be modeled as turbulent or as laminar).

The system being simulated contains an internally-heated cylinder, which is surrounded by a cylindrical
ring of a larger diameter. The annular volume between the two cylinders is filled with a fluid (air). The
inner cylinder thus acts a heat source, and the fluid in contact with the surface of this heat source is
heated up. This hot fluid, being lower in density than the cold fluid, then rises up to the upper part of the
annulus due to buoyancy effects, and displaces the cold fluid at top. At the same time, the film of fluid
which was in contact with the heating surface is replaced by the surrounding cold fluid. This new film of
cold fluid goes through the same process until eventually a steady state convection current is achieved, or
the inner cylinder ceases to generate heat and slowly the whole system achieves an equal temperature.

The system being simulated can be considered similar to a heat exchanger wherein the inner cylinder is
akin to a tube through which a hot fluid passes by, and the air which surrounds this inner tube extracts
heat from the inner tube. Another analogy can be of a wire carrying high current enclosed in an air cooled
chamber. As the current heats up the wire due to resistance, the air around the wire keeps the wire
temperature within control by extracting heat from the wire surface.

The schematics of the problem which will be addressed in this tutorial is shown in Figure 150. The inner
cylinder is a solid volume with internal heat generation, and the outer cylinder is a fluid volume with air
as the fluid. Both cylinders are assumed to be infinitely long and the system will be modeled using half
symmetry and periodicity. The cylinders are infinite in z-direction and hence periodicity will be applied
along this direction.

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Figure 150: Schematic of the Problem

3.3.2 Introduction to Theory

Natural Convection

Convection is a heat transfer mechanism where the transfer of heat energy happens through the motion
of matter. Since the definition of convection involves motion of matter a fluid state is usually present in
convection. Usually this type of heat transfer takes place between a hot or a cold surface and a fluid. The
film of fluid in contact with the surface absorbs heat from or transfers heat to the surface and is then
replaced by a new film. This movement of fluid may either be governed by an external source, such as a
fan or pump, or due to internal changes in the fluid properties. When no external sources are responsible
for the fluid motion the heat transfer mechanism at work is called the Natural Convection. The driving
force for motion of the fluid in a natural convection is density changes in the fluid due to temperature
gradients induced in the fluid by heat transfer.

The natural convection mechanism works similarly as described above, whilst discussion of the problem.
The fluid which is in contact with the surface absorbs or transfers heat from the surface and becomes
hotter or colder than the surrounding fluid. Driven by buoyancy forces due to difference in densities
caused by the temperature gradient, the fluid is displaced upwards or downwards. Surrounding fluid fills
in the void created by the displaced fluid, which then undergoes the same process again. This gives
rise to a convection current which drives the hot fluid to the top and cold fluid to the bottom of the
convection cell. Buoyancy effects are driven by gravity, therefore natural convection requires presence of
a gravitational force to work. It must be noted, however, that gravity is not the driving force behind the
fluid movement. Presence of gravity only enables displacement of the fluid due to the density changes
caused by temperature gradients.

Mathematical determination of the onset of natural convection is done through a dimensionless number
called the Rayleigh number (Ra). The Rayleigh number is defined as:

where:
• is the characteristic length (m)
• is the Rayleigh number for characteristic length
2
• is acceleration due to gravity (m/s )
• is the surface temperature (K)

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• is the quiescent temperature (fluid temperature far from the surface of the object) (K)
2
• is the kinematic viscosity (m /s)
2
• α is the thermal diffusivity (m /s)
• β is the thermal expansion coefficient (equals to for ideal gases where is absolute temperature).

The fluid properties , α and β are evaluated at the film temperature, , which is defined as:

When the Rayleigh number is below a critical value for the fluid heat transfer is primarily in the form of
conduction. When it exceeds this critical value the dominant heat transfer mechanism is convection.

Boussinesq Density Model

The Boussinesq density model is an approximation method applied to buoyancy driven flows, such as
natural convection flows. In the Boussinesq approximation, the density variation terms are neglected
everywhere except when multiplied by acceleration due to gravity, . The basis of this approximation is
that since temperature changes are small, the resultant changes in density are small as well and thus can
be neglected. However, when multiplied by , the resultant term gives rise to forces which no longer are
negligible. The Boussinesq approximation is:

where
3
• is the instantaneous density at temperature (kg/m )
3
• is the density at reference temperature (kg/m )
• is change in temperature (K)

As stated in the approximation, the Boussinesq density model is only applicable when density variations
are small. A general guideline is to check for the condition to be true. This indirectly puts a limitation on this
model to be used to only for cases where expected temperature differences within the fluid are not large.

3.3.3 Define the Simulation Parameters

Start AcuConsole

In this tutorial, you will begin by creating a database, populating the geometry-independent settings,
loading the geometry, creating volume and surface groups, setting group parameters, adding geometry
components to groups, and assigning mesh controls and boundary conditions to the groups. Next, you
will generate a mesh and run AcuSolve to solve for the number of time steps specified. Finally, you will
visualize some characteristics of the results using AcuFieldView.

In the next steps you will start AcuConsole, and create the database for storage of the simulation settings.

1. Start AcuConsole from the Windows Start menu by clicking Start > All Programs > Altair
HyperWorks <version> AcuSolve > AcuConsole.

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2. Browse to the location that you would like to use as your working directory.
This directory is where all files related to the simulation will be stored. The AcuConsole database
file (.acs) is stored in this directory. Once the mesh and solution are created, additional files and
directories will be created within this directory.
3. Create a new directory in this location. Name it Natural_convection and navigate into this directory.
4. Enter NaturalConvection as the file name for the database, or choose any name of your preference.

Note: In order for other applications to be able to read the files written by AcuConsole,
the database path and name should not include spaces.

Set General Simulation Parameters

In next steps you will set parameters that apply globally to the simulation. To make this simple, the basic
settings applicable for any simulation can be filtered using the BAS filter in the Data Tree Manager. This
filter enables display of only a small subset of the available items in the data tree and makes navigation
of the entries easier.

1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.

Figure 151:

2. Double-click Global in the Data Tree to expand it.

Tip: You can also expand a tree item by clicking next to the item name.

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Figure 152:

3. Double-click Problem Description to open the Problem Description detail panel.

Tip: You can also open a panel by right-clicking a tree item and clicking Open on
the context menu.

4. Enter AcuSolve Tutorial as the Title.

5. Enter Natural Convection as the Sub title.
6. Change the Analysis type to Steady State.
7. Change the Temperature equation to Advective Diffusive.

Figure 153:

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Set Solution Strategy Parameters

In the next steps you will set the parameters that control the behavior of AcuSolve as it progresses during
the solution.

1. Double-click Auto Solution Strategy in the Data Tree to open the Auto Solution Strategy detail
panel.
2. Check that Analysis type is set to Steady State.
3. Set the Max time steps to 100.
4. Change the Convergence tolerance to 0.0001.
5. Enter 0.25 for the Relaxation factor.
6. Check that Flow and Temperature are set to On.
7. Change the Temperature flow to On.
Changing the Temperature flow flag to On will instruct the solver to solve thermal-flow problems
in fully coupled mode. Otherwise these problems are solved with a staggered strategy. In fully-
coupled mode, the flow and temperature equations are solved simultaneously, while in the staggered
approach, the flow equation will usually be solved first considering constant temperature, and then
the temperature equation will be solved as the next step.

Figure 154:

Set Material Model Parameters

AcuConsole has three pre-defined materials, Air, Aluminum and Water, with standard parameters defined.
In the next steps you will check and modify the material characteristics of the predefined Air model to
match the desired properties for this problem. Since this a natural convection problem the density type for
air will be set to use the Boussinesq approximation. Subsequently, you will create a new custom material
and assign relevant material properties to it.

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1. Double-click Material Model in the Data Tree to expand it.

2. Double-click Air in the Data Tree to open the Air detail panel.
The material type for air is Fluid. Fluid is the default material type for any new material created
in AcuConsole.
3. Click the Density tab. Change the density type to Boussinesq.

Figure 155:

-5
4. Click the Viscosity tab. The viscosity of air is 1.781 x 10 kg/m – sec.
5. Click the Specific Heat tab and make sure the Specific heat value is 1005.0 J/kg-K.
6. Similarly check the Conductivity tab and make sure the values are as follows:
a) Conductivity: 0.02521 W/m-K
b) Turbulent Prandtl number: 0.91
7. Save the database to create a backup of your settings. This can be achieved with any of the following
methods.
• Click the File menu, then click Save.
• Click on the toolbar.

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• Click Ctrl+S.

Note: Changes made in AcuConsole are saved into the database file (.acs) as they
are made. A save operation copies the database to a backup file, which can be used
to reload the database from that saved state in the event that you do not want to
commit future changes.

8. Right-click Material Model in the Data Tree and select New from the context menu that appears.
A new entry, Material Model 1, will be created in the Data Tree under the Material Model branch.

Figure 156:

9. Right-click Material Model 1 and select Rename in the context menu.

10. Type in Stainless Steel as the name and press Enter.
11. Double-click Stainless Steel in the Data Tree to open the Stainless Steel detail panel.
The Material type is listed as Fluid. This is the default type for any new material created in
AcuConsole.
12. Change the Material type for Stainless Steel to Solid.
13. Set the material properties for Stainless Steel as follows by navigating through respective tabs in
the detail panel:
3
a) Density: 8000 kg/m .
b) Specific Heat: 500.0 J/kg-K
c) Conductivity: 16.2 W/m-K

Set the Body Force

The body force commands add volumetric source terms to the governing conservation equations. Two
types of body forces will be used in this tutorial.

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The first one is the gravitational force on the fluid due to inertia of the fluid. As discussed in Analyze
the Problem, gravity is an important aspect of the simulation. In fact, for thermal problems solved in
AcuSolve with the Boussinesq approximation, the gravity is scaled by the product of the expansivity
and the temperature minus reference temperature, while density remains constant. This variation in the
gravitational force on fluid regions with different temperatures is what generated convection currents. For
2
this tutorial gravity is defined as equal to standard gravity (g = 9.81 m/s ) along the negative Y-axis,
which is the downward direction in the model.

The second body force which will be used in this model is the volumetric heat source, which specifies
the heat energy source term per unit volume. This will be used to simulate the heat-generating inner
cylinder in our model.

1. Double-click Body Force in the Data Tree to expand it.

Figure 157:

2. Double-click Gravity to open the Gravity detail panel.

The medium for gravity is Fluid. This means that the gravity defined here is applicable only on
material models whose material type is fluid.
3. Click Open Array.
4. In the Array Editor dialog, enter:
• X-component: 0.0
2
• Y-component: -9.81 m/s
• Z-component: 0.0
5. Click OK to complete the definition of gravity.

Note: The definition of gravity here will have no effect on the simulation unless it is
assigned to some volume set in the model.

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6. Create a new body force by right-clicking on Body Force in the Data Tree and selecting New in
the context menu that appears.
A new entry, Body Force 1, will be created under the Body Force branch.
7. Right-click on Body Force 1, select Rename in the context menu, and type in Heat Source as
the entity name.
8. Double-click on Heat Source to open it in the detail panel.
9. Change the Medium to Solid.
10. Click on the drop-down selector next to first Type option and select Per unit volume.
This sets the type of heat source to volumetric heat source.
11. Click on the drop-down selector next to the second Type option and select Constant.
3
12. Set the Volumetric heat source value to 2000 W/m

Figure 158:

Create Time History Output Points

Time History Output commands enables you to extract the nodal solution at any point within the domain.

1. In the tree, double-click on Output, then right-click on Time History Output, and select New.
A new entry, Time History Output 1, will be created in the Data Tree under the Time History Output
branch.

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Figure 159:

2. Right-click on Time History Output 1, select Rename, and type in Monitor points as the entity
name.
3. Double click Monitor points to open the detail panel. In the detail panel,
a) Change the Type to Coordinates.
b) Click Open Array.
c) In the Array Editor, add a new row by clicking Add Row .
d) Fill in the values as follows:

Figure 160:

4. Click OK.

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5. Set Time step frequency to 1.

This will save the results for the defined time history points at every time step.
6. Save the database.

Set the Initial Conditions

1. Double-click on Nodal Initial Condition in the Data Tree to open the detail panel.
2. Set the Temperature to 80° C.
a) The default unit for temperature input is K. You can change the unit for temperature by clicking
on unit to the right of the input field, and selecting oC from the appearing menu.
b) Alternatively, enter 353.15 K in the temperature field.

Figure 161:

3.3.4 Import Geometry and Define the Model

Import the Geometry

You will import the geometry in the next part of this tutorial. You will need to know the location of
twin_cylinder.x_t in order to complete these steps. This file contains information about the geometry
in Parasolid ASCII format.

1. Click File > Import.

2. Browse to the directory containing twin_cylinder.x_t.
3. Change the File name filter to Parasolid File (*.x_t *.xmt *X_T …

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4. Click twin_cylinder.x_t and Open to open the Import Geometry dialog.

5. Click Ok to complete the geometry import.

Figure 162:

6. Rotate the visualization to view the entire model.

Apply Volume Parameters

Volume groups are containers used for storing information about a volume region. This information
includes solution and meshing parameters applied to the volume and the geometric regions that these
settings are applied to.

When the geometry was imported into AcuConsole, all volumes were placed into the "default" volume
container.

In the next steps you will create volume groups for each volume in the model, assign volumes to the
respective volume groups, rename the default volume group container, and set the materials and other
properties for each volume group.

1. Expand the Model Data Tree item.

2. Create a new volume group for the solid inner cylinder.
a) Right-click on Volumes.
b) Click New.
3. Rename the new volume group to solid.
4. Add the solid component in the geometry to this group.
a) Right-click solid under Volumes in the Data Tree.
b) Click Add to.
c) Click the heating element portion of the geometry in the Visualization Area. Refer to the
following figure to identify the correct portion.

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Figure 163:

Follow the instructions in the Add to dialog if you need to manipulate the display to select the
correct portion of the geometry.
d) Click Done to add the selected volume to the solid volume group.
5. Set up the solid volume element set.
The material model for this volume will be set to Stainless Steel, which is the custom material model
you created earlier in this tutorial, specifically for this solid volume. Also the solid volume is to be
set up as the heat source
a) Expand the solid volume group in the tree.
b) Double-click Element Set to open the Element Set detail panel.
c) Change the Medium to Solid.
d) Change the Material model to Stainless Steel.
e) Change the Body force to Heat Source.
6. In the Data Tree, right-click on default and rename it to fluid.
7. Set up the Fluid volume element set.
a) Expand the fluid volume group in the tree.
b) Double click Element Set under fluid to open it in the detail panel.
c) Ensure that the Medium for the volume is set to Fluid. If not, change it to Fluid.
d) Change the Material model to Air.

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e) Change the Body force to Gravity.

Create Surface Groups and Apply Surface Parameters

Surface groups are containers used for storing information about a surface, including solution and meshing
parameters, and the corresponding surface in the geometry that the parameters will apply to.

In the next steps you will define surface groups, assign the appropriate settings for the different
characteristics of the problem, and add surfaces to the group containers.

In the process of setting up a simulation, you need to move into different panels for setting up the boundary
conditions, mesh parameters, and so on, which can sometimes be cumbersome, especially for models with
too many surfaces. To make it easier, less error prone, and to save time, two new dialogs are provided in
AcuConsole. Use the Volume Manager and Surface Manager to verify and provide the information for
all surface or volume entities at once. In this section some features of Surface Manager are exploited.

1. Turn-off display for Volumes by right-clicking on Volumes and selecting Display off .
2. Right-click on Surfaces in the Data Tree and select Surface Manager.
3. In the Surface Manager dialog, click New six times to create six new surface groups.

Figure 164:

If you cannot see the Simple BC Active and Simple BC Type columns, click on Columns , select
these two columns from the list and click Ok.

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Figure 165:

4. Turn off the display for all surfaces except for the default surface.
5. Rename Surface 1 through Surface 6 according to the image below.
6. Set the Simple BC Active and Simple BC Type columns as per Figure 166.

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Figure 166:

7. Assign the periodic surfaces to the respective surface groups.

As mentioned earlier, the cylinders are assumed to be infinitely extended in z-direction. Hence
periodicity will be applied in this direction.
a) In the solid_pos_z row in the Surface Manager, click Add to .
b) Select the planar symmetry surfaces as shown in Figure 167 and click Done.
c) Follow the procedure to assign all the surfaces that will extend in the z-direction to respective
surface collectors.

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Figure 167:

8. Assign the outer wall of the geometry to the outer_wall surface group. Use Figure 168 as the
reference for selecting the required surfaces.

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Figure 168:

9. Assign the surface for symmetry_plane.

Figure 169:

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When the geometry was loaded into AcuConsole, all geometry surfaces were placed in the default surface
group container. This default surface group was renamed to inner_walls. In the previous steps, you
assigned some surfaces to various other surface groups that you created. At this point, all that is left in
the inner_walls surface group are the surfaces which make up the contact boundary between the inner
cylinder and the fluid volume.
10. Close the Surface Manager.

Assign Surface Parameters

The modeling for this simulation was done using half symmetry. The model is only a partial representation
of the system, the complete geometry of which is a cylinder. Hence it is appropriate to set the surface
that you chose as symmetry_plane with a symmetry boundary condition to simulate that effect.

This change was completed using the Surface Manager in the last section. The following steps are thus
optional.

1. Update symmetry_plane.
a) Expand the symmetry_plane surface in the tree.
b) Double-click Simple Boundary Condition under symmetry_plane to open the Simple
Boundary Condition detail panel.
c) Ensure that the Type is set to Symmetry.
2. Update outer_wall.
a) Expand the outer_wall surface group in the tree.
b) Double click Simple Boundary Condition under outer_wall to open the Simple Boundary
Condition detail panel.
c) Ensure that the Type is set to Wall.
d) Verify that the Wall velocity type is set to Match Mesh Velocity.
e) Change Temperature BC type from Flux to Value.
f) Set the Temperature to 25° C.
The default unit for temperature input is K. You can change the unit for temperature by clicking
on the unit button at the right of the input field, and selecting oC from the appearing menu.

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Figure 170:

3. Update inner_wall
The inner walls form the boundary surface of the inner cylinder volume, and enclose the fluid volume
on the inside. Since the inner cylinder is a solid medium, this contact boundary will be a wall.
a) Expand the inner_wall surface group in the tree.
b) Double click Simple Boundary Condition under inner_wall to open the Simple Boundary
Condition detail panel.
c) Ensure that the Type is set to Wall.
d) Verify Wall velocity type is set to Match Mesh Velocity.
4. Update the periodic surfaces solid_pos_z, solid_neg_z, fluid_pos_z, and fluid_neg_z
Physically the simulation domain is assumed to extend infinitely in the z-direction. However, only
a small section of the cross section is being modelled and the solution is assumed to be consistent
along the z-direction. Thus, these periodic surfaces are not physical boundaries but the solution on
these surfaces is constrained to be equal by periodicity. This is achieved via a periodic boundary
condition in AcuConsole, which links the corresponding pairs of nodes on the two surfaces which are
to be constrained with a periodic boundary condition.
Periodicity can be defined before proceeding with mesh generation. With this workflow, when the
mesh is generated, AcuMeshSim, which is the mesh generation engine for AcuSolve, will read the
defined periodicity constraints and ensure a periodic mesh on the specified surface pairs.

a) Expand the Model Data Tree item, and right-click on Periodics.

b) Select New from the context menu to create a new entity, Periodic 1.
c) Repeat the above step to create a second entity Periodic 2.
d) Rename the two new entities as periodicity_fluid and periodicity_solid.

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Figure 171:

e) Right-click on periodicity_fluid and select Define from the context menu.

f) In the Periodic BC dialog, make the following settings.
• Use the drop-down arrow to select the surfaces for Side 1 and Side 2 as fluid_neg_z
and fluid_pos_z, respectively
• Check that the Type is set to Translational.
• Set X, Y and Z-offset as 0.0, 0.0, 0.01 respectively.

Use the following figure for reference for setting up the periodic BC.

Figure 172:

g) Click OK to close the dialog.

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h) Using the same figure as reference, similarly define the periodic BC for the entity
periodicity_solid, with only the following changes:
• Use the drop down arrows for Side 1 and Side 2 and select solid_neg_z and
solid_pos_z, respectively.

Set Global Mesh Parameters

Now that the flow characteristics have been set for the whole problem, a sufficiently refined mesh has
to be generated.

Global mesh attributes are the meshing parameters applied to the model as a whole without reference
to a specific geometric volume, surface, edge, or point. Local mesh attributes are used to create mesh
generation controls for specific geometry components of the model.

In the next steps you will set the global mesh attributes.

1. Click MSH in the Data Tree Manager to filter the settings in the Data Tree to show only the controls
related to meshing.
2. Double-click the Global Data Tree item to expand it.
3. Double-click Global Mesh Attributes to open the Global Mesh Attributes detail panel.
4. Change the Mesh size type to Absolute.
5. Enter 0.005 m for the Absolute mesh size.

Figure 173:

Set Surface Mesh Parameters

Surface mesh attributes are applied to a specific surface in the model. It is a type of local meshing
parameter, used to create targeted mesh controls for one or more specific surfaces.

Local mesh attributes such as surface mesh attributes are not mandatory to be set. When a local mesh
attribute is not found for a component, the global attributes will be used as the mesh generation control
for that component. If a local mesh attribute is present, it will take precedence over the global setting.

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In the next steps you will set the surface meshing attributes for the inner_wall surface, to add boundary
layers to the surface. Then you will propagate these mesh attributes to the outer_wall.

1. Expand the Model Data Tree item.

2. Under the Model branch, expand the Surfaces. Under Surfaces, expand the inner_wall surface
group.
3. If necessary, check the box next to Surface Mesh Attributes to activate it. Double-click it to open
the Surface Mesh Attributes detail panel.
The detail panel should now be populated with options related to the local surface meshing controls.
4. Ensure that the Mesh size type is set to Absolute.
5. Enter 0.002 m for the Absolute mesh size.
6. Switch the Boundary layer flag to On.
Mesh controls related to boundary layer meshing become visible.
7. Check the Boundary layer type is set to Full Control.
8. Set Resolve to Total Layer Height.
This sets the total layer height based on the other settings you provide.
9. Set the remaining settings as follows:
Option Description

First element height 0.0001

Growth rate 1.2

Number of layers 8

Boundary layer elements type Tetrahedron

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Figure 174:

Instead of repeating the above steps for the outer_wall surface, you can choose to propagate the mesh
attribute settings for inner_wall surface group to outer_wall surface group.
10. Under the inner_wall suface, right-click Surface Mesh Attributes and select Propagate.

Figure 175:

11. In the Propagate dialog, select the surface outer_wall and click Propagate.

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Figure 176:

Define Mesh Extrusion

The present simulation is equivalent to a 2D representation of the model, which actually extends infinitely
in both sides along the z-direction. In AcuSolve, 2D models are simulated by having just one element
across the faces of the cross section. Thus when these faces are set up with a similar boundary condition,
it coerces the corresponding nodes across the faces to have same results. In this problem, these faces
are the negative and positive z-surfaces. This kind of mesh is achieved in AcuSolve with mesh extrusion
process. In the following steps, the process of extrusion of the mesh between these surfaces is defined.

1. Expand the Model Data Tree item.

2. Right-click Mesh Extrusions and select New from the context menu to create a new entity, Mesh
Extrusion 1.
3. Repeat the above step to create a second entity, Mesh Extrusion 2.
4. Rename the two entities as extrusion_fluid and extrusion_solid.

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Figure 177:

5. Right-click extrusion_fluid and select Define from the context menu.

6. In the Mesh Extrusion dialog, make the following settings.
a) Check that the Geometry type is set to surface.
b) Use the drop down arrows to select the surfaces for Side 1 and Side 2 as fluid_neg_z and
fluid_pos_z, respectively.
c) Check that the Extrusion type is set to Number of layers.
d) Set Number of layers equal to 1.
e) Set Extrusion options to All tets.
Use the following figure for reference for setting up the mesh extrusion for extrusion_fluid.

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Figure 178:

7. Click OK to close the dialog.

8. Using the same figure as reference, similarly define the mesh extrusion for the entity extrusion_solid,
with only the following changes:
a) Use the drop down arrows to select the surfaces for Side 1 and Side 2 as solid_neg_z and
solid_pos_z, respectively

Generate the Mesh

In the next steps you will generate the mesh that will be used when computing a solution for the problem.

1. Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuMeshSim dialog.

For this case, the default settings will be used.

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Figure 179:

2. Click Ok to begin meshing.

During meshing an AcuTail window will open. Meshing progress is reported in this window. A summary
of the meshing process indicates that the mesh generation has finished.

Figure 180:

Note: The actual number of nodes and elements, and memory usage may vary slightly
from machine to machine.

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3. Close the AcuTail window and save the database to create a backup of your settings.
4. Visualize the mesh in the graphics window. Turn on the display of surfaces, and set the display type
to solid and wire.
5. Rotate and zoom in the model to analyze the various mesh regions.

3.3.5 Compute the Solution and Review the Results

Run AcuSolve

In the next steps you will launch AcuSolve to compute the solution for this case.

1. Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuSolve dialog.

2. Click Ok to start the solution process.
As the solution progresses, an AcuTail window will open. Solution progress is reported in this
window.

Figure 181:

A summary of the solution process indicates that the simulation has been completed.

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Figure 182:

Post-Process with AcuProbe

AcuProbe can be used to monitor various variables over solution time.

1.
Open AcuProbe by clicking the icon on the toolbar.
2. In the Data Tree on the left, expand Residual Ratio. Right-click Final and select Plot All.
This will plot the residuals for the three variables, pressure, temperature and velocity in the plot area.

Note: You might need to click the icon on the toolbar in order to properly display
the plot.

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Figure 183:

3. Right-click Final under Residual Ratio and select Plot None.

4. Expand Time History, and then expand Monitor Points.
5. Expand node 1 and node 2.
6. One node at a time, right-click temperature and select Plot.

Note: You might need to click the icon on the toolbar in order to properly display
the plot.

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Figure 184:

The node 1 lies in the bottom half of the model and the node 2 in the upper half. The temperature
distribution in the above plot shows that in steady state upper half of the cylinder annulus is occupied
by the hotter air and lower half has the colder air.
7. You can also save the plots as an image.
a) From the AcuProbe dialog, click File > Save.
b) Enter a name for the image and click Save.
8. The time series data of the variables can also be exported as a text file for further post-processing.
a) Right-click on the variable that you want to export and click Export.
b) Enter a File name and choose .txt for the Save as type.
c) Click Save.

View Results with AcuFieldView

The tutorial has been written with the assumption that you have become familiar with the AcuFieldView
interface and basic operations. In general, it will be helpful to understand the following basics:
• How to find the data readers in the File menu and open up the desired reader panel for data input.
• How to find the visualization panels either from the toolbar or the Visualization panels from the main
menu to create and modify surfaces in AcuFieldView.
• How to move the data around the graphics window using mouse actions to translate, rotate and
zoom in to the data.

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This tutorial shows you how to work with steady state analysis data.

Start AcuFieldView

1. Click on the AcuConsole toolbar to open the Launch AcuFieldView dialog.

2. Click Ok to start AcuFieldView.
You will see that the temperature contours have already been displayed on all the boundary surfaces
with mesh.

Figure 185:

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Manipulate the Model View in AcuFieldView

1. Close the Boundary Surface dialog.

2. On the AcuFieldView toolbar.
3. Click Viewer Options.

4. Turn off perspective view by deselecting the Perspective checkbox.

5. Disable axis markers by clicking on the Axis Markers button.

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Figure 186:

6. Close the Viewer Options dialog.

7.
Click on the Colormap Specification icon on the toolbar.
8. Click on Background in the Scalar Colormap Specification dialog and select white from the color
palette that opens.

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Figure 187:

9. Close both dialogs.

10.
Click on the Toggle Outline icon on the toolbar to turn off the outline display.
Your AcuFieldView display should now look like this.

Figure 188:

Create the Boundary Surface Showing Temperature for the Outer Surfaces with Mesh

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1. Orient the geometry as shown in the figure below, so that the symmetry plane and periodic surfaces
are visible.
2.
Click on Boundary Surface icon to open the Boundary Surface dialog.
3. Click on the Legend tab and check the Show Legend checkbox.
4. Change the color of labels to black from the color palette.
5. If desired, change the number of labels to show more labels.
6. Change the Annotation title color to black.

Note: You can move the legend using Shift + left click, and resize it using Shift +
right click.

Figure 189:

Coordinate the Surface Showing Temperature on the Mid-Coordinate Surface

1. In the Surface tab in the Boundary Surface dialog box, click Visibility to turn it off.
2. Click Create to create a new Boundary Surface set.
3. Check Visibility to turn it on.
4. Set the DISPLAY TYPE to Outlines.
5. Under BOUNDARY TYPES, click Select All, and click Ok.

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6.
Click to open the Coordinate Surface dialog.
7. Click Create to create a new Coordinate Surface.
8. Set the COORD PLANE to Z.
The coordinate surface created is the mid plane between the two periodic surfaces in the model.
9. Change the COLORING to Scalar.
10. Set the DISPLAY TYPE to Smooth.
11. In the Scalar Function list, select Temperature as the scalar function to be displayed.
12. In the Colormap tab, change SCALAR COLORING to Local.
13. In the Legend tab, check the Show Legend checkbox to display the temperature values on the
coordinate plane.
14. From the Defined Views, select viewing direction as +Z.

Figure 190:

Coordinate the Surface Showing Vectors of Velocity on the Mid-Coordinate Surface

1. In the Surface tab in the Boundary Surface dialog box, click Create to create a new Boundary
Surface set.
2. Set the DISPLAY TYPE to Vectors.
3. Change the COLORING to Scalar.
4. In the Scalar Function list, select Velocity as the scalar function to be displayed.
5. Next to Vectors, click Options.

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6. Activate Head Scaling and set it at 1.

7. Set the Length Scale to 4.
8. Activate the Skip option, and set the value to 50%.

Figure 191:

3.3.6 Summary

In this AcuSolve tutorial you successfully set up and solved a natural convection problem. The problem
simulated a hot cylinder placed in the center of another air-filled cylindrical volume. Air is modeled using a
Boussinesq density approximation model which is used for buoyancy driven flows, such as those involving
natural convection. As the film of air in vicinity of the surface of the hot inner cylinder heats up, it generates
convection currents within the annular volume.

You started the tutorial by creating a database in AcuConsole, importing and meshing the geometry and
setting up the basic simulation parameters. The hot inner cylinder was represented by a solid volume also
acting as a heat source. Once the case was setup, the solution was generated with AcuSolve.

Results were post-processed in AcuFieldView where you generated a temperature profile, and a velocity
vector profile, on a cross-section of the model.

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New features that were introduced in this tutorial include creating and specifying a new custom material in
AcuConsole, specifying a volume group as a heat source using the Boussinesq density model and setting
up periodic boundary conditions.

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3.6 ACU-3100: Conjugate Heat Transfer in a Mixing Elbow

This tutorial provides the instructions for setting up, solving, and viewing results for a simulation of 3D
turbulent-flow with conjugate heat transfer in a mixing elbow. It is designed to introduce you to the
AcuSolve tool set with a simple problem.

The basic steps in any CFD simulation were shown in the tutorial ACU-2000: Turbulent Flow in a Mixing
Elbow. The following additional capabilities of AcuSolve are introduced in this tutorial:
• Simulating heat transfer within a fluid
• Simulating heat transfer between a fluid and a solid (conjugate heat transfer)
• Creation of a new material model
• Modeling of surfaces shared between solid and fluid volumes
• Propagation (copying) of settings from one surface group to another

3.6 Prerequisites
You should have already run through the introductory tutorial, Flow in a Mixing Elbow. It is assumed that
you have some familiarity with AcuConsole, AcuSolve, and AcuFieldView. You will also need access to a
licensed version of AcuSolve 2017.

Prior to running through this tutorial, copy Mixing_Elbow_Heat\mixingElbowHeat.x_t from

<AcuSolve installation directory>\model_files\tutorials\AcuSolve\Acu_tutorial_inputs.zip
to a working directory.

3.6.1 Analyze the Problem

An important first step in any CFD simulation is to examine the engineering problem to be analyzed
and determine the settings that need to be provided to AcuSolve. Settings can be based on geometrical
components (such as volumes, inlets, outlets, or walls) and on flow conditions (such as fluid properties,
velocity, or whether the flow should be modeled as turbulent or as laminar).

The problem to be addressed in this tutorial is shown schematically in Figure 192. It consists of a mixing
elbow made of stainless steel with water entering through two inlets with different velocities and with
different temperatures. The geometry is symmetric about the XY midplane of the pipe, as shown in the
figure. This symmetry allows the flow to be modeled with the use of a symmetry plane. The use of a
symmetry plane leads to reduced computation time while still providing an accurate solution.

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Figure 192: Schematic of Mixing Elbow with Stainless-steel Walls

Details of the problem characteristics are shown in the following images extracted from a sample worksheet
that was created prior to setting up the case for AcuSolve.

The diameter of the large inlet is 0.1 m, the inlet velocity (v) is 0.4 m/s and the temperature (T) of the
fluid entering the large inlet is 295 K. The diameter of the small inlet is .025 m, the velocity is 1.2 m/s, and
the temperature of the fluid entering the small inlet is 320 K. The pipe wall has a thickness of 0.005 m.

Figure 193:

The fluid in this problem is water, with the following properties that do not change with temperature; a
3 -3
density (ρ) of 1000 kg/m , a molecular viscosity (μ) of 1 X 10 kg/m-sec, a conductivity (k) of 0.598 W/
m-K, and a specific heat (cp) of 4183 J/kg-K, as shown in the worksheet.

Figure 194:

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3
The pipe walls are made of stainless steel with a density of 8030 kg/m , a conductivity of 16.2 W/m-K,
and a specific heat of 500 J/kg-K.

Figure 195:

Based on mass conservation, the combined flow rate (Q) yields a velocity of 0.475 m/s downstream of
the small inlet. This value is useful in determining the Reynolds number, which in turn can be used to
determine if the flow should be modeled as turbulent, or if it should be modeled as laminar.

Figure 196:

In order to determine whether the modeled flow would be turbulent or whether it would be laminar, the
Reynolds number (Re) should be calculated. The Reynolds number is given by:

where ρ is the fluid density, v is the fluid velocity, D is the diameter of the flow region, and μ is the
molecular viscosity of the fluid. When the Reynolds number is above 4,000, it is generally accepted that
flow should be modeled as turbulent.

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The Reynolds numbers of 40,000 at the large inlet, 30,000 at the small inlet, and 47,500 for the combined
flow indicate that the flow is turbulent throughout the flow domain.

Figure 197:

The simulation will be set up to model steady state, turbulent flow with varying temperature. In addition,
the thermal characteristics of the flow will be modeled using advection and diffusion equations.

Figure 198:

In addition to setting appropriate conditions to capture the physics of the simulation, it is important to
generate a mesh that is sufficiently refined to provide good results. In this tutorial the global mesh size is
set to provide at least 30 mesh elements around the circumference of the large inlet. For this problem, the
global mesh size is 0.0106 m. This mesh size was chosen to provide a quick turnaround time for the model.
For real-world simulations, you would modify your mesh settings after an initial solution until a mesh-
independent solution is reached (that is, a solution that does not change with further mesh refinement).

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Figure 199:

AcuSolve allows for mesh refinements in a user-defined region that is independent of geometric
components of the problem such as volumes, model surfaces, or edges. It is useful to refine the mesh in
areas where gradients in pressure, velocity, eddy viscosity, and the like are steep. For this problem, the
flow entering the large pipe from the side pipe creates large velocity gradients that need to be resolved.
A mesh refinement zone is used to capture the flow in this region.

Figure 200:

Once a solution is calculated, the flow properties of interest are the steady state temperature contours
on the symmetry plane, velocity vectors on the symmetry plane, temperature contours on the pipe walls,
and temperature contours at the pipe outlet.

3.6.2 Define the Simulation Parameters

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Start AcuConsole and Create the Simulation Database

In this tutorial, you will begin by creating a database, populating the geometry-independent settings,
loading the geometry, creating groups, setting group attributes, adding geometry components to groups,
and assigning mesh controls and boundary conditions to the groups. Next you will generate a mesh and run
AcuSolve to converge on a steady state solution. Finally, you will visualize the results using AcuFieldView.

In the next steps you will start AcuConsole, create the database for storage of AcuConsole settings and
set the location for saving mesh and solution information for AcuSolve.

1. Start AcuConsole from the Windows Start menu by clicking Start > All Programs > Altair
HyperWorks <version> > AcuSolve > AcuConsole.
2. Click the File > New to open the New data base dialog.

Note: You can also open the New data base dialog by clicking on the toolbar.

3. Browse to the location to use as your working directory.

This directory is where all files related to the simulation will be stored. The AcuConsole database
file (*.acs) is stored in this directory. Once the mesh and solution are created, additional files and
directories will be created within this directory.
4. Create a new folder named Mixing_Elbow_Heat and open this folder.
5. Enter Mixing_Elbow_Heat as the File name for the database.

Note: In order for other applications to be able to read the files written by AcuConsole,
the database path and name should not include spaces.

6. Click Save to create the database.

Set General Simulation Parameters

In the next steps you will set parameters that apply globally to the simulation. To simplify this task, you
will use the BAS filter in the Data Tree Manager. The BAS filter limits the options in the Data Tree to
show only the basic settings.

The general parameters that you will set for this tutorial are for turbulent flow, steady state time analysis
and for thermal analysis using advection-diffusion equations.

1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to filter all but the basic settings in the Data Tree.

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Figure 201:

2. Double-click Global in the Data Tree to expand it.

Note: You can also expand a tree item by clicking next to the item name.

Figure 202:

3. Double-click Problem Description to open the Problem Description detail panel.

4. Enter Introductory Tutorial as the Title for this case.
5. Enter Mixing Elbow – Turbulent with conjugate heat transfer as the Sub title for this case.
6. Accept the default Analysis type of Steady State.
7. Set the Temperature equation to Advective Diffusive.
a) Click the Temperature equation drop down.
b) Click Advective Diffusive from the list.
8. Set the Turbulence equation to Spalart Allmaras.
a) Click the Turbulence equation drop-down.
b) Click Spalart Allmaras from the list.
The robustness and accuracy of the Spalart-Allmaras turbulence model makes it an excellent
choice for simulation of steady state flows.

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Figure 203:

Set Solution Strategy Parameters

In the next steps you will set the parameters that control the behavior of AcuSolve as it progresses during
the solution.

1. Double-click Auto Solution Strategy to open the Auto Solution Strategy detail panel.
2. Enter 0.4 for the Relaxation factor.
The relaxation factor is used to improve convergence of the solution. Typically a value between 0.2
and 0.4 provides a good balance between achieving a smooth progression of the solution and the
extra compute time needed to reach convergence. Higher relaxation factors cause AcuSolve to take
more time steps to reach a steady state solution. A high relaxation factor is sometimes necessary
in order to achieve convergence for very complex applications.

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Figure 204:

Set Material Model Parameters

AcuConsole has three pre-defined materials, Air, Aluminum and Water.

In the next steps you will verify that the pre-defined material properties of water match the desired
properties for this problem. You will also create a new material, stainless steel, and set the desired material
properties.

Figure 205:

1. Double-click Material Model in the Data Tree to expand it.

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Figure 206:

2. Double-click Water in the Data Tree to open the Water detail panel.
The Material type for water is Fluid. The default material type for any new material created in
AcuConsole is Fluid.
3
3. Click the Density tab. Verify that the density of water is 1000.0 kg/m .
4. Click the Specific Heat tab. Verify that the specific heat of water is 4183.0 J/kg-K.
5. Click the Viscosity tab. Verify that the viscosity of water is 0.001 kg/m-sec.
6. Click the Conductivity tab. Verify that the conductivity of water is 0.598 W/m-K.
7. Create a new material model for stainless steel.

Figure 207:

a) Right-click Material Model in the Data Tree.

b) Click New.
8. Rename the new material.
a) Right-click Material Model 1 in the Data Tree.
b) Click Rename.

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c) Enter Stainless Steel.

9. Double-click Steel in the Data Tree to open the Stainless Steel detail panel.
10. Change the Material type to solid.
a) Click the drop-down control next to Material Type.
b) Click Solid.
11. Set the density to be used for stainless steel in this simulation.
a) Click the Density tab.
b) Enter 8030 for Density.
c) Verify that the units are kg/m3.
12. Set the specific heat of steel for this simulation.
a) Click the Specific Heat tab.
b) Enter 500 for Specific heat.
c) Verify that the units are J/kg-K.
13. Set the conductivity of steel for this simulation.
a) Click the Conductivity tab.
b) Enter 16.2 for Conductivity.
c) Verify that the units are W/m-K.
14. Save the database to create a backup of your settings. This can be achieved with any of the following
methods.
• Click the File menu, then click Save.
• Click on the toolbar.
• Click Ctrl+S.

Note: Changes made in AcuConsole are saved into the database file (*.acs) as they
are made. A save operation copies the database to a backup file, which can be used
to reload the database from that saved state in the event that you do not want to
commit future changes.

3.6.3 Import Geometry and Define the Model

Import the Mixing Elbow Geometry

You will import the geometry in the next part of this tutorial. You will need to know the location of
mixingElbowHeat.x_t in order to complete these steps. This file contains the solid model of the mixing
elbow in the Parasolid ASCII format.

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1. Click File > Import.

2. Browse to the directory containing mixingElbowHeat.x_t.
3. Change the File name filter to Parasolid File (*.x_t *.xmt *X_T
a) Click the drop-down button to the right of the File name field.
b) Click Parasolid File (*.x_t *.xmt *X_T from the drop-down list.
4. Click mixingElbowHeat.x_t and Open to open the Import Geometry dialog.
5. Click Ok to complete the geometry import.

Figure 208:

The color of objects shown in the graphics window in this tutorial and those displayed on your
screen may differ. The default color scheme in AcuConsole is "random," in which colors are randomly
assigned to groups as they are created. In addition, this tutorial was developed on Windows. If you
are running this tutorial on a different operating system, you may notice a slight difference between
the images displayed on your screen and the images shown in the tutorial.

Create a Volume Group and Apply Volume Parameters

Volume groups are containers used for storing information about volumes. This information includes the
list of geometric volumes associated with the container, as well as parameters such as material models
and mesh sizing information.

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When the geometry was imported into AcuConsole, all volumes were placed into the "default" volume
container.

In the next steps you will create a new group for the steel wall volume; set the material for that group;
add the volumes from the geometry to that volume group; rename the default volume group to Fluid
and set the material for that group; then add the volumes from the geometry to that group.

1. Expand the Model tree item.

2. Expand Volumes.
3. Toggle the display of the default volume container by clicking and next to the volume name.

Note: You may not see any change when toggling the display if Surfaces are being
displayed, as surfaces and volumes may overlap.

4. Create a new volume group for the steel pipe walls.

a) Right-click Volumes.
b) Click New.
5. Right-click Volume 1, select Rename and enter Steel Walls .

Note: When an item in the Data Tree is renamed, the change is not saved until you
press Enter. If you move the input focus away from the item without entering it, your
changes will be lost.

6. Set the material model for the volume to use the Stainless Steel.
a) Expand the Steel Walls volume in the tree.
b) Double-click Element Set to open the Element Set detail panel.
c) Change the Medium to Solid to define this volume as a solid.
d) For Material model, click Stainless Steel.

Figure 209:

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7. Add the pipe wall components in the geometry to this volume group.
a) Right-click Steel Walls under Volumes in the Data Tree.
b) Click Add to.
c) Click the outer surface of the pipe wall.
If you rotate the view, by Ctrl+left-clicking, you can see that only the outer volume is
highlighted.

Figure 210:

d) Click Done to add this geometry volume to the Steel Walls volume group.

Note: You can also use the middle mouse button to complete the addition of
geometry components to a group.

8. Rename the default volume to Fluid.

When the geometry was loaded into AcuConsole, all geometry volumes were placed in the default
volume group. In the previous steps, you selected a geometry volume to be added to the Steel
volume container that you created. At this point, all that is left in the default volume group is the
fluid volume. Rather than create a new container, add the fluid volume in the geometry to it, and

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then delete the default volume container, you will rename the container and modify the attributes
for this group.

a) Right-click default under Volumes and click Rename on the context menu.
b) Enter Fluid .
9. Set the material model used for the fluid in the simulation.
a) Expand the Fluid volume in the tree.
b) Double-click Element Set to open the Element Set detail panel.

Note: The default Medium for a volume in AcuConsole is Fluid.

c) Click the drop-down control next to Material model.

d) Click Water to set this material model for the fluid.

Figure 211:

Create Surface Groups and Apply Surface Attributes

Surface groups are containers used for storing information about a surface. This information includes the
list of geometric surfaces associated with the container, as well as attributes such as boundary conditions,
surface outputs, and mesh sizing information.

In the next steps you will define surface groups, assign the appropriate attributes for each group in the
problem, and add surfaces to the groups.

Set Inflow Boundary Conditions for the Large Inlet

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In the next steps you will define a surface group for the large inlet, set the inlet velocity, and add the
main inlet from the geometry to the surface group.

Figure 212:

1. Create a new surface group.

a) Right-click Surfaces in the Data Tree.
b) Click New.
2. Rename Surface 1 to Large Inlet.
3. Expand the Large Inlet surface in the tree.
4. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition under Large Inlet to open the Simple Boundary
Condition detail panel.
5. Change the Type to Inflow.
6. Change the Inflow type to Average Velocity.
This type of boundary condition is used by AcuSolve to approximate a fully developed flow with a
given average velocity.
7. Set the Average velocity to 0.4 m/sec.
8. Set the Temperature to 295 K.

Figure 213:

9. Add a geometry surface to the Large Inlet group.

a) Right-click Large Inlet and click Add to.

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b) Click on the large inlet face.

Figure 214:

At this point, the inlet should be highlighted.

c) Click Done to add this geometry surface to the Large Inlet surface group.

Note: You can also use the middle mouse button to complete the addition of
geometry components to a group.

Set Inflow Boundary Conditions for the Small Inlet

In the next steps you will define a surface group for the small inlet, assign the appropriate attributes, and
add the small inlet from the geometry to the surface group.

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Figure 215:

1. Create a new surface group and rename the surface to Small Inlet.
2. Expand the Small Inlet surface in the tree.
3. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition under Small Inlet to open the Simple Boundary
Condition detail panel.
4. Change the Type to Inflow.
5. Change the Inflow type to Average Velocity.
6. Set the Average velocity to 1.2 m/sec.
7. Set the Temperature to 320 K.

Figure 216:

8. Add a geometry surface to the Small Inlet group.

a) Right-click Small Inlet and click Add to.
b) Rotate the model to expose the small inlet by Ctrl+left-clicking near the bottom of the geometry
and moving the cursor toward the top of the window.

Note: If you need to zoom in or out, Ctrl+right-click and drag the cursor down
or up. You can also restore the initial view by clicking .

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c) Left-click on the small inlet face.

Figure 217:

At this point, the small inlet should be highlighted.

d) Click Done to add this geometry surface to the Small Inlet group.

Set Outflow Boundary Conditions for the Outlet

In the next steps you will define a surface group for the outlet, assign the appropriate attributes and add
the outlet from the geometry to the surface group.

1. Create a new surface group and rename the surface to Outlet.

2. Expand the Outlet surface in the tree.
3. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition under Outlet to open the Simple Boundary Condition
detail panel.
4. Change the Type to Outflow.

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Figure 218:

5. Add a geometry surface to the Outlet surface container.

a) Right-click Outlet and click Add to.
b) Rotate the model to expose the outlet by Ctrl+left-clicking near the top of the geometry and
moving the cursor toward the bottom of the window.
c) Click on the outlet face.

Figure 219:

At this point, the outlet should be highlighted.

d) Click Done to associate this geometry surface with the surface settings of the Outlet group.

Set Wall Boundary Conditions for the Steel Pipe Outer Walls

In the next steps you will define a surface group for the steel pipe outer walls, assign the appropriate
attributes and add the pipe walls from the geometry to the surface group. In this simulation, you will not

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be modeling the air surrounding the pipe. However, you will specify a convective heat transfer coefficient
and reference temperature to account for heat transfer from the pipe walls to the surroundings.

1. Create a new surface group and rename the surface to Steel Pipe - Outer Walls.
2. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition under Steel Pipe - Outer Walls to open the Simple
Boundary Condition detail panel.
3. Enter 100 for the Convective heat flux coefficient and verify that the units are J/m2-sec-K.
This convective heat transfer coefficient is chosen to model the heat transfer between the steel pipe
and the surrounding air.
4. Enter 302.594 for the Convective heat flux reference temperature and verify that the units
are K.
This temperature value specifies that the surroundings of the pipe are at a constant temperature
of 302.594 K.

Figure 220:

5. Add a geometry surface to the Steel Pipe - Outer Walls group.

a) Right-click Steel Pipe - Outer Walls and click Add to.

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Figure 221:

At this point, the outer pipe walls should be highlighted.

b) Click Done to associate these geometry surfaces with the surface settings of the Steel Pipe
- Outer Walls group.

Set Boundary Conditions for the Steel Pipe Inner Walls

In the next steps you will define a surface group for the steel pipe inner wall, assign the appropriate
attributes, and add the pipe walls from the geometry to the surface group.

1. Create a new surface group and rename the surface to Steel Pipe - Inner Walls.
2. Disable boundary conditions for this surface.
For this simulation, no boundary conditions will be used for the inner surface of the steel pipe. Where
there is an interface between two volumes (fluid/solid or fluid/fluid), AcuConsole treats the interface
as two surfaces. This allows you to set different attributes, such as boundary conditions or local
meshing attributes, on either side of the interface. You will set boundary conditions for the large
pipe wall (the second surface at this interface) later in this tutorial.
a) Expand the Steel Pipe - Inner Walls surface in the tree.
b) Click the checkbox next to Simple Boundary Condition to disable boundary conditions.
3. Turn off the display of the Steel Pipe - Outer Walls.
• Click next to the surface so that it is in the display off state ( ),
or,
• Right-click Steel Pipe - Outer Walls in the tree, and click Display off.

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Turning off the display of the outer walls will make it easier to add geometric surfaces to the inner
wall group.
4. Add geometry surfaces to the Steel Pipe - Inner Walls group.
a) Right-click Steel Pipe - Inner Walls and click Add to.
b) Click the pipe near the main inlet, the pipe near the elbow, the pipe near the outlet, and the
pipe near the side inlet to select the four surfaces that make up the inner surface of the steel
pipe wall.

Figure 222:

At this point, the inner walls of the steel pipe should be highlighted.
c) Click Done to associate these geometry surfaces with the surface settings of the Steel Pipe
- Inner Walls group.

Set Wall Boundary Conditions for the Large Pipe

In the next steps you will define a surface group for the pipe walls, assign the appropriate attributes, and
add the elbow pipe walls from the geometry to the surface group.

1. Create a new surface group and rename the surface to Large Pipe.
2. Expand the Large Pipe surface in the tree.
3. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition under Large Pipe to open the Simple Boundary
Condition detail panel.
The default wall settings will be used for the pipe wall.
4. Turn off the display of the Steel Pipe - Inner Walls.
Turning off the display of the inner walls of the steel pipe will make it easier to add geometric surfaces
to the pipe group.

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5. Add geometry surfaces to this group.

a) Right-click Large Pipe and click Add to.
b) Click on the pipe near the large inlet, the pipe near the elbow, and the pipe near the outlet to
select the three surfaces that make up the main pipe wall.

Figure 223:

At this point, the pipe walls should be highlighted.

c) Click Done to add these geometric surfaces to the Large Pipe group.

Set Wall Boundary Conditions for the Small Pipe

In the next steps you will define a surface group for the side pipe wall, assign the appropriate parameters,
and add the side pipe wall from the geometry to the surface group.

1. Create a new surface group and rename the surface to Small Pipe.
2. Expand the Small Pipe surface in the tree.
3. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition under Small Pipe to open the Simple Boundary
Condition detail panel.
As with the large pipe, the default boundary condition Type is Wall. The default is appropriate for
this group and no other changes are needed.
4. Add geometry surfaces to this group.
a) Right-click Small Pipe and click Add to.
b) Rotate the model to expose the side pipe by Ctrl+left-clicking near the bottom of the geometry
and moving the cursor toward the top of the window.
c) Click on the pipe near the side inlet.

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Figure 224:

At this point, the side pipe wall should be highlighted.

d) Click Done to associate this geometry surface with the Small Pipe surface container.

Set Symmetry Boundary Conditions for the Pipe Symmetry Plane

This geometry is symmetric about the XY midplane, and can therefore be modeled with half of the
geometry. In order to take advantage of this, the midplane needs to be identified as a symmetry plane.
The symmetry boundary condition enforces constraints such that the flow field from one side of the plane
is a mirror image of that on the other side.

In the next steps you will create a surface group for the symmetry plane of the pipe, assign the appropriate
attributes, and add the side pipe wall from the geometry to the surface group.
1. Create a new surface group and rename it to Symmetry.
2. Expand the Symmetry surface in the tree.
3. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition under Symmetry to open the Simple Boundary
Condition detail panel.
4. Change the Type to Symmetry.
5. Turn off the display of all surface items except Symmetry and default.
6. Add geometric faces to this group.
a) Right-click Symmetry and click Add to.
b) Click on the Symmetry plane.

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Figure 225:

At this point, the symmetry plane should be highlighted.

c) Click Done to associate this geometry surface with the Small Pipe surface container.

Set Boundary Conditions for the Steel Pipe Ends

In the next steps you will define a surface group for the ends of the steel pipe, assign the appropriate
attributes, and add the pipe ends from the geometry to the surface group.

1. Create a new surface group and rename it to Steel Pipe - Ends.

2. Expand the Steel Pipe - Ends surface in the tree.
3. Disable boundary conditions for this surface.
No boundary conditions will be used for the pipe ends for this simulation. AcuSolve will treat the
steel wall as if it continues beyond the regions modeled.
4. Turn off the display of all surface items except Steel Pipe - Ends and default.
5. Add geometric faces to this group.
a) Right-click Steel Pipe - Ends and click Add to.
b) Click on the pipe ends at the large inlet, the small inlet, and the outlet.

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Note: You may need to rotate the graphic to see that the pipe end at the large
inlet is highlighted.

Figure 226:

At this point, the pipe ends should be highlighted.

c) Click Done to associate these geometry surfaces with the Steel Pipe - Ends surface container.

Set Symmetry Boundary Conditions for the Steel Pipe Symmetry Plane

1. Rename the default surface group to Steel Pipe - Symmetry.

2. Expand the Steel Pipe - Symmetry surface in the tree.
3. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition under Steel Pipe - Symmetry to open the Simple
Boundary Condition detail panel.
4. Change the Type to Symmetry.
5. Save the database to create a backup of your settings.

3.6.4 Assign Mesh Controls

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Set Global Meshing Parameters

Now that the simulation has been defined, parameters need to be added to define the mesh sizes that
will be created by the mesher.

AcuConsole supports three levels of meshing control; global, zone, and geometric.
• Global mesh controls apply to the whole model without being tied to any geometric component of
the model.
• Zone mesh controls apply to a defined region of the model, but are not associated with a particular
geometric component.
• Geometric mesh controls are applied to a specific geometric component. These controls can be
applied to volume groups, surface groups, or edge groups.

In the next steps you will set global meshing parameters. In subsequent steps you will create zone and
surface meshing parameters.

Figure 227:

1. Click MSH in the Data Tree Manager to filter the settings in the Data Tree to show only the controls
related to meshing.
2. Expand the Global Data Tree item.
3. Double-click Global Mesh Attributes to open the Global Mesh Attributes detail panel.
4. Change the Mesh size type to Absolute.
5. Enter 0.0106 m for the Absolute mesh size.
This absolute mesh size is chosen to ensure that there are at least 30 mesh elements around the
circumference of the main pipe.
6. Turn off the Curvature refinement parameters option.

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Figure 228:

Set Zone Meshing Parameters

In addition to setting meshing characteristics for the whole problem, you can assign meshing parameters
to a zone within the problem where you want to be able to resolve flow with a mesh that is more refined
than the global mesh. A zone mesh refinement can be created using basic shapes to control the mesh
size within that shape. These types of mesh refinement are used when refinement is needed in an area
that does not correspond to a geometric item.

In the next steps you will define mesh controls for a region around the small pipe and extending into
the main pipe by using a zone mesh control. The region of interest for this refinement is a cylinder that
encloses the small pipe and extends into the main pipe.

Figure 229:

1. Turn off the display of Volumes.

2. Turn off the display of all surfaces except Symmetry.
3. Restore the initial view by clicking on the View Manager toolbar.

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4. Right-click Zone Mesh Attributes under the Global branch in the Data Tree and click New.
5. Rename Zone Mesh Attributes 1 to Small pipe refinement.
6. Double-click Small pipe refinement to open the Zone Mesh Attributes detail panel.
7. Change the Mesh zone type to Cylinder.
8. Enter 0.0254 m for the Radius.
This radius is used to define a cylinder that is larger than the small inlet.
9. Enter 0.0053 m for the Mesh size.
This will result in a zone where the mesh size is half of the mesh size in the rest of the pipe.

Figure 230:

Note: When setting mesh size for refinement zones, the best practice is to choose a
1 1 1
value that is the global mesh size divided by a power of 2, that is, /2, /4, /8, and
the like.

10. Set the location of the mesh refinement by defining the center points of the end faces of the cylinder.
a) Click Open Array to open the Array Editor dialog.
b) Enter 0.143 for X-coordinate 1 and 2.
c) Enter -0.232 for Y-coordinate 1.
d) Enter -0.025 for Y-coordinate 2.
e) Enter 0.0 for Z-coordinate 2.
f) Click OK.

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Figure 231:

Figure 232:

Set Meshing Attributes for Surface Groups

In the following steps you will set meshing attributes that will allow for localized control of the mesh size
on surface groups that you created earlier in this tutorial. Specifically, you will set local meshing attributes
that control the growth of boundary layer elements normal to the surfaces of the main pipe and of the
side pipe.

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Set Meshing Parameters for the Large Pipe

In the next steps you will set parameters that control the mesh size normal to the large pipe wall (boundary
layer mesh controls).
1. Expand the Model > Surfaces > Large Pipe tree item.
2. Click the checkbox next to Surface Mesh Attributes to enable the settings and open the Surface
Mesh Attributes detail panel.
3. Change the Mesh size type to None.
This option indicates that the mesher will use the global meshing attributes when creating the mesh
on the surface of the pipe walls.
4. Turn on the Boundary layer flag option.
This option allows you to define how the meshing should be handled in the direction normal to the
walls.
5. Set the Resolve option to Total Layer Height.
Mesh elements for a boundary layer are grown in the normal direction from a surface to allow
effective resolution of the steep gradients near no-slip walls. The layers can be specified using a
number of different options. In this tutorial you will specify the height of the first layer, a stretch
ratio for successive layers (growth rate), and the total number of layers to generate. AcuConsole
will resolve the total layer height from the attributes that you provide. That is, total layer height will
be computed based on the height of the first element, the growth rate, and the number of layers
that you provide in the next few steps.
6. Keep the default value, 0.001 m, for First element height
7. Enter 1.3 for the Growth rate.
8. Enter 4 for the Number of layers.

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Figure 233:

Propagate Meshing Parameters to the Small Pipe

The local mesh settings for the small pipe are the same as for the large pipe. AcuConsole has the capability
to propagate, or "copy and paste," settings from one group to another. In the following steps you will
propagate the local mesh settings from the large pipe surface group to the small pipe surface group.

1. Right-click Surface Mesh Attributes under Large Pipe and click Propagate.

Figure 234:

2. Scroll down the list of surfaces and click Small Pipe.

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Figure 235:

3. Click Propagate to paste the settings for the Large Pipe surface to the Small Pipe surface.

If you examine the Surface Mesh Attributes for the Small Pipe, you will see that the settings are the
same as those for the Large Pipe.

Set Meshing Parameters for the Steel Pipe Outer Walls

In the following steps you will set meshing parameters that will allow for localized control of the mesh
size near the outer walls of the steel pipe.

1. Expand the Model > Surfaces > Steel Pipe - Outer Walls tree item.
2. Click the check box next to Surface Mesh Attributes to enable the settings and open the Surface
Mesh Attributes detail panel.
3. Change the Mesh size type to None.
This option indicates that the mesher will use the global meshing parameters when creating the
mesh on the surface of the pipe walls.
4. Turn on the Boundary layer flag option.
This option allows you to define how the meshing should be handled in the direction normal to the
walls. For the inner and outer walls of the steel pipe, you will set parameters to create a mesh one
layer thick with a height of 0.002 m.
5. Set the Resolve option to Total Layer Height.
6. Enter 0.002 m for First element height.
7. Enter 1 for the Number of layers.

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Figure 236:

Propagate Meshing Attributes to the Steel Pipe Inner Walls

The local mesh settings for the inner walls of the pipe are the same as for the outer walls. In the following
steps you will propagate the local mesh settings from the surface group containing the steel pipe outer
walls to the surface group containing the steel pipe inner walls.

1. Right-click Surface Mesh Attributes under Steel Pipe - Outer Walls and click Propagate.
2. Scroll down the list of surfaces and click Steel Pipe - Inner Walls.
3. Click Propagate to paste the settings for the Steel Pipe - Outer Walls surface to the Steel Pipe
- Inner Walls surface.
4. If you examine the Surface Mesh Attributes for the Steel Pipe - Inner Walls, you will see that
the settings are the same as those for the Steel Pipe - Outer Walls.
5. Save the database to create a backup of your settings.

Generate the Mesh

In the next steps you will generate the mesh that will be used when computing a solution for the problem.

1. Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuMeshSim dialog.

2. Click Ok to begin meshing.
During meshing an AcuTail window will open. Meshing progress is reported in this window. A
summary of the meshing process indicates that the mesh has been generated.

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Figure 237:

3. Display the mesh on surfaces.

a) Right-click Zone Mesh Attributes under Global in the Data Tree and click Display off.
b) Right-click Volumes in the Data Tree and click Display off.
c) Right-click Surfaces in the Data Tree and click Display on.
d) Right-click Surfaces in the Data Tree, select Display type and click solid & wire.
4. Rotate, move, or zoom the view to examine the mesh.
5. Turn off the display of small pipe refinement under Global > Zone Mesh Attributes by clicking
next to the surface so that it is in the display off state ( ).
Details of the mesh on the side pipe are shown in Figure 238. This view was obtained by turning
off the display of all surfaces except Symmetry and Steel Pipe - Symmetry, then zooming in on
the region where the small pipe joins the large pipe.

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Figure 238: Mesh Details Around the Pipe Intersection Viewed on the Symmetry Plane

Note that the mesh size in the main pipe decreases from left to right in the transition from a region
where global settings determine the size to the zone around the small pipe where the settings are
for a finer mesh.
6. Save the database to create a backup of your settings.

3.6.5 Compute the Solution and Review the Results

Run AcuSolve

In the next steps you will launch AcuSolve to compute the solution for this case.

1. Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuSolve dialog.

For this case, the default values will be used.

Based on these settings, AcuConsole will generate the AcuSolve input files, then launch the solver.
AcuSolve will run on a single processor to calculate the steady state solution for this problem.
2. Click Ok to start the solution process.

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As the solution progresses, an AcuTail dialog will open. Solution progress is reported in this dialog. A
summary of the solution process indicates that the simulation has been completed. The information
provided in the summary is based on the number of processors used by AcuSolve. If you used a
different number of processors than indicated in this tutorial, the summary for your run may be
slightly different than the summary shown.

View Results with AcuFieldView

Now that a solution has been calculated, you are ready to view the flow field using AcuFieldView.
AcuFieldView is a third-party post-processing tool that is tightly integrated toAcuSolve. AcuFieldView can
be started directly from AcuConsole, or it can be started from the Start menu, or from a command line.
In this tutorial you will start AcuFieldView from AcuConsole after the solution is calculated by AcuSolve.

In the next steps you will start AcuFieldView, manipulate the view of the model, display temperature
contours and velocity vectors on the symmetry plane, display temperature contours on the pipe wall
symmetry plane and display temperature contours at the outlet.

Start AcuFieldView

1. Click on the AcuConsole toolbar to open the Launch AcuFieldView dialog.

2. Click Ok to start AcuFieldView.
When you start AcuFieldView from AcuConsole, the results from the last time step of the solution
that were written to disk will be loaded for post-processing.

Manipulate the Model View in AcuFieldView

When AcuFieldView is started directly from AcuConsole, the model will be displayed in an isometric view
with a Boundary Surface dialog open. The initial view is shown in perspective, with an outline around
the model. You will manipulate the view in the next steps, and in later steps will view different flow
characteristics using the Boundary Surface dialog.

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Figure 239:

1. Change the background color to white.

a) Click on the View menu.
b) Click Background Color.

Figure 240:

c) Click the white swatch, then click Close.

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Figure 241:

2.
Turn off the display of the outline around the model by clicking on the toolbar.
3. Change the view from perspective to orthographic.
a) Click on the View menu.
b) Click Perspective to disable this option.

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Figure 242:

4. Orient the model to view it from the positive Z direction (+Z).

a)
Click on the toolbar to open the Defined Views dialog.

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Figure 243:

b)
Click .
You will see the view change as soon as you click a button in the Defined Views dialog.

c) (Optional) Close the dialog.

You can move, zoom, and rotate the view in AcuFieldView in a similar fashion as in AcuConsole.
AcuFieldView uses a different mapping for mouse-button actions.

Action Mouse Button

move (pan) left

rotate middle

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Action Mouse Button

zoom right

Display Contours of Fluid Temperature on the Symmetry Plane

In the next steps you will create a boundary surface to display contours of fluid temperature on the
symmetry plane.

1.
Click on the side toolbar to open the Boundary Surface dialog.

Note: The dialog may already be open. This step will put the focus on the dialog.

2. Disable the Show Mesh option.

3. Set temperature as the scalar property to display.
a) Click Select in the Scalar Function control group to open the Function Selection dialog.
b) Select temperature from the list.
c) Click Calculate.
4. Set the symmetry plane as the location for display of the contours.
a) Click OSF: Symmetry in the list of BOUNDARY TYPES.
b) Click OK.

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Figure 244:

5. Add a legend to the view.

a) Click the Legend tab in the Boundary Surface dialog.
b) Enable the Show Legend option.
c) Enable the Frame option.
d) Click the white color swatch next to Geometric in the Color group and set the color for the
legend values to black.
e) Click the white color swatch next to the Title field and set the color for the title to black.

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Figure 245:

f) Move the legend by Shift+left-clicking and dragging the legend to the left.

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Figure 246:

Add Velocity Vectors to the View

In the next steps you will create a new boundary surface and display velocity vectors on that surface.

1. Click Create on the Surface tab of the Boundary Surface dialog.

The new Surface ID will be 2.
2. Click the Geometric radio button in the COLORING group.
This sets the color of the vectors to a constant color. By default, the color is black.
3. Set vector options.
a) Click the Vectors radio button.
b) Click Options next to Vectors to open the Vector Options dialog.
c) Enable Head Scaling and set it to 0.5.
This option determines the size of the arrow head compared to the vector.
d) Set the Length Scale to 2.

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The length scale determines the length of the vectors.

e) Enable the Skip option and set it to 37.5%.
The Skip option determines the percentage of vectors to skip from being displayed. The setting
of 37.5% will result in 62.5% of the vectors being displayed.

Figure 247:

f) Close the dialog.

4. Set the symmetry plane as the location for display of the vectors.
a) Click OSF: Symmetry in the list of BOUNDARY TYPES.
b) Click OK.

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Figure 248:

5. Zoom in on the junction of the small inlet with the main pipe to view details of velocity vectors.
a)
Click on the toolbar.
b) Draw a box around the junction of the two pipes.

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Figure 249:

Note: The Show Legend option for the temperature contour (Surface ID 1) is disabled
in order to capture this image.

The velocity vectors indicate the direction of flow. The vector length indicates the magnitude of the
flow velocity. Adding velocity vectors to a view with temperature contours allows you to visualize
temperature and velocity simultaneously.

Display Contours of Temperature on the Steel Pipe Walls

In the next steps you will create a boundary surface to display contours of temperature on the stainless
steel pipe walls at the symmetry plane.

1. Click on the Transform Controls toolbar to center the visible surfaces and to fit the view in the
window.

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2.
Click on the side toolbar to open the Boundary Surface dialog.

Note: The dialog may already be open. This step will put the focus on the dialog.

3. Disable the visibility of the temperature contours on the symmetry plane and of the velocity vectors.
a) Set the Surface ID to 1.
b) Disable the Visibility option on the Surface tab.
c) Set the Surface ID to 2.
d) Disable the Visibility option on the Surface tab.
4. Click Create on the Surface tab of the Boundary Surface dialog.
The new Surface ID will be 3.
5. Enable the Smooth option in the DISPLAY TYPE control group.
6. Enable the Scalar option in the COLORING control group.
7. Set temperature as the scalar property to display.
a) Click Select in the Scalar Function control group to open the Function Selection dialog.
b) Select temperature from the list.
c) Click Calculate.
8. Set the stainless-steel pipe symmetry plane as the location for display of the contours.
a) Scroll up in the list of BOUNDARY TYPES and click OSF:Steel Pipe - Symmetry.
b) Click OK.

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Figure 250:

Display Contours of Temperature at the Outlet

In the next steps you will create a boundary surface to display contours of temperature at the outlet.

1.
Click the icon to open the Boundary Surface dialog.
2. Click Create on the Surface tab of the Boundary Surface dialog.
The new Surface ID will be 4.

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Figure 251:

3. Enable the Smooth option in the DISPLAY TYPE control group.

4. Enable the Scalar option in the COLORING control group.
5. Set temperature as the scalar property to display.
a) Click Select in the Scalar Function control group to open the Function Selection dialog.
b) Select temperature from the list.
c) Click Calculate.
6. Set the outlet as the location for display of the contours.
a) Click SBC: Outlet in the BOUNDARY TYPES list.

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b) Click OK.
7. Turn of the Visibility option for surfaces 1, 2, and 3.
8. Orient the view so that you can see the contours on the outlet.
a)
Click on the Transform Controls toolbar.
b) Set the VIEWING DIRECTION to -Y.
c) Click on the Transform Controls toolbar to center the visible surfaces and to fit the view
in the window.

Figure 252:

9. Change the color scale to better resolve differences in the temperature contours.
When the scalar function for temperature is calculated by AcuFieldView, minimum and maximum
values are calculated for use in a colormap for the contour display. You can edit the coloring to better
resolve differences in the pressure distribution.
a) Set the Surface ID to in the Boundary Surface dialog to 4.

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Note: You could also make this the current surface by double-clicking the surface
in the graphics window.

b) Click the Colormap tab.

Figure 253:

Notice that the Min: and Max: values for the Function Range change when the Local option
is toggled.
c) Enable the Local option.

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Figure 254:

3.6.6 Summary

In this tutorial you worked through a basic workflow to set up a simulation of conjugate heat transfer
in a mixing elbow. Once the case was set up, you generated a mesh and generated a solution using
AcuSolve. Results were post-processed in AcuFieldView to allow you to create contour and vector views
along the symmetry plane of the model. New features introduced in this tutorial include: flows of different
temperatures, simulating heat transfer within a fluid, simulating heat transfer between a fluid and a solid
(conjugate heat transfer), creation of a new material model, modeling of shared surfaces at fluid/solid
interfaces, and copying and pasting (propagation) of settings from one surface group to another.

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3.9 ACU-3101: Transient Conjugate Heat Transfer in a Mixing Elbow

This tutorial provides the instructions for setting up, solving and viewing results of 3D, turbulent flow with
conjugate heat transfer in a mixing elbow. It is designed to introduce you to the AcuSolve tool set with
a simple problem.

The basic steps in any CFD simulation were shown in ACU-2000: Turbulent Flow in a Mixing Elbow. Details
of the setup for the static simulation of this problem are shown in ACU-3100: Conjugate Heat Transfer in
a Mixing Elbow. The following additional capabilities of AcuSolve are introduced in this tutorial:
• Simulating transient flow characteristics
• Creating and applying multiplier functions
• Using the restart capability
• Decoupling of the flow and temperature simulations ("frozen" flow field for thermal simulations)
• Creating an animation from transient results

3.9 Prerequisites
You should have already run through the introductory tutorial, ACU-2000: Turbulent Flow in a Mixing
Elbow. It is assumed that you have some familiarity with AcuConsole, AcuSolve, and AcuFieldView. You
will also need access to a licensed version of AcuSolve.

Prior to running through this tutorial, copy the MixingElbow_ColdSlug.acs directory and its contents from
<AcuSolve installation directory>\model files\tutorials\AcuSolve\Acu_tutorial_inputs.zip
to a working directory.

3.9.1 Analyze the Problem

An important first step in any CFD simulation is to examine the engineering problem to be analyzed
and determine the settings that need to be provided to AcuSolve. Settings can be based on geometrical
components (such as volumes, inlets, outlets, or walls) and on flow conditions (such as fluid properties,
velocity, or whether the flow should be modeled as turbulent or as laminar).

The problem is divided into two components, a steady state solution and a transient solution. The flow and
thermal fields that are established in the steady simulation will be used as a starting point for the transient
simulation. The use of these "frozen" flow and thermal fields dramatically reduces the overall solution time
necessary to solve the thermal transient model. This technique of solving temperature separate from the
flow field is a powerful feature that can be applied to a broad class of problems. Note that this simulation
approach relies on decoupling of the thermal and momentum fields. If there is strong coupling between
the flow and thermal fields (that is, through temperature-dependent material properties), this approach
cannot be applied.

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Analyze the Steady State Component

The steady state portion of the problem is shown schematically in Figure 255. It consists of a mixing
elbow made of stainless steel with water entering through two inlets with different velocities and with
different temperatures.

This case is the same as the one used in ACU-3100: Conjugate Heat Transfer in a Mixing Elbow. The
geometry is symmetric about the XY midplane of the pipe, as shown in the figure. This symmetry allows
the flow to be modeled with the use of a symmetry plane. The use of a symmetry plane leads to reduced
computation time while still providing an accurate solution.

Figure 255: Schematic of Mixing Elbow with Stainless Steel Walls

Details of the problem characteristics are shown in the following images extracted from a sample worksheet
that was created prior to setting up the case for AcuSolve.

The diameter of the large inlet is 0.1 m, the inlet velocity (v) is 0.4 m/s and the temperature (T) of the
fluid entering the large inlet is 295 K. The diameter of the small inlet is .025 m, the velocity is 1.2 m/s, and
the temperature of the fluid entering the small inlet is 320 K. The pipe wall has a thickness of 0.005 m.

Figure 256:

The fluid in this problem is water, with the following properties that do not change with temperature; a
3 -3
density (ρ) of 1000 kg/m , a molecular viscosity (μ) of 1 X 10 kg/m-sec, a conductivity (k) of 0.598 W/
m-K, and a specific heat (cp) of 4183 J/kg-K, as shown in the worksheet.

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Figure 257:

3
The pipe walls are made of stainless steel with a density of 8030 kg/m , a conductivity of 16.2 W/m-K,
and a specific heat of 500 J/kg-K.

Figure 258:

Based on mass conservation, the combined flow rate (Q) yields a velocity of 0.475 m/s downstream of
the small inlet. This value is useful in determining the Reynolds number, which in turn can be used to
determine if the flow should be modeled as turbulent, or if it should be modeled as laminar.

Figure 259:

In order to determine whether the modeled flow would be turbulent or whether it would be laminar, the
Reynolds number (Re) should be calculated. The Reynolds number is given by:

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where ρ is the fluid density, v is the fluid velocity, D is the diameter of the flow region, and μ is the
molecular viscosity of the fluid. When the Reynolds number is above 4,000, it is generally accepted that
flow should be modeled as turbulent.

The Reynolds numbers of 40,000 at the large inlet, 30,000 at the small inlet, and 47,500 for the combined
flow indicate that the flow is turbulent throughout the flow domain.

Figure 260:

The simulation will be set up to model steady state, turbulent flow. In addition, the thermal characteristics
of the flow will be modeled using advection and diffusion equations.

The simulation will be set up to model steady state, turbulent flow. In addition, the thermal characteristics
of the flow will be modeled using advection and diffusion equations. The simulation will be set up to model
steady state, turbulent flow with varying temperature.

Figure 261:

In addition to setting appropriate conditions to capture the physics of the simulation, it is important to
generate a mesh that is sufficiently refined to provide good results. In this tutorial the global mesh size is
set to provide at least 30 mesh elements around the circumference of the large inlet. For this problem, the
global mesh size is 0.0106 m. This mesh size was chosen to provide a quick turnaround time for the model.

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For real-world simulations, you would modify your mesh settings after an initial solution until a mesh-
independent solution is reached (that is, a solution that does not change with further mesh refinement).

AcuSolve allows for mesh refinements in a user-defined region that is independent of geometric
components of the problem such as volumes, model surfaces, or edges. It is useful to refine the mesh in
areas where gradients in pressure, velocity, eddy viscosity, and the like are steep. For this problem , the
flow entering the large pipe from the side pipe creates large velocity gradients that need to be resolved.
A mesh refinement zone is used to capture the flow in this region.

Figure 262:

Once a steady state solution is calculated, you will create a transient database, modify settings, and solve
for the transient temperature characteristics of the problem.

Analyze the Transient Component

The starting point for the transient portion of the problem is shown schematically in Figure 263. It consists
of a mixing elbow with a steady state solution for flow and temperature. A cold slug of water is injected
at both inlets during the simulation. The temperature excursion drops the temperature at both inlets to
283.15 K for a duration of 1.0 s.

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symmetry plane

stainless steel

water

large inlet
flow direction
v = 0.4 m/sec

T0 = 295 K
Tmin = 283.15 K
symmetry plane

small inlet
flow direction
v = 1.2 m/sec

T0= 320 K
Tmin = 283.15 K

Figure 263: Schematic of Initial Conditions of Mixing Elbow

The temperature profile at the inlets is shown in Figure 264. The temperature of the water flowing in the
large inlet at t=0 is 295 K and the temperature of the fluid flowing in the small inlet at t=0 is 320 K. The
temperature is held constant for 0.2 s, then is ramped down at both inlets and reaches 283.15 K at 0.4
s into the simulation. The temperature is held constant for 1 s. The temperature is ramped up beginning
at 1.4 s, and by 1.6 s the inlet temperatures are back to their initial states.

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Figure 264: Transient Temperature Profile at Inlets

For this case, the minimum duration would be the time it takes for the cold slug to move completely
through the domain. This minimum period is given by the steady state transit time through the domain
added to the duration of the cold slug.

Transit time can be estimated using the inlet velocity at the large inlet and the estimated length of the
flow path. The flow path is made up of a straight section 0.2 m long (l1), a 90-degree elbow section with
an average radius of 0.15 m (lelbow), and another straight section 0.2 m long (l2).

Figure 265:

The inlet velocity for the large inlet is 0.4 m/s. Given a flow path of 0.6356 m, the transit time will be
approximately 1.6 s. In order to predict the movement of the cold slug through the domain, our simulation
period would be at least 3.2 s.

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Figure 266:

To allow time for the thermal conditions to return to the steady state, additional time can be added to the
simulation. For this case 1.3 s will be added for a total simulation period of 4.5 s.

Figure 267:

Another critical decision in a transient simulation is choosing the time increment. The time increment is the
change in time during a given time step of the simulation. It is important to choose a time increment that
is short enough to capture the changes in flow properties of interest, but does not require unnecessary
computation time.

There are two methods commonly used for determining an appropriate time increment. The first method
involves identification of the time scales of the transient behaviors of interest and setting the time
increment to sufficiently resolve those behaviors. The second method involves setting a limit on the
number of mesh elements that the flow can cross in a given time step. A convenient metric for the number
of mesh elements crossed per time step is the Courant-Friederichs-Lewy number, or CFL number. With
this method, the time increment can be computed from the mesh size, the flow velocity, and the desired
CFL number. In this tutorial, the time increment was calculated using the global mesh size and a CFL
number of 2, ensuring that any portion of the cold slug will not advance past more than 2 mesh elements
within a given step. For a real-world problem, you would base your calculations on the mesh size at in
the mesh zone of interest.

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Figure 268:

The temperature change at the large inlet is from 295 K to 283.15 K. At the small inlet the temperature
changes from 320 K to 283.15 K. The ratio of the cold slug temperature to the initial temperature of
the large inlet flow is 0.9598. The ratio of the cold slug temperature to the initial temperature of the
small inlet flow is 0.8848. These values will be used in creating multiplier functions to model the transient
temperatures at the inlets.

Figure 269:

Once a transient solution is calculated, the results of interest are the transient thermal characteristics of
the fluid and pipe walls at different times in the simulation.

3.9.2 Define the Simulation Parameters

Start AcuConsole and Solve the Steady State Simulation

In the next steps you will start AcuConsole and open a database that is set up for a steady state simulation
for flow and conjugate heat transfer. You will then run AcuSolve to calculate a steady state solution, view
the results with AcuFieldView, and save the database for the transient simulation.

1. Start AcuConsole from the Windows Start menu by clicking Start > All Programs > Altair
HyperWorks <version> AcuSolve > AcuConsole.

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2. Open mixingElbow_ColdSlug.acs.
a) Click the File menu, then Open.
b) Browse to the Mixing_Elbow_Cold_Slug\Completed-Steady directory.
c) Click mixingElbow_ColdSlug.acs and Open to open the database.
3. Run AcuSolve to solve the steady state problem.
a) Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuSolve dialog.

Figure 270:

Based on these settings, AcuConsole will generate the AcuSolve input files, then launch the
solver. AcuSolve will run on a single processor to calculate the steady state solution for this
problem.
b) Click Ok to start the solution process.
During meshing an AcuTail window will open. Meshing progress is reported in this window. A
summary of the meshing process indicates that the mesh has been generated.

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Figure 271:

Steady State Results

The steady state flow field was calculated as the starting point for the transient simulation of temperature.
For instructions on visualising steady state results, refer to ACU-3100: Conjugate Heat Transfer in a Mixing
Elbow.

Create the Transient Simulation Database

The transient portion of the simulation will use the same geometry and many of the same attributes as
used in the steady state simulation. As such, you can create a copy of the steady state database and then
modify the settings as needed to set up the transient simulation. You will save the transient database in
a different directory to avoid confusion of the steady and transient runs.

In these steps you will create the transient database.

1. Click File > Save As.

2. Browse up one level to the ..\Mixing_Elbow_Cold_Slug directory.

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3. Enter mixingElbow_ColdSlug as the File name.

4. Click Save.

Set General Simulation Parameters

In the next steps you will modify global settings needed for the transient portion of the simulation.

The general attributes that you will modify for the transient simulation are the subtitle and the analysis
type.

1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.

Figure 272:

2. Double-click the Global Data Tree item to expand it.

Tip: You can also expand a tree item by clicking next to the item name.

Figure 273:

3. Double-click Problem Description to open the Problem Description detail panel.

4. Change the Sub title to read Mixing Elbow - Transient conjugate heat transfer.
5. Change the Analysis type to Transient.

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Figure 274:

Set Solution Strategy Parameters

In the next steps you will set attributes that control the behavior of AcuSolve as it progresses during the
transient solution.

Figure 275:

1. Double-click Auto Solution Strategy to open the Auto Solution Strategy detail panel.
2. Enter 0 for Max time steps.
This value indicates that AcuSolve should ignore this setting and calculate the maximum number of
time steps using the final time and the time increment.
3. Enter 4.5 sec for the Final time.
4. Enter 0.053 sec for the Initial time increment.
5. Enter 2 for Min stagger iterations.
This setting determines the minimum number of iterations that will be performed within each time
step.

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6. Enter 5 for Max stagger iterations.

This setting determines the maximum number of iterations that will be performed within each time
step.
A minimum of 2 indicates that for every time step there will be at least two iterations performed,
even if the convergence tolerance is reached. A maximum of 5 indicates that for every time step
there will be no more than five iterations performed, even if convergence tolerance is not achieved.
If the convergence tolerance is reached before the fifth iteration, AcuSolve will proceed to the next
time step.
7. Enter 0 for the Relaxation factor.
When solving transient solutions, the relaxation factor should be set to zero. A non-zero relaxation
factor causes incremental updates of the solution, which will impact the time accuracy of the solution
for transient cases.
8. Click Off next to Flow to turn off the solving of flow equations.
9. Click Off next to Turbulence to turn off the solving of the turbulence equation.
By turning these options off, AcuSolve will not update the solution to these equations. Instead, the
current flow and turbulence values (generated from the steady state solution for this tutorial) will
be used throughout the simulation and AcuSolve will only solve for the temperature field.

Figure 276:

Set Nodal Output Frequency

In the next steps you will set an attribute that impacts how often results from the transient simulation are
written to disk. Writing the results every three time steps produces a collection of output states that can

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be used to create an animation of the simulation once the run has completed. Note that more frequent
output can be used, but it will result in higher disk space usage.

1. Double-click Output under Global in the Data Tree to expand it.

2. Double-click Nodal Output to open the Nodal Output detail panel.
3. Enter 3 as the Time step frequency.
This value indicates that AcuSolve should write results after every three time steps.

Figure 277:

Create Multiplier Functions for Transient Inlet Temperatures

AcuSolve provides the ability to scale values as a function of time and/or time step during a simulation.
This is achieved through the use of a multiplier function. In this tutorial, the inlet temperature varies as
the simulation progresses. By taking advantage of multiplier functions, you can easily set up functions to
model the temperature changes at the inlets.

In the next steps you will create a multiplier function for the temperature at the large inlet, duplicate it,
and modify the copy to be used with the small inlet. These multiplier functions will be applied to the large
and small inlets later in this tutorial.

Figure 278:

In this tutorial, the inlet temperatures drop from initial conditions to 283.15 K, are held at that
temperature, and then ramp back up to the initial temperatures.

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Figure 279:

To make the creation of the multiplier functions as simple as possible, you will use the PB* filter in the
Data Tree Manager.

1. Click PB* in the Data Tree Manager to show all problem-definition settings.

Figure 280:

2. Right-click Multiplier Function under Global in the Data Tree and click New to create a new
multiplier function.
3. Rename the multiplier function.
a) Right-click the newly created Multiplier Function 1 and click Rename.
b) Enter Temp - large inlet.
4. Double-click Temp - large inlet to open the detail panel.

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5. Set the Type to Piecewise Linear.

This option indicates that you will enter an array of numbers that will be used by AcuSolve to
interpolate the value of the multiplier function at each time step. In this example, the curve fit is
a function of time.

Figure 281:

6. Add the curve-fit values for the large inlet temperature profile.
a) Click Open Array to open the Array Editor dialog.

Figure 282:

b) Click Add.
c) Enter 0.2 in the X column and 1 in the Y column.
d) Click Add again and enter 0.4 in the X column and 0.9598 in the Y column.
These entries will be used to indicate the ratio of the initial temperature to temperature at
different times during the simulation.
e) Repeat this process until you have entered all of the values shown in the following table.

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X (sec) Y

0.0 1

0.2 1

0.4 0.9598

1.4 0.9598

1.6 1

4.5 1

f) Click Plot to expand the Array Editor dialog to display the plot of the curve fit values.
You may need to expand the dialog by dragging the right edge in order to see the plot.

Figure 283:

g) Click OK.
7. Duplicate the multiplier function.
a) Right-click Temp - large inlet.
b) Click Duplicate.
8. Rename Copy of Temp - large inlet to Temp - small inlet.

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9. Revise the multiplier function values for the small inlet.

a) Double-click Temp - small inlet to open the multiplier function detail panel.

Note: The Type of Piecewise Linear is inherited from the multiplier function
for the large inlet.

b) Click Open Array to open the Array Editor dialog.

c) Modify the Y values to match those shown in the following table.

X (sec) Y

0.0 1.0

0.2 1.0

0.4 0.8848

1.4 0.8848

1.6 1.0

4.5 1.0

d) Click OK.

3.9.3 Import Geometry and Define the Model

Define Transient Inlet Boundary Conditions

In the following steps you will set the inlet boundary conditions that produce the time varying temperatures
at the large and small inlets. This will be achieved by modifying the boundary conditions to use the
multiplier functions that you created earlier in this tutorial.

Set Transient Temperature for the Large Inlet

In the next steps you will associate the Temp - large inlet multiplier function with the large inlet boundary
condition.

1. Click BC in the Data Tree Manager to show only items related to setting boundary conditions.
2. Expand the Model > Surfaces > Large Inlet tree item.

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3. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition under Large Pipe to open the Simple Boundary
Condition detail panel.
4. Click On next to Advanced features to expose additional options.
5. Change Temperature multiplier function to Temp - large inlet.
This instructs AcuSolve to determine the inlet boundary value for temperature by first evaluating
the multiplier function, then multiplying its value by the specified value of temperature. Since the
multiplier-function value changes as a function of time, the inlet temperature will change as a
function of time.

Figure 284:

Set Transient Temperature for the Small Inlet

In the next steps you will associate the Temp - small inlet multiplier function with the small inlet boundary
condition.

1. Expand the Model > Surfaces > Small Inlet tree item.
2. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition under Small Pipe to open the Simple Boundary
Condition detail panel.
3. Click On next to Advanced features to expose additional options.
4. Change Temperature multiplier function to Temp - small inlet.

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Figure 285:

3.9.4 Compute the Solution and Review the Results

Run AcuSolve to Perform the Transient Simulation

In the next steps you will modify the AcuSolve settings to run the transient solution. The main feature
that you will use is a restart. A restart allows you to start a solution based on the results of a previous
solution. In this case, the flow and thermal field from the initial solution that you performed in this tutorial
will be used as the starting point. Since the flow and turbulence equations were turned off when defining
the solution strategy, the temperature field is the only one that will be solved.

1. Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuSolve dialog.

2. Click On next to Restart on the Main tab.
3. Click the Restart tab.
4. Verify that the value for From Problem is mixingElbow_ColdSlug.
5. Click Browse next to From directory and browse to the location of the steady simulation directory
and select the Completed-Steady\ACUSIM.DIR directory.
6. Verify that the following restart options are set appropriately:

Note: You can drag the right edge of the dialog to make it wider.

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From run 0

From time step 0

Reset time step On

Reset time increment On

Figure 286:

7. Click Ok to start the solution process.

As the solution progresses, an AcuTail window will open. Solution progress is reported in this
window. A summary of the solution process indicates that the simulation has been completed. The
information provided in the summary is based on the number of processors used by AcuSolve. If
you used a different number of processors than indicated in this tutorial, the summary for your run
may be slightly different than the summary shown.

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Figure 287:

View Transient Results with AcuFieldView

Now that transient results have been calculated, you are ready to review the flow field with AcuFieldView.
AcuFieldView is a third-party post-processing tool that is tightly integrated to AcuSolve. AcuFieldView can
be started directly from AcuConsole, or it can be started from the Start menu, or from a command line.
In this tutorial you will start AcuFieldView from AcuConsole after the solution is calculated by AcuSolve.

In the following steps you will display the temperature contours for the fluid and for the pipe walls on the
symmetry plane, add velocity vectors to the view, then animate the results.

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Start AcuFieldView

1. Click on the AcuConsole toolbar to open the Launch AcuFieldView dialog.

2. Click Ok to start AcuFieldView.
When you start AcuFieldView from AcuConsole, the results from the last time step of the solution
that were written to disk will be loaded for post-processing.

Display Contours of Fluid and Solid Temperature on the Symmetry Plane

In the next steps you will create a boundary surface to display contours of fluid and solid temperature on
the symmetry plane at the end, middle, and beginning of the transient simulation. The first visualization
will be for the last time step in the simulation, which is the last set of results loaded from AcuSolve when
AcuFieldView was started.

1.
Click on the side toolbar to open the Boundary Surface dialog.

Note: The dialog may already be open. This step will put the focus on the dialog.

2. Disable the Show Mesh option.

3. Set temperature as the scalar property to display.
a) Click Select in the Scalar Function control group to open the Function Selection dialog.
b) Select temperature from the list.
c) Click Calculate.
4. Set the symmetry plane for the pipes and pipe walls as the location for display of contours.
a) Click OSF: Steel Pipe - Symmetry.
b) Hold the Shift key and click OSF:Symmetry.
c) Click OK.
5.
On the toolbar, click the Colormap icon .
6. In the Scalar Colormap Specification dialog, click Background and select White.
7. Close the dialog.
8. Set the colormap to cover the range of temperatures used in the simulation.
a) In the Boundary Surface dialog, click the Colormap tab.
b) Enter 323 as the upper value for SCALAR COLORING.
c) Enter 282 as the lower value for SCALAR COLORING.

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Figure 288:

9. Add a legend to the view.

a) Click the Legend tab in the Boundary Surface dialog.
b) Enable the Show Legend option.
c) Enable the Frame option.
d) Click the white color swatch next to Geometric in the Color group and set the color for the
legend values to black.
e) Set Decimal Places to 1.
f) Click the white color swatch next to the Title field and set the color for the title to black.
g) Enter transient as the Subtitle.
h) Click the white color swatch next to the Subtitle field and set the color to black.
i) Move the legend by Shift+left-clicking and dragging the legend to the left.

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Figure 289:

This image was created with a white background, perspective turned off, outlines turned off, and
the viewing direction set to +Z.

When AcuFieldView is run from a transient AcuSolve case, the results from the final time step are
shown by default.
10. Display contours of temperature at the middle of the transient simulation.
a) Click the Tools menu and then click Transient Data to open the Transient Data Controls
dialog.

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Figure 290:

Note: Note that the slider under SOLUTION TIME is all the way to the right.
The contours currently displayed are from the end of the simulation.

a) Move the slider control to TIME STEP 42, or enter 42 in the field, and click Apply.
The resulting contours show the thermal conditions at time step 42.

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Figure 291:

11. Display contours of temperature at the start of the transient simulation.

a) Click the Tools menu and then click Transient Data to open the Transient Data Controls
dialog.
b) Move the slider control to the beginning of the range and click Apply.
The resulting contours show the thermal conditions for a time step at the beginning of the
simulation.

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Figure 292:

Note that the contours from the beginning of the simulation are similar to those from the end of
the simulation. The conditions changed as the cold slug propagated through the pipe, and then
returned to initial conditions. The contours from the middle of the simulation show that the steel-wall
temperature near the intersection of the small pipe was higher than for the nearby water, reflecting
a lag in the temperature change of the wall compared to the water.

Add Velocity Vectors to the View

In the next steps you will create a new boundary surface and display velocity vectors on that surface.

The resulting visualization will be compared to the one created for the steady state solution.

1. Click Create on the Surface tab of the Boundary Surface dialog.

The new Surface ID will be 2.
2. Click the Geometric radio button in the COLORING group.
This sets the color of the vectors to a constant color. By default, the color is black.

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3. Set vector options.

a) Click the Vectors radio button.
b) Click Options next to Vectors to open the Vector Options dialog.

Figure 293:

c) Enable Head Scaling and set it to 2.

This option determines the size of the arrow head compared to the vector.
d) Set the Length Scale to 8.
The length scale determines the length of the vectors.
e) Enable the Skip option and set it to 87.5 %.
The Skip option determines the percentage of vectors to skip from being displayed.
The setting of 37.5% will result in 62.5% of the vectors being displayed.

The setting of 87.5% will result in 12.5% of the vectors being displayed.

The setting of 25% will result in 75% of the vectors being displayed.
f) Close the dialog.
4. Set the symmetry plane as the location for display of the vectors.

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a) Click OSF: Symmetry in the list of BOUNDARY TYPES.

b) Click OK.

Figure 294:

Display Transient Temperature Contours

In the next steps you will view the transient thermal data for the cold slug.

1. Turn off the display of velocity vectors.

a) Change the Surface ID on the Boundary Surface dialog to 2.
b) Click Visibility to turn this option off.
2. Click the Tools menu and then click Transient Data to open the Transient Data Controls dialog.

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Figure 295:

3. Click Sweep.
As AcuFieldView prepares the sweep, you will see the controls advance on the Transient Data
Controls dialog, and you will see the visualization update at each time step. Once the sweep is
finished, it will play continuously until you change the controls.
4. Change the playback rate.
a) Click the View menu and then click Minimum Time Between Frames.

Figure 296:

b) Set the Minimum Time Seconds to 0.10.

With the SWEEP CONTROL options, pause the sweep, advance or reverse frames, and play the
sweep.
5. Close the Transient Data Controls dialog.
6. Click OK to dismiss the Transient Data Controls message dialog.

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Animate the Transient Temperature Sweep

In the next steps you will create a transient sweep and save it as an animation that can be viewed
independently of AcuFieldView.

1. Click the Tools menu and then click Transient Data to open the Transient Data Controls dialog.
2. Click Tools > Flipbook Build Mode.
3. Click OK to dismiss the Flipbook Size Warning dialog.
The Sweep button on the Transient Data Controls dialog will have changed to Build.

Figure 297:

4. Use the slider control to set the SOLUTION TIME to the first time step and click Apply.
5. Click Build.
As AcuFieldView builds the flipbook animation, you will see the controls on the Transient Data
Controls dialog advance. Once the flipbook is built, a Flipbook Controls dialog will allow you to
play or save the animation.

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Figure 298:

6.
Click to play the animation.

Figure 299:

7. Click to pause the playback.

8. Save the flipbook for playback independent of AcuFieldView.

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a) Click Save.
b) Browse to the ..\Mixing_Elbow_Cold_Slug directory.
c) Enter cold_slug for the File name.
This animation, cold_slug.avi is now available for viewing by opening it directly.
9. Close the Flipbook Controls dialog and click OK to dismiss the Flipbook Exit Confirmation
warning.

3.9.5 Summary

In this tutorial you worked through a basic workflow to set up a transient simulation case. You were
provided with a fully set up steady state case to use as initial conditions for the transient simulation.
The transient simulation was carried out using the "frozen flow" methodology to simulate the transient
temperature field without recomputing the velocity field. Once the transient case was set up and solved,
results were post-processed in AcuFieldView to allow you to create contour and vector views along the
symmetry plane of the model, and to animate the temperature contours. New features introduced in this
tutorial include transient simulation, multiplier functions, restarts, frozen flow and animation of transient
results.

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3.12 ACU-3200: Greenhouse Nocturnal Climate Simulation-

Enclosure Radiation and Porous Media

This tutorial provides the instructions for setting up, solving and viewing results for a steady simulation of
air flow through a greenhouse using enclosure radiation and porous media. In this simulation, AcuSolve is
used to compute the motion and the resulting pressure drop created due to presence of a porous media
(tomato crops) as well as temperature distributions across the greenhouse due to radiation. This tutorial
is designed to introduce you to a number of modeling concepts necessary to perform simulations that use
porous media and enclosure radiation.

The basic steps in any CFD simulation were shown in Flow in a Mixing Elbow. The following additional
capabilities of AcuSolve are introduced in this tutorial:
• Modeling porous material medium
• Modeling enclosure radiation and use of radiation symmetry planes
• Post-processing with AcuProbe
• Post-processing the nodal output with AcuFieldView to get velocity and temperature fields from
multiple data sets

3.12 Prerequisites
You should have already run through the introductory tutorial, ACU-2000: Turbulent Flow in a Mixing
Elbow. It is assumed that you have some familiarity with AcuConsole, AcuSolve, and AcuFieldView. You
will also need access to a licensed version of AcuSolve.

Prior to running through this tutorial, copy Acu_tutorial_input.zip from <AcuSolve installation
directory>\model_files\tutorials\AcuSolve\Acu_tutorial_inputs.zip to a working directory.
Extract Greenhouse_Enclosure.x_t from Acu_tutorial_input.zip.

3.12.1 Analyze the Problem

The problem to be addressed in this tutorial is shown schematically in Figure 300 and Figure 301. It
consists of a low cost gable type greenhouse with tomato plants modeled as porous media, and four inlets
and outlet vents. Soil heating cables are used under the plants to keep the greenhouse warm during
night time. The fluid enters through the inlet vents, passes through the tomato plants, and then exits the
greenhouse through the outlet vents located on the roof.

Greenhouses are high-tech structures dedicated to the horticultural needs of plants, particularly
flowers, vegetables and fruits. Environmental properties such as temperature, light exposure, irrigation,
fertilization, humidity and ventilation can be precisely controlled for optimal crop growth.

The geometric characteristics of the greenhouse are as follows:

• Total Length: 4 m

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• Total Width: 2 m
• Eaves Height: 1.5 m
• Ridge Height: 2 m
• Inlet Vents (4): 0.6 m length X 0.4 m height
• Outlet Vents (4): 1m length X 0.4 m height

Figure 300: Schematic of Greenhouse

The geometry is symmetric about the length and width of the greenhouse, as shown in Figure 301. This
symmetry allows the flow and radiation to be modeled with the use of symmetry planes. The use of a
symmetry plane leads to reduced computation time while still providing an accurate solution.

Figure 301: Schematic of Model

Air enters the inlet vent at an average speed of 0.8 m/s and temperature 293 K which is considered the
temperature of ambient air around the greenhouse. The outlet vent is considered a constant pressure (p
= patm) outlet boundary.

The fluid in this problem is air, which has the following material properties:
3
• Density (ρ): 1.225 kg/m
-5
• Viscosity (µ): 1.781 X 10 kg/m-s
• Specific Heat (Cp): 1005 J/kg-K
• Conductivity (k): 0.0251 W/m-K

The density variation will be calculated according to the Boussinesq model in order to take into account
the natural convection effects.

The simulation will be set up to model steady state, turbulent flow in order to determine the climate
distribution inside the greenhouse at night.

Analysis of Porous Media and Heat Transfer Properties of Tomato Plants

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The tomato crops inside the greenhouse are modeled as porous media. The air flow for a porous media
is governed by the Darcy-Forchheimer equation given by:

where
• is the permeability of the medium
• is the dimensionless inertial factor

The permeability value for tomato crops is 0.017 and the dimensionless inertial factor is 0.25. The resulting
pressure drop equation is given by:

For greenhouse applications where the permeability of the crops is significant the viscous contribution due
to porous media is negligible, so the pressure gradient depends on the quadratic term alone.

The tomato plant has the following thermal properties:

• Specific Heat (Cp): 2310 J/kg-K
• Conductivity (k): 0.173 W/m-K

The thermal properties of the plants are taken into account through the effective value of thermal
conductivity and specific heat using weighted arithmetic mean considering the volume percentage of solid
material to be 60 percent.

The effective thermal conductivity and specific heat can be determined as:

Analysis of Enclosure Radiation Properties of the Model

The enclosure radiation inside the greenhouse is modeled using the Stefan-Boltzmann law. The emissivity
values for materials are as follows:
• Air (Outside): 0.05
• Plants: 0.46
• Ground: 0.9
• Walls: 0.7

Analysis of Mesh Sizes

In addition to setting appropriate conditions for the simulation, it is important to generate a mesh that
will be sufficiently refined to provide good results. For this problem the global mesh size is set to provide
at least 20 elements along the biggest dimensions of the greenhouse, that is, length and height.

Note that higher mesh densities are required where velocity, pressure and eddy viscosity gradients are
larger. Local mesh refinements are used for the volume region containing the porous media and the inlet
and outlet surfaces. Proper boundary layer parameters need to be set to keep the y+ near the wall surface

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to a reasonable level. The mesh density used in this tutorial is coarse and is intended to illustrate the
process of setting up the model and to retain a reasonable run time. A significantly higher mesh density
is needed to achieve a grid converged solution.

Once a solution is calculated, the flow properties of interest are the temperature distribution between the
ground and roof and the pressure drop across the porous media.

3.12.1.1 No TOC

3.12.2 Define the Simulation Parameters

Start AcuConsole

In this tutorial, you will begin by creating a database, populating the geometry-independent settings,
loading the geometry, creating groups, setting group parameters, adding geometry components to groups,
and assigning mesh controls and boundary conditions to the groups. Next you will generate a mesh and run
AcuSolve to compute the steady state solution. Finally, you will visualize the results using AcuFieldView.

In the next steps you will start AcuConsole and create the database for storage of the simulation settings.

1. Start AcuConsole from the Windows Start menu by clicking Start > All Programs > Altair
HyperWorks <version> AcuSolve > AcuConsole.
2. Click the File menu, then click New to open the New data base dialog.

Note: You can also open the New data base dialog by clicking on the toolbar.

3. Browse to the location that you would like to use as your working directory.
This directory is where all files related to the simulation will be stored. The AcuConsole database
file (.acs) is stored in this directory. Once the mesh and solution are created, additional files and
directories will be created within this directory.
4. Create a new folder named Greenhouse_Enclosure_Night and open this folder.
5. Enter Greenhouse_Enclosure_Night as the File name for the database.

Note: In order for other applications to be able to read the files written by AcuConsole,
the database path and name should not include spaces.

6. Save the database to create a backup of your settings. This can be achieved with any of the following
methods.
• Click the File menu, then click Save.

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• Click on the toolbar.

• Click Ctrl+S.

Note: Changes made in AcuConsole are saved into the database file (.acs) as they
are made. A save operation copies the database to a backup file, which can be used
to reload the database from that saved state in the event that you do not want to
commit future changes.

Set General Simulation Parameters

In next steps you will set the parameters that apply globally to the simulation. To simplify this task, you
will use the BAS filter in the Data Tree Manager. This filter limits the options in the Data Tree to show
only the basic settings.

The physical models that you define for this tutorial correspond to steady state, turbulent flow.

1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.

Figure 302:

2. Double-click the Global Data Tree item to expand it.

Tip: You can also expand a tree item by clicking next to the item name.

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Figure 303:

3. Double-click Problem Description to open the Problem Description detail panel.

4. Enter AcuSolve Tutorial as the Title.
5. Enter Greenhouse- Enclosure Radiation and Porous Media as the Sub title.
6. Accept the default Analysis type of Steady State.
7. Set the Turbulence equation to Spalart Allmaras.
8. Set the Temperature equation to Advective Diffusive.
9. Set the Radiation equation to Enclosure.
10. Accept the default Mesh type of Fixed.

Figure 304:

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Tip:
You may need to widen the detail panel from the default size by dragging the right
edge of the panel frame.

Set Solution Strategy Parameters

In the next steps you will set attributes that control the behavior of AcuSolve as it progresses during
the solution.

1. Double-click Auto Solution Strategy to open the Auto Solution Strategy detail panel.
2. Check that the Analysis type is set to Steady State.
3. Enter 100 for Max time steps.
4. Check that the Convergence tolerance is set to 0.001 seconds.
5. Set the Relaxation factor to 0.4.
The relaxation factor is used to improve convergence of the solution. Typically a value between 0.2
and 0.4 provides a good balance between achieving a smooth progression of the solution and the
extra compute time needed to reach convergence. Higher relaxation factors cause AcuSolve to take
more time steps to reach a steady state solution. A high relaxation factor is sometimes necessary
in order to achieve convergence for very complex applications.

Figure 305:

Set Material Model Properties

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AcuConsole has three pre-defined materials, Air, Aluminum and Water. You will need to modify the material
properties of Air and create a new material model which would model the properties of tomato plants as
porous media. AcuConsole has a porosity option under material properties to model porous medium.
In the next steps you will modify the density of air to model natural convection using Boussinesq
approximation. Additionally, you will create a new material model named Porous_Plants and assign the
material properties associated with it.

1. Double-click Material Model in the Data Tree to expand it.

2. Double-click Air to open the detail panel.

3. Click the Density tab.
4. Set Type as Boussinesq.
5. Right-click Air in the Data Tree and select Duplicate to make a copy of the Air material model.
The Material type for air is Fluid. The default material type for any new material created in AcuConsole
is Fluid. The material type for porous media is set as fluid in AcuConsole. Resize the detail panel
region of AcuConsole, if needed, by dragging the right frame of the panel.
6. Right-click Copy of Air and select Rename. Enter Porous_Plants as the new name.
7. Double-click Porous_Plants to open the material properties detail panel.
8. Click the Density tab.
3
9. Set Type as Boussinesq and ensure that density of plants is 1.225 kg/m .
10. Click the Specific Heat tab. The specific heat of plants is 1326 J/kg-K.
-5
11. Click the Viscosity tab. The viscosity of plants is 1.781 x 10 kg/m-sec.
12. Click the Conductivity tab. The conductivity of plants is 0.1139 W/m-K.
13. Click the Porosity tab.
14. Set the Type to Constant. This will enable the porosity properties to be modeled in the material.
15. Check that the Permeability type is set as Cartesian.
16. Check that the Input method is set as Direct.

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17. Check that the Porosity is set as 1.0.

18. Click Open Array next to Permeability direction and check that it is set to the default value, that
is (1,0,0); (0,1,0); (0,0,1).

Figure 306:

19. Close the Array Editor.

20. In the detail panel, enter 0.017 as Direction 1, Direction 2 and Direction 3 permeability values.
21. Set the Darcy coefficient as 0.0.
22. Set the Forchheimer coefficient as 0.25.

Figure 307:

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23. Save the database to create a backup of your settings.

Create New Emissivity Models

The emissivity model option specifies an ideal grey-surface emissivity model for the radiation equation.
AcuConsole has a pre defined emissivity model for a black body. You will need to create additional
emissivity models for the ambient air outside, greenhouse walls, plants and the floor surface covered
by soil.
In the next steps you will create new emissivity models and then assign the emissivity values associated
with them.

1. Click RAD in the Data Tree Manager to filter all but the radiation settings in the Data Tree.

Figure 308:

2. Double-click Emissivity Model in the Data Tree to expand it.

3. Right-click Emissivity Model > New to make a new emissivity model.
A new emissivity model will be created with the name Emissivity Model 1.
4. Right-click Emissivity Model 1 > Rename. Enter Air_Out as the new name.
5. Double-click Air_Out to open the emissivity properties detail panel.
6. Check that Type is set as Constant.
7. Enter 0.05 as the Emissivity value.

Figure 309: Air_Out

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8. Similarly, create three more emissivity models named Ground, Plants and Walls and set their
emissivity values as 0.9, 0.46 and 0.7, respectively.

Figure 310: Ground

Figure 311: Plants

Figure 312: Walls

3.12.3 Import Geometry and Define the Model

Import the Greenhouse Enclosure Geometry

You will import the geometry in the next part of this tutorial. You will need to know the location
of Greenhouse_Enclosure.x_t in order to complete these steps. This file contains the model of the
greenhouse in the Parasolid ASCII format.

1. Click File > Import.

2. Browse to the directory containing Greenhouse_Enclosure.x_t.
3. Change the File name filter to Parasolid File (*.x_t *.xmt *X_T …
4. Click Greenhouse_Enclosure.x_t and Open to open the Import Geometry dialog.
For this tutorial, the default values for the Import Geometry dialog are used to load the geometry.
If you have previously used AcuConsole, any changes to these settings will be preserved between
AcuConsole sessions. Make sure that any settings that you might have altered are manually changed
to match the default values shown. With the default settings, volumes from the CAD model are
added to a default volume group. Surfaces from the CAD model are added to a default surface group.

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You will work with groups later in this tutorial to create new groups, set simulation attributes, add
geometric components, and set meshing attributes.
5. Click Ok to complete the geometry import.

Figure 313:

Define Radiation Symmetry Planes

Radiation symmetry planes can be used to compute enclosure radiation heat transfer on geometrical
models that are a half, quarter, or eighth of the corresponding full models. The radiation facets are reflected
across each symmetry plane to create the full model. All planes must be mutually orthogonal.
In the next steps you will define the number of symmetry planes, their orientation and a coordinate point
on which the symmetry planes intersect.

1. Double-click Radiation Parameters to open the detail panel.

2. Enter 2 for the Num symmetry planes to set the number of symmetry planes as 2.
3. Press Enter to display the symmetry center and symmetry direction options.

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Figure 314:

4. Click Open Array next to Symmetry center to open the Array Editor for the symmetry center.
5. Enter the coordinates of center as (2.0, 0.0 and 1.0).

Figure 315:

6. Click Show to see the center point. You may need to increase the width to see the point.
7. Click Open Array next to Symmetry direction-1 to open the Array Editor for the first symmetry
direction.
8. Enter the directions as (0,1,0).
9. Click Show to see the direction on the geometry.
10. Similarly set the second symmetry direction as (1,0,0).

Apply Volume Parameters

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Volume groups are containers used for storing information about a volume region. This information
includes the list of geometric volumes associated with the container, as well as attributes such as material
models and mesh size information.

When the geometry was imported into AcuConsole, all volumes were placed into the "default" volume
container.

In the next steps you will rename the default volume group, create a new volume group and assign the
material for that group.

1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.
2. Expand the Model Data Tree item.
3. Expand Volumes. Toggle the display of the default volume container by clicking and next
to the volume name.

Note: You may not see any change when toggling the display if Surfaces are being
displayed, as surfaces and volumes may overlap.

4. Right-click Volumes > New to create a new volume group.

5. Rename the volume group to Greenhouse_Main.
6. Add the volume to the Greenhouse_Main group.
a) Right-click Greenhouse_Main > Add to.
b) Click on the greenhouse.
At this point, the greenhouse should be highlighted in the color gray.

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Figure 316:

7. Rename the default group to Greenhouse_Plants.

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Figure 317:

When the geometry was loaded into AcuConsole, all geometry volumes were placed in the default
volume group container. At this point, all of the volume in the default volume group is the flow region.
Rather than create a new container, add the flow volume in the geometry to it, and then delete the
default volume container, you will rename the container and modify the parameters for this group.

a) Right-click default under Volumes.

b) Click Rename.
c) Enter Greenhouse_Plants.
8. Check that the material model for the volume Greenhouse_Main is set as Air.
a) Expand the Greenhouse_Main volume in the Data Tree.
b) Double-click Element Set under Greenhouse_Main to open the Element Set detail panel.
c) Check that the Material model is set as Air.
When items in the Data Tree are renamed, the change is not saved until you press Enter. If
you move the input focus away from the item without entering it, your changes will be lost.
9. Set the material model for the volume Greenhouse_Plants to Porous_Plants.
a) Expand the Greenhouse_Plants volume.
b) Double-click Element Set under Greenhouse_Plants to open the Element Set detail panel.
c) Set the Material model as Porous_Plants.

3.12.4 Create Surface Groups and Apply Surface Boundary Conditions

Surface groups are containers used for storing information about a surface. This information includes the
list of geometric surfaces associated with the container, as well as attributes such as boundary conditions,
surface outputs and mesh sizing information.

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In the next steps you will define surface groups, assign the appropriate settings for the different
characteristics of the problem, and add surfaces to the group containers.
• Inlet
• Outlet
• Greenhouse_Walls
• Plant_Cover_Upstream
• Plant_Cover_Downstream
• Plant_Cover_Sides
• Symmetry_1
• Symmetry_2
• Ground

Set Parameters for the Inlet

In the next steps you will define a surface group for the inlet, assign the appropriate settings, and add
the inlet from the geometry to the surface group.

1. Right-click Surfaces > New to create a new surface group.

2. Rename the surface to Inlet.
a) Right-click Surface 1 under Surfaces and click Rename.
b) Enter Inlet.
3. Expand the Inlet surface in the Data Tree.
4. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition under Inlet to open the Simple Boundary Condition
detail panel.
5. Change the Type to Inflow.
6. Change the Inflow type to Average Velocity.
7. Set the Average velocity value to 0.8 m/s.
8. Set the Temperature as 293.0 k.

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Figure 318: Inlet Surface Detail Panel

9. Click RAD in the Data Tree Manager.

10. Under Inlet, double-click the Radiation Surface checkbox to activate and open the Radiation
Surface detail panel.
11. Change the Type to Opening.
12. Change the Emissivity model to Air_Out.
13. Set the Opening temperature value to 293 K.

Figure 319: Inlet Radiation Surface Detail Panel

14. Add a geometry surface to the Inlet group.

a) Right-click Inlet > Add to.
b) Click on the inlet face.
At this point, the inlet should be highlighted by the color gray. If it is difficult to find the inlet
surface, change the display type to outline to see where the inlet is located.

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Figure 320:

c) Click Done to add this geometry surface to the Inlet surface group.
You can also use the middle mouse button to complete the addition of geometry components
to a group.

Set Parameters for the Outlet

In the next steps you will define a surface group for the outlet, assign the appropriate settings and add
the outlet from the geometry to the surface group.
1. Right-click Surfaces > New to create a new surface group.
2. Rename Surface 1 to Outlet.
3. Expand the Outlet surface group in the Data Tree.
4. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.
5. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the detail panel.

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6. Change the Type to Outflow.

7. Click RAD in the Data Tree Manager.
8. Under Outlet, activate the Radiation Surface checkbox and double-click it to open the detail panel.
9. Change the Type to Opening.
10. Change the Emissivity model to Emissive_Air_Out.
11. Set the Opening temperature value to 293 K.
12. Add a geometry surface to the Outlet surface container.
a) Right-click Outlet > Add to.
b) Click the outlet face.
At this point, the outlet should be highlighted by the color gray.

Figure 321:

c) Click Done to associate this geometry surface with the surface settings of the Outlet group.

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Set Parameters for the Greenhouse_Walls

In the next steps you will define a surface group for the walls, assign the appropriate settings and add
the faces from the geometry to the surface group.

1. Right-click Surfaces > New to create a new surface group.

2. Rename Surface 1 to Greenhouse_Walls.
3. Expand the Greenhouse_Walls surface in the Data Tree.
4. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.
5. Under Greenhouse_Walls, double-click Simple Boundary Condition and check that the Type is set
to Wall.
6. Click RAD in the Data Tree Manager.
7. Under Greenhouse_Walls, activate the Radiation Surface to open the detail panel.

Figure 322: Greenhouse_Walls Radiation Surface Detail Panel

8. Change the Type to Wall.

9. Change the Emissivity model to Walls.
10. Add geometric faces to this group.
a) Right-click Greenhouse_Walls > Add to.
b) Select all of the wall surfaces.
At this point, the wall surfaces should be highlighted by the color gray.

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Figure 323:

c) Click Done to associate this geometry surface with the Greenhouse_Walls surface container.

Set Parameters for the Ground

In the next steps you will define a surface group for the ground, assign the appropriate settings and add
the faces from the geometry to the surface group.

1. Right-click Surfaces > New to create a new surface group.

2. Right-click Surface 1 > Rename and enter Ground to rename the surface.
3. Expand the Ground surface.
4. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.
5. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the detail panel.

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6. Check that the Type is set to Wall.

7. Set the Temperature BC type to Value.
8. Enter the Temperature as 323.0 K.

Figure 324: Ground Surface Detail Panel

9. Click RAD in the Data Tree Manager.

10. Under Ground, activate the Radiation Surface to open the detail panel.
11. Change the Type to Wall.
12. Change the Emissivity model to Ground.
13. Add geometric faces to this group.
a) Right-click Ground > Add to.
b) Select the ground surface.
At this point, the ground surface should be highlighted by the color gray.

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Figure 325:

c) Click Done to add this geometry surface to the Ground surface group.

Set Parameters for Symmetry Planes

In the next steps you will define surface groups for the symmetry planes, assign the appropriate settings
and add the symmetry plane surfaces from the geometry to the surface.

1. Turn off the visibility for the Inlet, Outlet, Greenhouse_Walls and Ground surfaces.
2. Right-click Surfaces > New to create a new surface group.
3. Rename Surface 1 to Symmetry 1.
4. Expand the Symmetry_1 surface in the Data Tree.
5. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.

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6. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition under Symmetry_1 to open the detail panel.
7. Change the Type to Symmetry.
8. Add the geometry surface to the Symmetry_1 group.
a) Right-click Symmetry_1 > Add to.
b) Click the symmetry surface in the +X direction.
At this point, the symmetry surface should be highlighted by the color gray.
c) Click Done to add this geometry surface to the Symmetry_1 surface group.

Figure 326:

9. Similarly, create another surface group named Symmetry_2 with simple boundary condition of Type
Symmetry and assign the symmetry surface in the +Y direction.

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Figure 327:

Set Parameters for Plant Cover Surfaces

In the next steps you will define surface groups for the plant cover, assign the appropriate settings and
add the plant cover surfaces from the geometry to the surface group.

1. Turn off the visibility for the Symmetry_1 and Symmetry_2 surfaces.
2. Right-click Surfaces > New to create a new surface group.
3. Rename the surface to Plant_Cover_Upstream.
4. Turn off the simple boundary condition for this surface by unchecking the box next to Simple
Boundary Condition.

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Figure 328:

5. Add the geometry surface to the Plant_Cover_Upstream group.

a) Right-click Plant_Cover_Upstream > Add to.
b) Click the surface in the -X direction closer to the inlet.
If it is difficult to find the surface, turn on the visibility for the volume group and set the display
type to Outline.

Figure 329:

At this point, the Plant_Cover_Upstream surface should be highlighted by the color gray.
c) Click Done to add this geometry surface to the Plant_Cover_Upstream surface group.
d) Turn off the display for the surface.
There are two sets of surfaces for the plant surfaces which belong to different volume sets. In
this case they can be moved into the same surface group.
e) Right-click Plant_Upstream_Cover > Add to.
f) Select the remaining Plant_Cover_Upstream surface.
g) Click Done to associate this geometry surface with the surface settings of the
Plant_Cover_Upstream group.

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Note that no boundary conditions are applied to this surface at this point. The grouping
operation was performed to identify that these surfaces are internal and that flow will be allowed
to pass through them freely. These surfaces can still be used for output purposes, however.
6. Click RAD in the Data Tree Manager.
7. Under Plant_Cover_Upstream, activate the Radiation Surface to open the detail panel.
8. Change the Type to Wall.
9. Change the Emissivity model to Plants.
10. Similarly create another surface group named Plant_Cover_Downstream with simple boundary
condition turned off.
11. Assign the surface opposite to Plant_Cover_Upstream as Plant_Cover_Downstream.
Note that you will need to assign the surface group again after turning off the visibility.
12. Rename the default group to Plant_Cover_Sides.
13. Turn off the simple boundary condition for this surface by unchecking the box next to Simple
Boundary Condition.

Figure 330:

14. Assign plant emissivity models to Plant_Cover_Downstream and Plant_Cover_Sides surfaces using
the Radiation Surface option.

3.12.5 Assign Mesh Controls

Set Global Meshing Attributes

Now that the flow characteristics have been set for the whole problem and for the individual surfaces,
attributes need to be added to make sure that a sufficiently refined mesh is generated.

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• Global mesh controls apply to the whole model without being tied to any geometric component of
the model.
• Zone mesh controls apply to a defined region of the model, but are not associated with a particular
geometric component.
• Geometric mesh controls are applied to a specific geometric component. These controls can be
applied to volume groups, surface groups or edge groups.

In the next steps you will set global meshing attributes. In subsequent steps you will set the volume and
surface meshing attributes.

1. Click MSH in the Data Tree Manager to filter the settings in the Data Tree to show only the controls
related to meshing.
2. Double-click the Global Data Tree item to expand it.
3. Double-click Global Mesh Attributes to open the Global Mesh Attributes detail panel.
4. Check that the Mesh size type to Absolute.
5. Enter 0.1 m for the Absolute mesh size.
This absolute mesh size is chosen to ensure that there are at least 33 mesh elements on the inlet.
6. Set the Mesh growth rate to 1.1.
This option is used to control the rate at which the mesh transitions between regions of different
surface and volume size. By default, the mesher will increase in size at a rate of approximately 2:1
between regions of adjacent size within the mesh. By setting this option to a value between 1.0 and
2.0, the mesh transition will be smoother across the size transitions.

Figure 331:

Set Volume Meshing Parameters

In the following steps you will set the meshing attributes that will allow for localized control of the mesh
size on the volume groups that you created earlier. Specifically, you will set local meshing attributes that
control the size of elements inside the Greenhouse_Plants volume group.
1. Expand the Model > Volume > Greenhouse_Plants Data Tree item.

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2. Click the checkbox next to Volume Mesh Attributes to enable the settings and open the Volume
Mesh Attributes detail panel.
3. Enter 0.05 as the Absolute mesh size.

Figure 332: Greenhouse_Plants Volume Mesh Attributes

Set Surface Meshing Parameters

In the following steps you will set the meshing attributes that will allow for localized control of the mesh
size on the surface groups that you created earlier. Specifically, you will set local meshing attributes for
inlet and outlet. You will also set attributes that control the growth of boundary layer elements normal to
the surfaces of the greenhouse walls and ground.

• Inlet
• Outlet
• Greenhouse_Walls
• Ground

Set Surface Meshing Parameters for the Inlet

In the following steps you will set meshing attributes that will allow for localized control of the mesh size
near the inlet.

1. Expand the Model > Surfaces > Inlet Data Tree item.
2. Click the checkbox next to Surface Mesh Attributes to enable the settings and open the Surface
Mesh Attributes detail panel.
3. Enter 0.05 as the Absolute mesh size.

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Figure 333: Inlet Surface Mesh Attributes

Set Surface Meshing Attributes for the Outlet

In the following steps you will set meshing attributes that will allow for localized control of the mesh size
near the outlet.

1. Expand the Model > Surfaces > Outlet Data Tree item.
2. Click the checkbox next to Surface Mesh Attributes to enable the settings and open the Surface
Mesh Attributes detail panel.
3. Enter 0.08 as the Absolute mesh size.

Figure 334: Outlet Surface Mesh Attributes

Set Surface Meshing Attributes for the Greenhouse Walls

In the following steps you will set meshing attributes that will allow for localized control of the mesh size
near the greenhouse walls. The mesh size on the wall will be inherited from the global mesh size that was
defined earlier. The settings that follow will only control the growth of the boundary layer from the walls.

1. Expand the Model > Surfaces > Greenhouse_Walls Data Tree item.
2. Click the checkbox next to Surface Mesh Attributes to enable the settings and open the Surface
Mesh Attributes detail panel.
3. Change the Mesh size type to None.
This option indicates that the mesher will use the global meshing attributes when creating the mesh
on the surface of the walls.

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4. Turn on the Boundary layer flag option.

This option allows you to define how the meshing should be handled in the direction normal to the
walls.
5. Set the Boundary layer type to Full Control.
6. Set Resolve to First Element Height.
Mesh elements for a boundary layer are grown in the normal direction from a surface to allow efficient
resolution of the steep gradients near no-slip walls. The layers can be specified using a number of
different options.
When Boundary layer type is set to Full Control and the First Layer Height is resolved, the Total layer
height, Number of layers and the Growth rate are specified. Boundary layer elements will be grown
until the mesh size of the top layer matches the mesh size of the volume into which the boundary
layer elements are grown.
7. Enter 0.05 m for the Total layer height.
8. Enter 1.1 for the Growth rate.
9. Enter 4 for the Number of layers.

Figure 335: Greenhouse_Walls Surface Mesh Attributes Panel

Set Surface Meshing Parameters for the Ground

In the following steps you will set meshing attributes that will allow for localized control of the mesh size
near the fan blades.

1. Expand the Model > Surfaces > Ground Data Tree item.

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2. Click the checkbox next to Surface Mesh Attributes to enable the settings and open the Surface
Mesh Attributes detail panel.
3. Change the Mesh size type to None.
4. Turn on the Boundary layer flag option.
5. Set the Boundary layer type to Full Control.
6. Set Resolve to First Element Height.
7. Enter 0.075 m for the Total layer height.
8. Enter 1.1 for the Growth rate.
9. Enter 4 for the Number of layers.

Figure 336: Ground Surface Mesh Attributes

10. Save the database to create a backup of your settings.

Generate the Mesh

In the next steps you will generate the mesh that will be used when computing a solution for the problem.

1. Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuMeshSim dialog.

2. Click Ok to begin meshing.
During meshing an AcuTail dialog will open. Meshing progress is reported in this dialog. A summary
of the meshing process indicates that the mesh generation has finished.

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Figure 337:

3. Examine the mesh in the graphics window. For the purposes of this tutorial, the following steps lead
to the display of inlet, outlet and greenhouse walls.
a) Right-click Volumes > Display off.
b) Right-click Surfaces > Display on.
c) Right-click Surfaces > Display type > solid & wire.
4. Rotate, move or zoom the view to examine the mesh.
5. Right-click on the model and select cut plane visualization to view the mesh near the plants.

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Figure 338: Mesh Details of the Geometry

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Figure 339: Mesh Details Near the Plants

6. Save the database to create a backup of your settings.

3.12.6 Compute the Solution and Review the Results

Run AcuSolve

In the next steps you will run AcuSolve to compute the solution for this case.

1. Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuSolve dialog.

2. Enter 4 for Number of processors, if your system has four or more processors.
The use of multiple processors can reduce solution time.
3. Accept all other default settings.
Based on these settings, AcuConsole will generate the AcuSolve input files, then launch the solver.
4. Click Ok to start the solution process.
As the solution progresses, an AcuTail dialog will open. Solution progress is reported in this dialog.

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Figure 340:

Monitor the Solution with AcuProbe

While AcuSolve is running you can monitor the results using AcuProbe.

1.
Open AcuProbe by clicking the icon on the toolbar.
2. In the AcuProbe dialog double-click Residual Ratio to expand the tree.
3. Right-click Final > Plot All.
The residual ratio measures how well the solution matches the governing equations.

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Figure 341:

Post-Processing with AcuProbe

The pressure drop between the upstream and downstream surfaces of the plant cover can be viewed using
a user function at the end of the simulation using AcuProbe.
1.
In the AcuProbe dialog double-click the icon.
2. Enter the name in the User Function dialog as Pres_Drop.
3. In the dialog type P_1 =.
4. Double-click Surface Output to expand the tree.
5. Double-click Plant_Cover_Upstream tri3 Greenhouse_Plants tet4 to expand the tree.
6. Right-click pressure > Copy Name.
7. Paste the value in the User Function dialog for Plant_Cover_Upstream pressure.
8. Repeat the above steps for Plant_Cover_Downstream tri3 Greenhouse_Plants tet4 pressure.
9. Type value = P_1 – P_2.

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Figure 342:

10. Click Apply to display the plot.

Note: You might need to click the icon on the toolbar in order to properly display
the plot.

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Figure 343:

View Results with AcuFieldView

Now that a solution has been calculated, you are ready to view the flow field using AcuFieldView.
AcuFieldView is a third-party post-processing tool that is tightly integrated to AcuSolve. AcuFieldView can
be started directly from AcuConsole, or it can be started from the Start menu, or from a command line.
In this tutorial you will start AcuFieldView from AcuConsole after the solution is calculated by AcuSolve.

In the following steps you will start AcuFieldView, use multiple data sets to display velocity magnitude and
temperature on the full geometry at the mid-plane surfaces and boundary surfaces of the greenhouse.

Start AcuFieldView

1. Click on the AcuConsole toolbar to open the Launch AcuFieldView dialog.

2. Click Ok to start AcuFieldView.

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Figure 344:

When you start AcuFieldView from AcuConsole, the results from the last time step of the solution
that were written to disk will be loaded for post-processing.

Create Boundary Surface Showing Temperature for the Outer Surfaces with Mesh

1. Disable perspective view from viewer options by clicking Viewer Options and unchecking the
Perspective checkbox.
2. Disable the axis markers from the viewer options.
3. Orient the geometry so you can see inlet, outlet and greenhouse wall surfaces, as shown in the figure.
4. Click boundary surfaces. Temperature will already be selected as the scalar function.
5. Select the inlet, outlet, ground and greenhouse wall surfaces from boundary types.
6. Click the Colormap tab and then select the checkbox for Local to display the local range of values
of temperature for the selected surfaces.
7. Turn on the legend on the Legends tab and change the color to black from the color palette.
You can move the legend using Ctrl + left click.
8. Change the annotation color to black.

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Figure 345:

Append Results to Create Multiple Data Sets

1. Click File > Data Input > AcuSolve [Direct Reader] to open the reader for .log files to be read.
2. Select the Append option to add another data set to AcuFieldView for post-processing.
3. Select the checkbox for Read Extended Variables to read extended variables from the file.

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Figure 346:

4. Click Read Grids & Results Data... and select the Greenhouse_Enclosure_Night.1.Log from
your working directory.
5. Click Open.
6. The Function Subset Selection dialog opens. Check that all of the variables are selected and click
OK.

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Figure 347:

7. Close the AcuSolve [Direct Reader] dialog.

Create Boundary Surfaces Showing Temperature for Full Geometry

1. Click Dataset.... You will see two data sets.

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Figure 348:

You can move between datasets using the +,- signs next to the dataset number or directly type the
number of datasets you want to view.
2. Go to the first dataset and activate the Mirror checkbox under DUPLICATION.
A Dataset Mirror Parameters dialog opens.

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Figure 349:

3. Activate the Y checkbox and click OK.

A mirror dataset will be created about the Y axis, as shown in the figure below.

Figure 350:

4. Go back to Dataset Controls and select the second dataset.

5. Repeat the steps in the previous section to show the temperature on the inlet, outlet, ground and
greenhouse wall surfaces for this dataset.

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You can skip turning on the legend again since these datasets are duplicates of each other.
6. Go back to the Dataset Controls dialog and under TRANSLATE enter -4 for the X value.

Figure 351:

7. Click Apply. This will translate the new data set.

8. Under ROTATE enter 180 for the Z value.

Figure 352:

This will rotate the data set by 180 degrees.

9. Activate the Mirror checkbox under DUPLICATION and select Y from the Dataset Mirror
Parameters dialog. Click OK.
Now you will be able to see the complete greenhouse geometry with temperature displayed on the
inlet, outlet, ground and greenhouse wall surfaces.

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Figure 353:

Create Boundary Surfaces Showing the Geometry Model in Geometric Coloring

1. Switch to the first dataset.

2.
Click the icon.
3. Turn off the mesh display by unchecking the Show Mesh option.
4. Set the COLORING to Geometric and select the gray color from the color palette.
5. Set the Transparency to 87.5 %.
6. Select all of the surfaces from BOUNDARY TYPES except the symmetry surfaces.
7. Repeat the steps above for the second dataset.

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Figure 354:

Create Coordinate Surfaces Showing the Velocity Vector Magnitude

1.
Click the icon to open the Coodinate Surface dialog and create a new surface at the mid –
X coordinate surface.
2. Select the Scalar Function as velocity_magnitude.
3. Change the DISPLAY TYPE to Vectors.

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Figure 355:

4. Click Options... next to Vectors to open the Vector Options dialog.

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Figure 356:

5. Set the Vector Scale to 8.

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Figure 357:

6. Click the Colormap tab in the Coordinate Surface dialog and then set the coloring to Local.
7. Turn on the legend and set the ANNOTATION coloring to black.

Create Coordinate Surface Showing Temperature on the Mid Surface of the Plants

1. Turn off the display for the coordinate surface showing the velocity vectors.
2.
Click the icon to open the Coodinate Surface dialog and create a new surface at the mid –
Y coordinate surface.
3. Under COORD PLANE enter -0.7 as the Current value.
This is the y coordinate for the mid plane between greenhouse plants.

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Figure 358:

4. Change the DISPLAY TYPE to Smooth.

5. Select temperature as the Scalar Function to be displayed.
6. Click the Colormap tab and check that the COLORING is set to Local.
7. Turn on the legend to display the temperature values on the coordinate plane.
8. Repeat the steps for the second dataset.
9. Orient the geometry to see the surfaces as well as their mirror images.

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Figure 359:

3.12.7 Summary

In this tutorial you worked through a basic workflow to set up a steady state simulation with enclosure
radiation and porous media in a greenhouse. Once the case was set up, you generated a mesh and
generated a solution using AcuSolve. AcuProbe was used to post-process the pressure drop across the
porous plants in the greenhouse. Results were also post-processed in AcuFieldView to allow you to create
multiple datasets to view the velocity vectors and temperature contours on the full geometry. New features
introduced in this tutorial include using the enclosure radiation feature, creating a porous material medium,
creating symmetry radiation surfaces and creating multiple datasets in AcuFieldView.

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3.15 ACU-3201: Greenhouse Daytime Climate Simulation – Solar

Radiation and Thermal Shell

3.15
This tutorial provides the instructions for setting up, solving and viewing results for a steady simulation
of air flow through a greenhouse using solar and enclosure radiation along with thermal shell and porous
media. In this simulation, AcuSolve is used to compute the temperature and solar flux distribution due
solar radiation incident on the roof which is modelled as a thermal shell. This tutorial is designed to
introduce you to a number of modelling concepts necessary to perform simulations that use thermal shells
and solar radiation.

The basic steps in any CFD simulation were shown in ACU-2000: Turbulent Flow in a Mixing Elbow and the
steps to set up enclosure radiation and porous media were shown in ACU-3200: Greenhouse Nocturnal
Climate Simulation-Enclosure Radiation and Porous Media. The following additional capabilities of AcuSolve
are introduced in this tutorial:
• Modeling thermal shells
• Modeling solar radiation and use of acuSflux script
• Post-processing with AcuProbe
• Post-processing the nodal output with AcuFieldView to get solar flux and temperature fields

3.15 Prerequisites
You should have already run through the introductory tutorial, ACU-2000: Turbulent Flow in a Mixing
Elbow and ACU-3200: Greenhouse Nocturnal Climate Simulation-Enclosure Radiation and Porous Media.
It is assumed that you have some familiarity with AcuConsole, AcuSolve, and AcuFieldView. You will also
need access to a licensed version of AcuSolve 2017.

Prior to running through this tutorial, copy Acu_tutorial_input.zip from <AcuSolve installation
directory>\model_files\tutorials\AcuSolve\Acu_tutorial_inputs.zip to a working directory.
Extract Greenhouse_Solar.x_t, solar_flux.dat and Greenhouse_Enclosure_Night.acs from
Acu_tutorial_input.zip.

3.15.1 Analyze the Problem

The problem to be addressed in this tutorial is shown schematically in Figure 360. It consists of a low cost
gable type greenhouse with tomato plants modeled as porous media, and four inlets and outlet vents.
The roof of the greenhouse is modeled as a thermal shell with three layers in order to account for heat
transfer due to its thickness. The fluid enters through the inlet vents, passes through the tomato plants,
and then exits the greenhouse through the outlet vents located on the roof.

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Greenhouses are high-tech structures dedicated to the horticultural needs of plants, particularly
flowers, vegetables and fruits. Environmental properties such as temperature, light exposure, irrigation,
fertilization, humidity and ventilation can be precisely controlled for optimal crop growth.

The geometric characteristics of the greenhouse are as follows:

• Total Length: 4 m
• Total Width: 2 m
• Eaves Height: 1.5 m
• Ridge Height: 2 m
• Inlet Vents (4): 0.6 m length X 0.4 m height
• Outlet Vents (4): 1m length X 0.4 m height

Figure 360: Schematic of Greenhouse

Air enters the inlet vent at an average speed of 1.8 m/s and temperature 303 K which is considered the
temperature of ambient air around the greenhouse. The outlet vent is considered a constant pressure (p
= patm) outlet boundary.

The fluid in this problem is air, which has the following material properties:
3
• Density (ρ): 1.225 kg/m
-5
• Viscosity (µ): 1.781 X 10 kg/m-s
• Specific Heat (Cp): 1005 J/kg-K
• Conductivity (k): 0.0251 W/m-K

The density variation will be calculated according to the Boussinesq model in order to take into account
the natural convection effects.

The simulation will be set up to model steady state, turbulent flow in order to determine the climate
distribution inside the greenhouse at day time, due to the incident solar radiation.

Analysis of the Solar Radiation Properties of the Model

The incident solar radiation is computed using the acuSflux script provided with the installation. The
location is selected as Sunnyvale California, USA at latitude 37.3688° N and longitude 122.0363° W. The
date is selected as 30th August 2016. The time of the day is taken as 10:30 am in the morning.

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The solar radiation is modeled by adding the solar fluxes to the thermal energy equation computed using
a ray trace algorithm. The ray trace algorithm uses the Monte Carlo method to compute exchange factors
and the solar heat flux on every surface.

The interaction of a solar ray photon with a surface may occur in five different ways:
• Specular transmission : Photon passes straight through a surface with no change of direction.
• Diffuse transmission : Photon penetrates the surface, but its outgoing energy is uniformly distributed
in solid angle over the hemisphere, weighted by projected surface area.
• Specular reflection : angle of reflection is equal to the angle of incidence.
• Diffuse reflections : similar to diffuse transmission, except the hemisphere over which the outgoing
energy is distributed is on the same side of the surface as the incident photon.
• Absorption : Photon may be absorbed by the surface.

These five interactions are associated with five surface properties that together obey the following
constraint:

For computation purposes all of the surfaces are assumed to be gray bodies, that is, emissivity and
absorption are assumed to be independent of wavelength. Further from Kirchhoff’s law of radiation
absorptivity is assumed to be equal to the emissivity of the material.

The cover material on the roof of the greenhouse is semi-transparent and the plants, ground and walls
are diffusively radiating opaque surfaces.

The solar radiation/optical properties of the materials are listed below:

• Cover:
• Plants:
• Ground:
• Walls:

Analysis of the Thermal Shell

Thermal shells are used to model the energy equation in solid materials where the thinness of the geometry
makes it inconvenient to use it as solid. A solid or shell element set solves only the temperature and mesh
displacement equations, while all other equations, such as flow, turbulence, and species, are ignored.

Geometrically, the shell is infinitely thin, so that the pairs of nodes in an element that are on opposite
sides of the shell have the same coordinates. The shell medium supports only wedges and bricks.

For a single layer thermal shell the complete 3D heat transfer equation is solved considering the complete
volume element of thickness specified. For multiple layer thermal shell, between the two sides of the shell,
the element is divided up into a number of layers. Each layer is assigned a material model and a thickness
and a one dimensional heat equation is solved through the shell thickness.

The roof of the greenhouse is modeled as a thermal shell with four layers each of thickness 0.25 cm.

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The material model of the thermal shell has the following properties:
3
• Density (ρ): 930 kg/m
• Specific Heat (Cp): 2000 J/kg-K
• Conductivity (k): 0.35 W/m-K

Note: For the analysis of porous media and enclosure radiation properties, please refer to
ACU-3200: Greenhouse Nocturnal Climate Simulation-Enclosure Radiation and Porous Media.

Analysis of Mesh Sizes

In addition to setting appropriate conditions for the simulation, it is important to generate a mesh that
will be sufficiently refined to provide good results. For this problem the global mesh size is set to provide
at least 33 elements along the biggest dimensions of the greenhouse, the length.

Note that higher mesh densities are required where velocity, pressure, and eddy viscosity gradients are
larger. Local mesh refinements are used for the volume region containing the porous media and the inlet
and outlet surfaces. Proper boundary layer parameters need to be set to keep the y+ near the wall surface
to a reasonable level. The mesh density used in this tutorial is coarse and is intended to illustrate the
process of setting up the model and to retain a reasonable run time. A significantly higher mesh density
is needed to achieve a grid converged solution.

Once a solution is calculated, the flow properties of interest are the temperature distribution on the ground
and roof and the solar flux on the roof of the greenhouse.

3.15.2 Define the Simulation Parameters

Start AcuConsole

In this tutorial, you will begin by opening an existing database, modifying and adding the geometry-
independent settings, replacing the geometry, creating additional groups, setting group parameters,
adding geometry components to groups, and assigning mesh controls and boundary conditions to the
groups. Next you will generate a mesh and thermal shell with its associated properties. Then you will run
AcuSolve to compute the steady state solution. Finally, you will visualize the results using AcuFieldView.

In the next steps you will start AcuConsole open and rename the database for storage of the simulation
settings.

1. Start AcuConsole from the Windows Start menu by clicking Start > All Programs > Altair
HyperWorks <version> AcuSolve > AcuConsole.
2. From the File menu, click Open to open the Open data base dialog.

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Note: You can also open the dialog by clicking on the toolbar.

3. Open the Greenhouse_Enclosure_Night.acs file.

4. Browse to the location that you would like to use as your working directory.
This directory is where all files related to the simulation will be stored. The AcuConsole database
file (.acs) is stored in this directory. Once the mesh and solution are created, additional files and
directories will be created within this directory.
5. Create a new folder named Greenhouse_Solar_Day and open this folder.
6. Enter Greenhouse_Solar_Day as the File name for the database.

Note: In order for other applications to be able to read the files written by AcuConsole,
the database path and name should not include spaces.

7. Save the database to create a backup of your settings.

Set General Simulation Parameters

In next steps you will set the parameters that apply globally to the simulation. To simplify this task, you
will use the BAS filter in the Data Tree Manager. This filter limits the options in the Data Tree to show
only the basic settings.

The physical models that you define for this tutorial correspond to steady state, turbulent flow.

1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.

Figure 361:

2. Double-click the Global Data Tree item to expand it.

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Tip: You can also expand a tree item by clicking next to the item name.

Figure 362:

3. Double-click Problem Description to open the Problem Description detail panel.

4. Check that AcuSolve Tutorial as the Title.
5. Enter Greenhouse - Solar Radiation and Thermal Shell as the Sub title.
6. Accept the default Analysis type of Steady State.
7. Check that the Turbulence equation is set to Spalart Allmaras.
8. Check that the Temperature equation is set to Advective Diffusive.
9. Check that the Radiation equation is set to Enclosure.
10. Accept the default Mesh type of Fixed.

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Figure 363:

Tip: You may need to widen the detail panel from the default size by dragging the
right edge of the panel frame.

Set Solution Strategy Parameters

In the next steps you will set the parameters that control the behavior of AcuSolve as it progresses during
the solution.

1. Double-click Auto Solution Strategy to open the Auto Solution Strategy detail panel.
2. Check that the Analysis type is set to Steady State.
3. Ensure that Max time steps is set to 100.
4. Check that the Convergence tolerance is set to 0.001 seconds.
5. Set the Relaxation factor to 0.4.
The relaxation factor is used to improve convergence of the solution. Typically a value between 0.2
and 0.4 provides a good balance between achieving a smooth progression of the solution and the
extra compute time needed to reach convergence. Higher relaxation factors cause AcuSolve to take
more time steps to reach a steady state solution. A high relaxation factor is sometimes necessary
in order to achieve convergence for very complex applications.

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Figure 364:

Set Material Model Properties

AcuConsole has three pre-defined materials, Air, Aluminum and Water. You will need to modify the material
properties of Aluminum and create a new material model which would model the properties of cover
material for defining the thermal shell in the later steps.
In the next steps you will modify the density of aluminum. Additionally, you will create a new material
model named Cover_Shell and assign the material properties associated with it.

1. Double-click Material Model in the Data Tree to expand it.

2. Right-click Aluminum in the Data Tree and select Duplicate to make a copy of the Aluminum
material model.
3. Right-click Copy of Aluminum in the Data Tree and select Rename. Enter Cover_Shell as the
new name.

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4. Double-click Cover_Shell to open the detail panel.

5. Check that the Material type for Cover_Shell is Solid.
The default material type for any new material created in AcuConsole is Fluid.
6. Click the Density tab.
3
The density of cover is 930.0 kg/m .
7. Click the Specific Heat tab. The specific heat of plants is 2000 J/kg-K.
8. Click the Conductivity tab. The conductivity of cover is 0.35 W/m-K.
9. Save the database to create a backup of your settings. This can be achieved with any of the following
methods.
• Click the File menu, then click Save.
• Click on the toolbar.
• Click Ctrl+S.

Note: Changes made in AcuConsole are saved into the database file (.acs) as they
are made. A save operation copies the database to a backup file, which can be used
to reload the database from that saved state in the event that you do not want to
commit future changes.

Create New Solar Radiation Models

The solar radiation models command specifies an ideal grey-surface solar radiation model to calculate
the solar heat flux. AcuConsole has a predefined solar radiation model for a black body. You will need
to create additional solar radiation models for the roof, greenhouse walls, plants and the floor surface
covered by soil.

In the next steps you will create new solar radiation models and the assign the values associated with
them.

1. Click RAD in the Data Tree Manager to filter all but the radiation settings in the Data Tree.
2. Double-click Solar Radiation Model in the Data Tree to expand it.
3. Right-click Solar Radiation Model in the Data Tree and select New to make a new solar radiation
model.
A new solar radiation model will be created with the name Solar Radiation Model 1.
4. Right-click Solar Radiation Model 1 and select Rename.
5. Enter Cover as the new name.
6. Double-click Cover to open the detail panel.
7. Check that Type is set as Constant for all the parameters.

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8. Enter the values for the cover material as shown in the image below.

Figure 365: Cover Solar Radiation Detail Panel

9. Similarly create three more solar radiation models named: Ground, Plants and Walls and set their
solar radiation values as shown below.

Figure 366: Ground Solar Radiation Detail Panel

Figure 367: Plants Solar Radiation Detail Panel

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Figure 368: Walls Solar Radiation Detail Panel

Define the Solar Radiation Parameters

The solar radiation parameters command specifies the global parameters for solar radiation heat flux.
2
AcuConsole has a predefined solar radiation flux of -1352.0 W/m in the –Z direction.

The value would be read from the file solar_flux.dat generated by the acuSflux script.

1. Double-click Solar Radiation Parameters in the Data Tree to expand it.

2. Click Open Array next to Curve fit values.
3. In the Array Editor, click Read and open the file solar_flux.dat.
The solar flux is read and stored into the respective columns in the Array Editor.
4. Click OK to close the dialog.

Tip: To generate the solar_flux.dat file, execute the following command from the
command line:

acuSflux -time "aug-30-2016 17:30:00" -lat 37.3688 -lon -122.0363 –

ndir “0,1,0”

3.15.3 Import Geometry and Define the Model

Import the Greenhouse Solar Geometry

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You will import the geometry in the next part of this tutorial. You will need to know the location of
Greenhouse_Solar.x_t in order to complete these steps. This file contains the model of the greenhouse
in the Parasolid ASCII format.

1. Click File > Import.

2. Browse to the directory containing Greenhouse_Solar.x_t.
3. Change the File name filter to Parasolid File (*.x_t *.xmt *X_T …
4. Click Greenhouse_Solar.x_t and Open to open the Confirm Import dialog.
5. Click Open to overwrite the current geometry and open the Import Geometry dialog.

For this tutorial, the default values for the Import Geometry dialog are used to load the geometry. If you
have previously used AcuConsole, any changes to these settings will be preserved between AcuConsole
sessions. Make sure that any settings that you might have altered are manually changed to match the
default values shown. With the default settings, volumes from the CAD model are added to a default
volume group. Surfaces from the CAD model are added to a default surface group. You will work with
groups later in this tutorial to create new groups, set simulation attributes, add geometric components,
and set meshing attributes
6. Click Ok to complete the geometry import.

Figure 369:

Apply Volume Parameters

Volume groups are containers used for storing information about a volume region. This information
includes the list of geometric volumes associated with the container, as well as attributes such as material
models and mesh size information.

When the geometry was imported into AcuConsole, all volumes were placed into the "default" volume
container.

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In the next steps you will assign the volumes to existing volume groups.

1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.
2. Expand the Model Data Tree item.
3. Expand Volumes. Toggle the display of the default volume container by clicking and next
to the volume name.

Note: You may not see any change when toggling the display if Surfaces are being
displayed, as surfaces and volumes may overlap.

4. Add the volume to the Greenhouse_Main group.

a) Right-click Greenhouse_Main > Add to.
b) Click on the greenhouse.
At this point, the greenhouse should be highlighted in the color gray.

Figure 370:

5. Add the volume to Greenhouse_Plants groups.

a) Right-click Greenhouse_Plants and select Add to.
b) Click on the plant.

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At this point, the greenhouse plants should be highlighted in the color gray.

Figure 371:

Figure 372:

6. Right-click on the ‘default’ volume group and select delete.

7. Check that the material model for the volume Greenhouse_Main is set to Air.
a) Expand the Greenhouse_Main volume.
b) Double-click Element Set under Greenhouse_Main to open the Element Set detail panel.
c) Check that the Material model is set as Air.

Figure 373:

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8. Check that the material model for the volume Greenhouse_Plants is set to Porous_Plants.
a) Expand the Greenhouse_Plants volume.
b) Double-click Element Set under Greenhouse_Main to open the Element Set detail panel.
c) Check that the Material model is set as Porous_Plants.

Figure 374:

Set Surface Meshing Parameters

Surface groups are containers used for storing information about a surface. This information includes the
list of geometric surfaces associated with the container, as well as attributes such as boundary conditions,
surface outputs, and mesh sizing information.

When the geometry was replaced into AcuConsole, all surfaces are placed in the surface container named
"default" and the existing surface groups becoming empty.

In the next steps you will define surface groups, assign the appropriate settings for the different
characteristics of the problem, and add surfaces to the group containers.

• Inlets_1
• Inlets_2
• Outlet
• Greenhouse_Walls
• Plant_Cover
• Roof
• Ground

Set Parameters for the Inlet

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In the next steps you will create a copy of surface group Inlet, rename them to Inlets_1 and Inlets_2,
assign the appropriate settings, and add the inlets from the geometry to the surface groups.

1. Create a copy of the Inlet surface group.

a) In the Data Tree, right-click on Inlet and select Duplicate.
b) Right-click Inlet and rename it to Inlets_1.
c) Right-click Copy of Inlet and rename it to Inlets_2.
2. Expand the Inlets_1 surface in the Data Tree.
3. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition under Inlets_1 to open the Simple Boundary
Condition detail panel.
4. Change the Type to Inflow.
5. Change the Average velocity value to 1.8 m/s.
6. Change the Temperature to 303.0 k.

Figure 375:

7. Click RAD in the Data Tree Manager.

8. Under Inlets_1, double-click the Radiation Surface checkbox to activate and open the Radiation
Surface detail panel.
9. Check that the Type is set to Opening.
10. Check that the Emissivity model is set to Air_Out.
11. Set the Opening temperature value to 303 K.

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Figure 376:

12. Add a geometry surface to the Inlet group.

a) Right-click Inlet > Add to.
b) Click on the inlet face.
At this point, the inlet should be highlighted by the color gray. If it is difficult to find the inlet
surface, change the display type to outline to see where the inlet is located.

Figure 377:

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c) Click Done to add this geometry surface to the Inlet surface group.
You can also use the middle mouse button to complete the addition of geometry components
to a group.
13. Propagate the settings for Simple Boundary Condition and Radiation Surface to the Inlets_2 surface
group.

Note: You may need to switch between BAS and RAD in the Data Tree Manager or
display all the attributes by selecting the ALL filter.

a) Under Inlets_1, right-click on Simple Boundary Condition and select Propagate.

The Propagate dialog appears.
b) Select Inlets_2 from the list, and click Propagate.
c) Under Inlets_1, right-click on Radiation Surface and select Propagate.
d) Select Inlets_2 from the list, and click Propagate.
14. Add a geometry surface to the Inlets_2 group.
a) Right-click Inlets_2 and click Add to.
b) Click on the inlet faces on the +X sides of the geometry.

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Figure 378:

At this point, the inlets should be highlighted by grey color. If it is difficult to find the inlet
surfaces, change the display type to outline to see where the inlets are located.

Set Parameters for the Outlet

In the next steps you will assign the appropriate settings, and add the outlet from the geometry to the
surface group
1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.
2. Expand the Outlet surface group in the Data Tree.
3. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the detail panel.
4. Check that the Type is set to to Outflow.
5. Click RAD in the Data Tree Manager.

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6. Under Outlet, activate the Radiation Surface checkbox and double-click it to open the detail panel.
7. Check that the Type is set to Opening.
8. Check that the Emissivity model is set to Air_Out.
9. Change the Opening temperature value to 303 K.

Figure 379:

10. Add a geometry surface to the Outlet surface container.

a) Right-click Outlet > Add to.
b) Click the outlet face.
At this point, the outlet should be highlighted by the color gray.

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Figure 380:

c) Click Done to associate this geometry surface with the surface settings of the Outlet group.

Set Parameters for the Greenhouse_Walls

In the next steps you will define a surface group for the walls, assign the appropriate settings and add
the faces from the geometry to the surface group.

1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.
2. Expand the Greenhouse_Walls surface in the Data Tree.
3. Under Greenhouse_Walls, double-click Simple Boundary Condition and check that the Type is set
to Wall.
4. Click RAD in the Data Tree Manager.
5. Check that the Type is set to Wall.
6. Check that the Emissivity model is set to Walls.
7. Under Greenhouse_Walls, activate the Radiation Surface to open the detail panel.

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Figure 381:

8. In the Data Tree, click the Solar Radiation Surface checkbox to activate and open the detail panel.
9. For Side of Surface, select Inward.
10. For Solar Radiation model, select Walls.

Figure 382:

11. Add geometric faces to this group.

a) Right-click Greenhouse_Walls > Add to.
b) Select all of the wall surfaces.
At this point, the wall surfaces should be highlighted in gray.

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Figure 383:

c) Click Done to associate this geometry surface with the Greenhouse_Walls surface container.

Set Parameters for the Ground

In the next steps you will define a surface group for the ground, assign the appropriate settings and add
the faces from the geometry to the surface group.

1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.
2. Expand the Ground surface.
3. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the detail panel.
4. Check that the Type is set to Wall.
5. Set the Temperature BC type to Flux.
The default value of 0 is used for the Heat Flux for the ground.

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Figure 384:

6. Click RAD in the Data Tree Manager.

7. Under Ground, activate the Radiation Surface to open the detail panel.
8. Check that the Type is set to Wall.
9. Check that the Emissivity model is set to Ground.
10. In the Data Tree, click the Solar Radiation Surface checkbox to activate and open the detail panel.
11. For Side of Surface, select Inward.
12. For Solar Radiation model, select Ground.

Figure 385:

13. Add geometric faces to this group.

a) Right-click Ground > Add to.
b) Select the ground surface.
At this point, the ground surface should be highlighted by the color gray.

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Figure 386:

c) Click Done to add this geometry surface to the Ground surface group.

Set Parameters for Plant Cover Surfaces

In the next steps you will define surface groups for the plant cover, assign the appropriate settings and
add the plant cover surfaces from the geometry to the surface group.

1. Turn off the visibility for the Ground, Walls, Inlets and Outlet surfaces.
2. Rename the surface Plant_Cover_Upstream to Plant_Cover.
3. Add the geometry surface to the Plant_Cover surface group.
a) Right-click Plant_Cover > Add to.
b) Click all the plant surfaces.
If it is difficult to find the surface, turn on the visibility for the volume group and set the display
type to Outline.

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Figure 387:

At this point, the Plant_Cover surface should be highlighted in gray.

c) Click Done to add this geometry surface to the Plant_Cover surface group.
d) Turn off the display for the surface.
There are two sets of surfaces for the plant surfaces which belong to different volume sets. In
this case they can be moved into the same surface group.
e) Right-click Plant_Cover > Add to.
f) Select the remaining Plant_Cover surfaces.
g) Click Done to associate this geometry surface with the surface settings of the Plant_Cover
group.
Note that no boundary conditions are applied to this surface at this point. The grouping
operation was performed to identify that these surfaces are internal and that flow will be allowed
to pass through them freely. These surfaces can still be used for output purposes, however.
4. Click RAD in the Data Tree Manager.
5. Under Plant_Cover, activate the Radiation Surface to open the detail panel.
6. Check that the Type is set to Wall.
7. Check that the Emissivity model is set to Plants.
8. In the Data Tree, click the Solar Radiation Surface checkbox to activate and open the detail panel.
9. For Side of Surface, select Both Sides.
10. For Solar Radiation model, select Plants.

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Figure 388:

Set Parameters for the Roof Surfaces

In the next steps you will define surface groups for the roof, assign the appropriate settings and add the
roof surface from the geometry to the surface group.

1. Turn off the visibility for the Plant_Cover surfaces.

2. Rename the surface Plant_Cover_Downstream to Roof.
3. Under Roof, double-click Simple Boundary Condition and check that the Type is set to Wall.
4. Click RAD in the Data Tree Manager.
5. Under Roof, activate the Radiation Surface to open the detail panel.
6. Check that the Type is set to Wall.
7. Set the Emissivity model to Walls.

Figure 389:

8. In the Data Tree, click the Solar Radiation Surface checkbox to activate and open the detail panel.
9. For Side of Surface, select Inward.
10. For Solar Radiation model, select Cover.

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Figure 390:

11. Add the geometry surface to the Roof group.

a) Right-click Roof > Add to.
b) Click the roof surfaces.
c) Click Done to add this geometry surface to the Plant_Cover surface group.

Note: At this point, all remaining volume containers, including the default container,
should be empty.

12. Right-click on Surfaces and click Purge to remove the empty volume containers.

3.15.3.1 No TOC

3.15.4 Assign Mesh Controls

Set Global Meshing Attributes

Now that the flow characteristics have been set for the whole problem and for the individual surfaces,
attributes need to be added to make sure that a sufficiently refined mesh is generated.

• Global mesh controls apply to the whole model without being tied to any geometric component of
the model.
• Zone mesh controls apply to a defined region of the model, but are not associated with a particular
geometric component.
• Geometric mesh controls are applied to a specific geometric component. These controls can be
applied to volume groups, surface groups or edge groups.

In the next steps you will set global meshing attributes. In subsequent steps you will set the volume and
surface meshing attributes.

1. Click MSH in the Data Tree Manager to filter the settings in the Data Tree to show only the controls
related to meshing.
2. Double-click the Global Data Tree item to expand it.
3. Double-click Global Mesh Attributes to open the Global Mesh Attributes detail panel.

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4. Check that the Mesh size type to Absolute.

5. Enter 0.1 m for the Absolute mesh size.
This absolute mesh size is chosen to ensure that there are at least 33 mesh elements on the inlet.
6. Set the Mesh growth rate to 1.1.
This option is used to control the rate at which the mesh transitions between regions of different
surface and volume size. By default, the mesher will increase in size at a rate of approximately 2:1
between regions of adjacent size within the mesh. By setting this option to a value between 1.0 and
2.0, the mesh transition will be smoother across the size transitions.

Figure 391:

Set Volume Meshing Attributes

In the following steps you will set the meshing attributes that will allow for localized control of the mesh
size on the volume groups that you created earlier. Specifically, you will set local meshing attributes that
control the size of elements inside the Greenhouse_Plants volume group.
1. Expand the Model > Volume > Greenhouse_Plants Data Tree item.
2. Click the checkbox next to Volume Mesh Attributes to enable the settings and open the Volume
Mesh Attributes detail panel.
3. Enter 0.07 as the Absolute mesh size.

Figure 392:

Set Surface Meshing Parameters

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In the following steps you will set the meshing attributes that will allow for localized control of the mesh
size on the surface groups that you created earlier. Specifically, you will set local meshing attributes for
inlet and outlet. You will also set attributes that control the growth of boundary layer elements normal to
the surfaces of the greenhouse walls and ground.

• Inlets_1
• Inlets_2
• Outlet
• Greenhouse_Walls
• Ground

Set Surface Meshing Parameters for the Inlet

In the following steps you will set meshing attributes that will allow for localized control of the mesh size
near the inlet.

1. Expand the Model > Surfaces > Inlets_2 Data Tree item.
2. Click the checkbox next to Surface Mesh Attributes to enable the settings and open the Surface
Mesh Attributes detail panel.
3. Check that 0.05 is set as the Absolute mesh size.
4. Repeat for Inlets_1.

Set Surface Meshing Attributes for the Outlet

In the following steps you will set meshing attributes that will allow for localized control of the mesh size
near the outlet.

1. Expand the Model > Surfaces > Outlet Data Tree item.
2. Click the checkbox next to Surface Mesh Attributes to enable the settings and open the Surface
Mesh Attributes detail panel.
3. Enter 0.02 as the Absolute mesh size.

Set Surface Meshing Attributes for the Greenhouse Walls and Roof

In the following steps you will set meshing attributes that will allow for localized control of the mesh size
near the greenhouse walls. The mesh size on the wall will be inherited from the global mesh size that was
defined earlier. The settings that follow will only control the growth of the boundary layer from the walls.

1. Expand the Model > Surfaces > Greenhouse_Walls Data Tree item.
2. Click the checkbox next to Surface Mesh Attributes to enable the settings and open the Surface
Mesh Attributes detail panel.

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3. Check that the Mesh size type is set to None.

This option indicates that the mesher will use the global meshing attributes when creating the mesh
on the surface of the walls.
4. Turn On the Boundary layer flag option.
This option allows you to define how the meshing should be handled in the direction normal to the
walls.
5. Check that the Boundary layer type is set to Full Control.
6. Set Resolve to First Element Height.
Mesh elements for a boundary layer are grown in the normal direction from a surface to allow efficient
resolution of the steep gradients near no-slip walls. The layers can be specified using a number of
different options.
When Boundary layer type is set to Full Control and the First Layer Height is resolved, the Total layer
height, Number of layers and the Growth rate are specified. Boundary layer elements will be grown
until the mesh size of the top layer matches the mesh size of the volume into which the boundary
layer elements are grown.
7. Enter 0.1 m for the Total layer height.
8. Enter 1.1 for the Growth rate.
9. Enter 4 for the Number of layers.

Figure 393:

10. Propagate the Surface Mesh Attributes to the Roof surface.

Set Surface Meshing Parameters for the Ground

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In the following steps you will set meshing attributes that will allow for localized control of the mesh size
near the fan blades.

1. Expand the Model > Surfaces > Ground Data Tree item.
2. Click the checkbox next to Surface Mesh Attributes to enable the settings and open the Surface
Mesh Attributes detail panel.
3. Check that the Mesh size type is set to None.
4. Check that the Boundary layer flag option is turned on.
5. Set the Boundary layer type to Full Control.
6. Set Resolve to First Element Height.
7. Enter 0.08 m for the Total layer height.
8. Enter 1.1 for the Growth rate.
9. Enter 4 for the Number of layers.

Figure 394:

10. Save the database to create a backup of your settings.

Generate the Mesh

In the next steps you will generate the mesh that will be used when computing a solution for the problem.

1. Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuMeshSim dialog.

2. Click Ok to begin meshing.
During meshing an AcuTail dialog will open. Meshing progress is reported in this dialog. A summary
of the meshing process indicates that the mesh generation has finished.

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Figure 395:

3. Examine the mesh in the graphics window. For the purposes of this tutorial, the following steps lead
to the display of inlet, outlet and greenhouse walls.
a) Right-click Volumes > Display off.
b) Right-click Surfaces > Display on.
c) Right-click Surfaces > Display type > solid & wire.
4. Rotate, move or zoom the view to examine the mesh.

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Figure 396: Mesh Details of the Geometry

5. Save the database to create a backup of your settings.

Create the Thermal Shell and Assign Attributes

In the following steps you will generate the thermal shell, assign the number of layers, material properties
as well as radiation and solar radiation properties.

1. Under Surfaces, right-click on Roof.

2. Select Mesh Op. and click Generate Thermal Shell.
An Information Window showing the number of modified nodes is displayed. This will create a
new volume set named ‘default_shell’ and new surface set named ‘default’.

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Figure 397:

3. The generated thermal shell will be exactly on the Top surface. Click Display On and Display Off
the display to visualize the surfaces.
4. Rename the default surface to Shell_Top.
5. Double-click Element Set to open the detail panel.
6. Check that the Medium is set to Thermal Shell.
7. For Number of shell layers, enter 4.

Figure 398:

8. Next to Shell thickness, click Open Array to open the Array Editor to specify the thickness of each
shell.
9. Change the unit to cm and enter 0.25 for all the layers.

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Figure 399:

10. Click OK to close the dialog.

11. Next to Shell material models, click on Open Ref to open the Reference Editor to specify the material
model of each shell.

Note: You might get a warning stating that number of rows are less than the table.
Click Yes to add None as the default material model for each shell.

12. Select the Cover_Shell as the material model for all the layers by clicking on the drop down arrow.

Figure 400:

13. Click OK to close the dialog.

14. Under Surfaces, under Shell_Top, uncheck Simple Boundary Condition to disable simple boundary
condition for this surface.
Since this surface belongs to the ‘default_shell’ volume, Simple Boundary Condition is disabled.
15. Click RAD in the Data Tree Manager.

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16. In the Data Tree, under Shell_Top, click the Solar Radiation Surface checkbox to activate and
open the detail panel.
17. For Side of Surface, select Outward.
18. For Solar Radiation model, select Cover.

Figure 401:

3.15.4.1 No TOC

3.15.5 Compute the Solution and Review the Results

Run AcuSolve

In the next steps you will run AcuSolve to compute the solution for this case.

1. Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuSolve dialog.

2. Enter 4 for Number of processors, if your system has four or more processers.
The use of multiple processors can reduce solution time.

Accept all other default settings.

Based on these settings, AcuConsole will generate the AcuSolve input files, then launch the solver.
3. Click Ok to start the solution process.
As the solution progresses, an AcuTail dialog will open. Solution progress is reported in this dialog.

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Figure 402:

Monitor the Solution with AcuProbe

While AcuSolve is running you can monitor the results using AcuProbe.

1.
Open AcuProbe by clicking the icon on the toolbar.
2. In the AcuProbe dialog double-click Residual Ratio to expand the tree.
3. Right-click Final > Plot All.
The residual ratio measures how well the solution matches the governing equations.

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Figure 403:

Post-Processing with AcuProbe

The temperature on the roof of the greenhouse and the plant cover can be viewed at the end of simulation
using AcuProbe.
1. In the AcuProbe dialog double-click Radiation Output to expand the tree.
2. Double-click Plant_Cover tri3 Greenhouse_Plants tet4 to expand the tree.
3. Right-click on temperature and click Plot.
4. Repeat the above steps for the Roof.

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Figure 404:

View Results with AcuFieldView

Now that a solution has been calculated, you are ready to view the flow field using AcuFieldView.
AcuFieldView is a third-party post-processing tool that is tightly integrated to AcuSolve. AcuFieldView can
be started directly from AcuConsole, or it can be started from the Start menu, or from a command line.
In this tutorial you will start AcuFieldView from AcuConsole after the solution is calculated by AcuSolve.

In the following steps you will start AcuFieldView to display temperature on the plants and roof and heat
flux on the roof of the greenhouse.

Start AcuFieldView

1. Click on the AcuConsole toolbar to open the Launch AcuFieldView dialog.

2. Click Ok to start AcuFieldView.
When you start AcuFieldView from AcuConsole, the results from the last time step of the solution
that were written to disk will be loaded for post-processing.

Create Boundary Surface Showing Temperature for the Plants

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1. Click Viewer Options and uncheck the Perspective checkbox to disable perspective view.
2. In the Viewer Options dialog, disable the axis markers.
3. Orient the geometry so you can see inlet, outlet and greenhouse wall surfaces.
4.
Click the icon to open the Boundary Surface dialog.
5. Check that Temperature is already selected as the Scalar Function.
6. Select the Plant_Cover tri3 Greenhouse_Plants tet4 surface from the BOUNDARY TYPES list.
7. Click the Colormap tab and then select the checkbox for Local to display the local range of values
of temperature for the selected surfaces.
8. Turn on the Legend on the Legends tab and change the color to black from the color palette.
You can move the legend using Ctrl + left click.
9. Change the annotation color to black.

Figure 405:

Create the Boundary Surface Showing the Temperature and Heat Flux for the Roof

1. In the Boundary Conditions dialog, select the Shell_Top surface from the BOUNDARY TYPES list.
Temperature should already be selected as the scalar function.

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Figure 406:

2. Click on Scalar Functions, and select Solar heat flux.

3. Click Calculate to display the Solar Heat flux on the roof.

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Figure 407:

3.15.6 Summary

3.15.6
In this tutorial you worked through a basic workflow to set up a steady state simulation with solar radiation
and thermal shell in a greenhouse. Once the case was set up, you generated a mesh and generated a
solution using AcuSolve. Then you generated the thermal shell and assigned radiation properties to it.
AcuProbe was used to post-process the temperature on the plant cover and roof surfaces. Results were
also post-processed in AcuFieldView to allow you visualize temperature contours on the plant cover and
roof, and heat flux values on the roof. New features introduced in this tutorial include the solar radiation
feature and thermal shell.

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Multiphase

This chapter covers the following:

• 4.3 ACU-4000: Dam Break Simulation: Two Phase Problem (p. 424)
• 4.4 Products (p. 447)
• 4.5 Terms (p. 448)
• 4.6 ACU-4001: Water Filling in a Tank (p. 449)
AcuSolve Tutorials 424

4.3 ACU-4000: Dam Break Simulation: Two Phase Problem

4.3
This tutorial provides the instructions for setting up, solving and viewing results for a transient dam break
simulation using the level set method. In this simulation, a square column of water is initially held at rest
by walls in one end of a reservoir. The simulation begins when the walls holding the water column are
removed and the water is free to flow out. The simulation can be used to visualize and study the surge
patterns as the column of water rushes out, as in a dam wall break.

The basic steps in a CFD simulation have been discussed in the earlier tutorials. The following additional
capabilities of AcuSolve are introduced in this tutorial:
• Two-phase flow simulation using the level set method
• Transient simulation
• Use of a script for the water volume fraction initialization
• Post-processing with AcuFieldView

4.3 Prerequisites
You should have already run through the introductory tutorial, ACU-2000: Turbulent Flow in a Mixing
Elbow. It is assumed that you have some familiarity with AcuConsole, AcuSolve, and AcuFieldView. You
will also need access to a licensed version of AcuSolve.

Prior to running through this tutorial, copy Acu_tutorial_input.zip from <AcuSolve installation
directory>\model_files\tutorials\AcuSolve\Acu_tutorial_inputs.zip to a working directory.
Extract damBreak2D.x_t from the Acu_tutorial_input.zip.

The color of objects shown in the graphics window in this tutorial and those displayed on your screen
may differ. The default color scheme in AcuConsole is "random," in which colors are randomly assigned to
groups as they are created. In addition, this tutorial was developed on Windows. If you are running this
tutorial on a different operating system, you may notice a slight difference between the images displayed
on your screen and the images shown in the tutorial.

4.3.1 Analyze the Problem

4.3.1
An important step in any CFD simulation is to examine the engineering problem at hand and determine
the important parameters that need to be provided to AcuSolve. Parameters can be based on geometrical
elements (such as inlets, outlets, or walls) and on flow conditions (such as fluid properties, velocity, or
whether the flow should be modeled as turbulent or as laminar).

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In general, multiphase flows are mainly observed in real life environment, consisting of two or more fluids
(gas, liquid, or solid). They have possible combinations of gas-liquid (dissolved gas), liquid-liquid (oil in
water), liquid-solid (immersed particles), as well as gas-liquid-solid. The first two are examples of two-
phase immiscible flows. The two-phase immiscible flows can be solved by tracking the interface between
the two-phases. This tutorial will guide you through how to set up the two-phase flow problem using the
level set method.

The system being simulated contains a reservoir, along one corner of which stands a square water column,
held in place by walls. At time t = 0 the walls are removed. As the walls are removed, the water column
is now free to flow out and flow surges towards the other end of the reservoir. The simulation can be used
to visualize and study the surge patterns as the column of water rushes out, as in a dam wall break.

The schematics of the problem which will be addressed in this tutorial is shown in Figure 408. The system
will be modeled as a two-dimensional problem by including only a single layer of extruded elements in
the spanwise direction.

Figure 408: Schematic of the Problem

4.3.2 Define the Simulation Parameters

Start AcuConsole

In this tutorial, you will begin by creating a database, populating the geometry-independent settings,
loading the geometry, creating volume and surface groups, setting group parameters, adding geometry
components to groups, and assigning mesh controls and boundary conditions to the groups. Next you
will generate a mesh and run AcuSolve to solve for the number of time steps specified. Finally, you will
visualize some characteristics using AcuFieldView.

In the next steps you will start AcuConsole, and create the database for storage of the simulation settings.

1. Start AcuConsole from the Windows Start menu by clicking Start > All Programs > Altair
HyperWorks <version> AcuSolve > AcuConsole.
2. Click the File menu, then click New to open the New data base dialog.
3. Browse to the location that you would like to use as your working directory.
This directory is where all files related to the simulation will be stored. The AcuConsole database
file (.acs) is stored in this directory. Once the mesh and solution are created, additional files and
directories will be created within this directory.

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4. Create a new directory in this location. Name it Dam_break and open it.
5. Enter damBreak_2D as the file name for the database.

Note: In order for other applications to be able to read the files written by AcuConsole,
the database path and name should not include spaces.

6. Click Save to create the database.

Set General Simulation Parameters

In next steps you will set parameters that apply globally to the simulation. To make this simple, the basic
settings applicable for any simulation can be filtered using the BAS filter in the Data Tree Manager. This
filter enables display of only a small subset of the available items in the Data Tree and makes navigation
of the entries easier.

1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.

Figure 409:

2. Double-click Global in the Data Tree to expand it.

Tip: You can also expand a tree item by clicking next to the item name.

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Figure 410:

3. Double-click Problem Description to open the Problem Description detail panel.

Tip: You can also open a panel by right-clicking a tree item and clicking Open on
the context menu.

4. Enter AcuSolve Multiphase Tutorial as the Title.

5. Enter Dam Break 2D as the Sub title.
6. Change the Analysis type to Transient.
7. Toggle on Show beta features to access multiphase equation.

Note: Once this option is toggled on, the "Level Set" in the Multiphase equation
pull down list is displayed. The additional multiphase model, VOF (Volume of Fluids)
approach, will be introduced in a later release.

8. Ensure Multiphase equation is set to Level Set.

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Figure 411:

Set Solution Strategy Attributes

1. Double-click Auto Solution Strategy to open the Auto Solution Strategy detail panel.
2. Check that the Analysis type is set to Transient.
3. Set the Max time steps to 0.
4. Set the Final time to 1.0 secs.
5. Set the Initial time increment to 0.002498.
When setting up a transient analysis, if the Max time steps option is set to zero, this option is
ignored. In such a case, the Final time must be specified. AcuSolve will then run until this final time
is reached, incrementing with the specified initial time increment at each time step.
6. Check that the Convergence tolerance is set to 0.001 seconds.
7. Set the Max stagger iterations to 5.
8. Set the Relaxation factor to 0..
When solving transient solutions, the relaxation factor should be set to zero. A non-zero relaxation
factor causes incremental updates of the solution, which will impact the time accuracy of the solution
for transient cases.
9. Check that Flow and Multifluid flags are turned On.
10. Check that Fluid 1 is set to Air.
11. Check that Fluid 2 is set to Water.

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The options available to specify the fluids for Fluid 1 and Fluid 2 are taken from the material models
already defined in the open AcuConsole database. When a new AcuConsole database is created, the
available pre-defined fluid material models are Air and Water. If your model requires a fluid other
than these two, you must create and define a new material model to match the specification of this
fluid, before you can set it as one of the fluids in the Multifluid model definition.

Figure 412:

4.3.3 Import Geometry and Define the Model

Import the Geometry

You will import the geometry in the next part of this tutorial. You will need to know the location of
damBreak2D.x_t in order to complete these steps. This file contains information about the geometry in
Parasolid ASCII format.

1. Click File > Import.

2. Browse to the directory containing damBreak2D.x_t.
3. Change the File name filter to Parasolid File (*.x_t *.xmt *X_T …
4. Click damBreak2D.x_t and Open to open the Import Geometry dialog.
For this tutorial, the default values for the Import Geometry dialog are used to load the geometry.
If you have previously used AcuConsole, be sure that any settings that you might have altered
are manually changed to match the default values shown in the figure. With the default settings,
volumes from the CAD model are added to a default volume group. Surfaces from the CAD model

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are added to a default surface group. You will work with groups later in this tutorial to create new
groups, set flow parameters, add geometric components, and set meshing parameters.
5. Click Ok to complete the geometry import.

Figure 413:

Set Material Model Parameters

AcuConsole has three pre-defined materials, Air, Aluminum, and Water, with standard parameters defined.
In the next steps you will verify that the pre-defined material properties of air and water match the desired
properties for this problem.
1. Double-click Material Model in the Data Tree to expand it.

2. Double-click Air in the Data Tree to open the Air detail panel.
The material type for air is Fluid. Fluid is the default material type for any new material created
in AcuConsole.
3. In the Density tab, check the following:

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a) The Type is set to Constant.

3
b) The Density value is 1.225 kg/m .
-5
4. Click the Viscosity tab. The viscosity of air is 1.781 x 10 kg/m – sec.
5. Double-click Water in the Data Tree to open the detail panel.
The Material type for water is Fluid.
6. In the Density tab, check the following:
a) The Type is set to Constant.
3
b) The Density value is 1000 kg/m .
7. Click the Viscosity tab. The viscosity of water is 0.001 kg/m – sec.

The remaining thermal and other material properties are not critical to this simulation. However, you
may browse through the tabs to check the complete material specification
8. Save the database to create a backup of your settings. This can be achieved with any of the following
methods.
• Click the File menu, then click Save.
• Click on the toolbar.
• Click Ctrl+S.

Note: Changes made in AcuConsole are saved into the database file (.acs) as they
are made. A save operation copies the database to a backup file, which can be used
to reload the database from that saved state in the event that you do not want to
commit future changes.

Set the Multifield Parameters

When Multifield is activated in the Problem Description, by selecting a Multifield equation, AcuConsole
automatically generates the necessary set of parameters required to complete the multifield model
definition. These include defining the fields in the model, and also specifying the interaction models
between the fields.

In this section you will go through and observe the multifield parameters for the simulation as generated
by AcuConsole.

1. Define the fields:

a) Click on ALL in the Data Tree Manager to display all available simulation settings.
b) Expand the Multifield Parameters Data Tree item.
c) Under Field, double-click Air. Check that the Material model is set to Air.
d) Double-click Water. Check that the Material model is set to Water.

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2. Define the Field Interaction Model:

a) Under Multifield Parameters, expand the Field Interaction Model item.
b) Double-click Air-Water to open the detail panel.
c) Click Open Refs next to Fields 1.
d) Check that the entry in the Reference Editor is Air.
e) Click Open Refs next to Fields 2.
f) Check that the entry in the Reference Editor is Water.
g) Set the Surface tension model to None.
h) Set the Interface thickness option to Auto.
3. Define the Multi Field Model:
a) Under Multifield Parameters, expand the Multi Field Model item.
b) Double-click Air-Water to open the detail panel.
c) Click Open Refs next to Field interaction models.
d) Check that the entry in the Reference Editor is Air-Water.

Set the Body Force

The body force commands add volumetric source terms to the governing conservation equations. In this
tutorial, gravitational body force will be applied to the fluid fields. Gravity will be defined as equal to
standard gravity (g = 9.81 m/s2) along the negative Y-axis, which is the downward direction in the model.

1. Double-click Body Force in the Data Tree to expand it.

Figure 414:

2. Double-click on Gravity to open the Gravity detail panel.

The medium for gravity is Fluid. This means that the gravity defined here is applicable only on
material models whose material type is fluid.

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3. Click Open Array.

4. In the Array Editor dialog, enter:
• X-component: 0.0
2
• Y-component: -9.81 m/s
• Z-component: 0.0
5. Click OK to complete the definition of gravity.

Note: The definition of gravity here will have no effect on the simulation unless it is
assigned to some volume set in the model.

Define Nodal Outputs

The nodal output command specifies the nodal output parameters, for example, output frequency and
number of saved states.

1. Expand the Output tree, then double-click Nodal Output to open the Nodal Output detail panel.
2. Set Time step frequency to 1.
This will save the nodal outputs at every time step.
3. Set Output initial condition to On.
This will instruct the solver to write the initial state of the problem as the first output file.
4. Make sure that the Number of saved states is set to 0.
Setting this option to zero will instruct the solver to save all of the solution state files.

Figure 415:

Set the Initial Conditions

1. Double-click on Nodal Initial Condition in the Data Tree to open the detail panel.
2. Set the Pressure initial condition type to Script.
3. Click Open text next to Pressure script to open the text editor.

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4. Enter the following script in the text editor:

value = 0.0
if (x<0.05715 and y<0.05715): value=9.81*1000.0*(0.05715-y)

This script will set the pressure initial condition in the domain. The region where x < 0.05715 and y
< 0.05715 represents the region where the water column is initially held, bound by the dam walls.
Within this region, the pressure is defined by the hydrostatic pressure level within the water column.
For all other nodes in the domain, the pressure is set to zero. At these nodes, the pressure value
represents the atmospheric pressure.
5. Click Ok to close the text editor.
6. In the Select fluid field, select Water.
7. Set Water initial condition type to Script.
8. Click Open Text next to Water volume fraction script to open the text editor.
9. Enter the following script in the text editor:

value = 0.0
if (x<0.05715 and y<0.05715): value=1.0

This script will set the initial volume fraction of the field water in the domain. For the nodes where x
< 0.05715 and y < 0.05715 (the region occupied by the water column), the volume fraction of water
will be set to 1. For all other nodes, the volume fraction of water will be set to zero. At these nodes,
the volume fraction of air will be 1, as the sum of volume fractions of the field should always be unity.
10. Click Ok to close the text editor.

Apply Volume Parameters

Volume groups are containers used for storing information about a volume region. This information
includes solution and meshing parameters applied to the volume and the geometric regions that these
settings are applied to.

When the geometry was imported into AcuConsole, all volumes were placed into the "default" volume
container.

Since the model for this tutorial has only a single volume, it will be the only volume in the default volume
group when the geometry is imported. Even when there is a single volume in the model, it is advisable
to rename the volume for ease of identification in future. In the next steps you will rename the default
volume group container, and set the material and other properties for it.

1. Expand the Model Data Tree item.

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2. Right-click on Surfaces and click Display off to turn off the display of surfaces.
3. Expand Volumes. Toggle the display of the default volume container by clicking and next
to the volume name.

Note: You may not see any change when toggling the display if Surfaces are being
displayed, as surfaces and volumes may overlap.

4. Rename the default volume group.

a) Right-click on default.
b) Click Rename.
c) Enter Fluid as the new name and click Enter.

Note: When an item in the Data Tree is renamed, the change is not saved until
you press Enter on your keyboard. If you move the input focus away from the
item without entering it, your changes will be lost.

5. Set up the Fluid volume element set.

a) Expand Fluid in the Data Tree.
b) Double-click Element Set under Fluid to open it in the detail panel.
c) For Medium, select Multi Field.
d) For Multi field model, select Air-Water.
e) For Body force, select Gravity.

Figure 416:

Create Surface Groups and Apply Surface Attributes

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Surface groups are containers used for storing information about a surface, including solution and meshing
parameters, and the corresponding surface in the geometry that the parameters will apply to.

In the next steps you will define surface groups, assign the appropriate settings for the different
characteristics of the problem, and add surfaces to the group containers.

In the process of setting up a simulation, you need to move into different panels for setting up the boundary
conditions, mesh parameters, etc. which can sometimes be cumbersome (especially for models with too
many surfaces). To make it easier, less error prone, and for saving time two new dialogs are provided in
AcuConsole which you can use to verify and provide the information for all surface or volume entities at
once. They are the Volume Manager and Surface Manager. In this section some features of the Surface
Manager are exploited.

1. In the Data Tree, right-click on Volumes and select Display off to turn off the display of volumes.
2. Right-click on Surfaces and select Surface Manager.
3. In the Surface Manager dialog, click New 2 times to create 2 new surface groups.

Note: If you cannot see the Simple BC Active and Simple BC Type columns, click
Columns, select these two columns from the list, and click Ok.

4. Turn the display off for all surfaces except for default surface.
5. Rename Surface Names (column 1) for Surface 1 to Surface 2, and set the Simple BC Active and
Simple BC Type columns as per the table shown below.

Figure 417:

6. Assign the surfaces to the z_pos and z_neg surface groups.

a) In the z-pos row, click Add to.

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b) Select the planar surface with the maximum z-coordinate as shown in figure below and click
Done.
c) Similarly assign the surface with the minimum z-coordinate to the z_neg surface group.

Figure 418:

When the geometry was loaded into AcuConsole, all geometry surfaces were placed in the
default surface group container. This default surface group was renamed to sides. In the
previous steps, you assigned some surfaces to various other surface groups that you created.
At this point, all that is left in the sides surface group are the surfaces which make up the
sides of the reservoir.
7. Close the Surface Manager dialog.

Assign the Surface Parameters

1. Set up the z_pos and z_neg surface parameters:

a) In the Data Tree, under Surfaces, expand the z_pos surface group.
b) Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the detail panel.
c) Ensure the Type is set to Symmetry.
d) Similarly, check that the Simple Boundary Condition type for z_neg is also set to Symmetry.
2. Set up the sides surface parameters:
a) In the Data Tree, under Surfaces, expand the sides surface group.
b) Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the detail panel.
c) Ensure the Type is set to Wall.

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Set Global Meshing Attributes

Now that the flow characteristics have been set for the whole problem, a sufficiently refined mesh has
to be generated.

Global mesh attributes are the meshing parameters applied to the model as a whole without reference
to a specific geometric volume, surface, edge, or point. Local mesh attributes are used to create mesh
generation controls for specific geometry components of the model.

In the next steps you will set the global mesh attributes.

1. Click MSH in the Data Tree Manager to filter the settings in the Data Tree to show only the controls
related to meshing.
2. Double-click the Global Data Tree item to expand it.
3. Double-click Global Mesh Attributes to open the Global Mesh Attributes detail panel.
4. Change the Mesh size type to Absolute.
a) Click the drop-down control next to Mesh size type.
b) Click Absolute.
5. Set Absolute mesh size to 0.002748 m.

Figure 419:

Set Surface Mesh Parameters

Surface mesh parameters are applied to a specific surface in the model. It is a type of local meshing
parameter, used to create targeted mesh controls for one or more specific surfaces.

Local mesh parameters such as surface mesh parameters are not mandatory to be set. When a local mesh
parameter is not found for a component, the global parameters will be used as the mesh generation control
for that component. If a local mesh parameter is present, it will take precedence over the global setting.

In the current model, any local mesh parameters specific to a surface entity are not required.

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Define Mesh Extrusion

The present simulation is equivalent to a representation of a 2D cross section of the model. In AcuSolve
2D models are simulated by having just one element across the faces of the cross section. Thus when
these faces are set up with a similar boundary condition, it coerces the corresponding nodes across the
faces to have same results. In this problem, these faces are the negative and positive z-surfaces. This
kind of mesh is achieved in AcuSolve with mesh extrusion process. In the following steps you will define
the process of extrusion of the mesh between these surfaces.

1. Right-click Mesh Extrusions and select New.

2. Right-click Mesh Extrusion 1, select Rename and enter Z extrusion.
3. Double-click Z extrusion to open the settings dialog.
4. Verify that Geometry type is set to surface.
5. For Side 1, from the drop down, select z_neg.
6. For Side 2, from the drop down, select z_pos.
7. Check that the Extrusion type is set to Number of layers.
8. Set Number of layers to 1.
9. Under Extrusion options, select All tets.
10. Click OK to accept these settings.

Figure 420:

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Generate the Mesh

In the next steps you will generate the mesh that will be used when computing a solution for the problem.

1. Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuMeshSim dialog.

2. Leave the default settings and select OK.
During meshing an AcuTail dialog will open. Meshing progress is reported in this window. A summary
of the meshing process indicates that the mesh generation has finished.

Figure 421:

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Note: The actual number of nodes and elements, and memory usage may vary slightly
from machine to machine.

3. Close the AcuTail dialog and save the database to create a backup of your settings.
4. You can visualize the mesh in the visualization area now. Turn on the display of surfaces, and set
the display type to solid and wire.
5. You can rotate and zoom in the model to analyse the various mesh regions.

4.3.4 Compute the Solution and Review the Results

Run AcuSolve

In the next steps, you will launch AcuSolve to compute the solution for this case.

1. Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuSolve dialog.

For this case, the default settings will be used. AcuSolve will run using four processors (if available,
higher number of processors may be specified) and AcuConsole will generate AcuSolve input files
and will launch AcuSolve. AcuSolvewill calculate the steady state solution for this problem.
2. Select Ok to start the solution process.
As the solution progresses, an AcuTail dialog will open. Solution progress is reported in this dialog. A
summary of the solution process indicates that the simulation has been completed. The information
provided in the summary is based on the number of processors used by AcuSolve.

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Figure 422:

Post-Processing with AcuFieldView

The tutorial has been written with the assumption that you have become familiar with the AcuFieldView
interface and basic operations. In general, it will be helpful to understand the following basics:
• How to find the data readers in the File menu and open up the desired reader panel for data input.
• How to find the visualization panels either from the Side toolbar or the Visualization panel menu to
create and modify surfaces in AcuFieldView
• How to move the data around the graphics window using mouse actions to translate, rotate and
zoom in to the data.

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This tutorial shows you how to work with steady state analysis data.

1. Click on the AcuConsole toolbar to open the Launch AcuFieldView dialog.

2. Click OK to start AcuConsole.
You will see that the pressure contours have already been displayed on all the boundary surfaces
with mesh.

Figure 423:

Set Up AcuFieldView

1. Close the Boundary Surface dialog.

2. Click Viewer Options.

3. In the Viewer Options dialog:

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a) Deselect Perspective to turn off the perspective view.

b) Click Axis Markers to disable the axis markers.
c) Click Close.
4.
On the toolbar, click the Colormap icon .
5. In the Scalar Colormap Specification dialog, click Background and select White.
6. Close the Scalar Colormap Specification dialog.
7.
Click the Toggle Outline icon on the toolbar to turn off the outline display.
Your display should look similar to figure 1.

Figure 424:

Coordinate the Surface Showing Water-Air Interface on the Mid Coordinate Surface

1. From the Surface tab in the Boundary Surface dialog, turn off the Visibility for the active boundary
surfaces.
2. Click Create to create a new Boundary Surface set.
3. For the new set:
a) Turn on the visibility.
b) Set the Display Type to Outlines.
c) For Boundary Types, select All.
4. Click Ok.
5.
Click the icon to open the Coordinate Surface dialog.

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6. Click Create to create a new coordinate surface.

7. Select Z as the Coordinate Plane.
This will create a coordinate surface at the mid – Z coordinate plane. The coordinate surface created
is the mid plane between the two side surfaces in the model.
8. Change the Coloring to Scalar.
9. Change the Display Type to Smooth.
10. For Scalar Function, select volume_fraction-Water.
11. In the Colormap tab, set the maximum and minimum threshold values to 0.501 and 0.499
respectively.
12. From the Defined Views list, select +Z as the viewing direction.
Your view should be similar to Figure 425.

Figure 425:

Visualize the Animation of the Water Flow

1. Close the Coordinate Surface dialog.

2. From the Tools menu, select Flipbook Build Mode.
3. In the Flipbook Size Warning window, click OK to close it.
4. Click Tools > Transient Data.
The Transient Data Controls dialog opens.

If the Sweep Control in this dialog says Sweep instead of Build, the Flipbook Build Mode is not active.
In Sweep mode, you will be able to create and visualize the animation but you will not be able to save
it. To be able to save the animation, enable the Flipbook Build Mode.
5. Drag the time step slider to its leftmost position. Alternatively, enter zero in the Time Step or Solution
Time box.
6. Click Apply.
The displayed state now corresponds to the initial state of the domain.

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Figure 426:

7. Click Build.
AcuFieldView will now build the frame-by-frame animation of the solution progressing through all
the available time steps. You will be able to see the progress in the Building Flipbook dialog.
Once the Build process is complete, a Flipbook Controls dialog will appear.
8. In the Flipbook Controls dialog, click Frame Rate.
9. For Minimum time, enter 0.1 seconds and click Close.
10.
Click Play to play the animation.
11. To save the animation, click Pause , and then click Save.
12. Provide a file name in the Flipbook File Save dialog, and click Save.

4.3.5 Summary

4.3.5
In this AcuSolve tutorial you successfully set up and solved a multiphase flow problem. The problem
simulated a dam break scenario. A column of water initially held in place by walls in one end of the
reservoir is let free to flow at the start of the simulation. You started the tutorial by creating a database
in AcuConsole, importing and meshing the geometry, and setting up the simulation parameters. Air and
water are modelled as different fields occupying a single volume. Once the case was setup, the solution was
generated with AcuSolve. Results were post-processed in AcuFieldView where you generated an animation
of the water flow as it surges once the walls restricting the water column are removed. New features that
were introduced in this tutorial include: setting up a multiphase flow simulation in AcuSolve with two fluids.

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4.6 ACU-4001: Water Filling in a Tank

4.6
This tutorial provides the instructions for setting up, solving and viewing results for a transient simulation
of a two-phase flow in a square tank using the level set model. In this simulation, AcuSolve is used to
compute the time-varying water-level interface due to presence of water through the inlet and the outlet
of the tank. This tutorial is designed to introduce you to a number of modelling concept necessary to
perform two-phase simulations.

The basic steps in any CFD simulation were shown in Flow in a Mixing Elbow. The following additional
capabilities of AcuSolve are introduced in this tutorial:
• Two-phase flow solution
• Transient simulation
• Use of a script for the water volume fraction initialization
• Post-processing with AcuFieldView

4.6 Prerequisites
You should have already run through the introductory tutorial, ACU-2000: Turbulent Flow in a Mixing
Elbow. It is assumed that you have some familiarity with AcuConsole, AcuSolve, and AcuFieldView. You
will also need access to a licensed version of AcuSolve.

Prior to running through this tutorial, copy Acu_tutorial_input.zip from <AcuSolve installation
directory>\model_files\tutorials\AcuSolve\Acu_tutorial_inputs.zip to a working directory.
Extract tank2D.x_t from Acu_tutorial_input.zip.

4.6.1 Analyze the Problem

4.6.1
An important step in any CFD simulation is to examine the engineering problem at hand and determine
the important parameters that need to be provided to AcuSolve. Parameters can be based on geometrical
elements (such as inlets, outlets, or walls) and on flow conditions (such as fluid properties, velocity).

In general, multiphase flows are mainly observed in real life environment, consisting of two or more fluids
(gas, liquid, or solid). They have possible combinations of gas-liquid (dissolved gas), liquid-liquid (oil in
water), liquid-solid (immersed particles), as well as gas-liquid-solid. The first two are examples of two-
phase immiscible flows. The two-phase immiscible flows can be solved by tracking the interface between
the two-phases. This tutorial will guide you through how to set up the two-phase flow problem using the
level set method.

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Figure 1 shows a schematic of the half-filled water tank at time t = 0. From t = 0 onwards, water is
injected through the inlet, at a velocity of 1.5 m/s. As the water fills in through the inlet, the water-air
interface can be visualized in a transient simulation.

Figure 427: Schematic of the Problem

4.6.2 Define the Simulation Parameters

Start AcuConsole

In this tutorial, you will begin by creating a database, populating the geometry-independent settings,
loading the geometry, creating volume and surface groups, setting group parameters, adding geometry
components to groups, and assigning mesh controls and boundary conditions to the groups. Next you
will generate a mesh and run AcuSolve to solve for the number of time steps specified. Finally, you will
visualize some characteristics of the results using AcuFieldView.

In the next steps you will start AcuConsole, and create the database for storage of the simulation settings.

1. Start AcuConsole from the Windows Start menu by clicking Start > All Programs > Altair
HyperWorks <version> AcuSolve > AcuConsole.
2. Click the File menu, then click New to open the New data base dialog.
3. Browse to the location that you would like to use as your working directory.
This directory is where all files related to the simulation will be stored. The AcuConsole database
file (.acs) is stored in this directory. Once the mesh and solution are created, additional files and
directories will be created within this directory.
4. Create a new directory in this location. Name it Tank_Filling and open it.
5. Enter tankFilling_2D as the file name for the database.

Note: In order for other applications to be able to read the files written by AcuConsole,
the database path and name should not include spaces.

6. Click Save to create the database.

Set General Simulation Parameters

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In next steps you will set parameters that apply globally to the simulation. To make this simple, the basic
settings applicable for any simulation can be filtered using the BAS filter in the Data Tree Manager. This
filter enables display of only a small subset of the available items in the Data Tree and makes navigation
of the entries easier.

1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.

Figure 428:

2. Double-click Global in the Data Tree to expand it.

Tip: You can also expand a tree item by clicking next to the item name.

Figure 429:

3. Double-click Problem Description to open the Problem Description detail panel.

Tip: You can also open a panel by right-clicking a tree item and clicking Open on
the context menu.

4. Enter AcuSolve Multiphase Tutorial as the Title.

5. Enter Tank Filling 2D as the Sub title.

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6. Change the Analysis type to Transient.

7. Toggle on Show beta features to access multiphase equation.

Note: Once this option is toggled on, the "Level Set" in the Multiphase equation
pull down list is displayed. The additional multiphase model, VOF (Volume of Fluids)
approach, will be introduced in a later release.

8. Ensure Multiphase equation is set to Level Set.

Figure 430:

Set Solution Strategy Parameters

1. Double-click Auto Solution Strategy to open the Auto Solution Strategy detail panel.
2. Check that the Analysis type is set to Transient.
3. Set the Max time steps to 0.
4. Set the Final time to 3.0 secs.
5. Set the Initial time increment to 0.01 secs.
When setting up a transient analysis, if the Max time steps option is set to zero, this option is
ignored. In such a case, the Final time must be specified. AcuSolve will then run until this final time
is reached, incrementing with the specified initial time increment at each time step.
6. Check that the Convergence tolerance is set to 0.001.

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7. Set the Max stagger iterations to 4.

8. Set the Relaxation factor to 0.
When solving transient solutions, the relaxation factor should be set to zero. A non-zero relaxation
factor causes incremental updates of the solution, which will impact the time accuracy of the solution
for transient cases.
9. Check that Flow and Multifluid flags are turned On.
10. Change Fluid 1 to Water.
11. Change Fluid 2 to Air.

Figure 431:

4.6.3 Import Geometry and Define the Model

Import the Geometry

You will import the geometry in the next part of this tutorial. You will need to know the location of
tank2D.x_t in order to complete these steps. This file contains information about the geometry in Parasolid
ASCII format.

1. Click File > Import.

2. Browse to the directory containing tank2D.x_t.
3. Change the File name filter to Parasolid File (*.x_t *.xmt *X_T …
4. Click tank2D.x_t and Open to open the Import Geometry dialog.

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Figure 432:

For this tutorial, the default values for the Import Geometry dialog are used to load the geometry.
If you have previously used AcuConsole, be sure that any settings that you might have altered
are manually changed to match the default values shown in the figure. With the default settings,
volumes from the CAD model are added to a default volume group. Surfaces from the CAD model
are added to a default surface group. You will work with groups later in this tutorial to create new
groups, set flow parameters, add geometric components, and set meshing parameters.
5. Click Ok to complete the geometry import.

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Figure 433:

Set Material Model Parameters

AcuConsole has three pre-defined materials, Air, Aluminum, and Water, with standard parameters defined.
In the next steps you will verify that the pre-defined material properties of air and water match the desired
properties for this problem.
1. Double-click Material Model in the Data Tree to expand it.

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2. Double-click Air in the Data Tree to open the Air detail panel.
The material type for air is Fluid. Fluid is the default material type for any new material created
in AcuConsole.
3. In the Density tab, check the following:
a) The Type is set to Constant.
3
b) The Density value is 1.225 kg/m .
-5
4. Click the Viscosity tab. The viscosity of air is 1.781 x 10 kg/m – sec.
5. Double-click Water in the Data Tree to open the detail panel.
The Material type for water is Fluid.
6. In the Density tab, check the following:
a) The Type is set to Constant.
3
b) The Density value is 1000 kg/m .
7. Click the Viscosity tab. The viscosity of water is 0.001 kg/m – sec.

The remaining thermal and other material properties are not critical to this simulation. However, you
may browse through the tabs to check the complete material specification
8. Save the database to create a backup of your settings. This can be achieved with any of the following
methods.
• Click the File menu, then click Save.
• Click on the toolbar.
• Click Ctrl+S.

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Note: Changes made in AcuConsole are saved into the database file (.acs) as they
are made. A save operation copies the database to a backup file, which can be used
to reload the database from that saved state in the event that you do not want to
commit future changes.

Set the Multifield Parameters

In this section you will define the multifield parameters for the simulation. These include defining the fields
in the model, and also specifying the interaction models between the fields.

1. Define the fields:

a) Click on ALL in the Data Tree Manager to display all available simulation settings.
b) Expand the Multifield Parameters Data Tree item.
c) Under Field, double-click Air. Check that the Material model is set to Air.
d) Double-click Water. Check that the Material model is set to Water.
2. Define the Field Interaction Model:
a) Under Multifield Parameters, expand the Field Interaction Model item.
b) Right-click on Air-Water and click Delete.
c) Double-click Water-Air to open the detail panel.
d) Click Open Refs next to Fields 1.
e) Check that the entry in the Reference Editor is Water.
f) Click Open Refs next to Fields 2.
g) Check that the entry in the Reference Editor is Air.
h) Set the Surface tension model to None.
i) Set the Thickness type to Auto.
3. Define the Multi Field Model:
a) Under Multifield Parameters, expand the Multi Field Model item.
b) Right-click on Air-Water and select Delete.
c) Double-click Water-Air to open the detail panel.
d) Click Open Refs next to Field interaction models.
e) Check that the entry in the Reference Editor is Water-Air.

Set the Body Force

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The body force commands add volumetric source terms to the governing conservation equations. In this
tutorial, gravitational body force will be applied to the fluid fields. Gravity will be defined as equal to
standard gravity (g = 9.81 m/s2) along the negative Y-axis, which is the downward direction in the model.

1. Double-click Body Force in the Data Tree to expand it.

Figure 434:

2. Double-click on Gravity to open the Gravity detail panel.

The medium for gravity is Fluid. This means that the gravity defined here is applicable only on
material models whose material type is fluid.
3. Click Open Array.
4. In the Array Editor dialog, enter:
• X-component: 0.0
2
• Y-component: -9.81 m/s
• Z-component: 0.0
5. Click OK to complete the definition of gravity.

Note: The definition of gravity here will have no effect on the simulation unless it is
assigned to some volume set in the model.

Define Nodal Outputs

The nodal output command specifies the nodal output parameters, for example, output frequency and
number of saved states.

1. Expand the Output tree, then double-click Nodal Output to open the Nodal Output detail panel.

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2. Set Time step frequency to 1.

This will save the nodal outputs at every time step.
3. Set Output initial condition to On.
This will instruct the solver to write the initial state of the problem as the first output file.
4. Make sure that the Number of saved states is set to 0.
Setting this option to zero will instruct the solver to save all of the solution state files.

Figure 435:

Set the Initial Conditions

1. Double-click on Nodal Initial Condition in the Data Tree to open the detail panel.
2. In the Select Fluid field, select Water from the drop-down selector menu.
3. Set the Water initial condition type to Script.
4. Click Open text next to Water volume fraction script to open the text editor.
5. Enter the following script in the text editor:

value = 0.0
if y <= 0.0 : value = 1.0

The script above will set the initial volume fraction of the field water in the domain. For the nodes
where y <= 0.0 (bottom half of the domain), the volume fraction of water will be set to 1. For all
other nodes (top half of the domain), the volume fraction of water will be set to zero. At these nodes,
the volume fraction of air will be 1, as the sum of volume fractions of the field should always be unity.
6. Click Ok to close the text editor.

Apply Volume Parameters

Volume groups are containers used for storing information about a volume region. This information
includes solution and meshing parameters applied to the volume and the geometric regions that these
settings are applied to.

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When the geometry was imported into AcuConsole, all volumes were placed into the "default" volume
container.

Since the model for this tutorial has only a single volume, it will be the only volume in the default volume
group when the geometry is imported. Even when there is a single volume in the model, it is advisable
to rename the volume for ease of identification in future. In the next steps you will rename the default
volume group container, and set the material and other properties for it.

1. Expand the Model Data Tree item.

2. Right-click on Surfaces and click Display off to turn off the display of surfaces.
3. Expand Volumes. Toggle the display of the default volume container by clicking and next
to the volume name.

Note: You may not see any change when toggling the display if Surfaces are being
displayed, as surfaces and volumes may overlap.

4. Rename the default volume group.

a) Right-click on default.
b) Click Rename.
c) Enter Fluid as the new name and click Enter

Note: When an item in the Data Tree is renamed, the change is not saved until
you press Enter on your keyboard. If you move the input focus away from the
item without entering it, your changes will be lost.

5. Set up the Fluid volume element set.

a) Expand Fluid in the Data Tree.
b) Double-click Element Set under Fluid to open it in the detail panel.
c) For Medium, select Multi Field.
d) For Multi field model, select Water-Air.
e) For Body force, select Gravity.

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Figure 436:

4.6.4 Assign Surface Parameters

Create Surface Groups and Apply Surface Attributes

Surface groups are containers used for storing information about a surface, including solution and meshing
parameters, and the corresponding surface in the geometry that the parameters will apply to.

In the next steps you will define surface groups, assign the appropriate settings for the different
characteristics of the problem, and add surfaces to the group containers.

In the process of setting up a simulation, you need to move into different panels for setting up the boundary
conditions, mesh parameters, etc. which can sometimes be cumbersome (especially for models with too
many surfaces). To make it easier, less error prone, and for saving time two new dialogs are provided in
AcuConsole which you can use to verify and provide the information for all surface or volume entities at
once. They are the Volume Manager and Surface Manager. In this section some features of the Surface
Manager are exploited.

1. In the Data Tree, right-click on Volumes and select Display off to turn off the display of volumes.
2. Right-click on Surfaces and select Surface Manager.
3. In the Surface Manager dialog, click New four times to create four new surface groups.

Note: If you cannot see the Simple BC Active and Simple BC Type columns, click
Columns, select these two columns from the list, and click Ok.

4. Turn the display off for all surfaces except for default surface.

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5. Rename Surface Names (column 1) for Surface 1 to Surface 5, and set the Simple BC Active and
Simple BC Type columns as per the table shown below.

Figure 437:

6. Assign the surfaces to the z_pos and z_neg surface groups.

a) In the z-pos row, click Add to.
b) Select the planar surface with the maximum z-coordinate as shown in figure below and click
Done.
c) Similarly assign the surface with the minimum z-coordinate to the z_neg surface group.

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Figure 438:

7. Assign the surface with the maximum x-coordinate to inlet surface group.
8. Assign the surface with the minimum x-coordinate to outlet surface group.
Use the following figure as the reference for selecting the required surfaces.

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Figure 439:

When the geometry was loaded into AcuConsole, all geometry surfaces were placed in the default
surface group container. This default surface group was renamed to sides. In the previous steps,
you assigned some surfaces to various other surface groups that you created. At this point, all that
is left in the sides surface group are the surfaces which make up the sides of the reservoir.
9. Close the Surface Manager dialog.

Inlet

As mentioned earlier, the inlet in this problem is a water inlet with inlet velocity set as 1.5 m/s.

1. In the Data Tree, under Surfaces, expand the inlet surface.

2. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the detail panel.
3. Check that the Type is set to Inflow.
4. Check that the Inflow Type is set to Velocity.
5. Set the Inflow velocity type to Normal from the drop down selector menu.
6. Set the Normal velocity to 1.5 m/s.
7. Set the Incoming fluid field to Water from the drop down selector menu.

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Figure 440:

Outlet

1. In the Data Tree, under Surfaces, expand the outlet surface.

2. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the detail panel.
3. Check that the Type is set to Outflow.
4. Switch the Hydrostatic pressure flag to On.
5. Click Open Array next to Hydrostatic pressure origin to check that the origin location is at (0, 0, 0)

Figure 441:

Wall

1. In the Data Tree, under Surfaces, expand the wall surface.

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2. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the detail panel.

3. Check that the Type is set to Wall.

Figure 442:

z_pos and z_neg

1. In the Data Tree, under Surfaces, expand the z_pos surface.

2. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the detail panel.
3. Check that the Type is set to Slip.
4. Similarly, check that the Simple Boundary Condition type for z_neg is also set to Slip.

4.6.5 Assign Mesh Controls

Set Global Meshing Attributes

Now that the flow characteristics have been set for the whole problem, a sufficiently refined mesh has
to be generated.

Global mesh attributes are the meshing parameters applied to the model as a whole without reference
to a specific geometric volume, surface, edge, or point. Local mesh attributes are used to create mesh
generation controls for specific geometry components of the model.

In the next steps you will set the global mesh attributes.

1. Click MSH in the Data Tree Manager to filter the settings in the Data Tree to show only the controls
related to meshing.
2. Double-click the Global Data Tree item to expand it.
3. Double-click Global Mesh Attributes to open the Global Mesh Attributes detail panel.
4. Change the Mesh size type to Absolute.
5. Set Absolute mesh size to 0.12.

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Figure 443:

Set Surface Mesh Parameters

Surface mesh parameters are applied to a specific surface in the model. It is a type of local meshing
parameter, used to create targeted mesh controls for one or more specific surfaces.

Local mesh parameters such as surface mesh parameters are not mandatory to be set. When a local mesh
parameter is not found for a component, the global parameters will be used as the mesh generation control
for that component. If a local mesh parameter is present, it will take precedence over the global setting.

In the next steps you will set the surface meshing attributes for the wall surface group.

1. Expand the Model Data Tree item.

2. Under Model, expand Surfaces > wall.
3. Click Surface Mesh Attributes to open the detail panel.
The detail panel becomes populated with more options.
4. Ensure that the Mesh size type is set to Absolute.
5. For Absolute mesh size, enter 0.0075 m.
6. Switch the Curvature refinement parameters flag to On.
Mesh controls related to curvature refinement will be visible now. These settings are applied to
resolve curved geometric features in the surface group.
7. Set the Curvature angle to 5.0 degrees.
This setting controls the maximum value of the included angle between the two mesh edges
protruding from the surface.
8. Set the Curvature mesh size factor to 0.2.
This setting is used to determine the minimum value of the mesh edge length used to resolve curved
features. This minimum value is computed by multiplying the Absolute or Relative mesh size with
the Curvature mesh size factor.

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Set Zone Meshing Parameters

In the last section, it was mentioned that surface mesh attributes are local mesh attributes that are applied
to a specific surface. Similarly, there is a provision for edge mesh attributes that are local to a specific
edge in the model. However, at times it is desired to specify a mesh attribute local to a region independent
of the CAD entities in the model. This can be achieved using Zone Mesh Attributes. It is possible to specify
a zone in the shape of a box, cylinder or a sphere for example, with local mesh control attributes to be
used within that zone. Wherever this zone overlaps the CAD model, the zonal mesh attributes will be used
instead of the global mesh attributes.

In the following steps, you will define a mesh refinement zone, and set up the zonal mesh attributes for
it to be used in the model. A box-shaped refinement zone will be used in the region where a water-air
interface is expected.

1. Right-click Zone Mesh Attributes under the Global branch in the Data Tree and click New.
2. Rename Zone Mesh Attributes 1 to Free surface region.
3. Double-click Free surface region to open the detail panel.
4. Change the Mesh zone type to Box.
5. Click Open Array.
6. Enter the values in the Array Editor as shown below and click OK.

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Figure 444:

7. In the detail panel, set the Box lengths as follows:

a) Box length X: 1.0 m.
b) Box length Y: 0.75 m.
c) Box length Z: 0.01 m.
8. Set the Mesh size to 0.015 m

Figure 445:

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Figure 446:

Define Mesh Extrusion

The present simulation is equivalent to a representation of a 2D cross section of the model. In AcuSolve
2D models are simulated by having just one element across the faces of the cross section. Thus when
these faces are set up with a similar boundary condition, it coerces the corresponding nodes across the
faces to have same results. In this problem, these faces are the negative and positive z-surfaces. This
kind of mesh is achieved in AcuSolve with mesh extrusion process. In the following steps you will define
the process of extrusion of the mesh between these surfaces.

1. Right-click Mesh Extrusions and select New.

2. Right-click Mesh Extrusion 1, select Rename and enter Z extrusion.
3. Double-click Z extrusion to open the settings dialog.
4. Verify that Geometry type is set to surface.
5. For Side 1, from the drop down, select z_neg.
6. For Side 2, from the drop down, select z_pos.
7. Check that the Extrusion type is set to Number of layers.
8. Set Number of layers to 1.
9. Under Extrusion options, select All tets.
10. Click OK to accept these settings.

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Figure 447:

Generate the Mesh

In the next steps you will generate the mesh that will be used when computing a solution for the problem.

1. Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuMeshSim dialog.

2. Leave the default settings and select OK.
During meshing an AcuTail dialog will open. Meshing progress is reported in this window. A summary
of the meshing process indicates that the mesh generation has finished.

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Figure 448:

Note: The actual number of nodes and elements, and memory usage may vary slightly
from machine to machine.

3. Close the AcuTail dialog and save the database to create a backup of your settings.
4. You can visualize the mesh in the visualization area now. Turn on the display of surfaces, and set
the display type to solid and wire.
5. You can rotate and zoom in the model to analyse the various mesh regions.

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4.6.6 Compute the Solution and Review the Results

Run AcuSolve

In the next steps, you will launch AcuSolve to compute the solution for this case.

1. Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuSolve dialog.

For this case, the default settings will be used. AcuSolve will run using four processors (if available,
higher number of processors may be specified) and AcuConsole will generate AcuSolve input files
and will launch AcuSolve. AcuSolvewill calculate the steady state solution for this problem.
2. Select Ok to start the solution process.
As the solution progresses, an AcuTail dialog will open. Solution progress is reported in this dialog. A
summary of the solution process indicates that the simulation has been completed. The information
provided in the summary is based on the number of processors used by AcuSolve.

Post-Processing with AcuFieldView

The tutorial has been written with the assumption that you have become familiar with the AcuFieldView
interface and basic operations. In general, it will be helpful to understand the following basics:
• How to find the data readers in the File menu and open up the desired reader panel for data input.
• How to find the visualization panels either from the Side toolbar or the Visualization panel menu to
create and modify surfaces in AcuFieldView
• How to move the data around the graphics window using mouse actions to translate, rotate and
zoom in to the data.

This tutorial shows you how to work with transient analysis data.

1. Click on the AcuConsole toolbar to open the Launch AcuFieldView dialog.

You will see that the pressure contours have already been displayed on all the boundary surfaces
with mesh.
2. Click OK to start AcuConsole.
You will see that the pressure contours have already been displayed on all the boundary surfaces
with mesh.

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Figure 449:

Set Up AcuFieldView

1. Close the Boundary Surface dialog.

2. Click Viewer Options.

3. In the Viewer Options dialog:

a) Deselect Perspective to turn off the perspective view.
b) Click Axis Markers to disable the axis markers.
c) Click Close.

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4.
On the toolbar, click the Colormap icon .
5. In the Scalar Colormap Specification dialog, click Background and select White.
6. Close the Scalar Colormap Specification dialog.
7.
Click the Toggle Outline icon on the toolbar to turn off the outline display.
Your display should look similar to figure 1.

Figure 450:

Coordinate the Surface Showing Water-Air Interface on the Mid Coordinate Surface

1. From the Surface tab in the Boundary Surface dialog, turn off the Visibility for the active boundary
surfaces.
2. Click Create to create a new Boundary Surface set.
3. For the new set:
a) Turn on the visibility.
b) Set the Display Type to Outlines.
c) For Boundary Types, select All.
4. Click Ok.
5.
Click the icon to open the Coordinate Surface dialog.
6. Click Create to create a new coordinate surface.

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7. Select Z as the Coordinate Plane.

This will create a coordinate surface at the mid – Z coordinate plane. The coordinate surface created
is the mid plane between the two side surfaces in the model.
8. Change the Coloring to Scalar.
9. Change the Display Type to Smooth.
10. For Scalar Function, select volume_fraction-Water.
11. In the Colormap tab, set the maximum and minimum threshold values to 0.501 and 0.499
respectively.
12. From the Defined Views list, select +Z as the viewing direction.
Your view should be similar to Figure 451.

Figure 451:

Visualize the Animation of the Water Flow

1. Close the Coordinate Surface dialog.

2. From the Tools menu, select Flipbook Build Mode.
3. In the Flipbook Size Warning window, click OK to close it.
4. Click Tools > Transient Data.
The Transient Data Controls dialog opens.

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If the Sweep Control in this dialog says Sweep instead of Build, the Flipbook Build Mode is not active.
In Sweep mode, you will be able to create and visualize the animation but you will not be able to save
it. To be able to save the animation, enable the Flipbook Build Mode.
5. Drag the time step slider to its leftmost position. Alternatively, enter zero in the Time Step or Solution
Time box.
6. Click Apply.
The displayed state now corresponds to the initial state of the domain.

Figure 452:

7. Click Build.
AcuFieldView will now build the frame-by-frame animation of the solution progressing through all
the available time steps. You will be able to see the progress in the Building Flipbook dialog.
Once the Build process is complete, a Flipbook Controls dialog will appear.
8. In the Flipbook Controls dialog, click Frame Rate.
9. For Minimum time, enter 0.1 seconds and click Close.
10.
Click Play to play the animation.
11. To save the animation, click Pause , and then click Save.
12. Provide a file name in the Flipbook File Save dialog, and click Save.

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4.6.7 Summary

4.6.7
In this AcuSolve tutorial you successfully set up and solved a multiphase flow problem. The problem
simulated a square shaped water tank in which water is being injected through an inlet. The tank also has
an open outlet. As the water fills in through the inlet, the air-water interface in the tank can be visualized.
You started the tutorial by creating a database in AcuConsole, importing and meshing the geometry, and
setting up the simulation parameters. Air and water are modelled as different fields occupying a single
volume. Once the case was setup, the solution was generated with AcuSolve. Results were post-processed
in AcuFieldView where you generated an animation of the water flow. New features that were introduced
in this tutorial include: setting up a multiphase flow simulation in AcuSolve with two fluids.

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Moving Body 5
Moving Body

This chapter covers the following:

• 5.3 ACU-5000: Blower - Steady (Rotating Frame) (p. 483)

• 5.4 Products (p. 517)
• 5.5 Terms (p. 518)
• 5.6 ACU-5001: Blower - Transient (Sliding Mesh) (p. 519)
• 5.7 Products (p. 559)
• 5.8 Terms (p. 560)
• 5.9 ACU-5100: Modeling of Fan_Component: Axial Fan (p. 561)
• 5.10 Products (p. 595)
• 5.11 Terms (p. 596)
• 5.12 ACU-5200: Rigid-Body Dynamics of a Check Valve (p. 597)
• 5.13 Products (p. 647)
• 5.14 Terms (p. 648)
• 5.15 ACU-5201: Coupled Simulation of a Check Valve using AcuSolve and MotionSolve (p. 649)
• 5.16 Products (p. 700)
• 5.17 Terms (p. 701)
• 5.18 ACU-5300: Ship Hull Static (p. 702)
• 5.19 Products (p. 739)
• 5.20 Terms (p. 740)
• 5.21 ACU-5301: Ship Hull Dynamics (p. 741)
• 5.22 Products (p. 761)
• 5.23 Terms (p. 762)
• 5.24 ACU-5400: Piezoelectric Flow Energy Harvester: A Fluid-Structure Interaction (P-FSI) (p. 763)
• 5.25 Products (p. 811)
• 5.26 Terms (p. 812)
• 5.27 ACU-5401: Piezoelectric Flow Energy Harvester - PFSI & IMM (p. 813)
• 5.28 Products (p. 862)
• 5.29 Terms (p. 863)
• 5.30 ACU-5402: Piezoelectric Flow Energy Harvester with Rigid Body Rotation (p. 864)
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5.3 ACU-5000: Blower - Steady (Rotating Frame)

This tutorial provides the instructions for setting up, solving and viewing results for a steady simulation
of a centrifugal air blower utilizing reference frames. In this simulation, AcuSolve is used to compute the
motion of fluid due to the rotation of the impeller blades as well as the resulting pressure drop created
between the inlet and outlet after the blades have been rotating for a long time. This tutorial is designed
to introduce you to a number of modelling concepts necessary to perform simulations that use multiple
reference frames.

The basic steps in any CFD simulation were shown in Flow in a Mixing Elbow. The following additional
capabilities of AcuSolve are introduced in this tutorial:
• Rotating reference frame
• Assigning of reference frame to volume and surface sets
• Post-processing using user function with AcuProbe
• Post-processing the nodal output with AcuFieldView to get pressure and velocity fields.

5.3 Prerequisites
You should have already run through the introductory tutorial, ACU-2000: Turbulent Flow in a Mixing
Elbow. It is assumed that you have some familiarity with AcuConsole, AcuSolve, and AcuFieldView. You
will also need access to a licensed version of AcuSolve.

Prior to running through this tutorial, copy Acu_tutorial_input.zip from <AcuSolve installation
directory>\model_files\tutorials\AcuSolve\Acu_tutorial_inputs.zip to a working directory.
Extract Centrifugal_Blower.x_t from Acu_tutorial_input.zip.

5.3.1 Analyze the Problem

The problem to be addressed in this tutorial is shown schematically in Figure 453 and Figure 454. It
consists of a centrifugal blower with a wheel of backward curved blades, and a housing with inlet and
outlet ducts. The fluid through the inlet plane enters the hub of the blade wheel, radially accelerates due
to centrifugal force as it flows over the blades, and then exits the blower housing through the outlet plane.
Because of relatively cheaper and simpler than axial fans, centrifugal blowers have been widely used in
HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air conditioning) systems of buildings.

The diameter of the inlet plane is 0.1 m and the length of the inlet duct is 0.15 m. The housing width is
0.1 m and the radius of the housing from the blade wheel hub varies from 0.113 to 0.18 m.

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Figure 453: Schematic of Centrifugal Blower

The fan blades have a mean chord length and width of 0.05 m. The maximum thickness of the blades is
0.003 m. The fan blades have an angular velocity of -1500 RPM. The negative sign describes the direction
of the angular velocity vector which in this case is in the –Z direction (anticlockwise rotation).

Figure 454: Schematic of Fan Blades

The boundary condition at the inlet is taken as stagnation pressure rather than mass flow rate so that
AcuSolve calculates mass flow rates and pressure rise based on impeller rotation.

The fluid in this problem is air, which has a density (ρ) of 1.225 kg/m3 and a viscosity (μ) of 1.781 X
10-5 kg/m-sec.

In addition to setting appropriate conditions for the simulation, it is important to generate a mesh that
will be sufficiently refined to provide good results. For this problem the global mesh size is set to provide
approximately 16 elements around the circumference of the inlet which results in a mesh size of 0.02
m. Note that higher mesh densities are required where velocity, pressure and eddy viscosity gradients
are larger. In this application, the flow will accelerate as it passes through radial flow paths between the
fan blades. This leads to the higher gradients that need finer mesh resolution. Proper boundary layer
parameters need to be set to keep the y+ near the wall surface to a reasonable level. The mesh density
used in this tutorial is coarse and is intended to illustrate the process of setting up the model and to retain
a reasonable run time. A significantly higher mesh density is needed to achieve a grid converged solution.

Once a solution is calculated, the flow properties of interest are the mass flow rate at the outlet and the
pressure drop across the inlet and outlet. These parameters define the performance characteristics.

5.3.2 Define the Simulation Parameters

Start AcuConsole

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In this tutorial, you will begin by creating a database, populating the geometry-independent settings,
loading the geometry, creating groups, setting group parameters, adding geometry components to groups,
and assigning mesh controls and boundary conditions to the groups. Next you will generate a mesh and run
AcuSolve to compute the steady state solution. Finally, you will visualize the results using AcuFieldView.

In the next steps you will start AcuConsole, and create the database for storage of the simulation settings.

1. Start AcuConsole from the Windows Start menu by clicking Start > All Programs > Altair
HyperWorks <version> AcuSolve > AcuConsole.
2. Click the File menu, then click New to open the New data base dialog.
3. Browse to the location that you would like to use as your working directory.
This directory is where all files related to the simulation will be stored. The AcuConsole database
file (.acs) is stored in this directory. Once the mesh and solution are created, additional files and
directories will be created within this directory.
4. Create a new directory in this location. Name it Blower_MRF_Steady and open it.
5. Enter Blower_MRF_Steady as the file name for the database.

Note: In order for other applications to be able to read the files written by AcuConsole,
the database path and name should not include spaces.

6. Click Save to create the database.

Set General Simulation Parameters

In next steps you will set parameters that apply globally to the simulation. To make this simple, the basic
settings applicable for any simulation can be filtered using the BAS filter in the Data Tree Manager. This
filter enables display of only a small subset of the available items in the Data Tree and makes navigation
of the entries easier.

The physical models that you define for this tutorial correspond to steady state, turbulent flow.

1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.

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Figure 455:

2. Double-click Global in the Data Tree to expand it.

Tip: You can also expand a tree item by clicking next to the item name.

Figure 456:

3. Double-click Problem Description to open the Problem Description detail panel.

Tip: You can also open a panel by right-clicking a tree item and clicking Open on
the context menu.

4. Enter AcuSolve Tutorial as the Title.

5. Enter Centrifugal Blower - Reference Frame as the Sub title.
6. Accept the default Analysis type as Steady State.
7. Change the Turbulence equation to Spalart Allmaras.
a) Click the Turbulence equation drop-down menu.
b) Click Spalart Allmaras from the list.
8. Accept the default Mesh type of Fixed.

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Figure 457:

Set Solution Strategy Parameters

In the next steps you will set parameters that control the behavior of AcuSolve as it progresses during
the solution.

1. Double-click Auto Solution Strategy to open the Auto Solution Strategy detail panel.
2. Check that the Analysis type is set to Steady State.
3. Set the Max time steps as 100.
4. Check that the Convergence tolerance is set to 0.001.
5. Set the Relaxation factor to 0.4.
The relaxation factor is used to improve convergence of the solution. Typically, a value between 0.2
and 0.4 provides a good balance between achieving a smooth progression of the solution and the
extra compute time needed to reach convergence. Higher relaxation factors cause AcuSolve to take
more time steps to reach a steady state solution. A high relaxation factor is sometimes necessary
in order to achieve convergence for very complex applications.

Set Material Model Parameters

AcuConsole has three pre-defined materials, Air, Aluminum, and Water, with standard parameters defined.
In the next steps you will verify that the pre-defined material properties of air match the desired properties
for this problem.

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1. Double-click Material Model in the Data Tree to expand it.

2. Double-click Air in the Data Tree to open the Air detail panel.
The material type for air is Fluid. Fluid is the default material type for any new material created
in AcuConsole.
3. Click the Density tab. The density of air is 1.225 kg/m3.
-5
4. Click the Viscosity tab. The viscosity of air is 1.781 x 10 kg/m – sec.
5. Save the database to create a backup of your settings. This can be achieved with any of the following
methods.
• Click the File menu, then click Save.
• Click on the toolbar.
• Click Ctrl+S.

Note: Changes made in AcuConsole are saved into the database file (.acs) as they
are made. A save operation copies the database to a backup file, which can be used
to reload the database from that saved state in the event that you do not want to
commit future changes.

5.3.3 Import Geometry and Define the Model

Import the Geometry

You will import the geometry in the next part of this tutorial. You will need to know the location of
Centrifugal_Blower.x_t in order to complete these steps. This file contains information about the
geometry in Parasolid ASCII format.

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1. Click File > Import.

2. Browse to the directory containing Centrifugal_Blower.x_t.
3. Change the File name filter to Parasolid File (*.x_t *.xmt *X_T …
4. Click Centrifugal_Blower.x_t and Open to open the Import Geometry dialog.

Figure 458:

For this tutorial, the default values for the Import Geometry dialog are used to load the geometry.
If you have previously used AcuConsole, any changes to these settings will be preserved between
AcuConsole sessions. Make sure that any settings that you might have altered are manually changed
to match the default values shown. With the default settings, volumes from the CAD model are
added to a default volume group. Surfaces from the CAD model are added to a default surface group.
You will work with groups later in this tutorial to create new groups, set simulation attributes, add
geometric components, and set meshing attributes.
5. Click Ok to complete the geometry import.

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Figure 459:

Create a Reference Frame

A reference frame is used to specify a rotating frame of reference. When specified for a volume set in
domain, the elements in that volume set are assumed to be solved in the given rotating reference frame
and rotational body forces are added for that volume set. In this tutorial, the fluid region near the impeller
blades is assigned a rotating reference frame.

In the next steps you will create a reference frame.

1. Click PB* in the Data Tree Manager to display all the available settings related to general problem
setup in the Data Tree.
2. Expand the Global Data Tree item.
3. Right-click Reference Frame and click New to create a new reference frame.
4. Rename the new reference frame.
a) Right-click Reference Frame 1.
b) Click Rename.
c) Enter Impeller_RF.
5. Double-click Impeller_RF to open the detail panel.
6. Click the Open Array button next to Rotation center to open the Array Editor.
7. Enter 0.05 as the Z-coordinate.

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Figure 460:

8. Click OK to close the dialog.

9. In the detail panel, click the Open Array button next to Angular velocity to open the Array Editor.
10. Change the units to RPM and enter -1500 in the Z-component field.

Note: The negative sign specifies the clockwise direction of rotation. Note that the
rotation direction is determined using the “right-hand rule”.

Figure 461:

11. Click OK to close the dialog.

Apply Volume Parameters

Volume groups are containers used for storing information about a volume region. This information
includes the list of geometric volumes associated with the container, as well as attributes such as material
models and mesh size information.

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When the geometry was imported into AcuConsole, all volumes were placed into the "default" volume
container.

In the next steps you will rename the default volume group container, assign the materials for that group,
and set mesh motion for the fluid volume.

1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.
2. Expand the Model Data Tree item.
3. Expand Volumes. Toggle the display of the default volume container by clicking and next
to the volume name.

Note: You may not see any change when toggling the display if Surfaces are being
displayed, as surfaces and volumes may overlap.

4. Create a new volume group.

a) Right-click on Volumes.
b) Click New.
5. Rename the new volume group to Fluid_main.

When the geometry was loaded into AcuConsole, all geometry volumes were placed in the default volume
group container. At this point, all the volume in the default volume group is the flow region. Rather than
create a new container, add the flow volume in the geometry to it, and then delete the default volume
container, you will rename the container and modify the parameters for this group.
6. Rename the default volume group to Fluid_Impeller.
7. Check that the material model for the volumes is set as Air.
a) Double click Element Set under Fluid_Main to open it in the detail panel.
b) Ensure that the Material model is set to Air.
8. Repeat the steps for Fluid_Impeller.
9. Assign the reference frame Impeller_RF to Fluid Impeller.
a) In the detail panel, click the drop down arrow for the Reference frame field and select
Impeller_RF.

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Figure 462:

5.3.4 Create Surface Groups and Apply Surface Boundary Conditions

Surface groups are containers used for storing information about a surface or a set of surfaces. This
information includes the list of geometric surfaces associated with the container, as well as attributes such
as boundary conditions, surface outputs and mesh sizing information.

In the next steps you will define surface groups, assign the appropriate settings for the different
characteristics of the problem and add surfaces to the group containers.
• Inlet
• Outlet
• Walls
• Interface
• Fan Blades

Set Parameters for the Inlet

In the next steps you will define a surface group for the inlet, assign the appropriate settings, and add
the inlet from the geometry to the surface group.

1. Collapse Volumes in the Data Tree.

2. Create a new surface group.
3. Rename the new surface to Inlet.
4. Expand Inlet in the Data Tree.
5. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the detail panel.
6. Change the Type to Inflow.
7. Change the Inflow type to Stagnation Pressure.
8. Change the Turbulent input type to Viscosity Ratio.

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This allows you to automatically compute the eddy viscosity value based on the material model and
the ratio of the turbulent to molecular viscosity.
9. Set the Turbulence viscosity ratio to 10.

Figure 463:

10. Add geometry to the Inlet group.

a) In the tree, right-click on Inlet and select Add to.
b) Click on the inlet face on the model.
At this point, the inlet should be highlighted grey.

Figure 464:

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c) Click Done to add this geometry surface to the Inlet surface group.

Tip: You can also use the middle mouse button to complete the addition of
geometry components to a group.

Set Parameters for the Outlet

In the next steps you will define a surface group for the outlet, assign the appropriate settings, and add
the outlet from the geometry to the surface group.

1. Create a new surface group.

2. Rename the new surface to Outlet.
3. Expand Outlet in the Data Tree.
4. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the detail panel.
5. Change the Type to Outflow.

Figure 465:

6. Add geometry to the Outlet surface container.

a) In the tree, right-click on Outlet and select Add to.
b) Click on the outlet face on the model.
At this point, the outlet should be highlighted grey.

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Figure 466:

c) Click Done to add this geometry surface to the Outlet surface group.

Set Parameters for the Walls

In the next steps you will define a surface group for the walls, assign the appropriate settings, and add
the faces from the geometry to the surface group.

1. Create a new surface group.

2. Rename the new surface to Walls.
3. Expand Walls in the Data Tree.
4. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the detail panel.
5. Check that the Type is set to Wall.
6. Add geometric faces to the Wall group.
a) In the tree, right-click on Walls and select Add to.
b) Select all the wall surfaces.
At this point, the wall surfaces should be highlighted grey.

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Figure 467:

Figure 468:

c) Click Done to associate this geometry surface with the Walls surface container.

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Set Parameters for the Interface

In the next steps you will define a surface group for the Interface, assign the appropriate settings, and
add the Interface surfaces from the geometry to the surface group.

Note: Internal surfaces in AcuConsole are handled in a special manner. At import time,
AcuConsole creates two identical copies of the surface. One copy of the surface is associated
with each volume. This allows you to control meshing parameters independently on each side
of the surface. When assigning boundary conditions to internal surfaces, it is important to
remember that there are two sides of the surface that need to be dealt with. When selecting
an internal surface, the side corresponding to the outer volume is the first pick target that
is encountered when both faces are visible. The inner surface can be selected directly by
changing the display of the outer surface.

1. Turn off the display of the Inlet, Outlet, and Walls surfaces.
2. Create a new surface group.
3. Rename the new surface to Interface.
4. Expand Interface in the Data Tree.
5. Turn off the Simple Boundary Condition by unchecking the box next to it.

Figure 469:

6. Add geometry surfaces Interface group.

a) In the tree, right-click on Interface and select Add to.
b) Select all the surfaces on the interface.

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c) Click Done to associate this geometry surface with the Walls surface container.

Figure 470:

7. Turn off the display for the interface.

There are two sets of surfaces for the interface which belong to different volume sets. In this case they
can be moved into the same surface group.
8. Right-click Interface and click Add to.
9. Select the remaining interface surfaces.
10. Click Done to associate this geometry surface with the surface settings of the Interface group.

Note: Note that no boundary conditions are applied to this surface at this point. The
grouping operation was performed to identify that these surfaces are internal and that
flow will be allowed to pass through them freely. These surfaces can still be used for
output purposes, however.

Set Parameters for the Fan Blades

In the next steps you will define a surface group for the Fan_Blades, assign the appropriate settings, and
add the fan blades from the geometry to the surface group.

1. Rename the default surface to Fan_Blades.

2. Expand Fan_Blades in the Data Tree.
3. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the detail panel.

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The default Type for a default surface is Wall.

4. Set the Reference frame as Impeller_RF.

Figure 471:

5.3.5 Assign Mesh Controls

Set Global Mesh Parameters

Now that the flow characteristics have been set for the whole problem and for the individual surfaces,
attributes need to be added to make sure that a sufficiently refined mesh is generated.
• Global mesh controls apply to the whole model without being tied to any geometric component of
the model.
• Zone mesh controls apply to a defined region of the model, but are not associated with a particular
geometric component.
• Geometric mesh controls are applied to a specific geometric component. These controls can be
applied to volume groups, surface groups, or edge groups

In the next steps you will set the global mesh attributes. In subsequent steps you will set the surface
meshing attributes.

1. Click MSH in the Data Tree Manager to filter the settings in the Data Tree to show only the controls
related to meshing.
2. Double-click the Global Data Tree item to expand it.
3. Double-click Global Mesh Attributes to open the Global Mesh Attributes detail panel.
4. Change the Mesh size type to Absolute.
5. Enter 0.02 m for the Absolute mesh size.
This absolute mesh size is chosen to ensure that there are at least 50 mesh elements on the inlet.
6. Set the Maximum sweep angle as 30.0 degrees.

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This option allows you to set the maximum sweep angle for edge blend meshing on a global basis
which creates a radial array of elements around sharp edges to provide better resolution of the flow
features. The sweep angle is used to control how many degrees each radial division spans.

Figure 472:

Set Surface Mesh Parameters

In the following steps you will set the meshing attributes that will allow for localized control of the mesh
size on the surface groups that you created earlier. Specifically, you will set local meshing attributes that
control the growth of boundary layer elements normal to the surfaces of the walls and fan blades.
• Walls
• Fan Blades

Set Surface Mesh Parameters for the Walls

In the following steps you will set meshing attributes that will allow for localized control of the mesh size
near the walls. The mesh size on the wall will be inherited from the global mesh size that was defined
earlier. The settings that follow will only control the growth of the boundary layer from the walls.

1. Expand the Model Data Tree item.

2. Under the Model branch, expand Surfaces, and then expand Walls.
3. Click the checkbox next to Surface Mesh Attributes to enable the settings and open the Surface
Mesh Attributes detail panel.
4. Change the Mesh size type to None.
This option indicates that the mesher will use the global meshing attributes when creating the mesh
on the surface of the walls.
5. Switch the Boundary layer flag to On.
This option allows you to define how the meshing should be handled in the direction normal to the
walls.

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6. Set the Boundary layer type to Full Control.

Mesh elements for a boundary layer are grown in the normal direction from a surface to allow efficient
resolution of the steep gradients near no-slip walls. The layers can be specified using a number of
different options.
When Boundary layer type is set to Full Control, the First layer height, Number of layers and the
Growth rate are specified. Boundary layer elements will be grown until the mesh size of the top layer
matches the mesh size of the volume into which the boundary layer elements are grown.
7. Set the remaining settings as follows:
Option Description

First element height 0.002

Growth rate 1.3

Number of layers 3

Boundary layer bends flag On

Maximum sweep angle 15.0

Figure 473:

Set Surface Mesh Parameters for the Fan Blades

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In the following steps you will set meshing attributes that will allow for localized control of the mesh size
near the fan blades.

1. Under Fan Blades, click the checkbox next to Surface Mesh Attributes to enable the settings and
open the Surface Mesh Attributes detail panel.
2. Change the Mesh size type to Absolute.
3. Enter 0.005 m as the Absolute mesh size.
4. Switch the Boundary layer flag to On.
5. Set the Boundary layer type to Full Control.
6. Set the Resolve field to Total Layer Height.
7. Set the remaining settings as follows:
Option Description

First element height 0.001 m

Growth rate 1.3

Number of layers 3

Figure 474:

8. Save the database to create a backup of your settings.

Generate the Mesh

In the next steps you will generate the mesh that will be used when computing a solution for the problem.

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1. Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuMeshSim dialog.

For this case, the default settings will be used.

Figure 475:

2. Click Ok to begin meshing.

During meshing an AcuTail window will open. Meshing progress is reported in this window. A summary
of the meshing process indicates that the mesh generation has finished.

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Figure 476:

Note: The actual number of nodes and elements, and memory usage may vary slightly
from machine to machine.

3. Close the AcuTail window and save the database to create a backup of your settings.
4. Visualize the mesh in the graphics window. For the purposes of this tutorial, the following steps lead
to the display of inlet, outlet, walls and fan blades.
5. Right-click Volumes in the Data Tree and click Display off.
6. Right-click Surfaces in the Data Tree and click Display on.
7. Right-click Surfaces in the Data Tree, select Display type and click solid & wire.

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8. Rotate and zoom in the model to analyze the various mesh regions.
9. Right-click on the model and select cut plane visualization to view the mesh near the fan blades.

Figure 477: Mesh Details of the Geometry

Figure 478: Mesh Details Near the Fan Blades

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Save the database to create a backup of your settings.

10.

5.3.6 Compute the Solution and Review the Results

Run AcuSolve

In the next steps you will launch AcuSolve to compute the solution for this case.

1. Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuSolve dialog.

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Figure 479:

2. Enter 4 for Number of processors, if your system has 4 or more processors.

The use of multiple processors can reduce solution time.
3. Accept all other default settings.
Based on these settings, AcuConsole will generate the AcuSolve input files and then launch the solver.
4. Click Ok to start the solution process.
As the solution progresses, an AcuTail window will open. Solution progress is reported in this
window.

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Figure 480:

Monitor the Solution with AcuProbe

AcuProbe can be used to monitor various variables over solution time.

1.
Open AcuProbe by clicking the icon on the toolbar.
2. In the Data browser on the left, expand Residual Ratio. Right-click Final and select Plot All.
The residual ratio measures how well the solution matches the governing equations.

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Note: You might need to click the icon on the toolbar in order to properly display
the plot.

Figure 481:

After AcuSolve has finished running, a summary of the solution process showing the “End Time Step”
data indicates that the simulation has been completed.

Post-Processing with AcuProbe

The pressure rise between the Inlet and Outlet can be viewed using a User Function at the end of simulation
using AcuProbe.

1.
In the AcuProbe window, double click on .
2. Enter the name in the User Function window as Pres_Rise.
3. In the function window, type P_Outlet =.
4. Double-click Surface Outputs to expand the tree.
5. Double-click Outlet to expand the tree.
6. Right-click on Pressure and click Copy Name.

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7. Paste the value in the function window for Outlet pressure.

8. Repeat steps 5 - 7 for Inlet pressure.
9. Type value = P_Outlet – P_Inlet.

Figure 482:

10. Click Apply to display the plot.

Note: You might need to click the icon on the toolbar in order to properly display
the plot.

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Figure 483:

View Results with AcuFieldView

Now that a solution has been calculated, you are ready to view the flow field using AcuFieldView.
AcuFieldView is based on a third-party post-processing tool that has been tightly integrated toAcuSolve.
AcuFieldView can be started directly from AcuConsole, or it can be started from the Start menu, or from a
command line. In this tutorial you will start AcuFieldView from AcuConsole after the solution is calculated
by AcuSolve.

Start AcuFieldView

1. Click on the AcuConsole toolbar to open the Launch AcuFieldView dialog.

2. Click Ok to start AcuFieldView.
When you start AcuFieldView from AcuConsole, the results from the last time step of the solution
that were written to disk will be loaded for post-processing.

View the Boundary Surface Showing Pressure for the Outer Surfaces with Mesh

1. Click Viewer Options.

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2. Click axis markers to disable them.

3. Uncheck Perspective to disable perspective view.
4. Close the Viewer Options dialog.
5. Orient the geometry so you can see inlet, outlet and wall surfaces as shown in Figure 484.
6. In the Boundary Surfaces dialog, ensure that Pressure is selected as the Scalar function.
7. In the BOUNDARY TYPES list, select the inlet, outlet and wall surfaces from boundary types.
8. Click on the Colormap tab and check Local to display the local range of values of pressure for the
selected surfaces.
9. Add a legend to the view.
a) In the Boundary Surface dialog, click the Legend tab.
b) Enable the Show Legend option.
c) Enable the Frame option.
d) In the Color group, next to Geometric, click the white color swatch, and then select the black
color swatch to set the color for the legend values to black.
e) Click the white color swatch next to the Title field and set the color for the title to black.
f) Move the legend by Shift+left-clicking and dragging the legend to the left.

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Figure 484:

View the Boundary Surface Showing Velocity Magnitude for the Impeller Blades

1. In the Boundary surfaces dialog, click the Surface tab and set Coloring to geometric.
2. Click the color swatch, and select grey.
3. Uncheck the Show Mesh option to turn off the mesh display.
4. Set the transparency to 62.5%.
5. Click Create to create a new boundary surface.
6. From the BOUNDARY TYPES list, select fan blades and click OK.
7. For Scalar function, select velocity magnitude and click Calculate.
8. Change the Coloring to scalar.
9. Set transparency to 0.
10. On the Colormap tab, turn on local .
11. On the Legends tab, click Show Legend.
12. Orient the geometry so you can see the contour on the impeller blades properly.
13. Turn off the legend for boundary surface 2.

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Coordinate the Surface Showing Velocity Magnitude on the Mid Coordinate Surface

1.
Click the Coordinate surfaces icon to open the Coordinate Surface dialog.
2. Click Create to create a new surface.
3. Set the new surface at the mid –Z coordinate surface.
4. In the Coord Plane fields, enter 0.05 as the Current value.
This is the z coordinate for the mid plane between the blower front and back walls.
5. Change the DISPLAY TYPE to smooth.
6. Change the Coloring to scalar.
7. Select velocity magnitude as the scalar function to display.
8. Click the Colormap tab and change the coloring to local.
9. Turn on the legend to display the velocity magnitude values on the coordinate plane.
10. Orient the geometry to see the surfaces from both sides.

Figure 485:

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Figure 486:

5.3.7 Summary

In this tutorial you worked through a basic workflow to set up a steady state simulation with a rotating
reference frame in a centrifugal blower. Once the case was set up, you generated a mesh and generated
a solution using AcuSolve. AcuProbe was used to post-process the pressure rise in the blower. Results
were also post-processed in AcuFieldView to allow you to create contour views for the pressure along the
walls and velocity magnitude on the mid coordinate surface of the blower as well as the impeller blades.
New features introduced in this tutorial include creating a rotating reference frame and creating a user
function in AcuProbe.

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5.6 ACU-5001: Blower - Transient (Sliding Mesh)

This tutorial provides the instructions for setting up, solving and viewing results for a transient simulation
of a centrifugal air blower utilizing the sliding mesh approach. In this simulation, AcuSolve is used to
compute and visualize the motion of fluid in form of velocity field, streamlines and particle path animations
for three revolutions after the blower has been operating for a long time. This tutorial is designed to
introduce you to a number of modeling concepts necessary to perform simulations that use the sliding
mesh motion feature.

The basic steps in any CFD simulation were shown in Flow in a Mixing Elbow. The following additional
capabilities of AcuSolve are introduced in this tutorial:
• Mesh motion
• Use of multiplier function to scale the time step size
• Assigning and meshing interface surfaces
• Mesh refinement
• Projection of steady state solution as the initial condition
• Post-processing using AcuFieldView to get velocity fields, streamlines and streaklines animation.

5.6 Prerequisites
In order to run this tutorial, you should have already run through the Centrifugal Blower - Steady
tutorial and kept the solution in your working directory. It is assumed that you have some familiarity
with AcuConsole, AcuSolve, and AcuFieldView. You will also need access to a licensed version of
AcuSolve 2017. In case you do not have the steady state results, prior to running through this tutorial,
copy Centrifugal_Blower_MRF_Steady.acs from <AcuSolve installation directory>\model_files
\tutorials\AcuSolve\Acu_tutorial_inputs.zip to a working directory.

5.6.1 Analyze the Problem

The problem to be addressed in this tutorial is shown schematically in Figure 487 and Figure 488. It
consists of a centrifugal blower with backward curved blades.

The diameter of the inlet is 0.1 m and the length is 0.150 m. The scroll width is 0.1 m and the radius
varies from 0.113 m to 0.180 m.

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Figure 487: Schematic of Centrifugal Blower

The fan blades have a mean chord length and width of 0.05 m. The maximum thickness of the blades
is 0.003 m.

Figure 488: Schematic of Fan Blades

To capture the dynamic motion of the impeller blades, the simulation has to be run as transient. The
converged steady state solution from the steady blower simulation is projected on the mesh and used as
the initial state for the transient simulation.

The simulation will be run to model 0.12 s of the flow, which would constitute three revolutions of the fan
blades with time step sizes scaled using a multiplier function.

The multiplier function is chosen such that the impeller blades rotate at 10 degrees per time step for the
first revolution, then ramp down from 10 degrees per time step to 3 degrees per time step during the
second revolution and complete the third revolution at 3 degrees per time step.

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Figure 489:

Note: Meaningful data should be taken after 2 or 3 revolutions as the initial conditions
are flushed out of the domain. The multiplier function is selected such that the simulation
completes in sufficient time for a tutorial exercise.

The time step size for the last revolution is based on prior investigations of a similar geometry, which
indicate that this time step size is small enough to capture the transient behavior of the flow. It should be
noted, however, that a time step size sensitivity study should always be performed to establish appropriate
time step size when analyzing a new application.

The CFD analysis of this problem offers detailed information about the flow through a centrifugal blower.
To investigate this behavior, it is necessary to select an appropriate set of boundary conditions to use.
There are two different methods that are commonly used. One approach is to specify the mass flow rate
at the inlet of the blower and allow AcuSolve to compute the pressure drop, that is, flow forces simulation.
Another option is to specify the stagnation pressure at the inlet and allow AcuSolve to compute the flow
rate that results from this specified pressure change between the inlet and outlet. The boundary conditions
used in this example are the latter. That is, the inlet is taken as stagnation pressure rather than mass flow
rate so that AcuSolve calculates mass flow rates and pressure rise based on impeller rotation.
3 -5
The fluid in this problem is air, which has a density of 1.225 kg/m and a viscosity of 1.781 X 10 kg/m-s.

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In addition to setting appropriate conditions for the simulation, it is important to generate a mesh that
will be sufficiently refined to provide good results. For this problem the global mesh size is set to provide
approximately 16 elements around the circumference of the inlet which results in a mesh size of 0.02 m.

Note that higher mesh densities are required where velocity, pressure, and eddy viscosity gradients are
larger. In this application, the flow will accelerate as it passes through radial flow paths between the
fan blades. This leads to the higher gradients that need finer mesh resolution. Proper boundary layer
parameters need to be set to keep the y+ near the wall surface to a reasonable level. The mesh density
used in this tutorial is coarse and is intended to illustrate the process of setting up the model and to retain
a reasonable run time. A significantly higher mesh density is needed to achieve a grid converged solution.

Once a solution is calculated, the flow properties of interest are the velocity magnitude, stream – lines
and streak – lines animations as the blower goes through three revolutions of the impeller blades.

5.6.2 Define the Simulation Parameters

Start AcuConsole

In the next steps you will start AcuConsole, and open a database that is set up for a steady state simulation
for the centrifugal blower using a rotating reference frame. You will then run AcuSolve to calculate a steady
state solution, view the results with AcuFieldView, and save the database for the transient simulation.

1. Start AcuConsole from the Windows Start menu by clicking Start > All Programs > Altair
HyperWorks <version> AcuSolve > AcuConsole.
2. Click File > Open and open Centrifugal_Blower_Sliding_Mesh.acs.

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Figure 490:

3. Run AcuSolve to solve the steady state problem.

a) Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuSolve dialog.
Based on these settings, AcuConsole will generate the AcuSolve input files, then launch the
solver. AcuSolve will run on four processors to calculate the steady state solution for this
problem.
b) Click Ok to start the solution process.

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Figure 491:

As the solution progresses, an AcuTail dialog will open. Solution progress is reported in this
window. A summary of the solution process indicates that the simulation has been completed.
The information provided in the summary is based on the number of processors used by
AcuSolve. If you used a different number of processors than indicated in this tutorial, the
summary for your run may be slightly different than the summary shown.

Viewing Steady State Results

1. The steady state flow field was calculated as the starting point for the transient simulation of
temperature. For instructions on visualising steady state results, refer to ACU-5000: Blower - Steady
(Rotating Frame).

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Set General Simulation Parameters

In next steps you will set parameters that apply globally to the simulation. To make this simple, the basic
settings applicable for any simulation can be filtered using the BAS filter in the Data Tree Manager. This
filter enables display of only a small subset of the available items in the Data Tree and makes navigation
of the entries easier.

The general parameters that you will set for this tutorial are for turbulent flow, transient analysis, and
mesh type as fully specified, which means that the motion is fully specified at the beginning of each time
step and hence no mesh equation needs to be solved.

1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.

Figure 492:

2. Double-click Global in the Data Tree to expand it.

Tip: You can also expand a tree item by clicking next to the item name.

Figure 493:

3. Double-click Problem Description to open the Problem Description detail panel.

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Tip: You can also open a panel by right-clicking a tree item and clicking Open on
the context menu.

4. Enter AcuSolve Tutorial as the Title.

5. Enter Centrifugal Blower - Sliding Mesh as the Sub title.
6. Change the Analysis type to Transient.
7. Change the Turbulence equation to Spalart Allmaras.
8. Set the Mesh type to Fully Specified.
This option indicates that the simulation will contain a moving mesh, but the motion of the mesh
will be fully specified, that is, no differential equations will be solved to determine the deformation
of the elements. Since the mesh is undergoing a simple rotational motion, this option provides the
most efficient solution.

Figure 494:

Set Solution Strategy Parameters

In the next steps you will set attributes that control the behavior of AcuSolve as it progresses during
the solution.

1. Double-click Auto Solution Strategy to open the Auto Solution Strategy detail panel.
2. Check that the Analysis type is set to Transient.
3. Set the Max time steps as 0.

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AcuSolve will calculate the number of time steps based on the final time and the multiplier function,
which you will specify in the next section.
4. Set the Final time as 0.12.
5. Set the Initial time increment to 0.00111.
6. Check that the Convergence tolerance is set to 0.001.
Note that for a transient analysis, the convergence tolerance corresponds to the tolerance that
the equations are converged to before proceeding to the next time step. However, since we are
performing a maximum of 2 iterations per step, the solver will be limited in the number of iterations
it can perform while attempting to reach this tolerance.
7. Set the Max stagger iterations to 2.
This setting determines the maximum number of iterations that will occur at each time step.
8. Set the Relaxation factor to 0.
The relaxation factor is used to improve convergence of the solution. The relaxation factor is used to
improve convergence of the solution. Typically a value between 0.2 and 0.4 provides a good balance
between achieving a smooth progression of the solution and the extra compute time needed to
reach convergence. When solving transient solutions, the relaxation factor should be set to zero. A
non-zero relaxation factor causes incremental updates of the solution, which will impact the time
accuracy of the solution for transient cases.

Figure 495:

Create a Multiplier Function for the Time Increment

AcuSolve provides the ability to scale values as a function of time and/or time step during a simulation.
This is achieved through the use of a multiplier function. In this tutorial, the time steps sizes are scaled
against time to set up a robust solution.

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In the next steps you will create a multiplier function for the time increment. The multiplier function is
chosen such that the impeller blades rotate at 10 degrees per time step for the first revolution (0 s– 0.04
s), then ramp down from 10 degrees per time step to 3 degrees per time step during the second revolution
(0.04 s – 0.08 s) and complete the third revolution at 3 degrees per time step (0.08 s – .12 s)

To make the creation of the multiplier functions as simple as possible, you will use the PB* filter in the
Data Tree Manager.

1. Click PB* in the Data Tree Manager to display all the available settings related to general problem
setup in the Data Tree.
2. In the Data Tree, under Global, right-click Multiplier Function and click New to create a new
multiplier function.
3. Rename the multiplier function.
a) Right-click the newly created Multiplier Function 1 and click Rename.
b) Enter Time_Function.

Figure 496:

4. Double-click Time_Function to open the Time_Function detail panel.

5. Set the Type to Piecewise Linear.
This option indicates that you will enter an array of numbers that will be used by AcuSolve to
interpolate the value of the multiplier function at each time step. In this example, the curve fit is
a function of time.

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Figure 497:

6. Add the curve-fit values for the large inlet temperature profile.
a) Click Open Array to open the Array Editor dialog.
b) Enter the values shown as calculated earlier and shown in the following image.

Figure 498:

7. Click Plot to expand the Array Editor dialog to display the plot of the curve fit values.

Note: You may need to expand the dialog by dragging the right edge in order to see
the plot.

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Figure 499:

8. Close the dialog.

Modify the Advanced Solution Strategy Parameters

AcuSolve provides additional features to modify some advanced solution strategy attributes separately,
such as individual staggers (flow, mesh, turbulence, and so on), time increments, linear solver parameters
and many more. In this tutorial the time increment feature is turned on in order to scale the time step
sizes based on a multiplier function.

In the next steps you will work with the time increment feature under advanced solution strategy to assign
the multiplier function.

1. Double-click Advanced Solution Strategy to expand the tree.

2. Double-click Time Increment to display the Time Increment detail panel.
3. Turn on the Modify advanced settings option.
4. Check that the Initial time increment has been set as 0.00111.
5. In the Multiplier function drop-down menu, select Time_Function.

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Figure 500:

Create the Mesh Motion

This command is used to simplify the specification of boundary conditions on mesh displacement and it
can be used to simulate the dynamic motion of a rigid body. In this tutorial, the fluid region near the
impeller blades is assigned a rotating mesh motion. The parameters defined for this would be the angular
speed of the impeller blades and the center of rotation of the motion.

In the next steps you will create a mesh motion.

1. Click ALE in the Data Tree Manager to see all the settings related to mesh motion.
2. Double-click the Global Data Tree item to expand it.
3. Right-click Mesh Motion and click New to create a new mesh motion.
4. Rename the new mesh motion to Impeller_Motion.
5. Double-click Impeller_Motion to open the detail panel.
6. Set the Type to Rotation.

Figure 501:

7. Set the mesh motion parameters.

a) Click Open Array next to Rotation center to open the Array Editor.

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b) Enter 0.05 as the Z-coordinate.

This is the coordinate for the centre of the rotating fluid domain, that is, Fluid_Impeller.
c) Click OK to close the dialog.
d) Click Open Array next to Angular velocity to open the Array Editor.
e) Change the units to RPM and enter -1500 in the Z-component field.
The negative sign specifies the clockwise direction of rotation.

Note: The rotation direction is determined using the “right-hand rule”.

f) Click OK to close the dialog.

Set the Nodal Output Frequency

The Nodal Output Frequency determines at what frequency or time interval the solution results would be
stored to be used for post processing within AcuFieldView.

1. Click OUT in the Data Tree Manager to filter the settings in the Data Tree to show only those controls
related to outputs written to the solution files.
2. Double-click Output to expand it.
3. Double-click Nodal Output.
a) Change the time step frequency to 3.
This setting will save results every 3 steps and will allow you to create an animation of the
results once the simulation is complete.
4. Set Output Initial Condition to On.
This writes the initial condition file.

Figure 502:

Modify Volume Parameters

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Volume groups are containers used for storing information about a volume region. This information
includes solution and meshing parameters applied to the volume and the geometric regions that these
settings are applied to.

1. Click PRB from the Data Tree Manager.

2. Expand Model, and then expand Volumes.
3. Assign the mesh motion Impeller_Motion to Fluid_Impeller.
a) Expand Fluid_Impeller.
b) Under Fluid_Impeller, double-click Element Set to open the Element Set detail panel.
c) Click the drop-down control next to Mesh motion and click Impeller_Motion.
This step assigns the mesh displacement boundary conditions specified by the Impeller Motion
mesh motion on all the nodes of Fluid_Impeller Element Set. All the nodes in the Fluid_Impeller
element set would be assigned the angular velocity and center of rotation defined in the mesh
motion.
4. Set the Reference frame as None.

Figure 503:

Modify Surface Parameters

Surface groups are containers used for storing information about a surface, including solution and meshing
parameters, and the corresponding surface in the geometry that the parameters will apply to.

In the next steps you will modify the parameters for:

• Fan Blades
• Interface

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Modify Parameters for the Fan Blades

In the next steps you will specify the mesh motion associated with fan blades.

1. Click BC from the Data Tree Manager.

2. Expand Surfaces.
3. Assign the mesh motion Impeller_Motion to Fan_Blades.
a) Expand Fan_Blades.
b) Double-click Simple Boundary Condition under Fan_Blades to open the Simple Boundary
Condition detail panel.
c) Click the Mesh motion drop-down menu and select Impeller_Motion.
This step assigns the center of rotation and angular velocity assigned to Impeller_Motion mesh
motion to the fan_blades surface.
4. Set the Reference frame as None.

Figure 504:

Modify Parameters for the Interface

In the next steps you will assign Interface Surface properties to the Interface.

The Interface acts as a sliding boundary and is used to connect pairs of elements that share
(approximately) the same surface but are not conformal. An Interface Surface allows the flow to pass
from one side of the surface to the other when the nodes are not connected to each other. This step would
become clear when you split the nodes on the interface surface in the later steps.

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Note: Internal surfaces in AcuConsole are handled in a special manner. When a geometry
with internal surfaces is imported, AcuConsole creates two identical copies of the surface.
One copy of the surface is associated with each volume. This allows you to control meshing
parameters independently on each side of the surface. When assigning boundary conditions
to internal surfaces, it is important to remember that there are 2 sides of the surface that
need to be dealt with. When selecting an internal surface, the side corresponding to the
outer volume is the first pick target that is encountered when both faces are visible. The
inner surface can be selected directly by changing the display of the outer surface.

1. Click ALE in the Data Tree Manager to see all the settings related to mesh motion.
2. Expand Model, and then expand Surfaces.
3. Activate Interface Surface for Interface.
a) Double-click Interface.
b) Check Interface Surface under Interface.
c) Double-click Interface Surface.
d) Set the Gap factor to 0.
Gap factor is non-dimensional (with respect to the length of an element face) maximum gap
allowed for two element faces to be in contact.
A gap factor of 0 means the maximum gap allowed is zero.

Figure 505:

5.6.3 Assign Mesh Controls

Set Zone Meshing Attributes

In addition to setting meshing characteristics for the whole problem, you can assign meshing attributes
to a zone within the problem where you want to be able to resolve flow with a mesh that is more refined
than the global mesh. A zone mesh refinement can be created using basic shapes to control the mesh

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size within that shape. These types of mesh refinement are used when refinement is needed in an area
that does not correspond to a geometric item.

In the following steps you will add mesh refinement in the zone around the impeller blades closest to the
housing wall as shown in figure 3.

1. Click MSH in the Data Tree Manager to filter the settings in the Data Tree to show only the controls
related to meshing.
2. Under Global, right-click Zone Mesh Attributes and then click New.
3. Rename Zone Mesh Attributes 1 to Refine_1.
4. Double-click Refine_1 to open the Zone Mesh Attributes detail panel.
5. Change the Mesh zone type to Cylinder.
6. Set the location of the mesh refinement by defining the center points of the end faces of the cylinder.
a) Click Open Array to open the Array Editor dialog.
b) Enter the coordinate values as shown in the following image.

Figure 506:

c) Click OK to close the dialog.

7. In the detail panel, enter 0.05 m for the Radius.
This radius is used to define a cylinder that encloses the gap in the modeled section near the impeller
blades and housing wall.
8. Enter 0.005 m for the Mesh size.
This will result in a zone where the mesh size provides at least 10 cells between the impeller and
the housing wall at their nearest distance.

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Figure 507:

Set Surface Meshing Parameters for the Interface

In the following steps you will set meshing attributes that will allow for localized control of the mesh size
near on the interface.

1. Expand the Model Data Tree item.

2. Expand Surfaces, and then expand Interface.
3. Click the checkbox next to Surface Mesh Attributes to enable the settings and open the Surface
Mesh Attributes detail panel.
4. Change the Mesh size type to None.
5. Turn the Boundary layer flag option to On.
6. Set the Boundary layer type to Full Control.
7. Enter the value 0.002 m for First element height.

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8. Enter 1.3 for the Growth rate.

9. Enter 1 for Number of layers.
10. Change the Boundary layer elements type to Mixed.
This is used to generate prism/hexahedral elements in the boundary layer.

Figure 508:

11. Save the database to create a backup of your settings.

Generate the Mesh

In the next steps you will generate the mesh that will be used when computing a solution for the problem.

1. Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuMeshSim dialog.

For this case, the default settings will be used.

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Figure 509:

2. Click Ok to begin meshing.

During meshing an AcuTail window will open. Meshing progress is reported in this window.

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Figure 510:

Note: The actual number of nodes and elements, and memory usage may vary slightly
from machine to machine.

3. Visualize the mesh in the graphics window. For the purposes of this tutorial, the following steps lead
to the display of inlet, outlet, walls and fan blades.
4. Right-click Volumes in the Data Tree and click Display off.
5. Right-click Surfaces in the Data Tree and click Display on.
6. Right-click Surfaces in the Data Tree, select Display type and click solid & wire.
7. Rotate and zoom in the model to analyze the various mesh regions.
8. Right-click on the model and select cut plane visualization to view the mesh near the fan blades.

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Figure 511: Mesh Details of the Geometry

Figure 512: Mesh Details Near the Fan Blades

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9. Save the database to create a backup of your settings.

Split the Nodes on the Interface

At this point, the interface surface has one set of nodes which are either attached to the Fluid_Main or
Fluid_Impeller volume sets. In order for the nodes inside the Fluid_Impeller volume and Interface to rotate
based on the mesh motion prescribed, a duplicate set of nodes needs to be created, so that one set of
the nodes follow the motion of the Fluid_Impeller and another set stays attached to Fluid_Main.

Splitting the nodes on the interface would allow the nodes attached to Fluid_Impeller to slide over the
nodes on Fluid_Main, hence simulating the rotation on the fluid domain with the impeller blades.

In the next steps you will split the nodes on the interface using the Mesh Op. tool.

1. Right-click on Interface, select Mesh Op then select Split internal faces.

The information window showing the modified number of nodes displays.

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Figure 513:

Project Steady State Solution to Use as Initial Conditions

In the next steps you will use the Project Solution to project the steady state solution onto the transient
case in form on Nodal Initial Conditions.

1. From the Tools menu, select Project Solution.

The AcuSolve solution projection dialog opens.
2. Click Browse to read in the log file from the steady state solution.
3. Browse to the location where the steady state solution is stored and select the log file.
Once the log file is selected, the Information Window displays, showing the details of the projection
process.
The AcuSolve solution projection dialog updates and displays the step ID and the variables to
project.

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Figure 514:

4. Close the Information Window.

5. Select velocity, pressure and eddy_viscosity from the list by using Shift+click.
6. Click Project.
The Information Window displays and shows that all the three variables have been projected.
7. Close the Information Window and the AcuSolve solution projection dialog.
8. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.
9. In the Data Tree, expand Global, and double-click on Nodal Initial Condition.
10. Set the pressure, velocity and eddy viscosity initial condition type as Nodal Values.
11. Click Open Array next to Nodal values for Pressure to check that the values have been assigned.

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Figure 515:

12. Click OK to close the Array Editor.

13. Similarly check the values for velocity and eddy viscosity.

5.6.4 Compute the Solution and Review the Results

Run AcuSolve

In the next steps you will launch AcuSolve to compute the solution for this case.

1. Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuSolve dialog.

2. Set the Launch AcuSolve option to On.

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Figure 516:

For this case, the default values will be used. AcuSolve will run using four processors and it will
calculate the transient solution for this problem.
3. Click Ok to start the solution process.
As the solution progresses, an AcuTail dialog will open. Solution progress is reported in this dialog.

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Figure 517:

View Transient Results with AcuFieldView

Now that a solution has been calculated, you are ready to view the flow field using AcuFieldView.
AcuFieldView is a third-party post-processing tool that is tightly integrated toAcuSolve. AcuFieldView can
be started directly from AcuConsole, or it can be started from the Start menu, or from a command line.
In this tutorial you will start AcuFieldView from AcuConsole after the solution is calculated by AcuSolve.

In the following steps you will start AcuFieldView, display the velocity magnitude on the mid coordinate
surface and generate animations for velocity magnitude, streamlines and particle paths.

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Start AcuFieldView

1. Click on the AcuConsole toolbar to open the Launch AcuFieldView dialog.

Figure 518:

2. Click Ok to start AcuFieldView.

When you start AcuFieldView from AcuConsole, the results from the last time step of the solution
that were written to disk will be loaded for post-processing. You will see that the pressure contours
have already been displayed on all the boundary surfaces with mesh.

Figure 519:

These steps are provided with the assumption that you are able to manipulate the view in
AcuFieldView to have a white background, perspective turned off, outlines turned off, and the viewing

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direction set to +Z. If you are unfamiliar with basic AcuFieldView operations, refer to Manipulate
the Model View in AcuFieldView.

Animate the Velocity Magnitude on the Mid Coordinate Surface

1. In the Boundary Surface dialog, turn off the visibility for the boundary surfaces by unchecking
the Visibility checkbox.
2. From the View menu, uncheck Perspective view to disable it.
3. From the View menu, uncheck Axis markers to disable them.
4. From the View menu, select Defined Views.
5. In the Defined Views dialog, change the view to +Z.
6. Close the dialog.
7.
Click the icon to open the Coordinate Surface dialog.
8. Click Create to create a new surface at the mid –Z coordinate surface.
9. Under COORD PLANE: , change the Current value to 0.05.
This is the z coordinate for the mid plane between the blower front and back walls.
10. Change the DISPLAY TYPE to Smooth.
11. Change the COLORING to Scalar.
12. Select velocity_magnitude as the Scalar Function to be displayed.
13. Click the Colormap tab, and activate the Local checkbox to change the coloring to local.
14. Click on the Legend tab, and activate the Show Legend checkbox to display the velocity magnitude
values on the coordinate plane.
15. Activate the Frame checkbox to display the frame for the legend.

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Figure 520:

16. From the Tools menu, click on Transient Data to open the Transient Data Controls dialog.
For a transient case, the data displayed by launching AcuFieldView from AcuConsole is for the last
time step. The Transient Data Controls allows you to visualize the data at rest of the time steps.
The time steps at which the data can be post processed depends on the nodal output value set in
AcuConsole. In this case the nodal output is stored at every third time step.
17. Move the slider all the way to the back to zero to visualize the data at the zeroth time step.
This is done in order to build the animation from the beginning of the simulation.
18. From the Tools menu, click on Flipbook Build Mode.
A Flipbook size warning dialog appears.
19. Click OK.
In the Transient Data Controls dialog, the Sweep option under SWEEP CONTROL changes to Build.
20. Click Build.

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AcuFieldView will build the frame by frame animation of the solution progressing through all of the
available time steps. You will be able to see the progress in a Building Flipbook dialog.
21. In the Flipbook Controls dialog, click on Frame Rate to open the Minimum Time Between
Frames dialog.

Figure 521:

22. Enter 0.1 as the frame rate value.

23. Pause the animation and click Save to save the animation.
24. Close the Minimum Time Between Frames, Flipbook Controls, and Transient Data Controls
dialogs.

Setup the Streamlines

1.
Click the icon to open the Coordinate Surface dialog.
2.
Click the Boundary Surfaces icon and turn on the visibility.
Pressure is already selected as the Scalar Function.
3. In the BOUNDARY TYPES list, select OSF: walls and click OK.
4. Change the COLORING to Geometric and select grey from the color panel.
5. Turn off the mesh display by unchecking Show Mesh.
6. Set the Transparency field to 75 %.
7. Set the Scalar Function to velocity_magnitude.
8. Turn off the Visibility for this surface.
9. Click Create to create a new boundary surface.
10. Select OSF: Inlet and OSF: Outlet from the BOUNDARY TYPES list.

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11. Change the COLORING back Scalar.

12. Set the Transparency to 0.
13. Create another boundary surface and select OSF: Fan_Blades from the BOUNDARY TYPES list.
14. From the Visualization Panels menu, select Streamlines.
The Streamlines panel opens.
15. Select Create to create a new set of streamlines.
16. Click the Mode toggle button and select Seed a Surface.
In order to display streamlines you will need to seed a surface from where the streamlines are
generated.

Figure 522:

17. Set the Seeds to Add value to 200.

18. Click Ctrl + left click to select boundary surface 3 (Fan_Blades) as the surface to be seeded and
click OK.
The seeds are displayed on the fan blades.

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Figure 523:

19. Uncheck Show Seeds to turn off the display of seeds.

20. Open the Boundary Surfaces dialog and turn on the display for Surface 1 (walls).
21. Return to the Streamlines dialog. Under Calculation Parameters, change the Step counter to 5.
The Step size determines the time step intervals at which the streamlines would be calculated.
22. Change the Direction to Both.
The direction determines the direction of flow (upstream, downstream or both) in which the
streamlines would be generated from the surface selected.

Figure 524:

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23. Click Calculate to generate the streamlines.

Figure 525:

24. Change COLORING to Scalar and DISPLAY TYPE to Filament and Arrows.
25. Click the Colormap tab.
26. Click the Colormap drop down arrow and select NASA-1.
27. Click the Legend tab.
28. Activate the Show Legend and Frame checkboxes to turn them on.
29. Orient the geometry so that all the surfaces are visible, as shown below:

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Figure 526:

30. In the Steamlines panel, click Animate to see the streamlines.

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Figure 527:

Setup Streaklines

1. Click Tools > Flipbook Build Mode.

2. Click OK to skip the warning.
3. Click Tools > Transient Data.
4. Move the slider back to 0 to show the contours for the 0th time step.
5. Click Build.
6. Click Yes in the Streakline Export panel.
7. Save the .fvp export file.
The export file will save streaklines to a particle path file, and simplifies future import and display.
8. Change the Frame rate to 0.16.
9. Pause the animation and click Save to save the animation.

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Figure 528:

5.6.5 Summary

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In this tutorial you worked through a basic workflow to set up a transient simulation with a sliding mesh
in a centrifugal blower. Once the case was set up, you modified the mesh to include refinement zones,
projected the steady state solution onto the refined mesh and generated a solution using AcuSolve.

Results were post-processed in AcuFieldView to allow you to create contour views for the velocity
magnitude on the mid coordinate surface of the blower as well as the impeller blades along with new
features for creating animations for contours, streamlines, streaklines and particle paths.

New features introduced in this tutorial include creating a rotational mesh motion, use of interface
surfaces, projection of steady state solution in form of nodal initial conditions, creating velocity magnitude,
streamlines and particle path animations.

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5.9 ACU-5100: Modeling of Fan_Component: Axial Fan

5.9
This tutorial provides the instructions for setting up, solving and viewing results for simulation of flow inside
a pipe with an interior fan placed at the middle of the pipe. This middle portion of the pipe is considered to
be fan volume which is modeled using the Fan_Component parameter. In this simulation, flow is passed
from the pipe inlet and it enters the fan in axial direction and exits at the outlet causing pressure rise due
to the fan. A lumped fan model is used to obtain fan pressure rise for a known inlet volume flow rate. This
tutorial is designed to introduce the user to modeling concepts related to Fan_Components for axial fans.

The basic steps in a CFD simulation have been discussed in the earlier tutorials. The following additional
capabilities of AcuSolve are introduced in this tutorial:
• Specifying FAN_COMPONENT parameter in AcuConsole
• Setting up Inflow boundary condition with volumetric flow rate

You should have already run through the introductory tutorial, ACU-2000: Turbulent Flow in a Mixing
Elbow. It is assumed that you have some familiarity with AcuConsole, AcuSolve, and AcuFieldView. You
will also need access to a licensed version of AcuSolve.

Prior to running through this tutorial, copy Acu_tutorial_input.zip from <AcuSolve installation
directory>\model_files\tutorials\AcuSolve\Acu_tutorial_inputs.zip to a working directory.
Extract AxialFan.x_t from Acu_tutorial_input.zip.

The color of objects shown in the graphics window in this tutorial and those displayed on your screen
may differ. The default color scheme in AcuConsole is "random," in which colors are randomly assigned to
groups as they are created. In addition, this tutorial was developed on Windows. If you are running this
tutorial on a different operating system, you may notice a slight difference between the images displayed
on your screen and the images shown in the tutorial.

5.9.1 Analyze the Problem

5.9.1
An important step in any CFD simulation is to examine the engineering problem at hand and determine
the important parameters that need to be provided to AcuSolve. Parameters can be based on geometrical
elements (such as inlets, outlets, or walls) and on flow conditions (such as fluid properties, velocity, or
whether the flow should be modeled as turbulent or as laminar).

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Figure 529: Axial Fan Model Used for the Simulation

Figure 1 shows a simple axial fan component problem where fan is an interior fan with thickness “t” and
tip radius as “r”. In this simulation, flow is passed from the pipe inlet and it enters the fan in axial direction
and exits at the outlet causing pressure rise due to the fan. This fan pressure rise can be simulated for a
given volume flow rate at the inlet surface which will be assigned as the inflow boundary condition. The
3
volume flow rate at the inlet surface is considered to be 525.35 m /hr.

The middle portion of the pipe is the Fan Component volume which has both Fan_Inlet and Fan_Outlet.
The FAN_COMPONENT parameters are assigned to Fan_Inlet surface through Advance problem definition
option. Basically, the fan model is applied to a surface, and the pressure jumps across that surface to
model the effect of the fan. The outlet of the pipe geometry is assigned with Outflow BC to model the flow
exit whereas the outer walls are defined to be Wall BC with slip condition. The fluid material considered
3
for this simulation is air with density=1.225 kg/m , viscosity=1.781e-005 kg/m-s.

The FAN_COMPONENT directly computes a body force term to yield the pressure rise within the volume
of interest. It accomplishes this based on the following approach:
• Evaluate the flow rate at the inlet to the domain that is assigned as a fan component (i.e. the surface
on which you have assigned the FAN_COMPONENT condition)
• Evaluate the pressure rise resulting from this flow rate based on the fan curve that the user has input
• Compute a body force per unit length that yields the required pressure rise based on fan_length
input parameter and the target pressure rise.
• The body force can be specified to be a function of the flow direction i.e axial velocity, radial velocity,
tangential velocity or combination of all these three.
• Assign the body force to all elements of the element set that the FAN_COMPONENT is assigned to.

So, when deciding how to set up the FAN_COMPONENT model, you also need to consider how your fan is
modeled. If it is purely axial flow, then the relevant pressure rise relationship is just in the axial direction,
and the fan_length is the distance from inlet to outlet of the fan section.

Basically the FAN_COMPONENT is modelled by adding axial, radial and tangential body forces to the
momentum equations. For an axial fan type, these forces increase the pressure across the component by

where : axial coefficient

: density

: tip velocity =

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: fan angular rotational speed (rad/sec)

: fan tip radius

: mass averaged velocity through the inlet (m/sec)

Since piecewise_bilinear curve fit values used in FAN_COMPONENT are functions of the normalized flow
1
rate (Q ) and axial coefficient (αaxial), you need to convert them from the fan performance curve.
1
Normalized flow rate (Q ):

Axial co-efficient (αaxial) =

For example, evaluate the axial coefficients and normalized flow rate from the fan performance data. The
following tables are inputs for the calculations.

Table 529: Fan Characteristics

3
Fluid Density 1.225 kg/m

Tip Radius () 0.11 m

Rotational Speed () 3600 RPM = 376.99 rad/sec

2
Inlet Area, Ai 0.03801 m

Tip Velocity () 41.47 m/sec

Table 529: Fan Performance Parameters

3
Volume Flow Rate (Q), m /hr Pressure rise (ΔP), Pa

1 525.35 494.91

2 890.21 474.63

3 1161.63 424.9

4 1272.76 389.11

5 1356.57 350.42

6 1431.84 308.18

7 1494.69 268.35

8 1551.39 230.89

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You can calculate the normalized flow rate and axial coefficient for first two volume flow rates (Q) from
Table 2. The same procedure is followed for the other volume flow rates.
3
a. For Q = 525.35 m /hr:
1
Q = = 333.27

= = 0.4613
3
b. For Q = 890.21 m /hr:
1
Q = = 564.72

= = 0.426
l
In this manner you can calculate Q and αaxial for the remaining volume flow rates, shown in the following
table.

Table 529: Normalized Flow Rates and Axial Coefficients

1
S. No Normalized Flow Rate (Q ) Axial Coefficients ( αaxial )

1 333.27 0.4612

2 564.72 0.426

3 736.9 0.3615

4 807.4 0.3191

5 860.56 0.2755

6 908.31 0.229

7 948.2 0.1854

8 984.15 0.1445

The same information is entered as input for axial curve fit values for the FAN_COMPONENT parameter
as shown in Figure 2.

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Figure 530: Fan Component Array Editor

The first column of array is the normalized radius which varies between 0 and 1 which implies that at the
centre of the fan, this value is 0 whereas at the tip of the fan, this value is 1.

5.9.2 Define the Simulation Parameters

Start AcuConsole

In this tutorial, you will begin by creating a database, populating the geometry-independent settings,
loading the geometry, creating volume and surface groups, setting group parameters, adding geometry
components to groups, and assigning mesh controls and boundary conditions to the groups. Next you
will generate a mesh and run AcuSolve to solve for the number of time steps specified. Finally, you will
visualize some characteristics of the results using AcuFieldView.

In the next steps you will start AcuConsole, and create the database for storage of the simulation settings.

1. Start AcuConsole from the Windows Start menu by clicking Start > All Programs > Altair
HyperWorks <version> AcuSolve > AcuConsole.
2. Click the File menu, then click New to open the New data base dialog.
3. Browse to the location that you would like to use as your working directory.
This directory is where all files related to the simulation will be stored. The AcuConsole database
file (.acs) is stored in this directory. Once the mesh and solution are created, additional files and
directories will be created within this directory.
4. Create a new directory in this location. Name it Axial_Fan and open it.
5. Enter AxialFan as the file name for the database.

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Note: In order for other applications to be able to read the files written by AcuConsole,
the database path and name should not include spaces.

6. Click Save to create the database.

Set General Simulation Parameters

In next steps you will set parameters that apply globally to the simulation. To make this simple, the basic
settings applicable for any simulation can be filtered using the BAS filter in the Data Tree Manager. This
filter enables display of only a small subset of the available items in the Data Tree and makes navigation
of the entries easier.

The physical models that you define for this tutorial correspond to steady state, turbulent flow.

1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.

Figure 531:

2. Double-click Global in the Data Tree to expand it.

Tip: You can also expand a tree item by clicking next to the item name.

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Figure 532:

3. Double-click Problem Description to open the Problem Description detail panel.

4. Enter AcuSolve Tutorial as the Title.
5. Enter Axial Fan as the Sub title.
6. Change the Analysis type to Steady State.
7. Change the Turbulence equation to Spalart Allmaras.

Figure 533:

Set Solution Strategy Parameters

In the next steps you will set parameters that control the behavior of AcuSolve as it progresses during
the solution.

1. Double-click Auto Solution Strategy to open the Auto Solution Strategy detail panel.
2. Check that the Analysis type is set to Steady State.

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3. Set the Max time steps as 50.

4. Set the Relaxation factor to 0.5.
5. Check the Flow and Turbulence are set to On.

Figure 534: Auto Solution Detail Panel

Set Material Model Parameters

AcuConsole has three pre-defined materials, Air, Aluminum, and Water, with standard parameters defined.
In the next steps you will verify that the pre-defined material properties of air match the desired properties
for this problem.
1. Double-click Material Model in the Data Tree to expand it.

2. Double-click Air in the Data Tree to open the Air detail panel.
The material type for air is Fluid. Fluid is the default material type for any new material created
in AcuConsole.
3. Click the Density tab. The density of air is 1.225 kg/m3.
-5
4. Click the Viscosity tab. The viscosity of air is 1.781 x 10 kg/m – sec.

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5. Save the database to create a backup of your settings. This can be achieved with any of the following
methods.
• Click the File menu, then click Save.
• Click on the toolbar.
• Click Ctrl+S.

Note: Changes made in AcuConsole are saved into the database file (.acs) as they
are made. A save operation copies the database to a backup file, which can be used
to reload the database from that saved state in the event that you do not want to
commit future changes.

5.9.3 Import Geometry and Define the Model

Import the Geometry

You will import the geometry in the next part of this tutorial. You will need to know the location of
AxialFan.x_t in order to complete these steps. This file contains information about the geometry in
Parasolid ASCII format.

1. Click File > Import.

2. Browse to the directory containing AxialFan.x_t.
3. Change the File name filter to Parasolid File (*.x_t *.xmt *X_T …
4. Click AxialFan.x_t and Open to open the Import Geometry dialog.
For this tutorial, the default values for the Import Geometry dialog are used to load the geometry.
If you have previously used AcuConsole, any changes to these settings will be preserved between
AcuConsole sessions. Make sure that any settings that you might have altered are manually changed
to match the default values shown. With the default settings, volumes from the CAD model are
added to a default volume group. Surfaces from the CAD model are added to a default surface group.
You will work with groups later in this tutorial to create new groups, set simulation attributes, add
geometric components, and set meshing attributes.
5. Click Ok to complete the geometry import.

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Figure 535:

Apply Volume Parameters

Volume groups are containers used for storing information about a volume region. This information
includes the list of geometric volumes associated with the container, as well as attributes such as material
models and mesh size information.

When the geometry was imported into AcuConsole, all volumes were placed into the "default" volume
container.

In the next steps you will rename the default volume group container, assign the materials for that group,
and set mesh motion for the fluid volume.

1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.
2. Expand the Model Data Tree item.
3. Expand Volumes. Toggle the display of the default volume container by clicking and next
to the volume name.

Note: You may not see any change when toggling the display if Surfaces are being
displayed, as surfaces and volumes may overlap.

4. Right-click on Volumes and select Volume Manager.

5. In the Volume Manager, click New twice to create two new volume groups.
6. Turn off the display of all volumes, except default.
7. Rename Volume 1 and Volume 2, and set the columns as per the image below:

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Figure 536:

8. Assign the respective volumes to their volume groups:

a) In the Fan row, click Add To.
b) Select the volume as shown in figure below and click Done.

Figure 537:

c) In the DownstreamDuct row, click Add To.

d) Select the volume as shown in figure below and click Done.

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Figure 538:

When the geometry was loaded into AcuConsole, complete geometry volume was placed in
the default volume group. This default volume group was renamed to UpstreamDuct. In the
previous steps, you assigned some volumes to various other volume groups that you created.
At this point, all that is left is the UpstreamDuct volume group wherein the flow enters through
the volume.
e) Repeat the process with UpstreamDuct.

Figure 539:

f) Close the dialog.

Create Surface Groups and Apply Surface Parameters

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Surface groups are containers used for storing information about a surface, including solution and meshing
parameters, and the corresponding surface in the geometry that the parameters will apply to.

In the next steps you will define surface groups, assign the appropriate settings for the different
characteristics of the problem, and add surfaces to the group containers.

In the process of setting up a simulation, you need to move into different panels for setting up the boundary
conditions, mesh parameters, and so on, which can sometimes be cumbersome, especially for models with
too many surfaces. To make it easier, less error prone, and to save time, two new dialogs are provided in
AcuConsole. Use the Volume Manager and Surface Manager to verify and provide the information for
all surface or volume entities at once. In this section some features of Surface Manager are exploited.

1. Turn-off display for Volumes by right-clicking on Volumes and selecting Display off .
2. Right-click on Surfaces in the Data Tree and select Surface Manager.
3. In the Surface Manager dialog, click New eight times to create eight new surface groups.
4. If you cannot see the Simple BC Active and Simple BC Type columns, click on Columns and select
these two columns from the list and click Ok.

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Figure 540:

5. Turn off the display for all surfaces except for the default surface.
6. Rename Surface 1 through Surface 9 according to the image below.
7. Set the Simple BC Active and Simple BC Type columns as per Figure 541.

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Figure 541:

8. Assign the surfaces to the respective surface groups.

a) In the Inlet row in the Surface Manager, click Add to .
b) Select the planar symmetry surfaces as shown in the image, and click Done.

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Figure 542:

c) Rotate the model to see the other side of the surface.

d) In the Outlet row, click Add to, and select the surface shown below:

Figure 543:

e) Assign the surface for the Wall_Up group.

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Figure 544:

f) Assign the surface for the Wall_Fan group.

Figure 545:

g) Assign the surface for the Wall_Down group.

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Figure 546:

h) Assign the surface for the Upstream_Out group.

Figure 547:

i) Assign the surface for the Fan_Inlet group.

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Figure 548:

j) Assign the surface for the Fan_Outlet group.

Figure 549:

When the geometry was loaded into AcuConsole, all geometry surfaces were placed in the
default surface group container. This default surface group was renamed to Downstream_Inlet.
In the previous steps, you assigned some surfaces to various other surface groups that you

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created. At this point, all that is left is the Downstream_Inlet surface group which makes up
the inlet of the DownstreamDuct volume.
9. Assign the surface for the Downstream_Inlet group.

Figure 550:

10. Close the Surface Manager.

Inlet

The Inlet group defines that the flow enters through the pipe and flows across length of the pipe. The
correct boundary condition type for this surface is Inflow.

1. Expand the Inlet surface in the tree.

2. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition under Inlet to open the Simple Boundary Condition
detail panel.
3. Ensure that the Type is set to Inflow.
4. Change Inflow type from Velocity to Flow Rate.
5. In the Flow rate field, change the units to m3/hr.
6. Enter the Flow rate value as 525.35.

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Figure 551:

Outlet

The Outlet group defines the exit of the pipe. The correct boundary condition type for this surface is
Outflow.

1. Expand the Outlet surface group in the tree.

2. Double click Simple Boundary Condition to open the detail panel.
3. Ensure that the Type is set to Outflow.
4. Leave the remaining settings at their default values.

Figure 552:

Wall_Up

The walls enclose the fluid volume on the outside. The correct boundary condition type for this surface
is Wall.

1. Expand the Wall_Up surface group in the tree.

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2. Double click Simple Boundary Condition under inner_wall to open the Simple Boundary
Condition detail panel.
3. Ensure that the Type is set to Wall.
4. Leave the remaining settings at their default values.

Figure 553:

Wall_Fan and Wall_Down

The surface groups Wall_Fan and Wall_Down will have the same settings as Wall_Up group. In order to
not to repeat the steps again, you can propagate the settings to those two groups.

1. Expand the Wall_Up surface group.

2. Right-click on Simple Boundary Conditions, and select Propagate.
3. Select Wall_Fan and Wall_Down from the menu.
4. Click Propagate.

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Figure 554:

Fan_Outlet

1. Uncheck the Simple Boundary Condition for this surface.

Upstream_Out

1. Uncheck the Simple Boundary Condition for this surface.

Downstream_Inlet

1. Uncheck the Simple Boundary Condition for this surface.

Fan_Inlet

This surface corresponds to the inlet of the Fan component volume. For this particular surface you need
to assign the FAN_COMPONENT parameter which requires data related to fan speed, tip radius, axial
coefficients etc. This parameter is available under advanced options in AcuSolve.
1. Click ALL in the Data Tree Manager to show all the settings in the Data Tree.
2. Uncheck the Simple Boundary Condition for the Fan_Inlet surface
3. Expand Advanced Options.

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4. Check the Fan Component checkbox to open the detail panel.

5. Ensure that the Type is set to Axial.
6. Next to Center, click Open Array.
7. In the dialog, enter 0.0 for all the fields.
8. Click OK.
9. Next to Direction, click Open Array.
10. Enter 1.0 for X-Direction, and 0.0 for the other fields.
11. Click OK.
12. For Rotational Speed change the units from rad/sec to RPM.
13. Set the Rotational Speed to 3600 RPM.
14. Set Tip Radius to 0.11 m.
15. Set Fan thickness to 0.06 m.
16. Change Axial coefficient type from Constant to Piecewise Bilinear.
17. Next to Axial curve fit values, click Open Array.
18. Click Add Col seven times and enter the following as shown in the figure below.

Figure 555:

19. Click OK to close the dialog.

20. Set Radial coefficient and Tangential coefficient to 0.
21. Leave the remaining settings at their default values.

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Figure 556:

Set Global Mesh Parameters

Now that the flow characteristics have been set for the whole problem, a sufficiently refined mesh has
to be generated.

Global mesh attributes are the meshing parameters applied to the model as a whole without reference
to a specific geometric volume, surface, edge, or point. Local mesh attributes are used to create mesh
generation controls for specific geometry components of the model.

In the next steps you will set the global mesh attributes.

1. Click MSH in the Data Tree Manager to filter the settings in the Data Tree to show only the controls
related to meshing.
2. Double-click the Global Data Tree item to expand it.
3. Double-click Global Mesh Attributes to open the Global Mesh Attributes detail panel.
4. Change the Mesh size type to Absolute.
5. Enter 0.0096 m for the Absolute mesh size.

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Figure 557:

Set Surface Mesh Parameters

Surface mesh attributes are the meshing parameters applied to a particular surface where the user has
option to control the mesh size on a surface like in case of adding boundary layers, mesh refinement apart
from the global mesh attributes. For this case surface mesh attributes are applied only on the Wall surfaces.

In the next steps you will set the surface meshing attributes.

1. Expand the Model Data Tree item.

2. Under the Model branch, expand the Surfaces. Under Surfaces, expand the Wall_Up surface group.
3. If necessary, check the box next to Surface Mesh Attributes to activate it. Double-click it to open
the Surface Mesh Attributes detail panel.
The detail panel should now be populated with options related to the local surface meshing controls.
4. Change the Mesh size type to None.
5. Switch the Boundary layer flag to On.
6. Change the Boundary layer type to Match Outer Layer.
7. Ensure that First element height is set to 0.001 m.
8. Change the Growth rate to 1.2.
9. Leave the remaining settings at their default values.

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Figure 558:

I
The surface groups Wall_Fan and Wall_Down will have the same settings as the Wall_Up group. In order
to not to repeat the steps again, you will propagate the settings to those two groups.
10. Under the Wall_Up surface, right-click Surface Mesh Attributes and select Propagate.
11. In the Propagate dialog, select the surface Wall_Fan and Wall_Down, and click Propagate.

Figure 559:

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Generate the Mesh

In the next steps you will generate the mesh that will be used when computing a solution for the problem.

1. Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuMeshSim dialog.

For this case, the default settings will be used.
2. Click Ok to begin meshing.
During meshing an AcuTail window will open. Meshing progress is reported in this window. A summary
of the meshing process indicates that the mesh generation has finished.

Figure 560:

Note: The actual number of nodes and elements, and memory usage may vary slightly
from machine to machine.

3. Close the AcuTail window and save the database to create a backup of your settings.

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4. Visualize the mesh in the graphics window. Turn on the display of surfaces, and set the display type
to solid and wire.
5. Rotate and zoom in the model to analyze the various mesh regions.

5.9.3.1 No TOC

5.9.4 Compute the Solution and Review the Results

Run AcuSolve

In the next steps you will launch AcuSolve to compute the solution for this case.

1. Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuSolve dialog.

For this case, the default settings will be used. AcuSolve will run using four processors (if available,
higher number of processors may be specified) and AcuConsole will generate AcuSolve input files
and will launch AcuSolve. AcuSolve will calculate the steady state solution for this problem.
2. Click Ok to start the solution process.
As the solution progresses, an AcuTail window will open. Solution progress is reported in this
window.

A summary of the solution process indicates that the simulation has been completed.

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Figure 561:

Post-Processing with AcuProbe

AcuProbe can be used to monitor various variables over solution time.

1.
Open AcuProbe by clicking the icon on the toolbar.
2. In the Data Tree on the left, expand Residual Ratio. Right-click Final and select Plot All.
This will plot the residuals for the three variables - eddy viscosity, pressure and velocity in the plot
area. This plot indicates the convergence of the variables with respect to timestep

Note: You might need to click the icon on the toolbar in order to properly display
the plot.

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Figure 562:

3. Right-click Final under Residual Ratio and select Plot None.

4.
Click User Function from the toolbar.
5. In the dialog, enter the Name as dP.
6. In the AcuProbe dialog, expand Surface Output > Fan_Inlet.
7. Under Fan_Inlet, right-click on pressure and select Copy name.
8. In the User Function dialog, in the Function field, type Fan_In=.
9. Keeping your mouse at the end of the phrase you just entered, right-click and select Paste.

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Figure 563:

10. In the AcuProbe dialog, expand Fan_Outlet.

11. Under Fan_Outlet, right-click on pressure and select Copy name.
12. In the User Function dialog, in the Function window, type Fan_Out= and then click Paste.

Figure 564:

13. In the Function field, type value=Fan_Out-Fan_In.

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Note: The word “value” is case sensitive and should always be in lower case. If you
use a capital letter, an error window appears.

Figure 565:

14. Click Apply.

15. In the AcuProbe dialog, expand User function.
16. Right-click on dP and select Plot.

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Figure 566:

From the above figure, you can see the pressure rise got stabilized at around 9th iteration and
remains constant with a pressure of 494.53 Pa for a given volume flow rate of 525.35 m3/hr which
is very near compared to reference value of 494.91 Pa.

5.9.5 Summary

5.9.5
In this AcuSolve tutorial you successfully set up and solved a problem involving FAN_COMPONENT feature
for an axial fan. The FAN_COMPONENT directly computes body force term to yield the pressure rise within
the volume of interest. The problem simulated is the flow inside pipe with a fan placed at the middle of the
pipe causing pressure rise due to fan and exits at the outlet. You started the tutorial by creating a database
in AcuConsole, importing and meshing the geometry, and setting up the simulation parameters. The fluid
domain is divided into three volumes – UpstreamDuct, Fan & DownstreamDuct using Volume Manager
Dialog option. Once the case was setup, the solution was generated with AcuSolve. Results were plotted in
AcuProbe by creating a user function to check for the fan pressure rise based on Fan_Inlet and Fan_Outlet
pressures. New features that were introduced in this tutorial include: using Fan Component feature and
explaining how the axial coefficients are calculated based on volume flow rate and fan pressure rise and
using the User Function option in AcuProbe.

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5.12 ACU-5200: Rigid-Body Dynamics of a Check Valve

This tutorial provides the instructions for setting up, solving and viewing results for a simulation of the
opening of a pressure check valve. In this simulation, AcuSolve is used to compute the forces on the valve
due to the time-varying inlet flow field and to compute the motion of the valve that results from these
flow forces. This tutorial is designed to introduce you to a number of modeling concepts necessary to
perform simulations of rigid-body dynamics.

The basic steps in any CFD simulation were shown in Flow in a Mixing Elbow. The following additional
capabilities of AcuSolve are introduced in this tutorial:
• Transient simulation
• Use of a multiplier function to scale inlet boundary condition values
• Mesh motion
• Fluid-structure interaction with a rigid body
• Post-processing with AcuProbe
• Results animation

5.12 Prerequisites
You should have already run through the introductory tutorial, ACU-2000: Turbulent Flow in a Mixing
Elbow. It is assumed that you have some familiarity with AcuConsole, AcuSolve, and AcuFieldView. You
will also need access to a licensed version of AcuSolve.

Prior to running through this tutorial, copy Pressure_Check_valve\pressureCheckValve.x_t from

<AcuSolve installation directory>\model_files\tutorials\AcuSolve\Acu_tutorial_inputs.zip
to a working directory.

5.12.1 Analyze the Problem

An important first step in any CFD simulation is to examine the engineering problem to be analyzed
and determine the settings that need to be provided to AcuSolve. Settings can be based on geometrical
components (such as volumes, inlets, outlets, or walls) and on flow conditions (such as fluid properties,
velocity, or whether the flow should be modeled as turbulent or as laminar).

The problem to be addressed in this tutorial is shown schematically in Figure 567. It consists of a cylindrical
pipe containing water that flows past a check valve with a shutter attached to a virtual spring (not included
in the geometry). The inlet pressure varies over time and the movement of the shutter will be determined
as a function of the balance of the fluid forces against the reactive force of the spring. The problem is
rotationally periodic at 30° increments about the longitudinal axis, and it is assumed that the resulting flow
is also rotationally periodic, allowing for modeling with the use of a wedge-shaped section. For this tutorial,
a 30° section of the geometry is modeled, as shown in the figure. Modeling a portion of an rotationally
periodic geometry leads to reduced computation time while still providing an accurate solution.

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Figure 567: Schematic of Check Valve with Spring-Loaded Shutter

The pipe has an inlet diameter of 0.08 m, and is 0.4 m long. The check-valve assembly is 0.085 m
downstream of the inlet. It consists of a plate 0.005 m thick with a centered orifice 0.044 m in diameter
and a shutter with an initial position 0.005 m from the opening, simulating a nearly closed condition. The
shutter plate is 0.05 m in diameter and 0.005 m thick. The shutter plate is attached to a stem 0.03 m
long and 0.01 m in diameter. The mass of the shutter and stem is 0.2 kg and its motion is affected by a
virtual spring with a stiffness of 2162 N/m. The motion of the valve shutter is limited by a stop mounted
on a perforated plate downstream of the shutter.

Note that AcuSolve's internal rigid-body-dynamics solver is not able to simulate contact. Therefore, this
problem is formulated to avoid contact between the valve and the stop.

Figure 568:

Modeling the geometry as a 30° section requires that the fluid model is set up to be consistent with the
1
rigid-body model. Since only /12 of the rigid body is modeled, the forces computed by AcuSolve that act
1
on the valve shutter represent /12 of the actual force on the device. Therefore, it is also necessary to
account for this in the simulation. There are two methods that can be used to accomplish this:
a. Scale up the fluid forces calculated by AcuSolve by a factor of 12 to represent the full load on the
device when the displacement of the body is computed.
Using this approach, the full stiffness of the valve spring is used in the rigid-body solution, and the
full mass of the valve is used.
b. Scale down the mass of the valve and the stiffness of the spring to by a factor of 12 to match the
fraction of the valve geometry to be modeled.
Using this approach, the loading passed to the rigid-body solver is not scaled.

This second approach is used in this tutorial; the scaled mass of 0.0167 kg and the scaled stiffness of
180.1667 N/m will be used .

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Figure 569:

3
The fluid in this problem is water, which has a density (ρ) of 1000 kg/m and a molecular viscosity (μ)
-3
of 1 X 10 kg/m-sec, as shown in the worksheet.

Figure 570:

At the start of the simulation the flow field is stationary. Flow is driven by the pressure at the inlet, which
varies over time as a piecewise linear function shown in Figure 571. As the pressure at the inlet rises, the
flow will accelerate as the valve opens. The turbulence viscosity ratio is assumed to be 10.

The initial inlet pressure is 0 Pa. At 0.002 s, the pressure begins to ramp up, and reaches 26,500 Pa at
0.05 s. The pressure is held at 26,500 Pa and begins to ramp back down starting at 0.2 s, reaching the
initial pressure at 0.25 s where it remains for the rest of the simulation.

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Figure 571: Transient Pressure at the Inlet

Prior simulations of this geometry indicate that the average velocity at the inlet reaches a maximum of
0.9 m/s. At this velocity, the Reynolds number for the flow is 72,000. When the Reynolds number is above
4,000, it is generally accepted that flow should be modeled as turbulent.

Figure 572:

Note that the initial conditions of the flow are actually laminar, however, the increase in flow velocity and
flow around the valve shutter is expected to cause a rapid transition to turbulent conditions. Therefore,
the simulation will be set up to model transient, turbulent flow. When performing a transient analysis,
convergence is achieved at every time step based on the defined stagger criteria. Mesh motion will be
modeled using arbitrary mesh movement (arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian mesh motion).

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Figure 573:

For this case, the transient behavior of interest occurs in the time it takes for the pressure to ramp up and
ramp back down, which is given by the transient pressure profile. To allow time for the spring to recover,
additional time will be simulated. For this tutorial, 0.1 s is added after the pressure drops back to initial
conditions, for a total duration of 0.35 s.

Figure 574:

Another critical decision in a transient simulation is choosing the time increment. The time increment is the
change in time during a given time step of the simulation. It is important to choose a time increment that
is short enough to capture the changes in flow properties of interest, but does not require unnecessary
computation time.

There are two methods commonly used for determining an appropriate time increment. The first method
involves identification of the time scales of the transient behaviors of interest and setting the time
increment to sufficiently resolve those behaviors. The second method involves setting a limit on the
number of mesh elements that the flow can cross in a given time step. A convenient metric for the number
of mesh elements crossed per time step is the Courant-Friederichs-Lewy number, or CFL number. With
this method, the time increment can be computed from the mesh size, the flow velocity, and the desired
CFL number.

The change in inlet pressure from initial conditions to maximum occurs over 0.048 s. A time increment
of 0.002 s would allow for excellent resolution of the transient changes, without requiring excessive
computational time. This time increment would result in a CFL number of 0.36, indicating that it would
take approximately three time steps for flow to cross a single mesh element. While the time increment

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could be raised and still maintain a favorable CFL number, the value of 0.002 s is chosen to better resolve
the transient changes resulting from the sudden pressure shifts.

Figure 575:

In addition to setting appropriate conditions to capture the physics of the simulation, it is important to
generate a mesh that is sufficiently refined to provide good results. In this tutorial the global mesh size
is set to provide at least 50 mesh elements around the circumference of the inlet, resulting in a mesh
size of 0.005 m. This mesh size was chosen to provide a quick turnaround time for the model. For real-
world simulations, you would modify your mesh settings after an initial solution until a mesh-independent
solution is reached (that is, a solution that does not change with further mesh refinement).

Figure 576:

AcuSolve allows for mesh refinements in a user-defined region that is independent of geometric
components of the problem such as volumes, model surfaces, or edges. It is useful to refine the mesh in
areas where gradients in pressure, velocity, eddy viscosity, and the like are steep.

For this problem it is desirable to resolve flow characteristics near the gap between the valve opening
and the shutter. It would also be desirable to be able to resolve flow characteristics around the complete
valve body. The mesh size for the region around the gap will be sized to allow for at least three cells to
span the gap in the initial position. The mesh around the full valve body will be sized so that the average
cell size will be one half of the global mesh size. This local mesh refinement is accomplished using mesh
refinement zones.

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Figure 577:

Once a solution is calculated, the flow properties of interest are the displacement of the moving surface,
the mass flow rate at the outlet, pressure contours on the symmetry plane, and velocity vectors on the
symmetry plane.

5.12.2 Define the Simulation Parameters

Start AcuConsole and Create the Simulation Database

This tutorial walks you through the process of setting up and solving a fluid-structure simulation of a
spring-loaded check valve subjected to changes in inlet pressure.
In this tutorial, you will begin by creating a database, populating the geometry-independent settings,
loading the geometry, creating groups, setting group attributes, adding geometry components to groups,
creating a multiplier function, and assigning mesh controls and boundary conditions to the groups. Next
you will generate a mesh and run AcuSolve to simulate the transient behavior. You will use AcuProbe to
post-process mesh displacement and mass flow. Finally, you will visualize the results using AcuFieldView.

In the next steps you will start AcuConsole, create the database for storage of AcuConsole settings, and
set the location for saving mesh and solution information for AcuSolve.

1. Start AcuConsole from the Windows Start menu by clicking Start > All Programs > Altair
HyperWorks <version> AcuSolve > AcuConsole.
2. Click the File menu, then click New to open the New data base dialog.
3. Browse to the location that you would like to use as your working directory.

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This directory is where all files related to the simulation will be stored. The AcuConsole database
file (.acs) is stored in this directory. Once the mesh and solution are created, additional files and
directories will be created within this directory.
4. Create a new folder named Check_Valve_Transient and open this folder.
5. Enter Check_Valve_Transient as the File name for the database.

Note: In order for other applications to be able to read the files written by AcuConsole,
the database path and name should not include spaces.

6. Click Save to create the database.

Set General Simulation Attributes

In the next steps you will set attributes that apply globally to the simulation. To simplify this task, you
will use the BAS filter in the Data Tree Manager. The BAS filter limits the options in the Data Tree to
show only the basic settings.

The general attributes that you will set for this tutorial are for turbulent flow, transient time analysis, and
the use of arbitrary mesh movement.

1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.

Figure 578:

2. Double-click Global in the Data Tree to expand it.

Note: You can also expand a tree item by clicking next to the item name.

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Figure 579:

3. Double-click Problem Description to open the Problem Description detail panel.

4. Enter AcuSolve Tutorial as the Title.
5. Enter Pressure Check Valve - AcuSolve Internal Solver as the Sub title.
6. Change the Analysis type to Transient.
7. Set the Turbulence equation to Spalart Allmaras.
The robustness and accuracy of the Spalart Allmaras turbulence model makes it an excellent choice
for simulation of transient flows.
8. Change the Mesh type to Arbitrary Mesh Movement (ALE).

Figure 580:

Set Solution Strategy Attributes

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In the next steps you will set attributes that control the behavior of AcuSolve as it progresses during the
transient solution.

Figure 581:

1. Double-click Auto Solution Strategy in the Data Tree to open the Auto Solution Strategy detail
panel.
2. Enter 0 for Max time steps.
This value indicates that AcuSolve should ignore this setting and calculate the maximum number of
time steps based on the final time and the time increment.
3. Enter 0.35 sec for the Final time.
4. Enter 0.002 sec for the Initial time increment.
5. Enter 3 for Max stagger iterations.
This setting determines the maximum number of iterations that will be performed within each time
step.

Figure 582:

Set Material Model Attributes

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AcuConsole has three pre-defined materials, Air, Aluminum, and Water.

In the next steps you will verify that the pre-defined material properties of water match the desired
properties for this problem.

Figure 583:

1. Double-click Material Model in the Data Tree to expand it.

2. Double-click Water in the Data Tree to open the Water detail panel.
3
3. Click the Density tab. Verify that the density of water is 1000.0 kg/m .
4. Click the Viscosity tab. Verify that the viscosity of water is 0.001 kg/m-sec.

Figure 584:

Set Nodal Output Frequency

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In the next steps you will set an attribute that impacts how often results from the transient simulation are
written to disk. Writing the results every three time steps produces a collection of output states that can
be used to create an animation of the simulation once the run has completed. Note that more frequent
output can be used, but it will result in higher disk space usage.

1. Double-click Output under Global in the Data Tree to expand it.

2. Double-click Nodal Output to open the Nodal Output detail panel.
3. Enter 3 as the Time step frequency.
This value indicates that AcuSolve should write results after every three time steps.

Figure 585:

5.12.3 Import Geometry and Define the Model

Import the Check Valve Geometry

You will import the geometry in the next part of this tutorial. You will need to know the location of
\Pressure_Check_Valve-Coupled\pressureCheckValve.x_t in order to complete these steps. This file
contains the solid model of the check valve in the Parasolid ASCII format.

1. Click the File menu, then Import.

2. Browse to the directory containing pressureCheckValve.x_t.
3. Change the File name filter to Parasolid File (*.x_t *.xmt *X_T …
a) Click the drop-down button to the right of the File name field.
b) Click Parasolid File (*.x_t *.xmt *X_T … from the drop-down list.
4. Click pressureCheckValve.x_t and Open to open the Import Geometry dialog.
For this tutorial, the default values for the Import Geometry dialog are used to load the geometry.
If you have previously used AcuConsole, any changes to these settings will be preserved between
AcuConsole sessions. Make sure that any settings that you might have altered are manually changed
to match the default values shown. With the default settings, volumes from the CAD model are
added to a single volume group named "default."
5. Click Ok to complete the geometry import.

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Figure 586:

The color of objects shown in the graphics window in this tutorial and those displayed on your
screen may differ. The default color scheme in AcuConsole is "random," in which colors are randomly
assigned to groups as they are created. In addition, this tutorial was developed on Windows. If you
are running this tutorial on a different operating system, you may notice a slight difference between
the images displayed on your screen and the images shown in the tutorial.

Create Multiplier Function for Inlet Pressure

AcuSolve provides the ability to scale values as a function of time and/or time step during a simulation.
This is achieved through the use of a multiplier function. In this tutorial, the inlet stagnation pressure
varies as the simulation progresses. By taking advantage of multiplier functions, you can easily set up a
function to model the pressure changes at the inlet.

In the next steps you will create a multiplier function for the pressure at the inlet. This multiplier function
will be applied to the inlet later in this tutorial.

In this tutorial, the inlet pressure starts at 0 pascals, ramps up to 26,500 Pa, is held steady briefly, and
then ramps back to 0 Pa.

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Figure 587:

To make the creation of the multiplier functions as simple as possible, you will use the PB* filter in the
Data Tree Manager.

1. Click PB* in the Data Tree Manager to show all problem-definition settings.

Figure 588:

2. Right-click Multiplier Function under Global in the Data Tree and click New to create a new
multiplier function.
3. Rename the multiplier function.
a) Right-click the newly created Multiplier Function 1 and click Rename.
b) Enter inlet pressure.

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Note: When an item in the Data Tree is renamed, the change is not saved until
you press the Enter key on your keyboard. If you move the input focus away from
the item without entering it, your changes will be lost.

4. Double-click inlet pressure to open the detail panel.

5. Set the Type to Piecewise Linear.
6. Set the Curve fit variable to Time.
7. Check that the Evaluation type is set to Per Time Step.
This value indicates that AcuSolve should evaluate the multiplier function once for each time step.

Figure 589:

8. Add the function values for the inlet pressure profile.

a) Click Open Array to open the Array Editor dialog.
b) Click Add five times to add five new rows.
c) Enter the following values for X (time) and Y (pressure).

X Y

0.0 0.0

0.002 0.0

0.05 26500

0.2 26500

0.25 0.0

0.35 0.0

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Figure 590:

d) Click Plot to expand the Array Editor dialog to display the plot of the curve fit values.
You may need to expand the dialog by dragging the right edge in order to see the plot.

Figure 591:

e) Click OK.
These entries will be used to control the change in inlet pressure throughout the simulation.

Create Mesh Motion

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AcuSolve uses the mesh-motion settings to define the movement of nodes within the model. In this
tutorial, you will use a special case of this command that solves the dynamic equations of motion to
determine the motion of the nodes. This type of mesh motion is referred to as a rigid-body dynamic. In
this simulation, you will specify two inputs to define the behavior of the rigid body; the mass of the valve
shutter and the stiffness of the spring that resists the movement of the valve shutter.

The definition of mesh motion requires three steps in AcuConsole:

a. Create the mesh-motion definition (this set of steps).
b. Assign the mesh-motion instance to a surface group.
c. Revisit the mesh-motion settings to couple the forces on the surface with the displacement of the
body.

In the next steps you will create a mesh motion of type rigid body to simulate the valve shutter and virtual
spring. This mesh motion defines how the valve responds to the flow forces. To simplify this task, you
will use the FSI filter in the Data Tree Manager. The FSI filter limits the options in the to show only the
settings related to fluid-structure interactions.

1. Click FSI in the Data Tree Manager to filter all but the settings related to fluid-structure interactions.
2. Right-click Mesh Motion in the Data Tree and click New to create a new mesh motion item.
3. Rename the mesh motion item.
a) Right-click Mesh motion 1.
b) Click Rename.
c) Enter rigid body.
4. Double-click rigid body to open the detail panel.
5. Set the Type to Rigid Body Dynamic.
6. Ensure that X displacement is set to Active.
7. Set the remainder of the displacement and rotation settings to Inactive.
These settings indicate that AcuSolve should only allow for valve motion in the X direction.
8. Enter 0.0167 for Mass.
1
This is the scaled mass of the valve shutter and stem, corresponding to the /12 portion of the
geometry that is modeled.
9. Define the stiffness of the virtual spring supporting the shutter.
a) Click Open Array next to Stiffness.
b) Enter 180.1667 in the XX cell.
This is the scaled stiffness of the spring, corresponding to the portion of the geometry that
is modeled. As the valve translates only in the X direction, all other stiffness settings remain
at zero.

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Figure 592:

10. Click OK.

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Figure 593:

Apply Volume Paramters

Volume groups are containers used for storing information about volumes. This information includes the
list of geometric volumes associated with the container, as well as attributes such as material models and
mesh sizing information.

When the geometry was imported into AcuConsole, all volumes were placed into the "default" volume
container.

In the next steps you will rename the default volume group and set the material for the volume as water.

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1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.
2. Expand the Model Data Tree item.
3. Expand Volumes.
4. Rename the default volume to Fluid.
5. Double-click Element Set to open the Element Set detail panel.
6. Click the drop-down control next to Material model and select Water

Figure 594:

For the next set of steps it is useful to turn off the display of Fluid by clicking so that it is in the
off ( ) state.

5.12.4 Create Surface Groups and Apply Surface Attributes

Surface groups are containers used for storing information about a surface. This information includes the
list of geometric surfaces associated with the container, as well as attributes such as boundary conditions,
surface outputs, and mesh sizing information.

In the next steps you will define surface groups, assign the appropriate attributes for each group in the
problem, and add surfaces to the groups.

Set Inflow Boundary Conditions for the Inlet

In the next steps you will define a surface group for the inlet, assign the multiplier function to describe
the transient pressure, and add the inlet from the geometry to the surface group.

1. Create a new surface group.

a) Right-click Surfaces in the Data Tree.
b) Click New.

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2. Rename the surface to Inlet .

a) Right-click Surface 1 under Surfaces and click Rename on the context menu.
b) Enter Inlet.
3. Expand the Inlet surface in the tree.
4. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the detail panel.
5. Turn Advanced features on.
This will expose the Stagnation pressure multiplier function control that you will use to associate
the multiplier function with the inlet.
6. Change the Type to Inflow.
7. Change the Inflow type to Stagnation Pressure.
8. Set the Stagnation pressure to 1.0 N/m2.
9. Set the Stagnation pressure multiplier function to use the inlet pressure function to apply the
transient pressure at the inlet.
10. Set Turbulence input type to Viscosity Ratio.
When using this setting, AcuSolve will calculate the eddy viscosity based on the material model and
the ratio of turbulent to laminar viscosity.
11. Set the Turbulence viscosity ratio to 10.

Figure 595:

12. Add a geometry surface to the Inlet group.

a) Right-click Inlet and click Add to.

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b) Rotate the geometry by Ctrl+left-clicking near the left side of the geometry and dragging the
cursor to the right.
c) Click the inlet face.

Figure 596:

At this point the inlet should be highlighted

d) Click Done to add this geometry surface to the Inlet surface group.

Set Outflow Boundary Conditions for the Outlet

In the next steps you will define a surface group for the outlet, assign the appropriate attributes and add
the outlet from the geometry to the surface group.

1. Create a new surface group.

2. Rename the surface to Outlet.
3. Expand the Outlet surface in the tree.
4. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the detail panel.
5. Change the Type to Outflow.
6. Add a geometry surface to the Outlet surface container.
a) Right-click Outlet and click Add to.
b) Rotate the model to expose the outlet by Ctrl+left-clicking near the right end of the geometry
and moving the cursor toward the left.
c) Click on the outlet face.

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Figure 597:

At this point, the outlet should be highlighted.

d) Click Done to associate this geometry surface with the surface settings of the Outlet group.

Set Symmetry Boundary Conditions for the Symmetry Planes

The problem is rotationally periodic, allowing for modeling with the use of a section. For this tutorial, a
30-degree section of the geometry is modeled. In order to take advantage of this, the front and rear
faces of the section can be identified as symmetry planes, because the non-streamwise flow contribution
is minimal. The symmetry boundary condition enforces constraints such that the flow field from one side
of the plane is a mirror image of that on the other side.

In the next steps you will define a surface group for the symmetry plane on the front of the modeled
section, and then create a second surface group for the back symmetry plane.

1. Create a new surface group.

2. Rename the surface to Front symmetry.
3. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition under Front symmetry to open the Simple Boundary
Condition detail panel.
4. Change the Type to Symmetry.
5. Change the Mesh displacement BC type to Slip.
This allows the mesh to move freely along the plane.
6. Turn off the display of all surface items except Front symmetry and default.

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Figure 598:

7. Add geometry surfaces to this group.

a) Right-click Front symmetry and click Add to.
b) Click the symmetry plane near the inlet and near the outlet.

Figure 599:

At this point, the front symmetry plane should be highlighted.

c) Click Done to add these geometry surfaces to the Front symmetry surface group.
8. Create a new surface group.
9. Rename the surface to Back symmetry.
10. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition under Back Symmetry to open the Simple Boundary
Condition detail panel.
11. Change the Type to Symmetry.
12. Change the Mesh displacement BC type to Slip.
This allows the mesh to move freely along the plane.

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Figure 600:

13. Turn off the display of all surface items except Back Symmetry and default.
14. Add geometry surfaces to this group.
a) Right-click Back symmetry and click Add to.
b) Click the symmetry plane near the inlet and near the outlet.

Figure 601:

At this point, the back symmetry plane should be highlighted.

c) Click Done to add these geometry surfaces to the Back symmetry surface group.

Set Wall Boundary Conditions for the Valve Shutter Walls

In the next steps you will define a surface group for the walls of the valve shutter, assign the appropriate
settings, and add the faces from the geometry to the surface group. As part of the definition, you will
assign the rigid-body mesh motion that you defined earlier to this surface.

1. Create a new surface group.

2. Rename the surface to Valve wall.
3. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition under Valve wall to open the Simple Boundary
Condition detail panel.
The default Type for the boundary condition for a new surface is Wall.

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4. Set Mesh motion to use the rigid body mesh motion that you defined earlier in this tutorial.
a) Click the drop-down control next to Mesh motion.
b) Click rigid body.

Figure 602:

5. Restore the initial view by clicking on the View Manager toolbar.

The wall of the valve is comprised of many surfaces in the geometry. By orienting the geometry
properly, you can select the surfaces that make up the valve wall with the use of the "rubber band"
selection tool in AcuConsole.
6. Zoom in on the portion of the geometry that represents the valve shutter and stem by using the
right-mouse button or on the View Manager toolbar.
7. Rotate the view by left-clicking above the model and dragging the cursor down and to the right to
expose the shutter and stem walls.

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Figure 603:

8. Turn off the display of all surface items except Valve wall and default.
9. Add geometry surfaces to this group.
a) Right-click Valve wall and click Add to.
b) Hold the Shift key down, left-click, and drag a selection box (rubber band) around the valve
and stem.

Figure 604:

c) Release the left key and the valve shutter and stem should be highlighted.

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Figure 605:

d) Click Done to add these geometry surfaces to the Valve wall surface group.

Set Wall Boundary Conditions for the Pipe Walls

When the geometry was loaded into AcuConsole, all geometry surfaces were placed in the default surface
group. In the previous steps, you selected geometry surfaces to be placed in the groups that you created.
At this point, all that is left in the default surface group is the pipe wall. Rather than create a new container,
add the wall surfaces in the geometry to it, and then delete the default surface container, you will rename
the existing container.

1. Rename the default surface to Pipe wall.

2. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition under Pipe wall to open the detail panel.
The default wall settings will be used for the pipe wall.

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Figure 606:

Couple Mesh Motion to the Valve Wall

As the final step in enabling the use of mesh motion, you will revisit the mesh-motion definition to couple
the mesh motion that you created earlier with the valve wall surface group. This step instructs AcuSolve
to extract the forces on the valve from the set of surfaces that you specify in this step.

1. Click FSI in the Data Tree Manager to display the options relevant to setting up an FSI model in
the Data Tree.
2. Expand the Global > Mesh Motion tree item.
3. Double-click rigid body to open the detail panel.
4. Scroll to the bottom of the panel and click Open Refs next to Surface outputs.
5. Click Add Row in the Reference Editor.
6. Click the drop-down control for row 1 and select Valve wall.

Figure 607:

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7. Click OK.

5.12.5 Assign Mesh Controls

Set Global Meshing Parameters

Now that the simulation has been defined, attributes need to be added to define the mesh sizes that will
be created by the mesher.

AcuConsole supports three levels of meshing control, global, zone and geometric.
• Global mesh controls apply to the whole model without being tied to any geometric component of
the model.
• Zone mesh controls apply to a defined region of the model, but are not associated with a particular
geometric component.
• Geometric mesh controls are applied to a specific geometric component. These controls can be
applied to volume groups, surface groups, or edge groups.

In the next steps you will set global meshing attributes. In subsequent steps you will create zone and
surface meshing attributes.

1. Click MSH in the Data Tree Manager to filter the settings in the Data Tree to show only the controls
related to meshing.
2. Double-click the Global Data Tree item to expand it.
3. Double-click Global Mesh Attributes to open the detail panel.
4. Change the Mesh size type to Absolute.
5. Enter 0.005 m for the Absolute mesh size.
This absolute mesh size is chosen to ensure that there are at least 50 mesh elements around the
circumference of the main pipe.
6. Turn off the Curvature refinement parameters option.
7. Change the Mesh growth rate to 1.2.
This option controls that rate at which the mesh transitions between regions of different surface and
volume size. Setting this to a value of 1.2 allows for a gradual transition between finely meshed
regions and coarsely meshed regions.
8. Set the Maximum sweep angle to 30.0 degrees.
This option allows you to set the maximum sweep angle for edge-blend meshing on a global basis,
which creates a radial array of elements around sharp edges to provide better resolution of the flow
features. The sweep angle is used to control how many degrees each radial division spans.

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Figure 608:

Set Zone Meshing Parameters

In addition to setting meshing characteristics for the whole problem, you can assign meshing attributes
to a zone within the problem where you want to be able to resolve flow with a mesh that is more refined
than the global mesh. A zone mesh refinement can be created using basic shapes to control the mesh
size within that shape. These types of mesh refinement are used when refinement is needed in an area
that does not correspond to a geometric item.

In the following steps you will add mesh refinements in the zone around the valve gap and around the
valve body.

Set Zone Meshing Parameters for the Gap

In the next steps you will add a set of mesh attributes for a zone around the gap between the valve
shutter and the orifice.

1. Turn off the display of Volumes.

2. Turn off the display of all surfaces except Valve wall and Pipe wall.
3. Restore the initial view by clicking on the View Manager toolbar.
4. Right-click Zone Mesh Attributes under the Global branch in the Data Tree and click New.
5. Rename Zone Mesh Attributes 1 to Gap mesh refinement.
6. Double-click Gap mesh refinement to open the Zone Mesh Attributes detail panel.
7. Change the Mesh zone type to Cylinder.
8. Set the location of the mesh refinement by defining the center points of the end faces of the cylinder.
a) Click Open Array to open the Array Editor dialog.
b) Enter -0.05 for X-coordinate 1.
c) Enter -0.03 for X-coordinate 2.
d) Enter 0.025 for Y-coordinate 1 and 2.
e) Enter 0.0 for Z-coordinate 1 and 2.

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f) Click OK.
9. Enter 0.01 m for the Radius.
This radius is used to define a cylinder that encloses the gap in the modeled section of the check
valve.
10. Enter 0.0015 m for the Mesh size.
This will result in a zone where the mesh size provides at least three cells between the shutter and
the edge of the orifice in the initial position.

Figure 609:

Figure 610:

Set Zone Meshing Parameters for the Valve Body

In the next steps you will add a set of mesh attributes for a zone around the valve body.

1. Right-click Zone Mesh Attributes under the Global branch in the Data Tree and click New.
2. Rename Zone Mesh Attributes 1 to Valve body mesh refinement.
3. Double-click Valve body mesh refinement to open the Zone Mesh Attributes detail panel.
4. Change the Mesh zone type to Cylinder.
5. Set the location of the mesh refinement by defining the center points of the end faces of the cylinder.
a) Click Open Array to open the Array Editor dialog.

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Figure 611:

b) Enter -0.06 for X-coordinate 1.

c) Enter 0.04 for X-coordinate 2.
d) Enter 0.02 for Y-coordinate 1 and 2.
e) Enter 0.0 for Z-coordinate 1 and 2.
f) Click OK.
6. Enter 0.021 m for the Radius.
This radius is used to define a cylinder that encloses the gap in the modeled section of the check
valve.
7. Enter 0.0025 m for the Mesh size.
This will result in a zone where the mesh size is half of the global mesh size.

Figure 612:

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Figure 613:

Set Meshing Attributes for Surface Groups

In the following steps you will set meshing attributes that will allow for localized control of the mesh size
on surface groups that you created earlier in this tutorial. Specifically, you will set local meshing attributes
that control the growth of boundary layer elements normal to the surfaces of the pipe walls and valve walls.

Set Surface Meshing Attributes for the Pipe Walls

In the next steps you will set meshing attributes that allow for localized control of the mesh near the
walls of the pipe. The mesh size on the wall of the pipe will be inherited from the global mesh size that
was defined earlier. The settings that follow will only control the growth of the boundary layer from the
walls of the pipe into the fluid volume.

1. Expand the Model > Surfaces > Pipe wall tree item.
2. Click the checkbox next to Surface Mesh Attributes to enable the settings and open the Surface
Mesh Attributes detail panel.
3. Change the Mesh size type to None.
This option indicates that the mesher will use the global meshing attributes when creating the mesh
on the surface of the pipe walls.
4. Turn on the Boundary layer flag option.
This option allows you to define how the meshing should be handled in the direction normal to the
walls.
5. Set the Resolve option to Total Layer Height.
Mesh elements for a boundary layer are grown in the normal direction from a surface to allow
effective resolution of the steep gradients near no-slip walls. The layers can be specified using a
number of different options. In this tutorial you will specify the height of the first layer, a stretch
ratio for successive layers (growth rate), and the total number of layers to generate. AcuConsole
will resolve the total layer height from the attributes that you provide. That is, total layer height will

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be computed based on the height of the first element, the growth rate, and the number of layers
that you provide in the next few steps.
6. Enter 0.00035 m for First element height.
7. Enter 1.2 for the Growth rate.
8. Enter 3 for the Number of layers.
9. Turn on the Boundary layer blends flag option.
This option creates a radial array of boundary layer elements around exterior corners.
10. Enter 30.0 degrees as the Maximum sweep angle.

Figure 614:

Set Surface Meshing Attributes for the Valve Walls

In the next steps you will set meshing attributes that allow for localized control of the mesh size near
the walls of the valve shutter assembly.

1. Expand the Model > Surfaces > Valve wall tree item.
2. Click the checkbox next to Surface Mesh Attributes to enable the settings and open the Surface
Mesh Attributes detail panel.
3. Change the Mesh size type to None.
4. Turn on the Boundary layer flag option.
5. Set the Resolve option to Total Layer Height.
6. Enter 0.00015 m for First element height.

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7. Enter 1.2 for the Growth rate.

8. Enter 3 for the Number of layers.
9. Turn on the Boundary layer blends flag option.
This option creates a radial array of boundary layer elements around exterior corners.
10. Enter 30.0 degrees as the Maximum sweep angle.

Figure 615:

Generate the Mesh

In the next steps you will generate the mesh that will be used when computing a solution for the problem.

1. Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuMeshSim dialog.

For this case, the default values will be used.
2. Click Ok to begin meshing.
During meshing an AcuTail window will open. Meshing progress is reported in this window. A
summary of the meshing process indicates that the mesh has been generated.

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Figure 616:

3. Display the mesh on surfaces.

a) Right-click Zone Mesh Attributes under Global in the Data Tree and click Display off.
b) Right-click Volumes in the Data Tree and click Display off.
c) Right-click Surfaces in the Data Tree and click Display on.
d) Right-click Surfaces in the Data Tree, select Display type and click solid & wire.
4. Rotate, move or zoom the view to examine the mesh.
5. Turn off the display of Gap mesh refinement and Valve wall mesh refinement under Global >
Zone Mesh Attributes by clicking next to the surface so that it is in the display off state ( ),
Details of the mesh on the front symmetry plane are shown in Figure 617. This view was obtained
by reorienting the view with on the View Manager toolbar, then zooming in on the model.

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Figure 617: Mesh Details Around the Valve Viewed on the Front Symmetry Plane

Note that the mesh size in the pipe decreases from left to right in the transition from a region where
global settings determine the size to the zone around the gap where the settings are for a finer
mesh. Note also that the mesh to the right of the valve shutter is smaller than the global mesh as
determined in the Valve body mesh refinement that you created.

5.12.6 Compute the Solution and Review the Results

Run AcuSolve

In the next steps you will launch AcuSolve to compute the solution for this case.

1. Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuSolve dialog.

2. Enter 4 for Number of processors, if your system has four or more processors.
The use of multiple processors can reduce solution time.
3. Accept all other default settings.
Based on these settings, AcuConsole will generate the AcuSolve input files, then launch the solver.
AcuSolve will run on four processors to calculate the transient solution for this problem.
4. Click Ok to start the solution process.
As the solution progresses, an AcuTail window will open. Solution progress is reported in this
window. A summary of the solution process indicates that the simulation has been completed. The
information provided in the summary is based on the number of processors used by AcuSolve. If
you used a different number of processors than indicated in this tutorial, the summary for your run
may be slightly different than the summary shown.

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Figure 618:

Monitor the Solution with AcuProbe

While AcuSolve is running, you can monitor the inlet pressure and displacement of the valve using
AcuProbe.

1.
Open AcuProbe by clicking the icon on the toolbar.
2. Expand the window by dragging the lower right corner.
3. Expand the Data Tree by dragging the right edge.
4. Expand the Surface Output item in the Data Tree.
5. Expand Inlet under the Surface Output item.
6. Right-click pressure under the Inlet item and select Plot.

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As the solution progresses, the plot will update. If you opened AcuProbe after the solution completed,

click to refresh the plot.

7. Collapse Inlet under the Surface Output item.
8. Expand Valve wall under the Surface Output item.
9. Right-click mesh_x_displacement under the Valve wall item and click Plot.

Figure 619:

Post-Process Flow Rate with AcuProbe

AcuProbe has the ability to plot many other flow quantities. One such quantity is mass flow rate at the
valve outlet. While AcuProbe does not have the option to plot volume flow rate directly, it can be calculated
for incompressible flow using a user function.

In the next steps you will create a user function for the display of volume flow rate in AcuProbe.

1. Turn off the plot of pressure at the inlet.

a) Right-click Inlet.
b) Select Plot None.
2. Turn off the plot of mesh_x_displacement on the valve wall.

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a) Right-click Valve wall.

b) Select Plot None.
3. Create a user function for volume flow rate.
a)
Click on the toolbar to open the User Function dialog.
b) Enter Volume flow rate for the Name.
c) Enter mass_flux = in the Function box.
d) Expand Surface Output > Outlet in the Data Tree.
e) Right-click mass_flux and click Copy Name.
f) Paste the name into the Function box on the User Function dialog.
g) On the next line type value = mass_flux/1000.0.
This sets the value to be plotted as the mass flux at the outlet divided by the density of water.

Figure 620:

h) Click Apply and Close the dialog.

4.
Click on the toolbar to refresh the plot of volume flow rate.

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Figure 621:

View Results with AcuFieldView

Now that a solution has been calculated, you are ready to view the flow field using AcuFieldView.
AcuFieldView is a third-party post-processing tool that is tightly integrated toAcuSolve. AcuFieldView can
be started directly from AcuConsole, or it can be started from the Start menu, or from a command line.
In this tutorial you will start AcuFieldView from AcuConsole after the solution is calculated by AcuSolve.

In the following steps you will start AcuFieldView, display velocity magnitude and animate the view to
show mesh displacement. You will then display velocity vectors and pressure contours when the valve
shutter is at maximum displacement.

Start AcuFieldView

1. Click on the AcuConsole toolbar to open the Launch AcuFieldView dialog.

Figure 622:

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2. Click Ok to start AcuFieldView.

When you start AcuFieldView from AcuConsole, the results from the last time step of the solution
that were written to disk will be loaded for post-processing.

Display Velocity Magnitude on the Front Symmetry Plane

In the next steps you will create a boundary surface to display contours of velocity magnitude on the front
symmetry plane of the modeled slice.

These steps are provided with the assumption that you are able to manipulate the view in AcuFieldView to
have a white background, perspective turned off, outlines turned off, and the viewing direction set to +Z. If
you are unfamiliar with basic AcuFieldView operations, refer to Manipulate the Model View in AcuFieldView .

1.
Click on the side toolbar to open the Boundary Surface dialog.

Note: The dialog may already be open. This step will put the focus on the dialog.

2. Disable the Show Mesh option.

3. Set velocity_magnitude as the scalar field to display.
a) Click Select in the Scalar Function control group to open the Function Selection dialog.
b) Select velocity_magnitude from the list.

Note: You may need to scroll down in the list to find velocity_magnitude.

c) Click Calculate.
4. Set the front symmetry plane and pipe walls as the location for display of contours.
a) Click OSF: Front symmetry.
b) Hold the Ctrl key and click OSF: Pipe wall.
c) Click OK.
5. Add a legend to the view.
a) Click the Legend tab in the Boundary Surface dialog.
b) Enable the Show Legend option.
c) Enable the Frame option.
d) Click the white color swatch next to Geometric in the Color group and set the color for the
legend values to black.
e) Set Decimal Places to 1.
f) Click the white color swatch next to the Title field and set the color for the title to black.

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Figure 623:

This image was created with a white background, perspective turned off, outlines turned off, and
the viewing direction set to +Z.

When data was loaded from AcuSolve, AcuFieldView displays information from the final time step.
In the following steps you will display velocity magnitude at the first time step and then animate the
display to show the motion of the valve shutter and the velocity changes throughout the simulation.

Animate the Display of Velocity Magnitude

In the next steps you will create a transient sweep and save it as an animation that can be viewed
independently of AcuFieldView. As a first step, you will change the colormap used by the legend.

1. Set the colormap to use defined maximum and minimum values throughout the transient sweep.
a) Click the Colormap tab.
b) Enter 6.6 for the maximum.
c) Enter 0 for the minimum.
These settings will be used throughout the transient sweep so that the contours at each time step
will all be relative to this specified range.

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Figure 624:

2. Click the Tools menu and then click Transient Data to open the Transient Data Controls dialog.
3. Click Tools > Flipbook Build Mode.
4. Click OK to dismiss the Flipbook Size Warning dialog.
The Sweep button on the Transient Data Controls dialog will have changed to Build.

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Figure 625:

5. Use the slider control to set the SOLUTION TIME to the first time step and click Apply.
6. Click Build.
As AcuFieldView builds the flipbook animation, you will see the controls on the Transient Data
Controls dialog advance. Once the flipbook is built, a Flipbook Controls dialog will allow you to
play or save the animation.

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Figure 626:

7. Click Frame Rate and set the Minimum Time Seconds to 0.1.
8. Use the controls on the Flipbook Controls dialog to play and pause the animation.
9. Save the animation as mesh_velocity_mag.
AcuFieldView will add the appropriate file extension. For Windows, mesh_velocity_mag.avi will be
saved. It can be viewed independently of AcuFieldView by double-clicking it in Windows Explorer.
10. Close the Flipbook Controls dialog and click OK to dismiss the Flipbook Exit Confirmation
warning.

Display Pressure Contours and Velocity Vectors on a Mid-Z Coordinate Surface

In the next steps you will create a coordinate surface at the mid-Z plane of the modeled section. You will
then display pressure contours and velocity vectors on that surface.

1. Disable the Visibility option on the Boundary Surface dialog used to create the display of velocity
magnitude.
2. Open View > Defined Views and set the view to +Z.
3.
Click on the side toolbar to open the Coordinate Surface dialog.

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Figure 627:

4. Create and configure a new coordinate surface at the mid-Z plane.

a) Click Create.
b) Change the DISPLAY TYPE to Smooth.
c) Change the COLORING to Scalar.
d) Select pressure as the Scalar Function to display.
e) Set the COORD PLANE to Z.
This surface will be created in the XY plane at the middle of the geometry in the Z direction.
f) Click the Colormap tab and enable Local in the SCALAR COLORING group.
g) Click the Legend tab and enable the Show Legend option.
h) Click the black color swatch next to the Subtitle field and set the color for the subtitle to white.
5. Create a second coordinate surface at the mid-Z plane for the display of velocity vectors.
a) Click Create on the Surface tab of the Coordinate Surface dialog.

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Figure 628:

b) Change the DISPLAY TYPE to Vectors.

c) Click Options next to Vectors.

Figure 629:

d) Enable Head Scaling and set the scaling to 0.25.

e) Set the Length Scale to 0.5.
f) Enable Skip option and set it to 75 %.

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g) Close the Vector Options dialog.

h) Change the COLORING to Geometric.
i) Set the Geometric color to white.
j) Set the COORD PLANE to Z.
This surface will be created in the XY plane at the middle of the geometry in the Z direction.
6. Zoom in on the valve-body region of the model.
th
7. Set transient data to display the 78 time step.
a) Open Tools > Transient Data.
b) Use the slider to set the TIME STEP to 78.
c) Click Apply.

Figure 630:

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5.15 ACU-5201: Coupled Simulation of a Check Valve using

AcuSolve and MotionSolve

AcuSolve has the capability to solve problems with fluid-structure interactions, as shown in ACU-5200:
Rigid-Body Dynamics of a Check Valve. It can also be coupled with external codes, such as MotionSolve,
in cases where the built-in capabilities of AcuSolve do not fully represent the physics of interest, such as
a collision between solid bodies.

This tutorial provides the instructions for setting up, solving, and viewing results for a simulation of the
opening of a pressure check valve. In this simulation, AcuSolve is used to compute the forces on the valve
due to the time-varying inlet flow field and MotionSolve is used to compute the motion of the valve that
results from these flow forces. This tutorial is designed to introduce you to a number of modeling concepts
necessary to perform simulations of rigid-body dynamics and coupling with MotionSolve. An important
feature of the AcuSolve-MotionSolve coupling is the ability to simulate contact between solid bodies, which
is demonstrated in this tutorial through the collision of the valve with the valve seat.

The basic steps in any CFD simulation were shown in ACU-2000: Turbulent Flow in a Mixing Elbow. The
following additional capabilities of AcuSolve are introduced in this tutorial:
• Coupled solution with external code (MotionSolve)
• Fluid-structure interaction
• Mesh motion
• Transient simulation
• Use of a multiplier function to scale inlet boundary conditions
• Post-processing with AcuProbe
• Results animation

5.15 Prerequisites
You should have already run through the introductory tutorial, ACU-2000: Turbulent Flow in a Mixing
Elbow. It is assumed that you have some familiarity with AcuConsole, AcuSolve, and AcuFieldView. You
will also need access to licensed versions of AcuSolve and MotionSolve 2017.

Prior to running through this tutorial, copy the Pressure_Check_Valve-Coupled\ directory

and its contents from <AcuSolve installation directory>\model_files\tutorials\AcuSolve
\Acu_tutorial_inputs.zip to a working directory. This directory contains the geometry model
in Parasolid ASCII format, pressureCheckValve.x_t, as well as the prepared MotionSolve model,
Valve_model.xml.

5.15.1 Analyze the Problem

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An important first step in any CFD simulation is to examine the engineering problem to be analyzed
and determine the settings that need to be provided to AcuSolve. Settings can be based on geometrical
components (such as volumes, inlets, outlets, or walls) and on flow conditions (such as fluid properties,
velocity, or whether the flow should be modeled as turbulent or as laminar).

The problem to be addressed in this tutorial is shown schematically in Figure 631. It consists of a cylindrical
pipe containing water that flows past a check valve with a shutter attached to a virtual spring (not included
in the geometry). The inlet pressure varies over time and the movement of the shutter will be determined
as a function of the balance of the fluid forces against the reactive force of the spring. The problem is
rotationally periodic at 30° increments about the longitudinal axis, and it is assumed that the resulting flow
is also rotationally periodic, allowing for modeling with the use of a wedge-shaped section. For this tutorial,
a 30° section of the geometry is modeled, as shown in the figure. Modeling a portion of an rotationally
periodic geometry leads to reduced computation time while still providing an accurate solution.

Figure 631: Schematic of Check Valve with Spring-Loaded Shutter

Details of the problem characteristics are shown in the following images extracted from a sample worksheet
that was created prior to setting up the case for AcuSolve.

The pipe has an inlet diameter of 0.08 m and is 0.4 m long. The check-valve assembly is 0.085 m
downstream of the inlet. It consists of a plate 0.005 m thick with a centered orifice 0.044 m in diameter
and a shutter with an initial position 0.005 m from the opening, simulating a nearly closed condition. The
shutter plate is 0.05 m in diameter and 0.005 m thick. The shutter plate is attached to a stem 0.03 m
long and 0.01 m in diameter. The mass of the shutter and stem is 0.2 kg and its motion is affected by a
virtual spring with a stiffness of 2162 N/m. The motion of the valve shutter is limited by a stop mounted
on a perforated plate downstream of the shutter.

Figure 632:

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Modeling the geometry as a 30° section requires that the fluid model is set up to be consistent with the
1
rigid-body model. Since only /12 of the rigid body is modeled, the forces computed by AcuSolve that act
1
on the valve shutter represent /12 of the actual force on the device. The rigid-body-dynamics model was
set up in MotionSolve with scaled settings of mass and spring stiffness to account for the fact that you
are only modeling a small section of the full geometry. Additional information regarding the setup of this
problem in MotionSolve is provided in the MotionSolve documentation.
3
The fluid in this problem is water, which has a density (ρ) of 1000 kg/m and a molecular viscosity (μ)
-3
of 1 X 10 kg/m-sec, as shown in the worksheet.

Figure 633:

At the start of the simulation the flow field is stationary. Flow is driven by the pressure at the inlet, which
varies over time as a piecewise linear function shown in Figure 634. As the pressure at the inlet rises, the
flow will accelerate as the valve opens. The turbulence viscosity ratio is assumed to be 10.

The initial inlet pressure is 0 Pa. At 0.002 s the pressure begins to ramp up and reaches 29,000 Pa at 0.05
s. The pressure is held at 29,000 Pa and begins to ramp back down starting at 0.2 s, reaching the initial
pressure at 0.25 s where it remains for the rest of the simulation.

Figure 634: Transient pressure at the inlet

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Prior simulations of this geometry indicate that the average velocity at the inlet reaches a maximum of
0.98 m/s. At this velocity, the Reynolds number for the flow is 78,400. When the Reynolds number is
above 4,000 it is generally accepted that flow should be modeled as turbulent.

Figure 635:

Note that the initial conditions of the flow are actually laminar, however, the increase in flow velocity and
flow around the valve shutter is expected to cause a rapid transition to turbulent conditions. Therefore,
the simulation will be set up to model transient, turbulent flow. When performing a transient analysis,
convergence is achieved at every time step based on the defined stagger criteria. Mesh motion will be
modeled using arbitrary mesh movement (arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian mesh motion).

Figure 636:

For this case, the transient behavior of interest occurs in the time it takes for the pressure to ramp up and
ramp back down, which is given by the transient pressure profile. To allow time for the spring to recover
additional time will be simulated. For this tutorial 0.1 s is added after the pressure drops back to initial
conditions for a total duration of 0.35 s.

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Figure 637:

Another critical decision in a transient simulation is choosing the time increment. The time increment is the
change in time during a given time step of the simulation. It is important to choose a time increment that
is short enough to capture the changes in flow properties of interest, but does not require unnecessary
computation time.

There are two methods commonly used for determining an appropriate time increment. The first method
involves identification of the time scales of the transient behaviors of interest and setting the time
increment to sufficiently resolve those behaviors. The second method involves setting a limit on the
number of mesh elements that the flow can cross in a given time step. A convenient metric for the number
of mesh elements crossed per time step is the Courant-Friederichs-Lewy number, or CFL number. With
this method, the time increment can be computed from the mesh size, the flow velocity and the desired
CFL number.

The change in inlet pressure from initial conditions to maximum occurs over 0.048 s. A time increment
of 0.002 s would allow for excellent resolution of the transient changes without requiring excessive
computational time. This time increment would result in a CFL number of 0.36, indicating that it would
take approximately three time steps for flow to cross a single mesh element. While the time increment
could be raised and still maintain a favorable CFL number, the value of 0.002 s is chosen to better resolve
the transient changes resulting from the sudden pressure shifts.

Figure 638:

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In addition to setting appropriate conditions to capture the physics of the simulation, it is important to
generate a mesh that is sufficiently refined to provide good results. In this tutorial the global mesh size
is set to provide at least 50 mesh elements around the circumference of the inlet, resulting in a mesh
size of 0.005 m. This mesh size was chosen to provide a quick turnaround time for the model. For real-
world simulations, you would modify your mesh settings after an initial solution until a mesh-independent
solution is reached, that is, a solution that does not change with further mesh refinement.

Figure 639:

AcuSolve allows for mesh refinements in a user-defined region that is independent of geometric
components of the problem such as volumes, model surfaces or edges. It is useful to refine the mesh in
areas where gradients in pressure, velocity, eddy viscosity and the like are steep.

For this problem it is desirable to resolve flow characteristics near the gap between the valve opening
and the shutter. It would also be desirable to be able to resolve flow characteristics around the complete
valve body. The mesh size for the region around the gap will be sized to allow for at least three cells to
span the gap in the initial position. The mesh around the full valve body will be sized so that the average
cell size will be one half of the global mesh size. This local mesh refinement is accomplished using mesh
refinement zones.

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Figure 640:

Once a solution is calculated, the flow properties of interest are the displacement of the moving surface,
velocity of the moving surface, mass flow rate at the outlet, pressure contours on the symmetry plane
and velocity vectors on the symmetry plane.

5.15.2 Define the Simulation Parameters

Start AcuConsole and Create the Simulation Database

This tutorial walks you through the process of setting up and solving a fluid-structure simulation of a
spring-loaded check valve subjected to changes in inlet pressure using AcuSolve, to solve the fluid flow,
coupled with MotionSolve, to solve the rigid-body dynamics.
In this tutorial, you will begin by creating a database, populating the geometry-independent settings,
setting parameters for coupling with MotionSolve, loading the geometry, creating groups, setting group
attributes, adding geometry components to groups, creating a multiplier function, and assigning mesh
controls and boundary conditions to the groups. Next you will generate a mesh and run AcuSolve and
MotionSolve to simulate the transient behavior. You will use AcuProbe to post-process mesh displacement
and mass flow. Finally, you will visualize the results using AcuFieldView.

In the next steps you will start AcuConsole, create the database for storage of AcuConsole settings, and
set the location for saving mesh and solution information for AcuSolve.

1. Start AcuConsole from the Windows Start menu by clicking Start > All Programs > Altair
HyperWorks <version> AcuSolve > AcuConsole.

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2. Click the File menu, then click New to open the New data base dialog.
3. Browse to the location that you would like to use as your working directory.
This directory is where all files related to the simulation will be stored. The AcuConsole database
file (.acs) is stored in this directory. Once the mesh and solution are created, additional files and
directories will be created within this directory.
4. Create a new folder named Check_Valve_Coupled and open this folder.
5. Enter Check_Valve_Coupled as the File name for the database.

Note: In order for other applications to be able to read the files written by AcuConsole,
the database path and name should not include spaces.

6. Click Save to create the database.

Set General Simulation Parameters

In the next steps you will set attributes that apply globally to the simulation. To simplify this task, you
will use the BAS filter in the Data Tree Manager. The BAS filter limits the options in the Data Tree to show
only the basic settings.

The general attributes that you will set for this tutorial are for turbulent flow, transient time analysis,
arbitrary mesh movement, and the use of an external code (MotionSolve).

1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.

Figure 641:

2. Double-click Global in the Data Tree to expand it.

Note: You can also expand a tree item by clicking next to the item name.

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Figure 642:

3. Double-click Problem Description to open the Problem Description detail panel.

4. Enter AcuSolve Tutorial as the Title for this case.
5. Enter Pressure Check Valve - Coupled MotionSolve as the Sub title for this case.
6. Change the Analysis type to Transient.
7. Set the Turbulence equation to Spalart Allmaras.
The robustness and accuracy of the Spalart Allmaras turbulence model makes it an excellent choice
for simulation of transient flows.
8. Change the Mesh type to Arbitrary Mesh Movement (ALE).
9. Turn External code on.
This indicates that AcuSolve will send and receive information from another solver. You will configure
the communication between the codes later in this tutorial.

Figure 643:

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Set Solution Strategy Parameters

In the next steps you will set attributes that control the behavior of AcuSolve as it progresses during the
transient solution.

Figure 644:

1. Double-click Auto Solution Strategy in the Data Tree to open the Auto Solution Strategy detail
panel.
2. Enter 0 for Max time steps.
This value indicates that AcuSolve should ignore this setting and calculate the maximum number of
time steps based on the final time and the time increment.
3. Enter 0.35 sec for the Final time.
4. Enter 0.002 sec for the Initial time increment.

Important: The value entered here must match the print_interval setting in the
prepared MotionSolve model, Valve_model.xml, to ensure that the two solvers stay
synchronized during the solution process.

5. Enter 3 for Max stagger iterations.

This setting determines the maximum number of iterations that will be performed within each time
step.

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Figure 645:

Set Material Model Parameters

AcuConsole has three pre-defined materials, Air, Aluminum and Water.

In the next steps you will verify that the pre-defined material properties of water match the desired
properties for this problem.

Figure 646:

1. Double-click Material Model in the Data Tree to expand it.

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2. Double-click Water in the Data Tree to open the Water detail panel.
3
3. Click the Density tab. Verify that the density of water is 1000.0 kg/m .
4. Click the Viscosity tab. Verify that the viscosity of water is 0.001 kg/m-sec.

Set Nodal Output Frequency

In the next steps you will set an attribute that impacts how often results from the transient simulation
are written to disk. The results can be used to create an animation of the simulation once the run has
completed. Writing the results after every time step produces a collection of output states that allows for
the best visual resolution of the contact between the valve and valve stop.
1. Double-click Output under Global in the Data Tree to expand it.
2. Double-click Nodal Output to open the Nodal Output detail panel.
3. Enter 1 as the Time step frequency.
This value indicates that AcuSolve should write results after every time step.

Figure 647:

Set External Code Parameters for Communication with MotionSolve

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In the next steps you will provide the settings that will allow AcuSolve and MotionSolve to communicate
during the solution process. In this simulation, MotionSolve is being used to calculate the motion of
the valve in response to the fluid loads calculated by AcuSolve. In order to achieve this, AcuSolve and
MotionSolve will communicate through a socket connection. This communication approach enables the
two codes to be run on separate machines and even different operating systems.

1. Click ALL in the Data Tree Manager to show all settings.

2. Double-click External Code Parameters under Global to open the External Code Parameters
detail panel.
3. Set Communication to Socket.
4. Turn Socket initiate off.
This setting indicates that the external code (MotionSolve) will open the socket and AcuSolve will
"listen" for a connection on the indicated socket port.
5. Enter localhost as the Socket host.
This indicates that AcuSolve and MotionSolve are running on the same machine. If MotionSolve was
running on a different machine, the host name or IP address would need to be supplied here.
6. Enter 48000 as the Socket port.
This is the default port used for communication between AcuSolve and MotionSolve.

Figure 648:

5.15.3 Import Geometry and Define the Model

Import the Check Valve Geometry

You will import the geometry in the next part of this tutorial. You will need to know the location of
\Pressure_Check_Valve-Coupled\pressureCheckValve.x_t in order to complete these steps. This file
contains the solid model of the check valve in the Parasolid ASCII format.

1. Click the File menu, then Import.

2. Browse to the directory containing pressureCheckValve.x_t.

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3. Change the File name filter to Parasolid File (*.x_t *.xmt *X_T …
a) Click the drop-down button to the right of the File name field.
b) Click Parasolid File (*.x_t *.xmt *X_T … from the drop-down list.
4. Click pressureCheckValve.x_t and Open to open the Import Geometry dialog.
For this tutorial, the default values for the Import Geometry dialog are used to load the geometry.
If you have previously used AcuConsole, any changes to these settings will be preserved between
AcuConsole sessions. Make sure that any settings that you might have altered are manually changed
to match the default values shown. With the default settings, volumes from the CAD model are
added to a single volume group named "default."
5. Click Ok to complete the geometry import.

Figure 649:

The color of objects shown in the graphics window in this tutorial and those displayed on your
screen may differ. The default color scheme in AcuConsole is "random," in which colors are randomly
assigned to groups as they are created. In addition, this tutorial was developed on Windows. If you
are running this tutorial on a different operating system, you may notice a slight difference between
the images displayed on your screen and the images shown in the tutorial.

Create Multiplier Function for Inlet Pressure

AcuSolve provides the ability to scale values as a function of time and/or time step during a simulation.
This is achieved through the use of a multiplier function. In this tutorial, the inlet stagnation pressure
varies as the simulation progresses. By taking advantage of multiplier functions, you can easily set up a
function to model the pressure changes at the inlet.

In the next steps you will create a multiplier function for the pressure at the inlet. This multiplier function
will be applied to the inlet later in this tutorial.

In this tutorial, the inlet pressure starts at 0 pascals, ramps up to 29,000 Pa, is held steady briefly, and
then ramps back to 0 Pa.

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Figure 650:

To make the creation of the multiplier functions as simple as possible, you will use the PB* filter in the
Data Tree Manager.

1. Click PB* in the Data Tree Manager to show all problem-definition settings.
2. Right-click Multiplier Function under Global in the Data Tree and click New to create a new
multiplier function.
3. Rename the multiplier function.
a) Right-click the newly created Multiplier Function 1 and click Rename.
b) Enter inlet pressure.

Note: When an item in the Data Tree is renamed, the change is not saved until
you press the Enter key on your keyboard. If you move the input focus away from
the item without entering it, your changes will be lost.

c) Double-click inlet pressure to open the multiplier function detail panel.

4. Set the Type to Piecewise Linear.
5. Set the Curve fit variable to Time.
6. Check that the Evaluation type is set to Per Time Step.
This value indicates that AcuSolve should evaluate the multiplier function once for each time step.

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Figure 651:

7. Add the function values for the inlet pressure profile.

a) Click Open Array to open the Array Editor dialog.

Figure 652:

b) Click Add five times to add five new rows.

c) Enter the following values for X (time) and Y (pressure).

X Y

0.0 0.0

0.002 0.0

0.05 29000

0.2 29000

0.25 0.0

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X Y

0.35 0.0

d) Click Plot to expand the Array Editor dialog to display the plot of the curve fit values.
You may need to expand the dialog by dragging the right edge in order to see the plot.

Figure 653:

e) Click OK.
These entries will be used to control the change in inlet pressure throughout the simulation.

Apply Volume Parameters

Volume groups are containers used for storing information about volumes. This information includes the
list of geometric volumes associated with the container, as well as attributes such as material models and
mesh sizing information.

When the geometry was imported into AcuConsole, all volumes were placed into the "default" volume
container.

In the next steps you will rename the default volume group and set the material for the volume as water.

1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.
2. Expand the Model tree item by clicking .
3. Expand Volumes.

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4. Rename the default volume to Fluid.

a) Right-click default under Volumes and click Rename on the context menu.
b) Enter Fluid.
5. Set the material model used for the fluid in the simulation.
a) Expand the Fluid tree item by clicking .
b) Double-click Element Set to open the Element Set detail panel.
c) Click the drop-down control next to Material model.
d) Click Water.

Figure 654:

For the next set of steps it is useful to turn off the display of Fluid by clicking so that it is in the
off ( ) state.

5.15.4 Create Surface Groups and Apply Surface Attributes

Surface groups are containers used for storing information about a surface. This information includes the
list of geometric surfaces associated with the container, as well as attributes such as boundary conditions,
surface outputs, and mesh sizing information.

In the next steps you will define surface groups, assign the appropriate attributes for each group in the
problem, and add surfaces to the groups.

Set Inflow Boundary Conditions for the Inlet

In the next steps you will define a surface group for the inlet, assign the multiplier function to describe
the transient pressure, and add the inlet from the geometry to the surface group.

1. Create a new surface group.

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a) Right-click Surfaces in the Data Tree.

b) Click New.
2. Rename the surface to Inlet .
a) Right-click Surface 1 under Surfaces and click Rename on the context menu.
b) Enter Inlet.
3. Expand the Inlet surface in the tree.
4. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the detail panel.
5. Turn Advanced features on.
This will expose the Stagnation pressure multiplier function control that you will use to associate
the multiplier function with the inlet.
6. Change the Type to Inflow.
7. Change the Inflow type to Stagnation Pressure.
8. Set the Stagnation pressure to 1.0 N/m2.
9. Set the Stagnation pressure multiplier function to use the inlet pressure function to apply the
transient pressure at the inlet.
10. Set Turbulence input type to Viscosity Ratio.
When using this setting, AcuSolve will calculate the eddy viscosity based on the material model and
the ratio of turbulent to laminar viscosity.
11. Set the Turbulence viscosity ratio to 10.

Figure 655:

12. Add a geometry surface to the Inlet group.

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a) Right-click Inlet and click Add to.

b) Rotate the geometry by Ctrl+left-clicking near the left side of the geometry and dragging the
cursor to the right.
c) Click the inlet face.

Figure 656:

At this point the inlet should be highlighted

d) Click Done to add this geometry surface to the Inlet surface group.

Set Outflow Boundary Conditions for the Outlet

In the next steps you will define a surface group for the outlet, assign the appropriate attributes and add
the outlet from the geometry to the surface group.

1. Create a new surface group.

2. Rename the surface to Outlet.
3. Expand the Outlet surface in the tree.
4. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the detail panel.
5. Change the Type to Outflow.
6. Add a geometry surface to the Outlet surface container.
a) Right-click Outlet and click Add to.
b) Rotate the model to expose the outlet by Ctrl+left-clicking near the right end of the geometry
and moving the cursor toward the left.
c) Click on the outlet face.

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Figure 657:

At this point, the outlet should be highlighted.

d) Click Done to associate this geometry surface with the surface settings of the Outlet group.

Set Symmetry Boundary Conditions for the Symmetry Planes

The problem is rotationally periodic, allowing for modeling with the use of a section. For this tutorial, a
30-degree section of the geometry is modeled. In order to take advantage of this, the front and rear
faces of the section can be identified as symmetry planes, because the non-streamwise flow contribution
is minimal. The symmetry boundary condition enforces constraints such that the flow field from one side
of the plane is a mirror image of that on the other side.

In the next steps you will define a surface group for the symmetry plane on the front of the modeled
section, and then create a second surface group for the back symmetry plane.

1. Create a new surface group.

2. Rename the surface to Front symmetry.
3. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition under Front symmetry to open the Simple Boundary
Condition detail panel.
4. Change the Type to Symmetry.
5. Change the Mesh displacement BC type to Slip.
This allows the mesh to move freely along the plane.
6. Turn off the display of all surface items except Front symmetry and default.

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Figure 658:

7. Add geometry surfaces to this group.

a) Right-click Front symmetry and click Add to.
b) Click the symmetry plane near the inlet and near the outlet.

Figure 659:

At this point, the front symmetry plane should be highlighted.

c) Click Done to add these geometry surfaces to the Front symmetry surface group.
8. Create a new surface group.
9. Rename the surface to Back symmetry.
10. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition under Back Symmetry to open the Simple Boundary
Condition detail panel.
11. Change the Type to Symmetry.
12. Change the Mesh displacement BC type to Slip.
This allows the mesh to move freely along the plane.

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Figure 660:

13. Turn off the display of all surface items except Back Symmetry and default.
14. Add geometry surfaces to this group.
a) Right-click Back symmetry and click Add to.
b) Click the symmetry plane near the inlet and near the outlet.

Figure 661:

At this point, the back symmetry plane should be highlighted.

c) Click Done to add these geometry surfaces to the Back symmetry surface group.

Set External Code Surface Attributes for the Valve Shutter Walls

The motion of this surface, resulting from the transient inlet pressure, will be modeled with MotionSolve.
In the next steps you will define a surface group for the walls of the valve shutter, assign the appropriate
settings, and add the faces from the geometry to the surface group.
1. Click ALL in the Data Tree Manager to show all settings.
2. Create a new surface group.
3. Rename the surface to Valve wall.
4. Disable Simple Boundary Condition for Valve wall.
5. Enable External Code Surface.

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Disabling the boundary condition options and enabling external code options indicates that boundary
conditions will be handled by the external code (MotionSolve).
6. Set Coupling type to Rigid Body.
This indicates that the external code will provide rigid-body information for this surface.
7. Enter Model-Shutter Body for Rigid body name.
The name entered here needs to match the body name in the prepared MotionSolve model,
Valve_model.xml, to ensure that information about forces and motion of this surface match up
between AcuSolve and MotionSolve.

Figure 662:

8. Restore the initial view by clicking on the View Manager toolbar. .

9. Zoom in on the portion of the geometry that represents the valve shutter and stem by using the
right-mouse button or on the View Manager toolbar.
10. Rotate the view by left-clicking above the model and dragging the cursor down and to the right to
expose the shutter and stem walls.

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Figure 663:

11. Turn off the display of all surface items except Valve wall and default.
12. Add geometry surfaces to this group.
a) Right-click Valve wall and click Add to.
b) Hold the Shift key down, left-click, and drag a selection box (rubber band) around the valve
and stem.

Figure 664:

c) Release the left key and the valve shutter and stem should be highlighted.

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Figure 665:

d) Click Done to add these geometry surfaces to the Valve wall surface group.

Set Wall Boundary Conditions for the Pipe Walls

When the geometry was loaded into AcuConsole, all geometry surfaces were placed in the default surface
group. In the previous steps, you selected geometry surfaces to be placed in the groups that you created.
At this point, all that is left in the default surface group is the pipe wall. Rather than create a new container,
add the wall surfaces in the geometry to it, and then delete the default surface container, you will rename
the existing container.

1. Rename the default surface to Pipe wall.

2. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition under Pipe wall to open the detail panel.
The default wall settings will be used for the pipe wall.

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Figure 666:

5.15.5 Assign Mesh Controls

Set Global Meshing Parameters

Now that the simulation has been defined, attributes need to be added to define the mesh sizes that will
be created by the mesher.

AcuConsole supports three levels of meshing control, global, zone and geometric.
• Global mesh controls apply to the whole model without being tied to any geometric component of
the model.
• Zone mesh controls apply to a defined region of the model, but are not associated with a particular
geometric component.
• Geometric mesh controls are applied to a specific geometric component. These controls can be
applied to volume groups, surface groups, or edge groups.

In the next steps you will set global meshing attributes. In subsequent steps you will create zone and
surface meshing attributes.

1. Click MSH in the Data Tree Manager to filter the settings in the Data Tree to show only the controls
related to meshing.
2. Double-click the Global Data Tree item to expand it.
3. Double-click Global Mesh Attributes to open the detail panel.
4. Change the Mesh size type to Absolute.
5. Enter 0.005 m for the Absolute mesh size.

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This absolute mesh size is chosen to ensure that there are at least 50 mesh elements around the
circumference of the main pipe.
6. Turn off the Curvature refinement parameters option.
7. Change the Mesh growth rate to 1.2.
This option controls that rate at which the mesh transitions between regions of different surface and
volume size. Setting this to a value of 1.2 allows for a gradual transition between finely meshed
regions and coarsely meshed regions.
8. Set the Maximum sweep angle to 30.0 degrees.
This option allows you to set the maximum sweep angle for edge-blend meshing on a global basis,
which creates a radial array of elements around sharp edges to provide better resolution of the flow
features. The sweep angle is used to control how many degrees each radial division spans.

Figure 667:

Set Zone Meshing Parameters

In addition to setting meshing characteristics for the whole problem, you can assign meshing attributes
to a zone within the problem where you want to be able to resolve flow with a mesh that is more refined
than the global mesh. A zone mesh refinement can be created using basic shapes to control the mesh
size within that shape. These types of mesh refinement are used when refinement is needed in an area
that does not correspond to a geometric item.

In the following steps you will add mesh refinements in the zone around the valve gap and around the
valve body.

Set Zone Meshing Parameters for the Gap

In the next steps you will add a set of mesh attributes for a zone around the gap between the valve
shutter and the orifice.

1. Turn off the display of Volumes.

2. Turn off the display of all surfaces except Valve wall and Pipe wall.

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3. Restore the initial view by clicking on the View Manager toolbar.

4. Right-click Zone Mesh Attributes under the Global branch in the Data Tree and click New.
5. Rename Zone Mesh Attributes 1 to Gap mesh refinement.
6. Double-click Gap mesh refinement to open the Zone Mesh Attributes detail panel.
7. Change the Mesh zone type to Cylinder.
8. Set the location of the mesh refinement by defining the center points of the end faces of the cylinder.
a) Click Open Array to open the Array Editor dialog.
b) Enter -0.05 for X-coordinate 1.
c) Enter -0.03 for X-coordinate 2.
d) Enter 0.025 for Y-coordinate 1 and 2.
e) Enter 0.0 for Z-coordinate 1 and 2.
f) Click OK.
9. Enter 0.01 m for the Radius.
This radius is used to define a cylinder that encloses the gap in the modeled section of the check
valve.
10. Enter 0.0015 m for the Mesh size.
This will result in a zone where the mesh size provides at least three cells between the shutter and
the edge of the orifice in the initial position.

Figure 668:

Figure 669:

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Set Zone Meshing Parameters for the Valve Body

In the next steps you will add a set of mesh attributes for a zone around the valve body.

1. Right-click Zone Mesh Attributes under the Global branch in the Data Tree and click New.
2. Rename Zone Mesh Attributes 1 to Valve body mesh refinement.
3. Double-click Valve body mesh refinement to open the Zone Mesh Attributes detail panel.
4. Change the Mesh zone type to Cylinder.
5. Set the location of the mesh refinement by defining the center points of the end faces of the cylinder.
a) Click Open Array to open the Array Editor dialog.

Figure 670:

b) Enter -0.06 for X-coordinate 1.

c) Enter 0.04 for X-coordinate 2.
d) Enter 0.02 for Y-coordinate 1 and 2.
e) Enter 0.0 for Z-coordinate 1 and 2.
f) Click OK.
6. Enter 0.021 m for the Radius.
This radius is used to define a cylinder that encloses the gap in the modeled section of the check
valve.
7. Enter 0.0025 m for the Mesh size.
This will result in a zone where the mesh size is half of the global mesh size.

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Figure 671:

Figure 672:

Set Meshing Attributes for Surface Groups

In the following steps you will set meshing attributes that will allow for localized control of the mesh size
on surface groups that you created earlier in this tutorial. Specifically, you will set local meshing attributes
that control the growth of boundary layer elements normal to the surfaces of the pipe walls and valve walls.

Set Surface Meshing Attributes for the Pipe Walls

In the next steps you will set meshing attributes that allow for localized control of the mesh near the
walls of the pipe. The mesh size on the wall of the pipe will be inherited from the global mesh size that
was defined earlier. The settings that follow will only control the growth of the boundary layer from the
walls of the pipe into the fluid volume.

1. Expand the Model > Surfaces > Pipe wall tree item.
2. Click the checkbox next to Surface Mesh Attributes to enable the settings and open the Surface
Mesh Attributes detail panel.
3. Change the Mesh size type to None.
This option indicates that the mesher will use the global meshing attributes when creating the mesh
on the surface of the pipe walls.
4. Turn on the Boundary layer flag option.

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This option allows you to define how the meshing should be handled in the direction normal to the
walls.
5. Set the Resolve option to Total Layer Height.
Mesh elements for a boundary layer are grown in the normal direction from a surface to allow
effective resolution of the steep gradients near no-slip walls. The layers can be specified using a
number of different options. In this tutorial you will specify the height of the first layer, a stretch
ratio for successive layers (growth rate), and the total number of layers to generate. AcuConsole
will resolve the total layer height from the attributes that you provide. That is, total layer height will
be computed based on the height of the first element, the growth rate, and the number of layers
that you provide in the next few steps.
6. Enter 0.00035 m for First element height.
7. Enter 1.2 for the Growth rate.
8. Enter 3 for the Number of layers.
9. Turn on the Boundary layer blends flag option.
This option creates a radial array of boundary layer elements around exterior corners.
10. Enter 30.0 degrees as the Maximum sweep angle.

Figure 673:

Set Surface Meshing Attributes for the Valve Walls

In the next steps you will set meshing attributes that allow for localized control of the mesh size near
the walls of the valve shutter assembly.

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1. Expand the Model > Surfaces > Valve wall tree item.
2. Click the checkbox next to Surface Mesh Attributes to enable the settings and open the Surface
Mesh Attributes detail panel.
3. Change the Mesh size type to None.
4. Turn on the Boundary layer flag option.
5. Set the Resolve option to Total Layer Height.
6. Enter 0.00015 m for First element height.
7. Enter 1.2 for the Growth rate.
8. Enter 3 for the Number of layers.
9. Turn on the Boundary layer blends flag option.
This option creates a radial array of boundary layer elements around exterior corners.
10. Enter 30.0 degrees as the Maximum sweep angle.

Figure 674:

Generate the Mesh

In the next steps you will generate the mesh that will be used when computing a solution for the problem.

1. Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuMeshSim dialog.

2. Click Ok to begin meshing.
During meshing an AcuTail window will open. Meshing progress is reported in this window. A
summary of the meshing process indicates that the mesh has been generated.

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Figure 675:

3. Display the mesh on surfaces.

a) Right-click Zone Mesh Attributes under Global in the Data Tree and click Display off.
b) Right-click Volumes in the Data Tree and click Display off.
c) Right-click Surfaces in the Data Tree and click Display on.
d) Right-click Surfaces in the Data Tree, select Display type and click solid & wire.
4. Rotate, move, or zoom the view to examine the mesh.
5. Turn off the display of Gap mesh refinement and Valve wall mesh refinement under Global >
Zone Mesh Attributes by clicking next to the surface so that it is in the display off state ( ).
Details of the mesh on the front symmetry plane are shown below. This view was obtained by
reorienting the view with on the View Manager toolbar, then zooming in on the model.

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Figure 676: Mesh Details Around the Valve Viewed on the Front Symmetry Plane

Note that the mesh size in the pipe decreases from left to right in the transition from a region where
global settings determine the size to the zone around the gap where the settings are for a finer
mesh. Note also that the mesh to the right of the valve shutter is smaller than the global mesh as
determined in the Valve body mesh refinement that you created.

5.15.6 Compute the Solution and Review the Results

Solve the Problem

This tutorial uses a coupled solution between AcuSolve for the flow field and MotionSolve for the rigid-
body-dynamics. Solving the problem for this tutorial involves two steps:
a. Start AcuSolve.
b. Start MotionSolve.

The next sets of steps provide instructions for these two tasks.

Run AcuSolve

In the next steps you will launch AcuSolve to compute the solution for this case.

1. Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuSolve dialog.

2. Enter 4 for Number of processors, if your system has four or more processors.
The use of multiple processors can reduce solution time.
3. Accept all other default settings.

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Based on these settings, AcuConsole will generate the AcuSolve input files, then launch the solver.
AcuSolve will run on four processors to calculate the transient solution for this problem.
4. Click Ok to start the solution process.
As the solution progresses, an AcuTail dialog will open. Solution progress is reported in this dialog.
Since the solution is coupled, the information in the AcuTail dialog will pause after AcuSolve starts,
pending communication with MotionSolve, which you will start in the next set of steps.

Figure 677:

Run MotionSolve

In the next steps you will start MotionSolve and provide settings for communication with AcuSolve.

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1. Run Start > All Programs > Altair HyperWorks 2017 > MotionSolve to open the HyperWorks
Solver Run Manager.
2. Browse to the location of \Pressure_Check_Valve-Coupled\Valve_model.xml. and select this as
the Input file.
This file contains MotionSolve version of the model.
3. Change the Files of type filter to Motion Solve Data (*.xml, *.acf, *.py).
4. Click Valve_model.xml and Open.
5.
Click next to Options to open the Available Options dialog.

Figure 678:

6. Enable the -as_cosim option to indicate coupling between MotionSolve and AcuSolve.
7. In the -as_cosim dialog that appear, click None.
8. Click Apply Options and close the dialog.
9. Click Run to start MotionSolve.
As the solution progresses, a HyperWorks Solver View window will open. Solution progress is
reported in this window. The AcuSolve AcuTail window will also update as the solution progresses.

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Figure 679:

As the solution progresses, you can monitor the progress with AcuProbe, as detailed in the next steps.

Monitor the Solution with AcuProbe

While AcuSolve is running, you can monitor flow characteristics such as inlet pressure, displacement of
the valve, and velocity of the valve, using AcuProbe.

1.
Open AcuProbe by clicking the icon on the toolbar.
2. Expand the window by dragging the lower right corner.
3. Expand the Data Tree by dragging the right edge.

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Figure 680:

4. Expand the Surface Output item in the Data Tree.

5. Expand Inlet under the Surface Output item.
6. Right-click pressure under the Inlet item and select Plot.

Note: You might need to click the icon on the toolbar in order to properly display
the plot.

7. Collapse Inlet under the Surface Output item.

8. Expand Valve wall under the Surface Output item.
9. Right-click mesh_x_displacement under the Valve wall item and click Plot.

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Figure 681:

Note that the valve motion lags behind the pressure changes at the inlet. Note also the spike around
th
the 25 time step. This represents the collision of the valve stem with the stop and the subsequent
rebound of the valve.

Post-Process Velocity of Valve Walls with AcuProbe

AcuProbe has the ability to plot many other quantities. One such quantity is velocity of the moving valve.
In the next steps you will create a plot of the x-velocity of the valve walls.
1. Turn off the plot of pressure at the inlet.
a) Right-click Inlet.
b) Select Plot None.
2. Expand Valve wall.
3. Right-click x_velocity and click Plot.
4.
Click on the toolbar to refresh the plot.

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Figure 682:

th
Note that the the spike in mesh_x_displacement around the 25 time step corresponds with a
sudden decrease in the velocity of the valve walls. This represents the collision of the valve stem
with the stop and the subsequent rebound is reflected by a negative X velocity.

View Results with AcuFieldView

Now that a solution has been calculated, you are ready to view the flow field using AcuFieldView.
AcuFieldView is a third-party post-processing tool that is tightly integrated toAcuSolve. AcuFieldView can
be started directly from AcuConsole, or it can be started from the Start menu, or from a command line.
In this tutorial you will start AcuFieldView from AcuConsole after the solution is calculated by AcuSolve.

In the following steps you will start AcuFieldView, display velocity magnitude and animate the view to
show mesh displacement. You will then display velocity vectors and pressure contours when the valve
shutter is at maximum displacement.

Start AcuFieldView

1. Click on the AcuConsole toolbar to open the Launch AcuFieldView dialog.

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Figure 683:

2. Click Ok to start AcuFieldView.

When you start AcuFieldView from AcuConsole, the results from the last time step of the solution
that were written to disk will be loaded for post-processing.

Display Velocity Magnitude on the Front Symmetry Plane

In the next steps you will create a boundary surface to display contours of velocity magnitude on the front
symmetry plane of the modeled slice.

These steps are provided with the assumption that you are able to manipulate the view in AcuFieldView to
have a white background, perspective turned off, outlines turned off, and the viewing direction set to +Z. If
you are unfamiliar with basic AcuFieldView operations, refer to Manipulate the Model View in AcuFieldView .

1.
Click on the side toolbar to open the Boundary Surface dialog.

Note: The dialog may already be open. This step will put the focus on the dialog.

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Figure 684:

2. Disable the Show Mesh option.

3. Set velocity_magnitude as the scalar field to display.
a) Click Select in the Scalar Function control group to open the Function Selection dialog.
b) Select velocity_magnitude from the list.

Note: You may need to scroll down in the list to find velocity_magnitude.

c) Click Calculate.
4. Set the front symmetry plane and pipe walls as the location for display of contours.
a) Click SBC: Front symmetry.
b) Hold the Ctrl key and click SBC: Pipe wall.
c) Click OK.
5. Add a legend to the view.
a) Click the Legend tab in the Boundary Surface dialog.

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Figure 685:

b) Enable the Show Legend option.

c) Enable the Frame option.
d) Click the white color swatch next to Geometric in the Color group and set the color for the
legend values to black.
e) Set Decimal Places to 1.
f) Click the white color swatch next to the Title field and set the color for the title to black.

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Figure 686:

This image was created with a white background, perspective turned off, outlines turned off, and
the viewing direction set to +Z.

When data was loaded from AcuSolve, AcuFieldView displays information from the final time step.
In the following steps you will display velocity magnitude at the first time step and then animate the
display to show the motion of the valve shutter and the velocity changes throughout the simulation.

Animate the Display of Velocity Magnitude

In the next steps you will create a transient sweep and save it as an animation that can be viewed
independently of AcuFieldView. As a first step, you will change the colormap used by the legend.

1. Set the colormap to use defined maximum and minimum values throughout the transient sweep.
a) Click the Colormap tab.

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Figure 687:

b) Enter 6.6 for the maximum.

c) Enter 0 for the minimum.
These settings will be used throughout the transient sweep so that the contours at each time step
will all be relative to this specified range.
2. Click the Tools menu and then click Transient Data to open the Transient Data Controls dialog.
3. Click Tools > Flipbook Build Mode.
4. Click OK to dismiss the Flipbook Size Warning dialog.
The Sweep button on the Transient Data Controls dialog will have changed to Build.

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Figure 688:

5. Use the slider control to set the SOLUTION TIME to the first time step and click Apply.
6. Click Build.
As AcuFieldView builds the flipbook animation, you will see the controls on the Transient Data
Controls dialog advance. Once the flipbook is built, a Flipbook Controls dialog will allow you to
play or save the animation.

Figure 689:

7. Click Frame Rate and set the Minimum Time Seconds to 0.1.
8. Use the controls on the Flipbook Controls dialog to play and pause the animation.
9. Save the animation as mesh_velocity_mag_coupled.
AcuFieldView will add the appropriate file extension. For Windows,
mesh_velocity_mag_coupled.avi will be saved. It can be viewed independently of AcuFieldView
by double-clicking it in Windows Explorer.

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10. Close the Flipbook Controls dialog and click OK to dismiss the Flipbook Exit Confirmation
warning.

Display Pressure Contours and Velocity Vectors on a Mid-Z Coordinate Surface

In the next steps you will create a coordinate surface at the mid-Z plane of the modeled section. You will
then display pressure contours and velocity vectors on that surface.

1. Disable the Visibility option on the Boundary Surface dialog used to create the display of velocity
magnitude.
2. Open View > Defined Views and set the view to +Z.
3.
Click on the side toolbar to open the Coordinate Surface dialog.

Figure 690:

4. Create and configure a new coordinate surface at the mid-Z plane.

a) Click Create.
b) Change the DISPLAY TYPE to Smooth.
c) Change the COLORING to Scalar.

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d) Select pressure as the Scalar Function to display.

e) Set the COORD PLANE to Z.
This surface will be created in the XY plane at the middle of the geometry in the Z direction.
f) Click the Colormap tab and enable Local in the SCALAR COLORING group.
g) Click the Legend tab and enable the Show Legend option.
h) Click the black color swatch next to the Subtitle field and set the color for the subtitle to white.
5. Create a second coordinate surface at the mid-Z plane for the display of velocity vectors.
a) Click Create on the Surface tab of the Coordinate Surface dialog.

Figure 691:

b) Change the DISPLAY TYPE to Vectors.

c) Click Options next to Vectors.

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Figure 692:

d) Enable Head Scaling and set the scaling to 0.25.

e) Set the Length Scale to 0.5.
f) Enable Skip option and set it to 75 %.
g) Close the Vector Options dialog.
h) Change the COLORING to Geometric.
i) Set the Geometric color to white.
j) Set the COORD PLANE to Z.
This surface will be created in the XY plane at the middle of the geometry in the Z direction.
6. Zoom in on the valve-body region of the model.
th
7. Set transient data to display the 78 time step.
a) Open Tools > Transient Data.
b) Use the slider to set the TIME STEP to 78.

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Figure 693:

5.15.7 Summary

In this tutorial you worked through a basic workflow to set up a transient simulation for moving mesh
and variable inlet pressure. The solution of this case was coupled between AcuSolve for the flow field
and MotionSolve for the rigid-body dynamics. Once the case was set up, you generated a mesh and
generated a solution using AcuSolve and MotionSolve. AcuProbe was used to post-process the motion of
the valve shutter (x_mesh_displacement) and velocity of the valve walls. Results were also post-processed
in AcuFieldView to allow you to create contour and vector views, and to allow you to view the transient data.
New features introduced in this tutorial include: coupled solution with an external code, fluid-structure
interaction, mesh motion, transient simulation, multiplier functions, post-processing with AcuProbe, and
animation of transient results.

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5.18 ACU-5300: Ship Hull Static

This tutorial provides the instructions for setting up, solving and viewing results for a simulation of flow
around a static ship hull. In this simulation, a wave hits the static ship hull and the flow around the ship
is simulated. This tutorial is designed to introduce you to a number of modelling concepts necessary to
perform Free-Surface simulations.

The basic steps in any CFD simulation were shown in Flow in a Mixing Elbow. The following additional
capabilities of AcuSolve are introduced in this tutorial:
• Use of a User Defined Function (UDF) for the gravity wave generation
• Mesh extrusions
• Periodic boundary conditions
• Use of Surface Manager to apply surface attributes
• Free surface
• Guide surface
• Use of hydrostatic pressure for boundary conditions
• Arbitrary mesh motion using ALE (Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian) method

In this tutorial you will do the following:

• Analyze the problem
• Start AcuConsole and create a simulation database
• Set general problem parameters
• Set solution strategy parameters
• Import the geometry for the Wigley-hull
• Create a volume group and apply volume parameters
• Create surface groups and apply surface parameters
• Set global meshing parameters
• Set mesh extrusion and periodic boundary conditions
• Generate the mesh
• Run AcuSolve
• Monitor the solution with AcuProbe
• Post-processing the nodal output with AcuFieldView

5.18 Prerequisites
You should have already run through the introductory tutorial, ACU-2000: Turbulent Flow in a Mixing
Elbow. It is assumed that you have some familiarity with AcuConsole, AcuSolve, and AcuFieldView. You
will also need access to a licensed version of AcuSolve.

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Prior to running through this tutorial, copy Acu_tutorial_input.zip from <AcuSolve installation
directory>\model_files\tutorials\AcuSolve\Acu_tutorial_inputs.zip to a working directory.
Extract Wigley_hull.x_t and wave.c from Acu_tutorial_input.zip.

The color of objects shown in the graphics window in this tutorial and those displayed on your screen
may differ. The default color scheme in AcuConsole is "random," in which colors are randomly assigned to
groups as they are created. In addition, this tutorial was developed on Windows. If you are running this
tutorial on a different operating system, you may notice a slight difference between the images displayed
on your screen and the images shown in the tutorial.

5.18.1 Analyze the Problem

The problem to be addressed in this tutorial is shown in Figure 694. It is a mid-section of a Wigley
Ship model. Wigley hulls have been widely used as test cases for evaluating hydrodynamic behavior
of ships. The present tutorial demonstrates the simulation of gravity waves hitting a static Wigley hull
(a hypothetical situation of a ship anchored in sea). Since the motion considered in this tutorial is
perpendicular to the length of the ship, an analysis of a 2D section of the ship hull would be appropriate
with lesser computation time without compromising on accuracy. The mid-section dimensions of the Wigley
hull is a function of total ship length and the model used in this tutorial is the mid-section of Wigley hull
whose ship length is 1 m.

Figure 694: Schematic of a Ship Hull

5.18.1 Generation of Surface Gravity Waves

Gravity waves are waves generated in a fluid medium or at the interface between two media when the
force of gravity or buoyancy tries to restore equilibrium. An example of such an interface is that between
[1]
the atmosphere and the ocean, which gives rise to wind waves . The mechanism of surface gravity
waves is that a fluctuation causes water to rise above the equilibrium surface level, gravity pulls it back
down because water is heavier than air, inertia acquired during the falling movement causes water to
penetrate below its level of equilibrium and a bouncing motion results. The oscillation is similar to that of
a spring that has been stretched and released. The ‘spring’ action in a surface water wave is the gravity,
[2]
hence the name of surface gravity wave . In the present simulation, wind-generated gravity waves on
the free surface of the sea are generated using a UDF (User-Defined Function).

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Figure 695: Gravity Waves

Figure 695 depicts parameters that define a simple, progressive gravity wave. This wave can be modeled
in the form of the sinusoidal wave profile, shown below.

where

is the horizontal particle velocity of wave

is the speed of the wave

U is the velocity amplitude of disturbance

is wave number =

is the wave length of the wave

is the depth of the water

is the frequency of the wave =

is the time period of the wave

t is the time

In the present simulation we use the following values for the variables of above equation:

U = 0.1256 m/s

= 1.0 sec
-1
= 12.566 m

= 0.01 m/s

= 0.5 m

In the present tutorial, at the inlet you will generate the wave for 2 seconds and simulate the motion of
the wave for 5 seconds. A UDF (wave.c) written in C language is used for this purpose. For the details of
the functions used in the wave.c, refer to the AcuSolve User-Defined Functions Manual.

5.18.1 Two Dimensional Simulations in AcuSolve

AcuSolve does not support a CFD analysis on a 2D surface mesh. However a 2D analysis can be simulated
on a volume mesh by having a single element extrusion along the perpendicular direction of 2D surface of
interest and then having identical boundary conditions of symmetry or slip on both sides of extrusion. This

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way you can ensure that the solution does not vary along the thickness (extrusion), which is essentially
a 2D representation of the problem. The present tutorial uses this approach.

5.18.2 Define the Simulation Parameters

Start AcuConsole

In this tutorial, you will begin by creating a database, populating the geometry-independent settings,
loading the geometry, creating groups, setting group attributes, adding geometry components to groups,
and assigning mesh controls and boundary conditions to the groups. Next you will generate a mesh and
run AcuSolve to solve for the number of time steps specified. Finally, you will visualize some characteristics
of the results using AcuFieldView.

1. Start AcuConsole from the Windows Start menu by clicking Start > All Programs > Altair
HyperWorks <version> AcuSolve > AcuConsole.
2. Click the File menu, then click New to open the New data base dialog.

Note: You can also open the New data base dialog by clicking on the toolbar.

3. Browse to the location that you would like to use as your working directory.
This directory is where all files related to the simulation will be stored. The AcuConsole database
file (.acs) is stored in this directory. Once the mesh and solution are created, additional files and
directories will be created within this directory.
4. Create a new directory in this location. Name it Ship_hull_static and open this directory.
5. Enter Ship_hull_static as the file name for the database, or choose any name of your preference.

Note: In order for other applications to be able to read the files written by AcuConsole,
the database path and name should not include spaces.

6. Click Save to create the database.

Set General Simulation Parameters

In next steps you will set attributes that apply globally to the simulation. To simplify this task, you will
use the BAS filter in the Data Tree Manager. This filter reduces the number of items shown in the Data
Tree to make navigation of the entries easier.

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The general attributes that you will set for this tutorial are for turbulent flow, transient analysis, and mesh
type as arbitrary mesh movement (ALE).

1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.

Figure 696:

2. Double-click the Global Data Tree item to expand it.

Tip: You can also expand a tree item by clicking next to the item name.

Figure 697:

3. Double-click Problem Description to open the Problem Description detail panel.

4. Enter AcuSolve Tutorial as the Title for this case.
5. Enter Ship hull motion as the Sub title for this case.
6. Click the Analysis type drop down menu and select Transient.
7. Change the Turbulence equation to Spalart Allmaras.
8. Set the Mesh type to Arbitrary Mesh Movement (ALE).

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Figure 698:

Set Solution Strategy Attributes

1. Double-click Auto Solution Strategy to open the Auto Solution Strategy detail panel.
2. Ensure the Analysis type is set to Transient.
3. Set the Max time steps to 100.
4. Set the Initial time increment to 0.05 seconds.
5. Change the Max stagger iterations to 4.
Stagger iterations define how many iterations will be performed within each time step. Changing the
maximum stagger iterations to 4 means that AcuSolve will perform a maximum of four iterations at
every time step whether convergence is achieved or not. Setting the minimum stagger iterations to
0 indicates that there is no minimum number of iterations within a time step. In this case, AcuSolve
will proceed to the next time step when it has either reached the desired convergence tolerance or
the maximum number of stagger iterations within the step.
6. Check that the Relaxation factor is set to 0.0.
When solving transient solutions, the relaxation factor should be set to zero. A non-zero relaxation
factor causes incremental updates of the solution, which will impact the time accuracy of the solution
for transient cases.

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Figure 699:

Set Material Model Parameters

AcuConsole has three pre-defined materials, Air, Aluminum and Water, with standard parameters defined.
In the next steps you will check the material properties of the predefined Water to match the desired
properties for this problem.

Figure 700:

1. Double-click Material Model in the Data Tree to expand it.

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2. Double-click Water in the Data Tree to open the Water detail panel.
The material type water air is Fluid. Fluid is the default material type for any new material created
in AcuConsole.

Figure 701:

3
3. Click the Density tab. The density of water is 1000.0 kg/m .
4. Click the Viscosity tab. The viscosity of water is 0.001 kg/m – sec.
5. Save the database to create a backup of your settings. This can be achieved with any of the following
methods.
• Click the File menu, then click Save.
• Click on the toolbar.
• Click Ctrl+S.

Note: Changes made in AcuConsole are saved into the database file (.acs) as they
are made. A save operation copies the database to a backup file, which can be used
to reload the database from that saved state in the event that you do not want to
commit future changes.

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Set Nodal Output Frequency

The Nodal Output Frequency determines at what frequency or time interval the solution results would be
stored to be used for post processing within AcuFieldView.

1. In the Data Tree, under Global, double-click Output.

2. Double-click Nodal Output to open the detail panel.
3. Enter 2 as the Time step frequency.
This value indicates that AcuSolve should write results every 2 time steps.
4. Turn Output initial condition on.
This indicates that AcuSolve writes initial conditions.
5. Save the database.

5.18.3 Import Geometry and Define the Model

Import the Wigley Hull Ship Geometry

You will import the geometry in the next part of this tutorial. You will need to know the location of
wigley_hull.x_t in order to complete these steps. This file contains information about the geometry in
Parasolid ASCII format.

1. Click File > Import.

2. Browse to the directory containing wigley_hull.x_t.
3. Change the File name filter to Parasolid File (*.x_t *.xmt *X_T …
4. Click wigley_hull.x_t and click Open to open the Import Geometry dialog.

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Figure 702:

For this tutorial, the default values for the Import Geometry dialog are used to load the geometry.
If you have previously used AcuConsole, be sure that any settings that you might have altered
are manually changed to match the default values shown in the figure. With the default settings,
volumes from the CAD model are added to a default volume group. Surfaces from the CAD model
are added to a default surface group. You will work with groups later in this tutorial to create new
groups, set flow parameters, add geometric components, and set meshing parameters.
5. Click Ok to complete the geometry import.

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Figure 703:

6. Rotate the visualization to view the entire model.

Set Body Force

As discussed in the section Analyze the Problem, gravity is the important aspect of the simulation. In
2
AcuConsole it is defined as the Body Force of standard Gravity (g = 9.81 m/s ) along the Z-axis is applied
to the model.
1. In the Data Tree, double-click Body Force to expand it.
2. Double-click Gravity to open the detail panel.
The Medium for Gravity is Fluid. The Gravity defined here is applicable only on material models
whose material type is Fluid.
3. Next to the Gravity field, click Open Array.
4. In the X-components and Y-components fields, enter 0.
2
5. In the Z-components field, enter 9.81 m/s
6. Click OK to complete the definition of Gravity.

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Figure 704:

Note: The definition of Gravity here will have no effect on the simulation unless it
assigned to a Volume in the model.

Apply Volume Attributes

When the geometry was imported into AcuConsole, all volumes were placed into the "default" volume
container.

In the next steps you will rename the default volume group container, set the material for that group and
set mesh motion for the fluid volume.

1. Minimize Global in the Data Tree Manager and expand the Model tree item by clicking .
2. Expand the Volumes tree item.
3. Toggle the display of the default volume container by clicking and next to the volume name.

Note: You may not see any change when toggling the display if Surfaces are being
displayed, as surfaces and volumes may overlap.

4. Create a new volume group for the solid ship hull.

a) Right-click on Volumes.
b) Click New.
5. Rename the new volume group to Guide_Vol_Ship.
6. Add the ship hull component in the geometry to this group.
a) Right-click Guide_Vol_Ship.
b) Click Add to.

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c) Click the ship hull portion of the geometry in the graphics window.
If you rotate the view by Ctrl+ left-clicking, you can see that only the ship volume is highlighted.

Figure 705:

d) Click Done to add the selected volume to the solid volume group.
7. Set the material model for the volume to use to None.
The material model of the ship hull is inappropriate to the present simulation. Hence, the medium
is set to None.

Note: The element sets of the solid volume are necessary in the pre-processing
stage (AcuPrep) of the simulation for the evaluation of normal directions for the
guide surfaces. However the element sets are not necessary during the solver module
because the only interaction between the fluid and solid is at the guide surface. The
use of None for the Medium of this volume ensures that no elements of this volume
are carried over to the solver, thus saving the computational time.

a) Expand the Guide_Vol_Ship volume group in the tree.

b) Double-click Element Set to open the Element Set detail panel.
c) Change the Medium to None.

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d) Check that the Mesh motion is set to None.

When the geometry was loaded into AcuConsole, all geometry volumes were placed in the default volume
group container. In the previous steps, you selected a geometry volume to be added to Guide_Vol_Ship
container that you created. At this point, all that is left in the default volume group is the fluid volume.
Rather than create a new container, add the fluid volume in the geometry to it, and then delete the
default volume container, you can rename the container and modify the attributes for this group.
8. In the Data Tree, right-click on default and rename it to Fluid.
9. Set up the Fluid volume element set.
a) Expand the Fluid volume group in the tree.
b) Double click Element Set under Fluid to open it in the detail panel.
c) Ensure that the Medium for the volume is set to Fluid. If not, change it to Fluid.
d) Change the Material model to Water.
e) Change the Body force to Gravity.

5.18.4 Create Surface Groups and Apply Surface Parameters

Surface groups are containers used for storing information about a surface, including solution and meshing
parameters, and the corresponding surface in the geometry that the parameters will apply to.

In the next steps you will define surface groups, assign the appropriate settings for the different
characteristics of the problem, and add surfaces to the group containers.

In the process of setting up a simulation, you need to move into different panels for setting up the boundary
conditions, mesh parameters, and so on, which can sometimes be cumbersome, especially for models with
too many surfaces. To make it easier, less error prone, and to save time, two new dialogs are provided in
AcuConsole. Use the Volume Manager and Surface Manager to verify and provide the information for
all surface or volume entities at once. In this section some features of Surface Manager are exploited.

1. Turn-off display for Volumes by right-clicking Volumes and selecting Display off .
2. Right-click Surfaces in the Data Tree and select Surface Manager.
3. In the Surface Manager dialog, click New nine times to create nine new surface groups.
4. Turn off the display for all surfaces except for the default surface.
5. Rename Surface 1 through Surface 9 according to the image below.

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Figure 706:

6. Assign the surface for Outlet.

a) In the Surface Manager, next to Outlet, click Add to.
b) Select the surface of the Fluid with maximum X-coordinate.
c) Click Done.

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Figure 707:

7. Similarly, add the following surface to the appropriate surface groups.

• Bottom: Surface with maximum Z-coordinate (Bottom surface of water)
• Top: Two surfaces at minimum Z-coordinate (Top surfaces of water)
• Side1: Surface with maximum Y-Coordinate
• Side2: Surface with minimum Y-Coordinate
• Inlet: Surface with minimum X-Coordinate
• No_Bc: 5 surfaces of the Guide_Vol_Ship that are not in contact with Fluid as shown below.
Surfaces shown in gray color belong to the No_Bc surface set.

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Figure 708:

8. Assign the surface for Guide_surf.

Guide_surf is the surface that belongs to the Guide_Vol_ship and is in contact with Fluid.
a) In the Surface Manager, next to Guide_surf, click Add to.
b) Select all of the surfaces that belong to the Guide_vol_ship and are in contact with Fluid.

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Figure 709:

9. Assign the surface for Hull_guide.

Hull_guide is the surface that belongs to the fluid and is in contact with the Guide_Vol_Ship. At this
point all the surfaces present in the default Surface set are eligible for Hull_Guide.
a) In the Surface Manager, next to Hull_guide, click Add to.
b) Select all of the surfaces present in the default surface set.

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Figure 710:

10. Clear the empty surface sets.

a) In the Data Tree, right-click Surfaces and select Purge.
11. Make sure that all the surfaces in Hull_guide belong to Fluid Volume and all surfaces in Guide_surf
belong to Guide_Vol_ship Volume.
a) Under Surfaces, right-click Hull_guide and select info.
b) In the Information Window, check that Parent Volume is Fluid.
c) Under Surfaces, right-click Guide_surf and select info.
d) In the Information Window, check that Parent Volume is Guide_Vol_ship for all the surfaces
in Guide_surf.
12. Close the Surface Manager.

Assign Surface Attributes

1.

Side1 and Side2

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The present simulation is a 2D representation of a ship in water. Hence it is appropriate to set the Side1
and Side2 with the slip boundary condition to simulate that effect.

1. In the Data Tree, expand Side1.

2. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the Simple Boundary Condition detail panel.
3. Change the Type to Slip.
4. Change the Mesh displacement BC type to Slip.
5. Repeat the settings for the surface Side2.

AcuConsole has a special feature named Propagate that can speed up the process of simulation setup
and save time. This feature copies the attributes (it may be Simple Boundary Condition, Surface Output,
Surface Mesh Attributes, Element Set, Volume Mesh Attributes, and so on) set for one surface set or
volume set to another surface set or volume set. For example, in a simulation model if there are 10
surface sets with simple boundary condition set to Slip, then you can use this feature. You need to
manually set the boundary condition for one surface and use the Propagate feature for all other surfaces.
6. Under Side1, right-click Simple Boundary Condition and select Propagate.
7. Select the surface Side2 and click Propagate.

Top

The Top surface is the top surface of water which is in contact with air and hence Free Surface is the
appropriate boundary condition.

Note: As the name suggest, the free surface is a surface of the fluid which is not constrained
by any physical boundary. This type of the boundary condition imposes normal component
of mesh velocity to the flow velocity at this surface.

1. In the Data Tree, expand Top.

2. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the Simple Boundary Condition detail panel.
3. Change the Type to Free Surface.
4. Check that the Surface tension model is set to None.

Note: Surface tension model is the user-given model of surface tension defined under
Global > Surface Tension Model. Since the surface tension is not modelled in this
simulation, this parameter is set to None.

5. Check that the Contact angle model is set to None.

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Note: Contact angle model is the user-given model of contact angle defined under
Global > Contact Angle Model. The contact angle model is used in conjunction with
the surface tension model. Since the surface tension is not modelled in this simulation,
this parameter is set to None.

6. Check that the Pressure is set to 0.

7. Check that the Pressure loss factor is set to 0.

Note: Use of Pressure loss factor (k) would add the following term to the pressure term

where

= -1 for the inflow

=1 for the outflow

k = Pressure loss factor

= density of fluid

u = velocity of fluid

n = outward pointing normal of the surface

The higher the value of pressure loss factor, stiffer the free surface behaves, that is,
lesser the displacement of the free surface.

8. Check that Hydrostatic pressure is set to off.

Note: For the detailed discussion on Hydrostatic pressure, refer to the Outlet surface
attributes defined later in this tutorial.

Bottom

1. In the Data Tree, expand Bottom.

2. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the Simple Boundary Condition detail panel.
3. Change the Type to Slip.
A simple boundary condition type Slip imposes zero nodal boundary condition on velocity normal
to the given surface.
4. Change the Mesh displacement BC type to Fixed.

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The Bottom surface is a stationary surface and a Mesh displacement BC type Fixed imposes zero
mesh displacement with respect to the surface.

Outlet

1. In the Data Tree, expand Outlet.

2. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the Simple Boundary Condition detail panel.
3. Change the Type to Outflow.
4. Use the default values for Pressure and Pressure loss factor.
5. Change Hydrostatic pressure to On.
The pressure is not constant throughout the Outlet surface. The pressure at this surface varies along
Z- axis because of gravity (Hydrostatic pressure variation). In general, when setting Hydrostatic
pressure to On, the pressure varies as given below

where

= density of fluid

z = coordinate vector of the point on the surface

z0 = coordinate vector where the hydrostatic pressure is zero. Z0 defined below using Hydrostatic
pressure origin

g = gravity vector
6. Next to Hydrostatic pressure origin, click Open Array to define the pressure origin.
7. Provide the coordinates of origin (0, 0, 0) in the Array Editor.

Note: Hydrostatic pressure will be zero on Free surface (that is, the Top surface). The
point (0, 0, 0) is on the Top surface. In particular, any point on the Top surface can be
chosen as Hydrostatic pressure origin.

During the simulation there will be certain time points (particularly when trough is formed at the outlet
surface) at which the flow enters the domain through certain portion of outlet surface, which is called back
flow. Back flow may lead to instability temperature, turbulence variables. Enabling Back flow conditions
allows nodal boundary conditions to be specified for these variables only on nodes where there is flow
re-entering the domain. Assuming the outlet is sufficiently far away from ship hull, eddy viscosity value
can set as that of the Inlet, for example, 1e-05
8. Set Back flow conditions to On.
9. Select the Eddy viscosity back flow type to Value.
10. Set Eddy viscosity to 1e-05.

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11. Change the Mesh displacement BC type to Slip.

Setting the Mesh displacement BC type to Slip will allow the nodes on this surface (Outlet) to move
freely along the surface.

No_Bc

The No_Bc surface set contains the surfaces of Guide_Vol_Ship which do not participate in actual
simulation. Hence it is appropriate to disable the Boundary condition for this surface.

1. In the Data Tree, expand No_Bc.

2. Uncheck the Simple Boundary Condition checkbox.

Guide_surf

This surface belonging to the Guide_Vol_Ship will remain stationary in the present simulation and provide
as a guide for the fluid around. Hence we define it as Guide Surface with no mesh motion.

1. In the Data Tree, expand Guide_surf.

2. Uncheck the Simple Boundary Condition checkbox.

Note: This ensures that boundary condition for the Guide_surf surface is not defined
by using Simple Boundary Conditions. The boundary condition will be defined as a
Guide surface using the following steps.

3. Click ALL in the Data Tree Manager.

4. Under the Guide_Surf surface, check the box next to Guide Surface.
The Guide Surface type will ensure that Guide_Surf surface can be used to guide mesh nodes of
Hull_guide surface. Refer to the Hull_guide surface attributes defined later in this tutorial.
5. Make sure that Mesh motion is set to None.
This ensures that the Guide_surf surface is static and has no motion.

Hull_guide

1. In the Data Tree, expand Hull_guide.

2. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the Simple Boundary Condition detail panel.
3. Change the Type to Wall.
4. Change Wall velocity type to Match Mesh Velocity.
5. Change the Mesh displacement BC type to Guide_Surface.

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6. Change Guide_surface from None to Guide_surf.

This allows the mesh nodes of Hull_guide surface to slip along Guide_surf surface.
7. Make sure that Mesh motion is set to None.

Inlet

At the Inlet, you will provide the horizontal velocity of the gravity waves given by Equation 1. This boundary
condition at the inlet will be defined using Nodal Boundary conditions with UDF.

1. In the Data Tree, expand Inlet.

2. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the Simple Boundary Condition detail panel.
3. Change the Type to Inflow.
4. Change the Mesh displacement BC type to Slip.

Note: Setting the Mesh displacement BC type to Slip will allow the nodes on the Inlet
surface to move freely along the surface.

5. Change the Eddy viscosity to 1e-5.

Note: X, Y, Z velocities in the Simple Boundary Condition detail panel can be left to
default values of zero, because these values will be overwritten with Nodal Boundary
conditions below. In case of conflict of inputs, Nodal Boundary conditions have higher
precedence than Simple Boundary conditions.

6. Expand Advanced Options, and the expand Nodal Boundary Conditions.

7. Check the box adjacent to X-Velocity.
8. Change Type to User Function.
9. For User function name, enter usrWaveHorizontal.
10. Next to User function name, click Open Array.
11. In the Array Editor, click Add five times.
12. Enter the values as shown in the figure below:

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Figure 711:

The values provided above are the ones described in the section Generation of Surface Gravity
Waves. The user values should be provided in the same order as shown above, because these values
will be passed on to the UDF script which refers these values in that specific order.
13. Click OK.

Compile for UDF on Windows

A UDF in the form of C language (wave.c) is provided with the tutorial. Now this C program should be
compiled using the following steps.

1. Start AcuConsole Command Prompt from the Windows Start menu by clicking Start > All Programs
> Altair Hyperworks <version> > AcuSolve > AcuSolve Cmd Prompt.
2. Use the cd command to change the directory to the current working directory.
3. Enter the command acuMakeDll –src wave.c.
A set of files necessary for the use of UDF are created..

Compile for UDF on Linux

A UDF in the form of C language (wave.c) is provided with the tutorial. Now this C program should be
compiled using the following steps.

1. In the terminal, use the cd command to change the directory to the current working directory.
2. Enter the command acuMakeDll –src wave.c.
A set of files necessary for the use of UDF are created..

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5.18.5 Assign Mesh Controls

Set Global Mesh Parameters

Now that the simulation characteristics have been set for the whole problem, the next step is to generate
the mesh.

Global mesh attributes are the meshing parameters applied to the model as a whole without reference
to a specific geometric volume, surface, edge, or point. Local mesh attributes are used to create mesh
generation controls for specific geometry components of the model.

In the next steps you will set the global mesh attributes.

1. Click MSH in the Data Tree Manager to filter the settings in the Data Tree to show only the controls
related to meshing.
2. Expand the Global Data Tree item.
3. Double-click Global Mesh Attributes to open the Global Mesh Attributes detail panel.
4. Change the Mesh size type to Absolute.
5. Enter 0.01 m for the Absolute mesh size.

Figure 712:

Define Mesh Extrusion

The present simulation is equivalent to a 2D representation of the model. In AcuSolve, 2D models are
simulated by having just one element across the thickness. In this case, there has to be only one element
between Side1 and Side2. This can achieved with mesh extrusion process. Since you are using identical
boundary conditions on Side1 and Side2, using one element between them will ensure that there is no
variation in nodal values across thickness and hence ensuring the simulation of a 2D model. In the following
steps you will define the process of extrusion of the mesh from Side1 to Side2.

1. Expand the Model Data Tree item and right-click Mesh Extrusions.

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2. Select New from the context menu to create a new entity, Mesh Extrusion 1.
3. Rename Mesh Extrusion 1 as Side1-Side2.
4. Right-click Side1-Side2 and select Define from the context menu.
5. In the Mesh Extrusion dialog, make the following settings.
a) Use the drop down arrows to select the surfaces for Side 1 and Side 2 as Side1 and Side2,
respectively.
b) Ensure that the Extrusion type is set to Number of layers.
c) Set Number of layers equal to 1.
d) Set Extrusion options to All tets.
Use the following figure for reference.

6. Click OK to close the dialog.

Define the Periodic Boundaries

The present simulation is a 2D representation of infinite ship model. So the solution should be periodic on
the surfaces Side1 and Side2. The following steps define the periodic boundary conditions.

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Note: The following steps will only ensure that the mesh is periodic. The definition of periodic
boundary conditions for particular variables has to be made separately.

1. In the Data Tree, under Model, right click on Periodics and select New.
2. Rename Periodics 1 to Side1-Side2.
3. Right click on Side1-Side2 and select Define.
4. In the Periodics BC dialog, select the surfaces Side1 and Side2, respectively.
5. Verify that Type is Translational.
6. Set the Y-Offset to -0.01 m (which is the distance between Side1 and Side2).

Figure 713:

Transformation information should be provided so that the Side 1 surface after transformation
matches the Side 2 surface. For the present case, Side 1 should be translated along (-Y) axis for a
distance of 0.01m. Hence the Type as Translational and the Y-Offset as -0.01m.
7. Click OK.

Generate the Mesh

In the next steps you will generate the mesh that will be used when computing a solution for the problem.

1. Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuMeshSim dialog.

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For this case, the default settings will be used.

Figure 714:

2. Click Ok to begin meshing.

During meshing an AcuTail dialog will open. Meshing progress is reported in this dialog. A summary
of the meshing process indicates that the mesh generation has finished.

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Figure 715:

Note: The actual number of nodes and elements, and memory usage may vary slightly
from machine to machine.

3. Close the AcuTail dialog and save the database to create a backup of your settings.
4. Visualize the mesh in the graphics window.

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Figure 716:

Check Periodic Boundary Conditions

The following steps define the periodic boundary conditions for various variables for Side1 and Side2.

1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.
2. Under Model, expand Periodics and expand Side1-Side2.
3. Make sure that the Periodic Boundary Condition box is checked On.
4. Double-click Periodic Boundary Condition and verify that Type is set to Periodic and Active Type
is set to Always.

Figure 717:

Split Nodes

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At this point, the Hull_guide surface has all nodes that are attached to Fluid. A duplicate set of nodes has
to be created, so that one set of the nodes follow the Fluid motion and another set stays attached to the
surface Guide_surf. The following steps illustrate the process of splitting the nodes.

1. In the Data Tree, under Surfaces, right-click Hull_guide and select Mesh Op. > Split internal
faces.

There is an increase in the number of nodes.

5.18.6 Compute the Solution and Review the Results

Run AcuSolve

In the next steps you will launch AcuSolve to compute the solution for this case.

1. Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuSolve dialog.

For this case, the default values will be used.
AcuSolve will run using four processors (if available, higher number of processors may be specified)
and AcuConsole will generate AcuSolve input files and will launch AcuSolve. AcuSolve will calculate
the transient solution for this problem.
2. Click Ok to start the solution process.
As the solution progresses, an AcuTail dialog will open. The solution progress is reported in this
dialog.

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Figure 718:

Monitor the Solution with AcuProbe

AcuProbe can be used to monitor various variables over solution time. In the present simulation it is
worthwhile to monitor the forces on the ship hull.

1.
Open AcuProbe by clicking the icon on the toolbar.
2. In the Data browser on the left, expand Surface Output.
3. Double-click on Hull_guide to open the surface output list.
4. Right-click on x_wall_shear_stress and click on plot.

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Note: You might need to click the icon on the toolbar in order to properly display
the plot.

5. Similarly, right-click on z_wall_shear_stress and click on plot.

Figure 719:

6. You can also save the plots as an image.

a) From the AcuProbe dialog, click File > Save.
b) Enter a name for the image and click Save.
7. The time series data of the variables can also be exported as a text file for further post-processing.
a) Right-click on the variable that you want to export and click Export.
b) Enter a File name and choose .txt for the Save as type.
c) Click Save.

View Results with AcuFieldView

Now that a solution has been calculated, you are ready to view the flow field using AcuFieldView.
AcuFieldView is a third-party post-processing tool that is tightly integrated to AcuSolve. AcuFieldView can

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be started directly from AcuConsole, or it can be started from the Start menu, or from a command line.
In this tutorial you will start AcuFieldView from AcuConsole after the solution is calculated by AcuSolve.

In the following steps you will start AcuFieldView and create an animation of the ship hull motion with
the contours of z-mesh displacement.

Start AcuFieldView

1. Click on the AcuConsole toolbar to open the Launch AcuFieldView dialog.

2. Click Ok to start AcuFieldView.

When you start AcuFieldView from AcuConsole, the results from the last time step of the solution
that were written to disk will be loaded for post-processing.

View Water Displacement Around the Ship

These steps are provided with the assumption that you are able to manipulate the view in AcuFieldView to
have a white background, perspective turned off, outlines turned off, and the viewing direction set to +z. If
you are unfamiliar with basic AcuFieldView operations, refer to Manipulate the Model View in AcuFieldView.

1. Orient the geometry so you can see the Top surface clearly, as shown in the figure below.

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Figure 720:

2. In the Boundary Surface dialog, uncheck Show Mesh.

3. Select z-mesh-displacement as the scalar function and click Calculate.
4. In the Legend tab, click Show Legend.
5. Change the color to black.

Note: You can move the legend using Shift + left-click.

6. From the Colormap tab, turn on Local.

7. Click Tools > Flipbook Build Mode and click OK .
8. Click Tools > Transient Data and move the slider all the way back to reflect the first time step
data on the boundary surfaces.
9. Click Build to build the animation.
10. Once the animation is built, click Frame Rate and change it to 0.1.
11. Save the animation as Z-Displacement.

5.18.7 Summary

In this tutorial you worked through a basic workflow to set up a static ship-hull simulation with surface
gravity waves. Once the case was set up, you generated a mesh and obtained a solution using AcuSolve.

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Results were post-processed in AcuFieldView to allow you to create an animation of the free surface
movement with time. New features introduced in this tutorial include:
• User Defined Function (UDF) for surface gravity wave generation
• Mesh extrusions and periodic boundary conditions
• ALE based mesh motion approach
• Use of the Surface Manager to apply surface attributes
• Use of hydrostatic pressure as a boundary condition
• Free surface and Guide surface capabilities in AcuSolve

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5.21 ACU-5301: Ship Hull Dynamics

This tutorial provides the instructions for setting up, solving, and viewing results of a flow around a freely
floating ship hull. In this simulation, a wave hits the ship hull and displacement of the ship and the flow
around the ship are simulated. This tutorial is designed to introduce you to a number of modeling concepts
necessary to perform Free-Surface simulations.

The basic steps of a CFD simulation are shown in earlier tutorials. The following additional capabilities of
AcuSolve will be introduced in this tutorial:
• Use of Rigid Body type mesh motion
• Use of Free surface and Guide surface capabilities in conjunction of Rigid Body mesh motion.

In this tutorial you will do the following:

• Analyze the problem
• Start AcuConsole and create a simulation database
• Set general problem parameters
• Use the pre-defined material model - Aluminum
• Create Rigid Body Mesh Motion
• Apply Mesh Motion to the Volume and Surface attributes
• Run AcuSolve
• Monitor the solution with AcuProbe
• Post-processing the nodal output with AcuFieldView

5.21 Prerequisites
In order to run this tutorial, you should have already run through the introductory tutorials, ACU-2000:
Turbulent Flow in a Mixing Elbow and ACU-5300: Ship Hull Static. Be familiar with AcuConsole, AcuSolve,
or AcuFieldView. In order to run this tutorial, you will need access to a licensed version of AcuSolve 2017.

Prior to running through this tutorial, copy ship_hull_static.acs and wave_c from <AcuSolve
installation directory>\model_files\tutorials\AcuSolve\Acu_tutorial_input.zip to a working
directory.

5.21.1 Analyze the Problem

The problem to be addressed in this tutorial is shown below. It is a mid-section of a Wigley Ship model.
Wigley hulls have been widely used as test cases for evaluating hydrodynamic behavior of ships. The
present tutorial demonstrates the simulation of gravity waves hitting a freely floating Wigley hull and
evaluating the positionof the hull with time. This tutorial is similar to the Ship Hull Static tutorial, except
that the ship hull is freely floating as a rigid body compared to a static ship hull.

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Since the motion considered in this tutorial is perpendicular to the length of the ship, an analysis of a
2D section of the ship hull would be appropriate with lesser computation time without compromising on
accuracy. The mid-section dimensions of the Wigley hull is a function of total ship length and the model
used in this tutorial is the mid-section of Wigley hull whose ship length is 1m.

Figure 721: Schematic of a Ship Hull

5.21.1 Generation of Surface Gravity Waves

Wind-generated gravity waves on the free surface of the sea are generated using a UDF (User-Defined
Function).

Figure 722: Gravity Waves

A linear solution of surface gravity wave propagation would result in the following equation for horizontal
velocity of wave.

Where,

is the horizontal particle velocity of wave

is the speed of the wave

U is the velocity amplitude of disturbance

is wave number =

is the wave length of the wave

is the depth of the water

is the frequency of the wave =

is the time period of the wave

t is the time

In the present simulation, the following values are used for the variables of above equation:

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U = 0.1256 m/s

= 1.0 sec
-1
= 12.566 m

= 0.01 m/s

= 0.5 m

In the present tutorial, at the inlet you will generate the wave for 2 seconds and simulate the motion of
the wave for 5 seconds. A UDF (wave.c) written in C language is used for this purpose. For the details of
the functions used in the wave.c, refer to the AcuSolve User-Defined Functions Manual.

5.21.1 Two Dimensional Simulations in AcuSolve

AcuSolve does not support a CFD analysis on a 2D surface mesh. However, a 2D analysis can be simulated
on a volume mesh by having a single element extrusion along the perpendicular direction of 2D surface of
interest and then having identical boundary conditions of symmetry or slip on both sides of extrusion. This
way you can ensure that the solution does not vary along the thickness (extrusion), which is essentially
a 2D representation of the problem. The present tutorial uses this approach.

5.21.1 Modeling the Solid Ship Hull

For the present tutorial the following properties are assumed for the ship hull.

Material = Aluminum
3
Density = 2702 kg/m

Body Center = (1.12971, 0.0, 0.0082984) m

Body Mass = 0.2038 kg

Body Weight = 0.2038 × 9.81 = 2.0 N

2
Components of Moments of Inertia (in kg m ):

= 0.00113969

= 0.0051392

= 0.004006

5.21.1 Rigid Body Dynamic Analysis

The rigid body is driven by the sum of two kinds of forces and moments.
• Internal Forces/Moments: refers to the integrated fluid traction and moment
• External Forces/Moments: refers to the force and moment you specify

A local coordinate system is used to simplify the definition of the rigid body model and the solution of the
equations of motion. The translational and rotational equations of motion are:

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Where,

are the translational displacement, velocity and acceleration vectors, respectively as:

,,

are the angular displacement, angular velocity and angular acceleration vectors, respectively as:

,,

is the mass of the body.

is the dyadic (moment of inertia) matrix of the body.

are the translational and rotational damping matrices, respectively.

are the translational and rotational stiffness matrices, respectively.

are the internal Forces and Moments from the fluid.

are the external Forces and Moments you specify.

5.21.1 Rigid Body Dynamics Analysis for a 2D Problem

a. The displacements of the ship along its span (y-direction) is neglected.
b. The axis of rotation for the ship is along the y-direction and the variables along other axis are
neglected.
c. Translational damping and stiffness matrices and their rotational equivalents are assumed to be zero.
d. The only external force acting on the rigid body is the gravity force () along the z-axis.
e. The external moments acting on the body is zero, because the only external force acting on the
body is gravity which does not generate any moment.

For the present tutorial, a single element extrusion will be made along the y-axis. Based on the above
assumptions, you arrive with:

,,

,,

The translational equations of the motion will be:

The rotational equations of the motion will be:

The only critical component of moment of inertia for the present tutorial is .

5.21.2 Define the Simulation Parameters

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Start AcuConsole and Open the Simulation Database

In the next steps you will start AcuConsole and open a database that is set up for a Ship hull static
simulation. You will then make appropriate changes to the database to take into account the dynamics
of the ship motion.

1. Start AcuConsole from the Windows Start menu by clicking Start > All Programs > Altair
HyperWorks <version> AcuSolve > AcuConsole.
2. Click the File menu, then click New to open the New data base dialog.

Note: You can also open the New data base dialog by clicking on the toolbar.

3. Browse to the location that you would like to use as your working directory.
This directory is where all files related to the simulation will be stored. The AcuConsole database
file (.acs) is stored in this directory. Once the mesh and solution are created, additional files and
directories will be created within this directory.
4. Create a new directory in this location. Name it Ship_hull_dynamics and open it.
5. Copy the Ship_hull_static.acs and wave.c from the <installation directory> to the new
working directory.
6. Click Ship_hull_static.acs to open the database.

Note: In order for other applications to be able to read the files written by AcuConsole,
the database path and name should not include spaces.

7. Click File > Save As and enter Ship_hull_dynamics as the file name for the database.
8. Click Save to create the database.

Set General Simulation Attributes

In the next steps you will modify global attributes needed for the transient portion of the simulation.

1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.

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Figure 723:

2. Double-click the Global Data Tree item to expand it.

Tip: You can also expand a tree item by clicking next to the item name.

Figure 724:

3. Double-click Problem Description to open the Problem Description detail panel.

Tip: You can also open a panel by right-clicking a tree item and clicking Open on
the context menu.

4. Name the Sub title as Ship hull dynamics.

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Figure 725:

Set Material Model Attributes

AcuConsole has three pre-defined materials, Air, Aluminum, and Water.

In the next steps you will verify that the pre-defined material properties of water and aluminum match
the desired properties for this problem.

1. Double-click Material Model in the Data Tree to expand it.

2. Double-click Water in the Data Tree to open the Water detail panel.
The Material type for water is Fluid.

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Note: The detail panel can be resized by dragging the right frame of the panel.

Figure 726:

3
3. Click the Density tab. Verify that the density of water is 1000.0 kg/m .
4. Click the Viscosity tab. Verify that the viscosity of water is 0.001 kg/m-sec.
5. Double-click Aluminum in the Data Tree to open the Aluminum detail panel.
The Material type for aluminum is Solid.

Figure 727:

3
6. Click the Density tab. Verify that the density of aluminum is 2702.0 kg/m .
7. Save the database to create a backup of your settings. This can be achieved with any of the following
methods.
• Click the File menu, then click Save.
• Click on the toolbar.
• Click Ctrl+S.

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Note: Changes made in AcuConsole are saved into the database file (.acs) as they
are made. A save operation copies the database to a backup file, which can be used
to reload the database from that saved state in the event that you do not want to
commit future changes.

Set the Mesh Motion Attributes

In the next steps you will define the mesh motion based on the rigid body dynamics of the ship hull.

1. Click ALE in the Data Tree Manager to see all the settings related to mesh motion.
2. Right-click Mesh Motion and click New to create a new mesh motion.
3. Rename Mesh Motion 1 to Rigid_body_mesh_motion.
4. Double-click Rigid_body_mesh_motion and change the Type to Rigid Body Dynamic.

Note: The values assigned to the parameters in this section are the material and
geometric properties of the ship hull. Please refer to ACU-5300: Ship Hull Static.

5. Set X displacement and Z displacement as Active.

6. Set Y displacement as Inactive.
7. Set X rotation and Z rotation as Inactive.
8. Set Y rotation as Active.
9. For Mass, enter 0.2038 Kg.

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Figure 728:

10. Click Open Array adjacent to Center.

11. Enter the co-ordinates for the center of the ship hull, as shown below and click OK.

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Figure 729:

Local Coordinates: This parameter defines the direction of local xyz coordinate system, specified
with respect to the global xyz coordinate system.
12. Click Open Array adjacent to Local coordinates.
Since the local and global coordinates are same in this simulation, use the following defaults.

Figure 730:

13. Click OK.

14. Click Open Array adjacent to Dyadic, and enter the Moment of Inertia matrix, as shown below.

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Figure 731:

Though for the present 2D problem the only critical component of moment of inertia is Iyy as
mentioned in the section Rigid Body Dynamics Analysis, AcuSolve would require the dyadic matrix to
be positive definite because of the 3D volume mesh (refer to 2-Dimensional simulations in AcuSolve)
and therefore, requires the input of Ixx, Izz.
The parameters Stiffness, Damping, Rotational stiffness, and Rotational damping will be considered
zero, because the ship is assumed to be freely floating on water.
External forces: The force of gravity is the external force acting on the ship hull along the positive-
z direction.

15. Click Open Array adjacent to External forces.

16. Enter the Force vector as shown below and click OK.

Figure 732:

External Moment: The only external force on the ship hull is force of gravity. It does not produce
any moment. Therefore, the External Moment will be zero in this simulation.
The parameters Initial displacement, Initial velocity, Initial rotation, Initial angular velocity, Initial
fluid forces, and Initial fluid moments will be considered zero, because of the stationary, equilibrium
position of the ship considered at the start of the simulation.
Surface outputs: This parameter lists the array of surfaces whose output of forces and moments will
be enforced on the Rigid body (in this case, Ship hull). In this simulation, the forces from the fluid
will be enforced on the ship hull through the surface “Hull_guide” of Fluid volume.

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17. Click Open Refs adjacent to Surface outputs.

18. In the Reference Editor, click Add Row.
19. Select Hull_guide and click OK.

Figure 733:

Apply Volume Attributes

1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.
2. Expand the Model Data Tree item.
3. Expand Volumes.
4. Under Guide_Vol_Ship, double-click Element Set.
5. Change Medium to Solid.
6. Set Material Model to Aluminum.
7. Set Body force to Gravity.
8. Change the Mesh motion to Rigid_body_mesh_motion.

Figure 734:

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Set the Mesh Motion to the Guide Surface

1. Click ALE in the Data Tree Manager to see all the settings related to mesh motion.
2. Expand the Model > Surfaces > Guide_surf tree item.
3. Double-click Guide Surface.
4. Change the Mesh motion to Rigid_body_mesh_motion.

Figure 735:

Compile of UDF for Windows

A UDF written in C language (wave.c) is provided with the tutorial. Now this C program should be compiled
using the following steps.

1. Start AcuConsole Command Prompt from the Windows Start menu by clicking Start > All Programs
> Altair HyperWorks <version>AcuSolve > AcuSolve Cmd Prompt.
2. Change the directory to present working directory using the ‘cd’ command.
The working directory is where all files related to the simulation will be stored. When you are setting
up the problem, there will be a file with extension .acs in this directory, which corresponds to an
AcuConsole database. Once the mesh and solution are generated, additional files and directories
will be added by AcuSolve.
3. Enter the command acuMakeDll –src wave.c.
A set of files necessary for the use of UDF are created.

Compile of UDF for Linux

A UDF written in C language (wave.c) is provided with the tutorial. Now this C program should be compiled
using the following steps.

1. In the terminal, use the cd command to change the directory to the current working directory.
2. Enter the command acuMakeDll –src wave.c.
A set of files necessary for the use of UDF are created.

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5.21.3 Compute the Solution and Review the Results

Run AcuSolve

In the next steps you will launch AcuSolve to compute the solution for this case.

1. Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuSolve dialog.

Figure 736:

For this case, the default values will be used.

AcuSolve will run using four processors (if available, higher number of processors may be specified)
and AcuConsole will generate AcuSolve input files and will launch AcuSolve. AcuSolve will calculate
the transient solution for this problem.
2. Click Ok to start the solution process.
As the solution progresses, an AcuTail dialog will open. The solution progress is reported in this dialog.

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Figure 737:

Post-Processing with AcuProbe

AcuProbe can be used to monitor various variables over solution time. In the present simulation it is
worthwhile to monitor the forces on the ship hull.

1.
Open AcuProbe by clicking the icon on the toolbar.
2. Double-click Surface Output to expand the tree.
3. Double-click Hull_guide to open the surface output variables list.
4. Right-click on x_wall_shear_stress and click Plot.

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Note: You might need to click the icon on the toolbar in order to properly display
the plot.

5. Repeat the above steps to plot the z_wall_shear_stress and click Plot.

Figure 738:

6. You can also save the plots as an image.

a) From the AcuProbe dialog, click File > Save.
b) Enter a name for the image and click Save.
7. The time series data of the variables can also be exported as a text file for further post-processing.
a) Right-click on the variable that you want to export and click Export.
b) Enter a File name and choose .txt for the Save as type.
c) Click Save.

View Results with AcuFieldView

Now that a solution has been calculated, you are ready to view the flow field using AcuFieldView.
AcuFieldView is a third-party post-processing tool that is tightly integrated to AcuSolve. AcuFieldView can

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be started directly from AcuConsole, or it can be started from the Start menu, or from a command line.
In this tutorial you will start AcuFieldView from AcuConsole after the solution is calculated by AcuSolve.

In the following steps you will start AcuFieldView, create an animation of the ship hull motion with the
contours of z-mesh displacement.

Start AcuFieldView

1. Click on the AcuConsole toolbar to open the Launch AcuFieldView dialog.

Figure 739:

2. Click Ok to start AcuFieldView.

When you start AcuFieldView from AcuConsole, the results from the last time step of the solution
that were written to disk will be loaded for post-processing.

Animation to View Displacement of the Ship

These steps are provided with the assumption that you are able to manipulate the view in AcuFieldView to
have a white background, perspective turned off, outlines turned off, and the viewing direction set to +z. If
you are unfamiliar with basic AcuFieldView operations, refer to Manipulate the Model View in AcuFieldView.

1. Orient the geometry so you can see the entire model clearly, as shown in the figure below.
2. In the Boundary Surfaces dialog, uncheck Show Mesh.
3. Select z-mesh-displacement as the scalar function and click Calculate.
4. In the Legend tab, click Show Legend.
5. Change the color to black.

Note: You can move the legend using Shift + left-click.

6. From the Colormap tab, turn on Local.

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Figure 740:

7. Click Tools > Flipbook Build Mode and click OK .

8. Click Tools > Transient Data and move the slider all the way back to reflect the 1st time step
data on the boundary surfaces.

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Figure 741:

9. Click Build to build the animation.

10. Once the animation is built, click on Frame Rate and change it to 0.1.
11. Save the animation as Z-Displacement.mpg.

5.21.4 Summary

In this tutorial you worked through a basic workflow to set up a dynamic ship-hull simulation with surface
gravity waves. You started with an .acs file from the Ship Hull Static tutorial and modified the set up to
accommodate the rigid body motion of the ship hull. Once the case was set up, you generated a solution
using AcuSolve. Results were post-processed in AcuFieldView to allow you to create animation of the Ship
hull movement with time. New features introduced in this tutorial include: Rigid Body type mesh motion,
use of Free surface and Guide surface capabilities in conjunction of Rigid Body mesh motion.

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5.24 ACU-5400: Piezoelectric Flow Energy Harvester: A Fluid-

Structure Interaction (P-FSI)

This tutorial provides the instructions for setting up, solving and viewing results for a simulation of a
piezoelectric fluid harvester. In this simulation, a piezoelectric flow harvester is placed in a fluid flow
channel. The harvester is attached to a cylinder mount which also acts as a bluff body causing vortices in
the fluid flow. The interaction between the pressure fields generated by the vortices and the flow harvester
structure is simulated in this tutorial. AcuSolve is used in conjunction with a structural solver to compute
the structural displacement of the harvester using a practical fluid structure interaction (P-FSI) approach.
Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) approach is used to compute the mesh deformation in the fluid domain
as it interacts with the deforming structure.

The basic steps in a CFD simulation have been discussed in earlier tutorials. The following additional
capabilities of AcuSolve are introduced in this tutorial:
• Set up a Practical FSI simulation (P-FSI)
• Using ALE mesh motion
• Use Eigenmode Manager for transferring structural data onto CFD mesh

In this tutorial you will do the following:

• Analyze the problem
• Start AcuConsole and create a simulation database
• Set general problem parameters
• Import the geometry for the simulation
• Create a volume group and apply volume parameters
• Create surface groups and apply surface parameters
• Set global and local meshing parameters
• Generate the mesh
• Set solution strategy parameters
• Import and transfer structural data onto the CFD mesh
• Set up the P-FSI simulation
• Set the appropriate boundary conditions
• Run AcuSolve
• Monitor the solution with AcuProbe
• Post-process the nodal output with AcuFieldView

5.24 Prerequisites
You should have already run through the introductory tutorial, ACU-2000: Turbulent Flow in a Mixing
Elbow. It is assumed that you have some familiarity with AcuConsole, AcuSolve, and AcuFieldView. You
will also need access to a licensed version of AcuSolve.

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Prior to running through this tutorial, copy Acu_tutorial_input.zip from <AcuSolve installation
directory>\model_files\tutorials\AcuSolve\Acu_tutorial_inputs.zip to a working directory. the
files fluid.x_t and beam_modal.op2 from Acu_tutorial_input.zip. The file fluid.x_t stores the
geometry information for the fluid portion of the model for this problem, and the file slab_modal.op2
stores the output data from the structural solver which will be projected on to the CFD mesh that will be
generated in the course of the tutorial.

The color of objects shown in the graphics window in this tutorial and those displayed on your screen
may differ. The default color scheme in AcuConsole is "random," in which colors are randomly assigned to
groups as they are created. In addition, this tutorial was developed on Windows. If you are running this
tutorial on a different operating system, you may notice a slight difference between the images displayed
on your screen and the images shown in the tutorial.

5.24.1 Analyze the Problem

An important step in any CFD simulation is to examine the engineering problem and determine the
important parameters that need to be provided to AcuSolve. Parameters can be based on geometrical
elements, such as inlets, outlets or walls, and on flow conditions, such as fluid properties, velocity or
whether the flow should be modeled as turbulent or as laminar.

The system being simulated contains a section of a cantilever beam, the fixed side of which is attached to
a rigid cylindrical body. The beam along with the cylinder is placed in a water flow stream. This cylindrical
body acts a bluff body placed in the flow and stimulates vortex shedding in the flow downstream as it
passes over the cylinder. The alternating shedding of vortices creates a zone of alternating asymmetric
pressure distribution on either side of the beam. Such an alternating pressure distribution exerts an
oscillating force on the beam, creating a sustainable oscillating vibration in the beam.

The modeled system can be compared to a piezoelectric based fluid flow energy harvester. The beam
used in the structural model has a layered arrangement, with a brass shim sandwiched between the
piezoelectric layers on either side. Piezoelectric materials have a unique property of generating an electric
charge when subjected to stress. In the current arrangement as the fluid flow exerts an oscillating force
on the beam leading to vibration, a corresponding oscillating structural stress is induced in the beam. The
piezoelectric property comes into play here as the stress causes the piezoelectric layers to develop an
electric charge. This electric charge is then tapped by a separate electromechanical arrangement. Thus
there is a two-step energy conversion involved in this electricity generation process. First, the fluid flow
energy is converted into mechanical energy of the vibration of the beam, then this mechanical energy is
converted into electrical energy. However, the FSI aspect of this conversion, which is also of interest, is
the transfer of energy between the fluid flow and beam.

The schematics of the problem that will be addressed in this tutorial are in Figure 742. The modeled
domain consists of a fluid volume. The fluid solver does not require the solid body to be modeled. However,
the results of the structural solver will be used to define the solid body and the surfaces where the fluid

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interacts with the solid will be allowed to deform according to the Eigen modes of the beam. Figure 743
shows the arrangement of the beam with its various layers.

Figure 742: Schematic of the Problem

Figure 743: The Beam with its Various Layers

5.24.2 Introduction to Theory

5.24.2 Fluid Structure Interaction

Fluid Structure Interaction is the interaction between a fluid flow and a deformable solid structure in
contact with this flow. An FSI problem can be an external or an internal flow problem. The fluid flow can
be external with the solid body immersed in the flow, for example, a windmill blade in open atmosphere.
The fluid flow can also be internal with the solid body enclosing the flow, for example, fluid flow inside a
deformable pipe. In both cases, the principle behind solving the problem remains the same. When a fluid
flow encounters a structure, fluid pressure exerts a stress on the solid body that can lead to deformations
in the structure. The magnitude of the deformation depends on the stiffness of the structure material and
the magnitude of pressure force exerted by the fluid. The deformation in the structure shape then leads
to altering of the flow characteristics in vicinity of the structure.

A FSI problem is a multi physics problem, with the coupled laws of structural and fluid mechanics affecting
the solution. There are two widely used approaches with which this coupling is achieved:
• Practical-FSI (P-FSI): The structure is reduced in the modal space and coupled to the fluid domain
through interface nodes. The coupling between the solvers happens in a single pass itself. Structural
behaviour is limited to be linear in a P-FSI simulation.
• Direct coupling (DC-FSI): The coupling is a co-simulation between the structural and the fluid solver,
with each solver stepping through time simultaneously and iterating to equilibrium in each time step.

In case the deformations in the structure are large enough to alter the fluid flow significantly, the DC-FSI
co-simulation approach should be used. With this approach, as the fluid flow and pressure fields affect
the structural deformations, and the structural deformations affect the flow and pressure, the information
about these effects is exchanged between the solvers in real time.

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Given the difference in coupling methodology, it is likely that slightly different results will be observed
when a same problem is solved using P-FSI and DC-FSI approaches. The choice of the approach that
should be used shall depend on the problem and the available resources. As mentioned above, the P-FSI
approach should be limited to the cases when displacements in the structure are small, and the structural
behaviour can be approximated to be linear. For all other cases, DC-FSI should be preferred. However,
DC-FSI simulations incur a higher computational resources cost. With this consideration, P-FSI simulation
can also be used as a preliminary test simulation before a DC-FSI simulation is carried out.

FSI can be stable or oscillatory. In a stable FSI, the deformed shape of the structure will not change with
time, unless the flow changes as well. In an oscillatory FSI, once the structure is deformed, it will try to
return to its non-deformed state and then the whole deformation process repeats itself.

5.24.2 Mesh Motion Approaches in AcuSolve

Many simulations require deformation of the domain with time. AcuSolve provides two approaches for
handling dynamic meshes:

• Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE)

• Interpolated Mesh Motion

This tutorial uses the ALE approach for specifying the mesh motion of the deformed nodes in the domain.
The Interpolated Mesh Motion approach is discussed in detail in the subsequent tutorials which solve the
same problem using this approach.

5.24.2 Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE)

ALE is an approach for mesh motion in which the computational nodes are moved arbitrarily with the aim
of optimizing the element quality. An additional Partial Differential Equation (PDE) is solved to arrive at the
appropriate mesh position. ALE is capable of handling complex arbitrary motions and is therefore the most
general approach in simulating moving mesh problems. Generality comes with additional computational
cost because of the extra PDE to be solved. For simpler motions like 1D or 2D motions faster approaches are
available which include Interpolated Mesh Motion, general specified motions, Nodal Boundary conditions
based approaches.

5.24.3 Define the Simulation Parameters

Start AcuConsole and Create the Simulation Database

In this tutorial, you will begin by creating a database, populating the geometry-independent settings,
loading the geometry, creating volume and surface groups, setting group parameters, adding geometry
components to groups, and assigning mesh controls and boundary conditions to the groups. Next you
will generate a mesh and run AcuSolve to solve for the number of time steps specified. Finally, you will
visualize some characteristics of the results using AcuFieldView.

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In the next steps you will start AcuConsole and create the database for storage for the simulation settings.

1. Start AcuConsole from the Windows Start menu by clicking Start > All Programs > Altair
HyperWorks <version> AcuSolve > AcuConsole.
2. Click the File menu, then click New to open the New data base dialog.

Note: You can also open the New data base dialog by clicking on the toolbar.

3. Browse to the location that you would like to use as your working directory.
This directory is where all files related to the simulation will be stored. The AcuConsole database
file (.acs) is stored in this directory. Once the mesh and solution are created, additional files and
directories will be created within this directory.
4. Create a new directory in this location. Name it PFSI_Tutorial and navigate into this directory.
5. Enter piezo_harvester as the File name for the database, or choose any name of your preference.
In order for other applications to be able to read the files written by AcuConsole, the database path
and name should not include spaces.
6. Click Save to create the database.

Set General Simulation Parameters

In next steps you will set parameters that apply globally to the simulation. To make this simple, the basic
settings applicable for any simulation can be filtered using the BAS filter in the Data Tree Manager. This
filter enables display of only a small subset of the available items in the Data Tree and makes navigation
of the entries easier.

1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.

Figure 744:

2. Double-click Global in the Data Tree to expand it.

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Tip: You can also expand a tree item by clicking next to the item name.

Figure 745:

3. Double-click Problem Description to open the Problem Description detail panel.

Tip:
You may need to widen the detail panel from the default size by dragging the right
edge of the panel frame.

4. Enter AcuSolve PFSI Tutorial as the Title.

5. Enter Piezoelectric harvester as the Sub title.
6. Change the Analysis type to Transient.
7. Change the Turbulence equation to Spalart Allmaras.
8. Change the Mesh type from Fixed to Arbitrary Mesh Movement (ALE).
ALE stands for Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian. Using an ALE mesh type allows the mesh in the domain
to be moved freely in accordance with the movement in the domain boundaries or interfaces. This
is achieved by a formulation that can switch to purely Eulerian or purely Lagrangian or any arbitrary
combination of the two thus allowing the elements to take the most optimum shape. This in turn
enables the solver to handle a higher degree of element deformation.

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Figure 746:

5.24.4 Import Geometry and Define the Model

Import the Geometry

You will import the geometry for the problem in the next part of this tutorial. You will need to know the
location of fluid.x_t in order to complete these steps. This file contains information about the geometry
of the fluid portion of the domain in Parasolid ASCII format.

1. Click File > Import.

2. Browse to the directory containing fluid.x_t.
3. Change the File name filter to Parasolid File (*.x_t *.xmt *X_T …
4. Click fluid.x_t and Open to open the Import Geometry dialog.
5. Click Ok to complete the geometry import.

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Figure 747:

6. Rotate the visualization to view the entire model.

Apply Volume Parameters

Volume groups are containers used for storing information about a volume region. This information
includes solution and meshing parameters applied to the volume and the geometric regions that these
settings are applied to.

When the geometry was imported into AcuConsole, all volumes were placed into the "default" volume
container. Since the model for this tutorial has only a single volume, it will be the only volume in the
default volume group when the geometry is imported. Even when there is a single volume in the model,
it is advisable to rename the volume for ease of identification in the future.

In the next steps you will rename the default volume group container and set the material and other
properties for it.

1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.
2. Expand the Model tree item by clicking .
3. Turn off the display of surfaces. Right-click Surfaces and click Display off in the context menu.
4. Expand Volumes. Toggle the display of the default volume container by clicking and next
to the volume name.

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Note: You may not see any change when toggling the display if Surfaces are being
displayed, as surfaces and volumes may overlap.

5. Rename the default volume to fluid.

a) Under Volumes, right-click default and click Rename on the context menu.
b) Enter fluid.
When an item in the Data Tree is renamed, the change is not saved until you press the Enter
key on your keyboard. If you move the input focus away from the item without entering it,
your changes will be lost.
6. Set up the fluid volume element set.
a) Expand the Fluid tree item.
b) Double-click Element Set under fluid to open the Element Set detail panel.
c) Make sure that the Medium for the volume is set to Fluid.
The default Medium for a volume in AcuConsole is Fluid.
d) Click the drop-down control next to Material model and select Water.

Figure 748:

Create Surface Groups and Apply Surface Parameters

Surface groups are containers used for storing information about a surface, including solution and meshing
parameters, and the corresponding surface in the geometry that the parameters will apply to.

In the next steps you will define surface groups, assign the appropriate settings for the different
characteristics of the problem, and add surfaces to the group containers.

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In the process of setting up a simulation, you need to move into different panels for setting up the boundary
conditions, mesh parameters, and so on, which can sometimes be cumbersome, especially for models with
too many surfaces. To make it easier, less error prone, and to save time, two new dialogs are provided in
AcuConsole. Use the Volume Manager and Surface Manager to verify and provide the information for
all surface or volume entities at once. In this section some features of Surface Manager are exploited.

1. Turn-off the display for Volumes by right-clicking Volumes and selecting Display off .
2. Right-click Surfaces in the Data Tree and select Surface Manager.
3. In the Surface Manager dialog, click New six times to create six new surface groups.

Figure 749:

If you cannot see the Simple BC Active and Simple BC Type columns, click Columns , select these
two columns from the list and click Ok.

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Figure 750:

4. Turn off the display for all surfaces except for the default surface.
5. Rename Surface 1 through Surface 6 according to Figure 751.
6. Set the Simple BC Active and Simple BC Type columns, per Figure 751.

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Figure 751:

7. Assign the surfaces to the z_pos and z_neg surface groups.

a) Click Add to in the z_pos row in the Surface Manager.
b) Select the planar surface with the maximum z-coordinate, as shown in Figure 752, and click
Done.
c) Follow the procedure to assign the surface with the minimum z-coordinate to the z_neg surface
group.

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Figure 752:

8. Assign the surfaces enclosing the domain at the top and bottom to the slip surface group.
9. Assign the surface with the minimum x-coordinate to the inlet surface group.
10. Assign the surface with the maximum x-coordinate to the outlet surface group.
11. Assign the cylinder surface to the cylinder surface group. This surface is the contact boundary
between the fluid and the cylinder. Use the following image as the reference for selecting the required
surfaces.

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Figure 753:

When the geometry was loaded into AcuConsole, all geometry surfaces were placed in the default surface
group container. This default surface group was renamed to beam in the Surface Manager. In the
previous steps, you assigned some surfaces to various other surface groups that you created. At this
point, all that is left in the beam surface group are the surfaces that make up the contact boundary
between the fluid volume and the beam.
12. Close the Surface Manager.

Set Global Mesh Parameters

Global mesh attributes are the meshing parameters applied to the model as a whole without reference
to a specific geometric volume, surface, edge or point. Local mesh attributes are used to create mesh
generation controls for specific geometry components of the model.

In the next steps you will set the global mesh attributes.

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1. Click MSH in the Data Tree Manager to filter the settings in the Data Tree to show only the controls
related to meshing.
2. Double-click the Global Data Tree item to expand it.
3. Double-click Global Mesh Attributes to open the Global Mesh Attributes detail panel.
4. Change the Mesh size type to Absolute.
5. Enter 2.0 m for the Absolute mesh size.
6. Set the Mesh growth rate to 1.4.

Figure 754:

Set Surface Mesh Parameters

Surface mesh attributes are applied to a specific surface in the model. It is a type of local meshing
parameter used to create targeted mesh controls for one or more specific surfaces.

Local mesh attributes such as surface mesh attributes are not mandatory to be set. When a local mesh
attribute is not found for a component the global attributes will be used as the mesh generation control
for that component. If a local mesh attribute is present it will take precedence over the global setting.

In the next steps you will set the surface meshing attributes for the cylinder surface to add boundary
layers to the surface. Then you will propagate these mesh attributes to the beam surfaces.

1. Expand the Model Data Tree item.

2. Under the Model branch, expand Surfaces.
3. Under Surfaces, expand the cylinder surface group.
4. Click the Surface Mesh Attributes checkbox to activate and open the detail panel.
The detail panel becomes populated with more options.
5. Make sure that the Mesh size type is set to Absolute.
6. Enter 0.05 m for the Absolute mesh size.
7. Make sure that the Region of influence parameters is set to On.

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Mesh controls related to influence region from the surface become visible. Region of influence is a
size control that allows you to control the size and growth rate of the surface and volume mesh
surrounding a surface based on the distance from the surface.
8. Set the Influence parameters as follows:
Option Description

Influence type Simple

Influence size factor 3.0

Influence distance 2.0

9. Make sure that the Boundary layer flag is set to On.

Mesh controls related to boundary layer meshing become visible.
10. Check that the Boundary layer type is set to Full Control.
11. Set Resolve to Total Layer Height.
This will set the total layer height based on the other settings you provide.
12. Enter the remaining settings as follows:
Option Description

First element height 0.01

Growth rate 1.3

Number of layers 4

Boundary layer elements type Tetrahedron

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Figure 755:

Instead of repeating the above steps for the beam surface group you can propagate the mesh
attribute settings for the cylinder surface group to the beam surface group.
13. Right-click Surface Mesh Attributes under cylinder and select Propogate.
14. Click the beam surface group in the Propogate dialog.

Figure 756:

15. Click Propogate.

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5.24.5 Assign Mesh Controls

Define Mesh Extrusion

The present simulation is equivalent to a representation of a 2D cross section of the model. In AcuSolve,
2D models are simulated by having just one element across the faces of the cross section. When these
faces are set up with a similar boundary condition it coerces the corresponding nodes across the faces to
have the same results. In this problem these faces are the negative and positive z-surfaces. This kind of
mesh is achieved in AcuSolve with mesh extrusion process. In the following steps, the process of extrusion
of the mesh between these surfaces is defined.

1. Expand the Model Data Tree item.

2. Right-click Mesh Extrusions and select New from the context menu.
A new entity, Mesh Extrusion 1, is created.
3. Rename Mesh Extrusion 1 as z_extrusion.

Figure 757:

4. Right-click z_extrusion and select Define from the context menu.

Double-clicking z_extrusion achieves the same results.
5. In the Mesh Extrusion dialog, make the following settings.
a) Check that the Geometry type is set to surface.
b) Use the drop-down arrows to select the surfaces for Side 1 and Side 2 as z_neg and z_pos,
respectively.
c) Check that the Extrusion type is set to Number of layers.
d) Set Number of layers to 1.
e) Set Extrusion options to All tets.
Use the following image for reference for setting up the mesh extrusion.

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Figure 758:

6. Click OK to close the dialog.

Generate the Mesh

In the next steps you will generate the mesh that will be used when computing a solution for the problem.

1. Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuMeshSim dialog.

For this case, the default settings will be used.
2. Click Ok to begin meshing.
During meshing an AcuTail dialog will open. Meshing progress is reported in this dialog. A summary
of the meshing process indicates that the mesh generation has finished.

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Figure 759:

Note: The actual number of nodes, elements and memory usage may vary slightly
from machine to machine.

3. Close the AcuTail dialog and save the database to create a backup of your settings.
4. Visualize the mesh in the graphics window.
5. Turn on the display of surfaces and set the display type to solid and wire.
6. You can rotate and zoom in the model to analyze the various mesh regions.

Set Solution Strategy Parameters

In the next steps you will set parameters that control the behavior of AcuSolve as it progresses during
the solution.

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1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.
2. Double-click Auto Solution Strategy to open the Auto Solution Strategy detail panel.
3. Make sure that the Analysis type is set to Transient.
4. Enter 300 for Max time steps.
5. Enter 0.01 for Initial time increment.
6. Set the Min and Max stagger iterations to 3 and 5, respectively.
7. Make sure that Flow, Mesh and Turbulence are set to On.

Figure 760:

Set Material Model Parameters

AcuConsole has three pre-defined materials, Air, Aluminum and Water, with standard parameters defined.
In the next steps you will verify that the pre-defined material characteristics of water match the desired
properties for this problem.
1. Double-click Material Model in the Data Tree to expand it.

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2. Double-click Water in the Data Tree to open the Water detail panel.
The material type for water is Fluid. Fluid is the default material type for any new material created
in AcuConsole.

Figure 761:

3. Click the Density tab. The density value is 1000 kg/m3.

4. Make sure that the Type is set to Constant.
5. Click the Viscosity tab. The viscosity of water is 0.001 kg/m – sec.
The remaining thermal and other material properties are not critical to this simulation. However, you
can browse through the tabs to check the complete material specification.
6. Save the database to create a backup of your settings. This can be achieved with any of the following
methods.
• Click the File menu, then click Save.
• Click on the toolbar.
• Click Ctrl+S.

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Note: Changes made in AcuConsole are saved into the database file (.acs) as they
are made. A save operation copies the database to a backup file, which can be used
to reload the database from that saved state in the event that you do not want to
commit future changes.

Define Nodal Outputs

The nodal output command specifies the nodal output parameters, for example, output frequency and
number of saved states.

1. Expand the Output tree, then double-click Nodal Output to open the Nodal Output detail panel.
2. Set Time step frequency as 2.
This will save the nodal outputs at every second time step.
3. Set Output initial condition to On.
This will instruct the solver to write the initial state of the problem as the first output file.
4. Make sure that the Number of saved states is set to 0.
Setting this option to zero will instruct the solver to save all of the solution state files.

Figure 762:

Create Time History Output Points

Time History Output commands enable you to extract the nodal solution at any point within the domain.
In this simulation, you will observe the displacement at the tip of the cantilever beam.
1. Double-click the Output tree, right-click Time History Output and select New.
A new entry, Time History Output 1, is created in the Data Tree under the Time History Output branch.
2. Right-click Time History Output 1, select Rename in the context menu and type
Tip_MonitorPoint as the entity name.
3. Double-click Tip_MonitorPoint to open the Tip_MonitorPoint detail panel.

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4. In the detail panel, change the Type to Coordinates by selecting from the drop-down selector menu.
5. Click Open Array next to the Coordinates option and fill in the row in the Array Editor dialog as
follows:

Figure 763:

6. In the detail panel, set Time step frequency to 1.

This will save the results for the defined time history point at every time step.

Figure 764:

7. Save the database.

Set Initial Conditions

1. Double-click Nodal Initial Condition in the Data Tree to open the dialog in the detail panel.
2. Set the X velocity to 10 m/sec.
2
3. Set the Eddy viscosity to 1e-05 m /sec.

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Figure 765:

Create a Force Ramp Multiplier Function

The force acting on the beam due to the flow will be ramped gradually over the first few time steps.
After these first few time steps the force on the beam will remain constant. This will be achieved using
a multiplier function. In the next few steps you will create a linear multiplier function which will later be
assigned as a force multiplier function for load acting on the beam.

1. Click PB* in the Data Tree Manager to display all the available settings related to general problem
setup in the Data Tree.
2. Right-click Multiplier Function and select New.
A new entry, Multiplier Function 1, is created in the Data Tree under the Multiplier Function branch.
3. Right-click Multiplier Function 1, select Rename in the context menu and type ForceRamp as the
entity name.
4. Double-click ForceRamp to open the ForceRamp detail panel.
5. In the detail panel, change the Type to Piecewise Linear.
6. Change the Curve fit variable to Time step.

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Figure 766:

7. Click Open Array next to the Curve fit values option and create two rows in the Array Editor dialog.
8. Fill in the values as follows:

Figure 767:

9. Click OK to close the dialog.

Create a Flexible Body

In the introductory discussion of this tutorial, it was mentioned that FSI is the interaction between a fluid
and a deformable, or in other words, flexible solid body. In AcuConsole, such a solid body is defined using
the Flexible Body command. In P-FSI, the structure is reduced in the modal space. The Flexible Body
definition includes the specification of mass, stiffness and damping matrices of the body. The mass matrix
is usually normalized to I (unity matrix), and stiffness matrix k is a diagonal matrix where the diagonal
entries each represent an Eigen value. The surface outputs list refers to the surfaces outputs which are
used to calculate the forces and moments on the solid body.

1. Click FSI in the Data Tree Manager to display the options relevant to setting up an FSI model in
the Data Tree.
2. Right-click Flexible Body and select New.
A new entry, Flexible Body 1, is created in the Data Tree under the Flexible Body branch.
3. Right-click Flexible Body 1, select Rename and type beam as the entity name.

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4. Double-click beam to open the beam detail panel.

5. Make sure that Equation is set to Mesh Displacement.
6. Set Number of modes to 5.
This will import and apply the modal information for the first five modes available in the structural
data.
7. Set the Internal force multiplier function to the function ForceRamp, which you created as an earlier
step in the tutorial.
8. Click Open Refs next to the Surface outputs option.
The Reference Editor dialog opens.

Figure 768:

9. Add a row by clicking Add Row.

10. Select beam as the entity in the row from the pull-down menu.
11. Click OK to close the dialog.
This tells the solver to use the surface output data on the beam surface group to determine forces
to be transferred to the flexible body beam.

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Figure 769:

Set Parameters for the Inlet

1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.
2. Expand the Model Data Tree item.
3. Under Model, expand the Surfaces item, and then expand the inlet surface group.
4. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the detail panel.
5. Make sure that the Type is set to Inflow.
6. Make sure that the Inflow type is set to Velocity and the Inflow velocity type is Cartesian.
7. Set the X velocity to 10 m/sec.
8. Make sure that the Turbulence input type is set to Direct.
2
9. Set the Eddy viscosity to 1e-05 m /sec.

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Figure 770:

Set Parameters for the z_neg and z_pos Surfaces

1. Expand the z_neg surface group in the tree.

2. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the detail panel.
3. Make sure that the Type is set to Slip.
4. Set the Mesh displacement BC type to Slip
This setting allows the mesh to slip tangentially along the surface. Using this option requires the
surface to be planar.

Figure 771:

5. Repeat the above steps for the surface group z_pos.

You can also choose to Propagate the settings for z_neg surface group to z_pos surface group to
ensure they are the same. To do this, right-click the Simple Boundary Condition entity under the

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z_neg surface group, select Propagate, select the z_pos surface group in the Propagate dialog
and click Propagate to finish the propagation step.

Figure 772:

Set Parameters for the Slip Surface

1. Expand the slip surface group in the tree.

2. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the detail panel.
3. Ensure that the Type is set to Slip.

Figure 773:

Set Parameters for the Outlet Surface

1. Expand the outlet surface group in the tree.

2. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the detail panel.
3. Ensure that the Type is set to Outflow.

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Figure 774:

Set Parameters for the Cylinder Surface

1. Expand the cylinder surface group in the tree.

2. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the detail panel.
3. Ensure that the Type is set to Wall.

Figure 775:

Set Parameters for the Beam Surface

1. Expand the beam surface group in the tree.

2. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the detail panel.
3. Ensure that the Type is set to Wall.

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4. Set the Mesh displacement BC type to Flexible body by selecting it from the drop-down menu.
This setting will move the mesh on this surface group according to the motion of the flexible body.
5. Set the Flexible body as the beam by selecting it from the drop-down menu.
This instructs the solver to use the flexible body beam as the reference for calculating the mesh
displacement of the beam surface group.

Figure 776:

Create a Boundary Layer Node Set

In this step, you will create a set of nodes surrounding the beam that will be forced to move in conjunction
with the body. This reduces the mesh distortion in the elements in close vicinity of the beam. Since these
elements make up the boundary layer at the solid surface, it is important that these elements are not
distorted during the motion.
1. Right-click Nodes under the Model Data Tree and select New.
A new entry, Node 1, is created in the Data Tree under the Nodes branch.
2. Right-click Node 1, select Rename in the context menu and type BLNodes as the entity name.
3. Right-click BLNodes and select Define from the context menu.
The Node Define Dialog Box opens.
4. Make the following setting changes in the dialog:
a) Selection type: Surface
b) Surface: beam
c) Surface option: Number of Layers
d) Number of layers: 8

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Figure 777:

5. Click OK to close the dialog and complete the node definition.

Import Structural Model Information

The next step is to import the structural model and project the eigenvectors onto the CFD mesh.
1.
Click the icon on the toolbar.
The Eigenmode Manager dialog opens.
2. Click Add.
A new entry, Modal Response 1, is created.
3. Type Modes as the Name for the entry.

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Figure 778:

4. Click Open next to Import.

5. In the File Browser dialog make sure that the file type is set to recognize Nastran OP2 results files.
6. Select the file beam_modal.op2 and click Open to import the file.
The Number of available modes should now be 5.
7. Set the Number of active modes to 5.
8. Click the Show tab in the Eigenmode Manager, then toggle the Display and Animate buttons
On to visualize the modes of the structure.

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Experiment with the Animation mode Id slider to look at the different modes of the structure. You
can also change the amplitude, speed and visualization properties of the animation using this panel.
9. Click the Transfer tab in the Eigenmode Manager.
10. Click Transfer next to the Flexible body option.
a) Make sure that beam is selected in the Reference Editor dialog that opens.

Figure 779:

b) Click OK to complete the transfer.

This will transfer the mass, stiffness and damping arrays from the structural model over to the
beam flexible body that was created earlier.
11. Click Transfer next to the Simple BC option.
a) Select beam from the list in the Reference Editor dialog.

Figure 780:

b) Click OK to complete the transfer.

This will project the eigenvectors of the structure onto the nodes of the surface group beam.

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12. Click Transfer next to the Nodal BC option.

a) Make sure that BLNodes is selected in the Reference Editor dialog.

Figure 781:

b) Click OK to complete the transfer.

This will project the eigenvectors of the structure onto the nodes of the set named BLNodes
and activate the appropriate boundary conditions. This projection step causes the nodes of this
set to move directly with the structure.
13. Close the Eigenmode Manager.

5.24.6 Compute the Solution and Review the Results

Run AcuSolve

In the next steps you will run AcuSolve to compute the solution for this case.

1. Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuSolve dialog.

For this case the default settings will be used. AcuSolve will run using four processors, if available,
a higher number of processors may be specified. AcuConsole will generate AcuSolve input files and
will launch AcuSolve. AcuSolve will calculate the transient solution for this problem.
2. Click Ok to start the solution process.
As the solution progresses, an AcuTail dialog will open. Solution progress is reported in this dialog.
A summary of the run printed in the AcuTail dialog indicates that AcuSolve has finished running
the solution.

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Figure 782:

Post-Processing with AcuProbe

AcuProbe can be used to monitor various variables over solution time.

1.
Open AcuProbe by clicking the icon on the toolbar.
2. Expand the Time History entry and Tip_MonitorPoint.
3. Expand node 1, right-click mesh_y_displacement > Plot.

Note: You might need to click the icon on the toolbar in order to properly display
the plot.

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Figure 783: AcuProbe

The node 1 lies at the tip of the beam. The plot above shows the displacement of the tip of the beam
due to the fluid forces as the beam interacts with the flow.
4. You can also save the plots as an image.
a) From the AcuProbe dialog, click File > Save.
b) Enter a name for the image and click Save.
5. The time series data of the variables can also be exported as a text file for further post-processing.
a) Right-click on the variable that you want to export and click Export.
b) Enter a File name and choose .txt for the Save as type.
c) Click Save.

5.24.7 Post-Processing with AcuFieldView

The tutorial has been written with the assumption that you have become familiar with AcuFieldView and
basic operations. In general, it will be helpful to understand the following basics:
• How to find the data readers in the File menu and open up the desired reader panel for data input.
• How to find the visualization panels either from the Side toolbar or the Visualization panel on the
Main menu to create and modify surfaces in AcuFieldView.
• How to move the data around the graphics window using mouse actions to translate, rotate and
zoom in to the data.

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This tutorial shows you how to work with steady state analysis data.

Start AcuFieldView

1. Click on the AcuConsole toolbar to open the Launch AcuFieldView dialog.

2. Click Ok in the Launch AcuFieldView dialog.
You will see that the pressure contours have already been displayed on all of the boundary surfaces
with mesh. When results of a transient simulation are loaded in AcuConsole the displayed results
correspond to the last time step of the simulation.

Figure 784:

Set Up AcuFieldView

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1. Close the Boundary Surface dialog.

2. Click Viewer Options.

3. In the Viewer Options dialog:

a) Turn off perspective view by deselecting the Perspective checkbox.
b) Disable the axis markers by clicking Axis Markers.

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Figure 785:

4. Click Close to close the dialog.

5.
Click the icon on the toolbar.
6. Click Background in the Scalar Colormap Specification dialog.

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Figure 786:

7. Select the color white in the Background Color dialog.

Figure 787:

8. Close the dialogs.

9.
Click the icon to turn off the outline display.
Your model should now look like this:

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Figure 788:

Visualize and Save an Animation of the Beam Displacement

1.
Click the icon to open the Boundary Surface dialog.
2. Turn off the visibility for the active boundary surfaces.
3.
Click the icon to open the Coordinate Surface dialog.
4. Create a new coordinate surface at the mid -Z coordinate plane.
The coordinate surface created is the mid plane between the z_neg and z-pos surfaces.
5. Change the Coloring to Scalar.
6. Change the DISPLAY TYPE to Smooth.

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7. Select x-velocity as the Scalar Function to be displayed.

8. In the Colormap tab change SCALAR COLORING to Local.
9. From the Defined Views menu bar, select +Z as the viewing direction.
Your model should look like the image below. The visible shape of the beam is its deformed shape
at the end of last time step in the simulation.

Figure 789:

10. Close the dialog.

11. Click Tools > Flipbook Build Mode.
12. Click OK to close the Flipbook Size Warning dialog.

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Figure 790:

13. Click Tools > Transient Data .

The Transient Data Controls dialog opens.

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Figure 791:

If the SWEEP CONTROL in this dialog shows Sweep instead of Build the Flipbook Build Mode is not
active. In Sweep mode, you will be able to create and visualize the animation but you will not be
able to save it. To be able to save the animation, enable the Flipbook Build Mode.
14. Drag the time step slider to its left most position. Alternatively, type 0 for the TIME STEP or SOLUTION
TIME.
15. Click Apply.
The displayed state now corresponds to the initial state of the domain.

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Figure 792:

16. Click Build.

AcuFieldView will build the frame by frame animation of the solution progressing through all of the
available time steps. You will be able to see the progress in a Building Flipbook dialog.
17. Click Frame Rate in the Flipbook Controls dialog.
18. Enter 0.2 seconds for Minimum Time.
19. Click Close.
20.
Click the icon to play the animation.
As the animation progresses, you will be able to see the alternating vortices on the top and bottom
surface of the beam, causing an oscillating motion in the beam. This oscillating motion is responsible
for generation of piezoelectric charge in the top and bottom layers of the beam.
21. To save the animation click the icon and then click Save.
22. Provide a file name in the Flipbook File Save dialog and click Save.

5.24.8 Summary

In this AcuSolve tutorial you successfully set up and solved a FSI problem using the Practical-FSI or P-FSI
approach. The modal analysis of the structure (beam) is first done in a structural solver and the results of
this modal analysis are used to represent the structure in AcuConsole. The results of the modal analysis
provide the necessary information, such as the mass, stiffness and damping characteristics of the solid

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body, to AcuSolve. This information, along with the flow field information generated by AcuSolve, is used
to calculate the displacement of the beam as it interacts with the flow.

You started the tutorial by creating a database in AcuConsole, importing and meshing the fluid portion
geometry and setting up the basic simulation parameters. Then you set up a flexible body to represent
the beam and generated a solution with AcuSolve.

Results were post-processed in AcuFieldView where you generated an animation of the beam’s
displacement as it interacts with the fluid flow. New features that were introduced in this tutorial include
setting up a Practical FSI simulation (P-FSI), using ALE mesh motion and using Eigenmode Manager in
AcuConsole for transferring structural data onto a CFD mesh.

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5.27 ACU-5401: Piezoelectric Flow Energy Harvester - PFSI & IMM

5.27
This tutorial provides the instructions for setting up, solving and viewing results for a simulation of a
piezoelectric fluid harvester. In this simulation, a piezoelectric flow harvester is placed in a fluid flow
channel. The harvester is attached to a cylinder mount which also acts as a bluff body causing vortices in
the fluid flow. The interaction between the pressure fields generated by the vortices and the flow harvester
structure is simulated in this tutorial. Interpolated mesh motion approach is used to compute the mesh
deformation in the fluid domain as it interacts with the deforming structure.

The basic steps in a CFD simulation have been discussed in the earlier tutorials. The following additional
capabilities of AcuSolve are introduced in this tutorial:
• Fluid-structure interaction using the interpolated mesh motion (IMM)
• Use of the Eigenmode Manager for transferring structural data onto CFD mesh

In this tutorial you will do the following:

• Analyze the problem
• Start AcuConsole and create a simulation database
• Set general problem parameters
• Set solution strategy parameters
• Import the geometry for the simulation
• Create a volume group and apply volume parameters
• Create surface groups and apply surface parameters
• Set global and local meshing parameters
• Generate the mesh
• Import and transfer structural data onto the CFD mesh
• Set up the fluid-structure interaction simulation using IMM
• Set the appropriate boundary conditions
• Run AcuSolve
• Monitor the solution with AcuProbe
• Post processing the nodal output with AcuFieldView

5.27 Prerequisites
You should have already run through the introductory tutorial, ACU-2000: Turbulent Flow in a Mixing
Elbow. It is assumed that you have some familiarity with AcuConsole, AcuSolve, and AcuFieldView. You
will also need access to a licensed version of AcuSolve.

Prior to running through this tutorial, copy Acu_tutorial_input.zip from <AcuSolve installation
directory>\model_files\tutorials\AcuSolve\Acu_tutorial_inputs.zip to a working directory.

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Extract the files fluid.x_t and beam_modal.op2 from Acu_tutorial_input.zip. The file fluid.x_t
stores the geometry information for the fluid portion of the model for this problem, and the file
beam_modal.op2 stores the output data from the structural solver which will be projected on to the CFD
mesh that will be generated in the course of the tutorial.

The color of objects shown in the graphics window in this tutorial and those displayed on your screen
may differ. The default color scheme in AcuConsole is "random," in which colors are randomly assigned to
groups as they are created. In addition, this tutorial was developed on Windows. If you are running this
tutorial on a different operating system, you may notice a slight difference between the images displayed
on your screen and the images shown in the tutorial.

5.27.1 Analyze the Problem

5.27.1
An important step in any CFD simulation is to examine the engineering problem at hand and determine
the important parameters that need to be provided to AcuSolve.

Figure 793 shows a CFD model consisting of a cantilever beam and a rigid cylindrical body. The cylindrical
body produces vortex shedding in the flow downstream, inducing alternating asymmetric pressure
distribution on either side of the beam. Such an alternating pressure distribution results in a sustainable
oscillating vibration in the beam.

This model is a simplified model of a piezoelectric flow energy harvester.

Figure 794 shows the beam with a brass shim sandwiched between the piezoelectric layers on either
side. Piezoelectric materials have a property of generating an electric charge when subjected to oscillating
structural stress. The electric charge is tapped by a separate electromechanical arrangement. In this
tutorial, we will focus on the simulation of the fluid forces on the beam in response to the structural
deformation. The schematics of the problem which will be addressed in this tutorial is shown in Figure
793. The modeled domain consists of a fluid volume. The fluid solver does not require the solid body to
be modeled. However, the results of the structural solver will be used to define the solid body and the
surfaces where the fluid interacts with the solid will be allowed to deform according to the Eigen modes
of the beam. Figure 794 shows the arrangement of the beam with its various layers.

Figure 793: Schematic of the Problem

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Figure 794: The Beam with its Various Layers

Fluid Structure Interaction (FSI) is the interaction between a fluid flow and a deformable solid structure
in contact with the flow. There are two FSI approaches: Practical Fluid/Structure Interaction (P-FSI) and
Direct-Coupling Fluid/Structure Interaction (DC-FSI). Details about these approaches can be found in
ACU-5400: Piezoelectric Flow Energy Harvester: A Fluid-Structure Interaction (P-FSI).

The P-FSI approach requires eigenvalues of the OptiStruct structural model. It is then mapped to
the AcuSolve CFD model in order to compute the structural deformation in response to the vortex
shedding (fluid force) on the beam. The computation of the structural deformation will be made using the
Interpolated Mesh Motion (IMM) rather than using the Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE).

When using interpolated mesh motion (IMM), all the surfaces associated with this motion are assigned as
interpolated motion surfaces and collected into a single set. All the nodes falling within the boundaries of
that set are then interpolated to determine their weighted displacement based on the distance from their
surrounding “driving” surfaces. For example in this simulation shown in Figure 795, as the flow passes over
the cylinder and the beam, the forces causes the beam to move in transverse direction. This transverse
motion of the beam should be communicated to the top and bottom surfaces. Assigning these surfaces
as interpolated surfaces (as shown in Figure 795) and then imparting the interpolated mesh motion to
the nodes within the volume will linearly scale the displacement of the surrounding nodes as a function
of distance between the surfaces associated with the interpolated mesh motion. The main advantage of
interpolated mesh motion over ALE is that no extra partial differential equations are solved, hence lower
computation times. However this approach is limited to problems involving not so complex mesh motion.

Figure 795: The Interpolated Motion Surfaces of the Model

5.27.2 Define the Simulation Parameters

Start AcuConsole and Create the Simulation Database

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In this tutorial, you will begin by creating a database, populating the geometry-independent settings,
loading the geometry, creating volume and surface groups, setting group parameters, adding geometry
components to groups, and assigning mesh controls and boundary conditions to the groups. Next you
will generate a mesh and run AcuSolve to solve for the number of time steps specified. Finally, you will
visualize some characteristics of the results using AcuFieldView.

In the next steps you will start AcuConsole, and create the database for storage of the simulation settings.

1. Start AcuConsole from the Windows Start menu by clicking Start > All Programs > Altair
HyperWorks <version> AcuSolve > AcuConsole.
2. Click the File menu, then click New to open the New data base dialog.

Note: You can also open the New data base dialog by clicking on the toolbar.

3. Browse to the location that you would like to use as your working directory.
This directory is where all files related to the simulation will be stored. The AcuConsole database
file (.acs) is stored in this directory. Once the mesh and solution are created, additional files and
directories will be created within this directory.
4. Create a new directory in this location. Name it PFSI_IMM_Tutorial and navigate into this directory.
5. Enter piezo_harvester_IMM as the File name for the database, or choose any name of your
preference.

Note: In order for other applications to be able to read the files written by AcuConsole,
the database path and name should not include spaces.

6. Click Save to create the database.

Set General Simulation Parameters

In the next steps you will set attributes that apply globally to the simulation. To simplify this task, you
will use the BAS filter in the Data Tree Manager. The BAS filter limits the options in the Data Tree to show
only the basic settings.

1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.

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Figure 796:

2. Double-click Global in the Data Tree to expand it.

Note: You can also expand a tree item by clicking next to the item name.

Figure 797:

3. Double-click Problem Description to open the Problem Description detail panel.

4. Enter AcuSolve PFSI with IMM Tutorial as the Title for this case.
5. Enter Piezoelectric harvester as the Sub title for this case.
6. Change the Analysis type to Transient.
7. Set the Turbulence equation to Spalart Allmaras.
8. Change the Mesh type to Fully Specified.
Using a ‘Fully specified’ mesh type allows the mesh in the domain to be moved based on the mesh
motion defined by user in the later steps. This user-specified mesh motion can be a rigid body motion
or an Interpolated mesh motion (IMM). In this tutorial you will define the mesh motion using the
Interpolated mesh motion.

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Figure 798:

Set Solution Strategy Parameters

1. Double-click Auto Solution Strategy to open the Auto Solution Strategy detail panel.
2. Check that the Analysis type is set to Transient.
3. Set the Max time steps as 300.
4. Set the Initial time increment as 0.01.
5. Set the Min stagger iterations as 3.
6. Set the Max stagger iterations as 5.
7. Set the Relaxation factor to 0.
When solving transient solutions, the relaxation factor should be set to zero. A non-zero relaxation
factor causes incremental updates of the solution, which will impact the time accuracy of the solution
for transient cases.
8. Check that Flow and Turbulence are both set to On.

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Figure 799:

Set Material Model Parameters

AcuConsole has three pre-defined materials, Air, Aluminum, and Water, with standard parameters defined.
In the next steps you will verify that the pre-defined material properties of air match the desired properties
for this problem.
1. Double-click Material Model in the Data Tree to expand it.
2. Double-click Water in the Data Tree to open the Water detail panel.
The material type for water is Fluid. Fluid is the default material type for any new material created
in AcuConsole.
3. In the Density tab, check the following:
a) The Type is set to Constant.
3
b) The Density value is 1000 kg/m
4. Click the Viscosity tab. The viscosity of water is 0.001 kg/m – sec.

The remaining thermal and other material properties are not critical to this simulation. However, you
may browse through the tabs to check the complete material specification.
5. Save the database to create a backup of your settings. This can be achieved with any of the following
methods.
• Click the File menu, then click Save.
• Click on the toolbar.
• Click Ctrl+S.

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Note: Changes made in AcuConsole are saved into the database file (.acs) as they
are made. A save operation copies the database to a backup file, which can be used
to reload the database from that saved state in the event that you do not want to
commit future changes.

Define Nodal Outputs

The nodal output command specifies the nodal output parameters, for instance, output frequency, number
of saved states etc.

1. Expand Output, then double-click Nodal Output to open the Nodal Output detail panel.
2. Set Time step frequency as 2.
This will save the nodal outputs at every 2nd time step.
3. Set Output initial condition to On.
This will instruct the solver to write the initial state of the problem as the first output file.
4. Check that the Number of saved states is set to zero.
Setting this option to zero will instruct the solver to save all the solution state files.

Figure 800:

5.27.3 Import Geometry and Define the Model

Import the Geometry

You will import the geometry in the next part of this tutorial. You will need to know the location of
fluid.x_t in order to complete these steps. This file contains information about the geometry in Parasolid
ASCII format.

1. Click File > Import.

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2. Browse to the directory containing fluid.x_t.

3. Change the File name filter to Parasolid File (*.x_t *.xmt *X_T …
4. Click fluid.x_t and Open to open the Import Geometry dialog.
For this tutorial, the default values for the Import Geometry dialog are used to load the geometry.
If you have previously used AcuConsole, any changes to these settings will be preserved between
AcuConsole sessions. Make sure that any settings that you might have altered are manually changed
to match the default values shown. With the default settings, volumes from the CAD model are
added to a default volume group. Surfaces from the CAD model are added to a default surface group.
You will work with groups later in this tutorial to create new groups, set simulation attributes, add
geometric components, and set meshing attributes.
5. Click Ok to complete the geometry import.

Figure 801:

Apply Volume Attributes

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Volume groups are containers used for storing information about a volume region. This information
includes solution and meshing parameters applied to the volume and the geometric regions that these
settings are applied to.

When the geometry was imported into AcuConsole, all volumes were placed into the "default" volume
container. You should be able to see it in the Data Tree upon successful import of your model in the last
step, under Model > Volumes > default.

Since the model for this tutorial has only a single volume, it will be the only volume in the default volume
group when the geometry is imported. Even when there is a single volume in the model, it is advisable
to rename the volume for ease of identification in future. In the next steps you will rename the default
volume group container, and set the material and other properties for it.

1. Expand the Model Data Tree item.

2. Turn off the display of Surfaces by right-clicking on Surfaces and selecting Display off.
3. Expand Volumes. Toggle the display of the default volume container by clicking and next
to the volume name.

Note: You may not see any change when toggling the display if Surfaces are being
displayed, as surfaces and volumes may overlap.

4. Rename the default volume group to fluid.

Note: When an item in the Data Tree is renamed, the change is not saved until you
press the Enter key on your keyboard. If you move the input focus away from the item
without entering it, your changes will be lost.

5. Set up the fluid volume set:

a) Expand the fluid volume group in the tree.
b) Double-click Element Set under fluid to open it in the detail panel.
c) Check that the Medium for the volume is set to Fluid. If not, click on the drop-down menu
and select Fluid.
d) Click the Material model drop-down menu and select Water.

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Create Surface Groups and Apply Surface Parameters

Surface groups are containers used for storing information about a surface, including solution and meshing
parameters, and the corresponding surface in the geometry that the parameters will apply to.

In the next steps you will define surface groups, assign the appropriate settings for the different
characteristics of the problem, and add surfaces to the group containers.

In the process of setting up a simulation, you need to move into different panels for setting up the boundary
conditions, mesh parameters, and so on, which can sometimes be cumbersome, especially for models with
too many surfaces. To make it easier, less error prone, and to save time, two new dialogs are provided in
AcuConsole. Use the Volume Manager and Surface Manager to verify and provide the information for
all surface or volume entities at once. In this section some features of Surface Manager are exploited.

1. Turn-off the display for Volumes by right-clicking Volumes and selecting Display off .
2. Right-click Surfaces in the Data Tree and select Surface Manager.
3. In the Surface Manager dialog, click New six times to create six new surface groups.

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Figure 802:

If you cannot see the Simple BC Active and Simple BC Type columns, click Columns , select these
two columns from the list and click Ok.

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Figure 803:

4. Turn off the display for all surfaces except for the default surface.
5. Rename Surface 1 through Surface 6 according to Figure 804.
6. Set the Simple BC Active and Simple BC Type columns, per Figure 804.

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Figure 804:

7. Assign the surfaces to the z_pos and z_neg surface groups.

a) Click Add to in the z_pos row in the Surface Manager.
b) Select the planar surface with the maximum z-coordinate, as shown in Figure 805, and click
Done.
c) Follow the procedure to assign the surface with the minimum z-coordinate to the z_neg surface
group.

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Figure 805:

8. Assign the surfaces enclosing the domain at the top and bottom to the slip surface group.
9. Assign the surface with the minimum x-coordinate to the inlet surface group.
10. Assign the surface with the maximum x-coordinate to the outlet surface group.
11. Assign the cylinder surface to the cylinder surface group. This surface is the contact boundary
between the fluid and the cylinder. Use the following image as the reference for selecting the required
surfaces.

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Figure 806:

When the geometry was loaded into AcuConsole, all geometry surfaces were placed in the default surface
group container. This default surface group was renamed to beam in the Surface Manager. In the
previous steps, you assigned some surfaces to various other surface groups that you created. At this
point, all that is left in the beam surface group are the surfaces that make up the contact boundary
between the fluid volume and the beam.
12. Close the Surface Manager.

Set Global Mesh Parameters

Global mesh attributes are the meshing parameters applied to the model as a whole without reference
to a specific geometric volume, surface, edge, or point. Local mesh attributes are used to create mesh
generation controls for specific geometry components of the model.

In the next steps you will set the global mesh attributes.

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1. Click MSH in the Data Tree Manager to filter the settings in the Data Tree to show only the controls
related to meshing.
2. Double-click the Global Data Tree item to expand it.
3. Double-click Global Mesh Attributes to open the Global Mesh Attributes detail panel.
4. Change the Mesh size type to Absolute.
5. Set the Absolute mesh size to 2.0 m.
6. Set the Mesh growth rate to 1.4.

Figure 807:

Set Surface Mesh Parameters

Surface mesh attributes are applied to a specific surface in the model. It is a type of local meshing
parameter, used to create targeted mesh controls for one or more specific surfaces.

Local mesh attributes such as surface mesh attributes are not mandatory to be set. When a local mesh
attribute is not found for a component, the global attributes will be used as the mesh generation control
for that component. If a local mesh attribute is present, it will take precedence over the global setting.

In the next steps you will set the surface meshing attributes for the cylinder surface, to add boundary
layers to the surface. Then you will propagate these mesh attributes to the beam surfaces.

1. Expand the Model Data Tree item.

2. Under Model, expand Surfaces.
3. Under Surfaces, expand the cylinder surface group.
4. Click the Surface Mesh Attributes checkbox to activate and open the detail panel.
The detail panel becomes populated with more options.
5. Ensure that the Mesh size type is set to Absolute.
6. For Absolute mesh size, enter 0.05 m.
7. Switch the Region of influence parameters flag to On.
Mesh controls related to influence region from the surface will be visible now.

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Region of influence is a size control that allows you to control the size and growth rate of the surface
and volume mesh surrounding a surface based on the distance from the surface.
8. Set the Influence parameters:
a) Set Influence type to Simple.
b) Set Influence size factor to 3.0.
c) Set the Influence distance to 2.0.

Note: The above settings will ensure that the volume mesh to have a size 0.05 m
(Absolute mesh size) at the surface and then transition to a size of (Absolute mesh
size) × (Influence size factor) at a distance 2.0 m (Influence distance).

9. Switch the Boundary layer flag to On.

Mesh controls related to the boundary layer become available.
10. Ensure that the Boundary layer type is set to Full Control.
11. Set Resolve to Total Layer Height.
This will set the total layer height based on the other settings you provide.
12. Set the remaining settings as follows:
a) Set First element height to 0.01.
b) Set Growth rate to 1.3.
c) Set the Number of layers to 4.
d) Set the Boundary layer elements type to Tetrahedron.

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Figure 808:

Instead of repeating the above steps for the beam surface group, you can propagate the mesh attribute
settings for cylinder surface group to beam surface group.
13. In the Data Tree, under cylinder, right-click on Surface Mesh Attributes.
14. Select Propagate.
15. In the Propagate dialog, select the beam surface group and click Propagate.

5.27.4 Assign Mesh Controls

5.27.4.1 Define Mesh Extrusion

The present simulation is equivalent to a representation of a 2D cross section of the model. In AcuSolve,
2D models are simulated by having just one element across the faces of the cross section. When these
faces are set up with a similar boundary condition it coerces the corresponding nodes across the faces to
have the same results. In this problem these faces are the negative and positive z-surfaces. This kind of
mesh is achieved in AcuSolve with mesh extrusion process. In the following steps, the process of extrusion
of the mesh between these surfaces is defined.

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1. Expand the Model Data Tree item.

2. Right-click Mesh Extrusions and select New from the context menu.
A new entity, Mesh Extrusion 1, is created.
3. Rename Mesh Extrusion 1 as z_extrusion.

Figure 809:

4. Right-click z_extrusion and select Define from the context menu.

Double-clicking z_extrusion achieves the same results.
5. In the Mesh Extrusion dialog, make the following settings.
a) Check that the Geometry type is set to surface.
b) Use the drop-down arrows to select the surfaces for Side 1 and Side 2 as z_neg and z_pos,
respectively.
c) Check that the Extrusion type is set to Number of layers.
d) Set Number of layers to 1.
e) Set Extrusion options to All tets.
Use the following image for reference for setting up the mesh extrusion.

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Figure 810:

6. Click OK to close the dialog.

5.27.4.2 Generate the Mesh

In the next steps you will generate the mesh that will be used when computing a solution for the problem.

1. Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuMeshSim dialog.

For this case, the default settings will be used.
2. Click Ok to begin meshing.
During meshing an AcuTail dialog will open. Meshing progress is reported in this dialog. A summary
of the meshing process indicates that the mesh generation has finished.

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Figure 811:

Note: The actual number of nodes, elements and memory usage may vary slightly
from machine to machine.

3. Close the AcuTail dialog and save the database to create a backup of your settings.
4. Visualize the mesh in the graphics window.
5. Turn on the display of surfaces and set the display type to solid and wire.
6. You can rotate and zoom in the model to analyze the various mesh regions.

5.27.4.3 Create Time History Output Points

Time History Output commands enable you to extract the nodal solution at any point within the domain.
In this simulation, you will observe the displacement at the tip of the cantilever beam.

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1. Double-click the Output tree, right-click Time History Output and select New.
A new entry, Time History Output 1, is created in the Data Tree under the Time History Output branch.
2. Right-click Time History Output 1, select Rename in the context menu and type
Tip_MonitorPoint as the entity name.
3. Double-click Tip_MonitorPoint to open the Tip_MonitorPoint detail panel.
4. In the detail panel, change the Type to Coordinates by selecting from the drop-down selector menu.
5. Click Open Array next to the Coordinates option and fill in the row in the Array Editor dialog as
follows:

Figure 812:

6. In the detail panel, set Time step frequency to 1.

This will save the results for the defined time history point at every time step.

Figure 813:

7. Save the database.

5.27.4.4 Set Initial Conditions

1. Double-click Nodal Initial Condition in the Data Tree to open the dialog in the detail panel.
2. Set the X velocity to 10 m/sec.
2
3. Set the Eddy viscosity to 1e-05 m /sec.

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Figure 814:

5.27.4.5 Create a Force Ramp Multiplier Function

The force acting on the beam due to the flow will be ramped gradually over the first few time steps.
After these first few time steps the force on the beam will remain constant. This will be achieved using
a multiplier function. In the next few steps you will create a linear multiplier function which will later be
assigned as a force multiplier function for load acting on the beam.

1. Click PB* in the Data Tree Manager to display all the available settings related to general problem
setup in the Data Tree.
2. Right-click Multiplier Function and select New.
A new entry, Multiplier Function 1, is created in the Data Tree under the Multiplier Function branch.
3. Right-click Multiplier Function 1, select Rename in the context menu and type ForceRamp as the
entity name.
4. Double-click ForceRamp to open the ForceRamp detail panel.
5. In the detail panel, change the Type to Piecewise Linear.
6. Change the Curve fit variable to Time step.

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Figure 815:

7. Click Open Array next to the Curve fit values option and create two rows in the Array Editor dialog.
8. Fill in the values as follows:

Figure 816:

9. Click OK to close the dialog.

5.27.4.6 Create a Flexible Body

In the introductory discussion of this tutorial, it was mentioned that FSI is the interaction between a fluid
and a deformable, or in other words, flexible solid body. In AcuConsole, such a solid body is defined using
the Flexible Body command. In P-FSI, the structure is reduced in the modal space. The Flexible Body
definition includes the specification of mass, stiffness and damping matrices of the body. The mass matrix
is usually normalized to I (unity matrix), and stiffness matrix k is a diagonal matrix where the diagonal
entries each represent an Eigen value. The surface outputs list refers to the surfaces outputs which are
used to calculate the forces and moments on the solid body.

1. Click FSI in the Data Tree Manager to display the options relevant to setting up an FSI model in
the Data Tree.
2. Right-click Flexible Body and select New.
A new entry, Flexible Body 1, is created in the Data Tree under the Flexible Body branch.
3. Right-click Flexible Body 1, select Rename and type beam as the entity name.

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4. Double-click beam to open the beam detail panel.

5. Make sure that Equation is set to Mesh Displacement.
6. Set Number of modes to 5.
This will import and apply the modal information for the first five modes available in the structural
data.
7. Set the Internal force multiplier function to the function ForceRamp, which you created as an earlier
step in the tutorial.
8. Click Open Refs next to the Surface outputs option.
The Reference Editor dialog opens.

Figure 817:

9. Add a row by clicking Add Row.

10. Select beam as the entity in the row from the pull-down menu.
11. Click OK to close the dialog.
This tells the solver to use the surface output data on the beam surface group to determine forces
to be transferred to the flexible body beam.

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Figure 818:

5.27.4.7 Set Parameters for the Inlet

1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.
2. Expand the Model Data Tree item.
3. Under Model, expand the Surfaces item, and then expand the inlet surface group.
4. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the detail panel.
5. Make sure that the Type is set to Inflow.
6. Make sure that the Inflow type is set to Velocity and the Inflow velocity type is Cartesian.
7. Set the X velocity to 10 m/sec.
8. Make sure that the Turbulence input type is set to Direct.
2
9. Set the Eddy viscosity to 1e-05 m /sec.

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Figure 819:

5.27.4.8 Set Parameters for the z_neg and z_pos Surfaces

1. Expand the z_neg surface group in the tree.

2. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the detail panel.
3. Make sure that the Type is set to Slip.
4. Set the Mesh displacement BC type to Slip
This setting allows the mesh to slip tangentially along the surface. Using this option requires the
surface to be planar.

Figure 820:

5. Repeat the above steps for the surface group z_pos.

You can also choose to Propagate the settings for z_neg surface group to z_pos surface group to
ensure they are the same. To do this, right-click the Simple Boundary Condition entity under the

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z_neg surface group, select Propagate, select the z_pos surface group in the Propagate dialog
and click Propagate to finish the propagation step.

Figure 821:

5.27.4.9 Set Parameters for the Slip Surface

1. Expand the slip surface group in the tree.

2. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the detail panel.
3. Ensure that the Type is set to Slip.

Figure 822:

5.27.4.10 Set Parameters for the Outlet Surface

1. Expand the outlet surface group in the tree.

2. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the detail panel.
3. Ensure that the Type is set to Outflow.

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Figure 823:

5.27.4.11 Set Parameters for the Cylinder Surface

1. Expand the cylinder surface group in the tree.

2. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the detail panel.
3. Ensure that the Type is set to Wall.

Figure 824:

5.27.4.12 Set Parameters for the Beam Surface

1. Expand the beam surface group in the tree.

2. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the detail panel.
3. Ensure that the Type is set to Wall.

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4. Set the Mesh displacement BC type to Flexible body by selecting it from the drop-down menu.
This setting will move the mesh on this surface group according to the motion of the flexible body.
5. Set the Flexible body as the beam by selecting it from the drop-down menu.
This instructs the solver to use the flexible body beam as the reference for calculating the mesh
displacement of the beam surface group.

Figure 825:

5.27.4.13 Create a Boundary Layer Node Set

In this step, you will create a set of nodes surrounding the beam that will be forced to move in conjunction
with the body. This reduces the mesh distortion in the elements in close vicinity of the beam. Since these
elements make up the boundary layer at the solid surface, it is important that these elements are not
distorted during the motion.
1. Right-click Nodes under the Model Data Tree and select New.
A new entry, Node 1, is created in the Data Tree under the Nodes branch.
2. Right-click Node 1, select Rename in the context menu and type BLNodes as the entity name.
3. Right-click BLNodes and select Define from the context menu.
The Node Define Dialog Box opens.
4. Make the following setting changes in the dialog:
a) Selection type: Surface
b) Surface: beam
c) Surface option: Number of Layers
d) Number of layers: 8

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Figure 826:

5. Click OK to close the dialog and complete the node definition.

5.27.4.14 Import Structural Model Information

The next step is to import the structural model and project the eigenvectors onto the CFD mesh.
1.
Click the icon on the toolbar.
The Eigenmode Manager dialog opens.
2. Click Add.
A new entry, Modal Response 1, is created.
3. Type Modes as the Name for the entry.

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Figure 827:

4. Click Open next to Import.

5. In the File Browser dialog make sure that the file type is set to recognize Nastran OP2 results files.
6. Select the file beam_modal.op2 and click Open to import the file.
The Number of available modes should now be 5.
7. Set the Number of active modes to 5.
8. Click the Show tab in the Eigenmode Manager, then toggle the Display and Animate buttons
On to visualize the modes of the structure.

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Experiment with the Animation mode Id slider to look at the different modes of the structure. You
can also change the amplitude, speed and visualization properties of the animation using this panel.
9. Click the Transfer tab in the Eigenmode Manager.
10. Click Transfer next to the Flexible body option.
a) Make sure that beam is selected in the Reference Editor dialog that opens.

Figure 828:

b) Click OK to complete the transfer.

This will transfer the mass, stiffness and damping arrays from the structural model over to the
beam flexible body that was created earlier.
11. Click Transfer next to the Simple BC option.
a) Select beam from the list in the Reference Editor dialog.

Figure 829:

b) Click OK to complete the transfer.

This will project the eigenvectors of the structure onto the nodes of the surface group beam.

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12. Click Transfer next to the Nodal BC option.

a) Make sure that BLNodes is selected in the Reference Editor dialog.

Figure 830:

b) Click OK to complete the transfer.

This will project the eigenvectors of the structure onto the nodes of the set named BLNodes
and activate the appropriate boundary conditions. This projection step causes the nodes of this
set to move directly with the structure.
13. Close the Eigenmode Manager.

5.27.4.15 Assign the Interpolated Motion Surfaces

In this step you will assign the appropriate surfaces as Interpolated mesh motion surfaces so that the
mesh bounded by these surfaces will be interpolated based on the motion of these interpolated mesh
motion surfaces.

1. Click ALL in the Data Tree Manager to display all settings in the Data Tree.
2. Expand Model > Surfaces > beam.
3. Check the box next to Interpolated Motion Surface.
4. In the detail panel, for Motion surface type, accept the default option of Faceted.
5. Similarly, assign the Interpolated Motion Surface for the Slip surface.

Figure 831:

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5.27.4.16 Create Mesh Motion with Interpolated Motion Surfaces

In the next steps you will define the mesh motion based on the Interpolated surfaces defined in the above
step.

1. Click ALE in the Data Tree Manager to display all settings in the Data Tree.
2. Right-click on Mesh Motion and select New.
3. Right-click on Mesh Motion 1 and rename it to Interpolated_mesh_motion.
4. Double-click on Interpolated_mesh_motion to open the detail panel.
5. Change the Type to Interpolated Motion.

Figure 832:

6. Click Open Refs.

7. In the Reference Editor, click Add Row twice to create two new rows for the two interpolated
motion surfaces just created.
8. Select the interpolated motion surfaces (beam and slip).

Figure 833:

9. Click OK to close the dialog.

5.27.4.17 Assign Mesh Motion to the Fluid

In this step you will assign the appropriate surfaces as Interpolated mesh motion surfaces so that the
mesh bounded by these surfaces will be interpolated based on the motion of these interpolated mesh
motion surfaces.

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1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.
2. Expand Model > Volume > fluid.
3. Double-click Element Set.
4. In the detail panel, change Mesh motion to Interpolated_mesh_motion.

Figure 834:

5. Save the database.

5.27.5 Compute the Solution and Review the Results

5.27.5.1 Run AcuSolve

In the next steps you will run AcuSolve to compute the solution for this case.

1. Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuSolve dialog.

For this case the default settings will be used. AcuSolve will run using four processors, if available,
a higher number of processors may be specified. AcuConsole will generate AcuSolve input files and
will launch AcuSolve. AcuSolve will calculate the transient solution for this problem.
2. Click Ok to start the solution process.
As the solution progresses, an AcuTail dialog will open. Solution progress is reported in this dialog.
A summary of the run printed in the AcuTail dialog indicates that AcuSolve has finished running
the solution.

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Figure 835:

5.27.5.2 Post-Processing with AcuProbe

AcuProbe can be used to monitor various variables over solution time.

1.
Open AcuProbe by clicking the icon on the toolbar.
2. Expand the Time History entry and Tip_MonitorPoint.
3. Expand node 1, right-click mesh_y_displacement > Plot.

Note: You might need to click the icon on the toolbar in order to properly display
the plot.

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Figure 836: AcuProbe

The node 1 lies at the tip of the beam. The plot above shows the displacement of the tip of the beam
due to the fluid forces as the beam interacts with the flow.
4. You can also save the plots as an image.
a) From the AcuProbe dialog, click File > Save.
b) Enter a name for the image and click Save.
5. The time series data of the variables can also be exported as a text file for further post-processing.
a) Right-click on the variable that you want to export and click Export.
b) Enter a File name and choose .txt for the Save as type.
c) Click Save.

5.27.5.3 Post-Processing with AcuFieldView

The tutorial has been written with the assumption that you have become familiar with AcuFieldView and
basic operations. In general, it will be helpful to understand the following basics:
• How to find the data readers in the File menu and open up the desired reader panel for data input.
• How to find the visualization panels either from the Side toolbar or the Visualization panel on the
Main menu to create and modify surfaces in AcuFieldView.
• How to move the data around the graphics window using mouse actions to translate, rotate and
zoom in to the data.

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This tutorial shows you how to work with steady state analysis data.

5.27.5.3.1 Start AcuFieldView

1. Click on the AcuConsole toolbar to open the Launch AcuFieldView dialog.

2. Click Ok in the Launch AcuFieldView dialog.
You will see that the pressure contours have already been displayed on all of the boundary surfaces
with mesh. When results of a transient simulation are loaded in AcuConsole the displayed results
correspond to the last time step of the simulation.

Figure 837:

5.27.5.3.2 Set Up AcuFieldView

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1. Close the Boundary Surface dialog.

2. Click Viewer Options.

3. In the Viewer Options dialog:

a) Turn off perspective view by deselecting the Perspective checkbox.
b) Disable the axis markers by clicking Axis Markers.

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Figure 838:

4. Click Close to close the dialog.

5.
Click the icon on the toolbar.
6. Click Background in the Scalar Colormap Specification dialog.

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Figure 839:

7. Select the color white in the Background Color dialog.

Figure 840:

8. Close the dialogs.

9.
Click the icon to turn off the outline display.
Your model should now look like this:

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Figure 841:

5.27.5.3.3 Visualize and Save an Animation of the Beam Displacement

1.
Click the icon to open the Boundary Surface dialog.
2. Turn off the visibility for the active boundary surfaces.
3.
Click the icon to open the Coordinate Surface dialog.
4. Create a new coordinate surface at the mid -Z coordinate plane.
The coordinate surface created is the mid plane between the z_neg and z-pos surfaces.
5. Change the Coloring to Scalar.
6. Change the DISPLAY TYPE to Smooth.

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7. Select x-velocity as the Scalar Function to be displayed.

8. In the Colormap tab change SCALAR COLORING to Local.
9. From the Defined Views menu bar, select +Z as the viewing direction.
Your model should look like the image below. The visible shape of the beam is its deformed shape
at the end of last time step in the simulation.

Figure 842:

10. Close the dialog.

11. Click Tools > Flipbook Build Mode.
12. Click OK to close the Flipbook Size Warning dialog.

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Figure 843:

13. Click Tools > Transient Data .

The Transient Data Controls dialog opens.

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Figure 844:

If the SWEEP CONTROL in this dialog shows Sweep instead of Build the Flipbook Build Mode is not
active. In Sweep mode, you will be able to create and visualize the animation but you will not be
able to save it. To be able to save the animation, enable the Flipbook Build Mode.
14. Drag the time step slider to its left most position. Alternatively, type 0 for the TIME STEP or SOLUTION
TIME.
15. Click Apply.
The displayed state now corresponds to the initial state of the domain.

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Figure 845:

16. Click Build.

AcuFieldView will build the frame by frame animation of the solution progressing through all of the
available time steps. You will be able to see the progress in a Building Flipbook dialog.
17. Click Frame Rate in the Flipbook Controls dialog.
18. Enter 0.2 seconds for Minimum Time.
19. Click Close.
20.
Click the icon to play the animation.
As the animation progresses, you will be able to see the alternating vortices on the top and bottom
surface of the beam, causing an oscillating motion in the beam. This oscillating motion is responsible
for generation of piezoelectric charge in the top and bottom layers of the beam.
21. To save the animation click the icon and then click Save.
22. Provide a file name in the Flipbook File Save dialog and click Save.

5.27.6 Summary

5.27.6
In this AcuSolve tutorial you successfully set up and solved an FSI problem, using the Practical-FSI, or P-
FSI approach. The modal analysis of the structure (beam) is first done in a structural solver and the results

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of this modal analysis in the form of a .op2 file are used to represent the structure in AcuSolve. The .op2
file provides the necessary information, such as the mass, stiffness and damping characteristics of the
solid body, to AcuSolve. This information, along with the flow field information generated by AcuSolve,
is used to calculate the displacement of the beam as it interacts with the flow. You started the tutorial
by creating a database in AcuConsole, importing and meshing the fluid portion geometry, and setting up
the basic simulation parameters. Then you set up a flexible body to represent the beam, and generated a
solution with AcuSolve. Results were post-processed in AcuFieldView where you generated an animation
of the beam’s displacement as it interacts with the fluid flow. New features that were introduced in this
tutorial include: setting up a Practical FSI simulation (P-FSI) using Interpolated Mesh Motion (IMM), and
using Eigenmode Manager in AcuConsole for transferring structural data onto a CFD mesh.

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5.30 ACU-5402: Piezoelectric Flow Energy Harvester with Rigid Body

Rotation

This tutorial provides the instructions for setting up, solving and viewing results for a simulation of a
piezoelectric fluid harvester. In this simulation, a piezoelectric flow harvester is placed in a fluid flow
channel. The harvester is attached to a cylinder mount which also acts as a bluff body causing vortices in
the fluid flow. In addition, the cylinder and the harvester are imparted with a sinusoidal rotation motion.
The interaction between the pressure fields generated by the vortices and the flow harvester structure
is simulated in this tutorial. Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) approach is used to compute the mesh
deformation in the fluid domain as it interacts with the deforming structure.

The basic steps in any CFD simulation have been discussed in the previous tutorials. The following
additional capabilities of AcuSolve are introduced in this tutorial:
• Defining rigid body rotation motion
• Implementation of P-FSI in conjunction with rigid body rotation

In this tutorial you will do the following:

• Analyze the problem
• Start AcuConsole and read the simulation database of the Piezoelectric Flow Harvester
• Modify general problem parameters
• Create multiplier function for rigid body mesh motion
• Create mesh motion for rigid body rotation
• Apply mesh motion to the surface attributes
• Assign rigid body motion to the surface and node attributes
• Change the inlet velocity
• Add a time history output point
• Run AcuSolve
• Monitor the solution with AcuProbe
• Post-processing the nodal output with AcuFieldView

5.30 Prerequisites
You should have already run through the tutorials ACU-2000: Turbulent Flow in a Mixing Elbow and
ACU-5400: Piezoelectric Flow Energy Harvester: A Fluid-Structure Interaction (P-FSI). It is assumed that
you have some familiarity with AcuConsole, AcuSolve and AcuFieldView. You will also need access to a
licensed version of AcuSolve 2017.

Prior to running through this tutorial, copy Acu_tutorial_input.zip from <AcuSolve installation
directory>\model_files\tutorials\AcuSolve\Acu_tutorial_inputs.zip to a working directory.
Extract the file piezo_harvester_P-FSI.acs.

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5.30.1 Analyze the Problem

An important step in any CFD simulation is to examine the engineering problem at hand and determine
the important parameters that need to be provided to AcuSolve.

The CFD model contains a cantilever beam and a rigid cylindrical body. The beam along with the cylinder
is placed in a water flow stream. This cylindrical body acts a bluff body placed in the flow and stimulates
vortex shedding in the flow downstream as it passes over the cylinder. The alternating shedding of vortices
creates a zone of alternating asymmetric pressure distribution on either side of the beam. Such an
alternating pressure distribution exerts an oscillating force on the beam, creating a sustainable oscillating
vibration in the beam.

In this tutorial, in the addition to the flexible motion of the beam adopted in Piezoelectric Flow Harvester,
you will incorporate the rigid body rotation of the cylinder and the beam. The cylinder and the beam are
enforced with a sinusoidal oscillatory rotation about the center of the cylinder with a maximum angle of
rotation as 100 (i.e. 0.174 rad) with a frequency of 22 rad/sec (3.5 Hz). The axis of rotation is along axis
of cylinder. The variation of the rotation angle (θ) is given as:

Where, t is the time (sec).

Since this tutorial has a rotation motion in addition to flexible motion of beam, you can achieve higher
displacements (and hence strains) at lower velocity. Therefore, you will reduce the inlet velocity to 4 m/
sec instead of 10 m/sec in Piezoelectric Flow Harvester.

The schematics of the problem which will be addressed in this tutorial is shown in Figure 1. The modeled
domain consists of a fluid volume. The fluid solver does not require the solid body to be modeled. However,
the results of the structural solver will be used to define the solid body and the surfaces where the fluid
interacts with the solid will be allowed to deform according to the Eigen modes of the beam. Figure 2
shows the arrangement of the beam with its various layers.

Figure 846: Schematic of P-FSI rotation

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Figure 847: The Beam with its Various Layers

5.30.2 Define the Simulation Parameters

Start AcuConsole and Open the Simulation Database

In the next steps you will start AcuConsole and open a database that is set up for a P-FSI simulation of a
non-rotating piezoelectric harvester. You will then make appropriate changes to the database to take into
account the rigid body rotation of the harvester in addition to the flexible body motion.

1. Start AcuConsole from the Windows Start menu by clicking Start > All Programs > Altair
HyperWorks <version> AcuSolve > AcuConsole.
2. Click the File menu, then click New to open the New data base dialog.
3. Browse to the location that you would like to use as your working directory.
This directory is where all files related to the simulation will be stored. The AcuConsole database
file (.acs) is stored in this directory. Once the mesh and solution are created, additional files and
directories will be created within this directory.
4. Create a new directory in this location. Name it P-FSI_with_rigid_body_motion and open it.

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5. Click piezo_harvester_P-FSI.acs to open the database.

Note: In order for other applications to be able to read the files written by AcuConsole,
the database path and name should not include spaces.

6. Click File > Save As and enter P-FSI_with_rigid_body_rotation as the file name for the
database.
7. Click Save to create the database.

Set General Simulation Attributes

In the next steps you will modify global settings needed for the rigid body rotation of the piezoelectric
harvester.

1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.

Figure 848:

2. Double-click Global in the Data Tree to expand it.

Tip: You can also expand a tree item by clicking next to the item name.

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Figure 849:

3. Double-click Problem Description to open the Problem Description detail panel.

Tip: You can also open a panel by right-clicking a tree item and clicking Open on
the context menu.

4. Enter P-FSI with rigid body rotation as the Sub title.

Figure 850:

Create Multiplier Function for Mesh Motion

The variation of the rotation angle () is modeled using a multiplier function using the following steps.

1. Click PB* in the Data Tree Manager to display all the available settings related to general problem
setup in the Data Tree.

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2. Right-click Multiplier Function and click New to create a new multiplier function.
A new entry, Multiplier Function 1, will be created in the Data Tree under the Multiplier Function
branch.
3. Rename the new multiplier function.
a) Right-click Multiplier Function 1.
b) Click Rename.
c) Enter Rotation_multiplier.
4. Double-click Rotation_multiplier to open the detail panel.
5. Change Type to Sine Series.
6. Click Open Array next to Sine coefficients.
7. Fill in the values as follows:
In the Array Editor, the first column refers to the amplitude of the sine function, second column
refers to the frequency of the sine function and the third column refers to phase of the sine wave.

Figure 851:

8. Click OK to close the dialog.

Create Mesh Motion for Rigid Body Rotation

In the next steps you will define the rigid body rotation of the cylinder and the beam.

1. Click ALE in the Data Tree Manager to see all the settings related to mesh motion.
2. Right-click Mesh Motion and click New to create a new mesh motion.
3. Rename the new reference frame.
a) Right-click Mesh Motion 1.
b) Click Rename.
c) Enter Rigid_body_rotation.
4. Double-click Rigid_body_rotation to open the detail panel.
5. Change the Type to Rotation.
6. Click the Open Array button next to Rotation center to open the Array Editor.

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7. Enter -0.1 as the X-coordinate.

Figure 852:

8. Click OK to close the dialog.

Note: (x, y, z) = (-0.1, 0, 0) is the center of the cylinder.

9. Click the Open Array button next to Angular velocity to open the Array Editor.
10. Enter 1.0 as the Z-coordinate.

Figure 853:

11. Click OK to close the dialog.

12. Set the Rotation variable to Multiplier Function.
13. Set the Rotation multiplier function to Rotation_multiplier.

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Figure 854:

Using the mesh motion Type = Rotation would define the variation of rotation angle which is used
by AcuSolve in evaluating the coordinates of the beam and cylinder. The rotation angle is evaluated
by multiplying the value of Rotation Variable with the components of Angular Velocity. Therefore for
this tutorial, the rotation angle comes out to be:

about z-axis

For a point with initial coordinates, located on the cylinder or beam, the coordinates at a given time,
t, is given by:

Assign Rigid Body Motion to the Beam Surface

1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.
2. Expand Model > Surfaces > Beam.
3. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the detail panel.
4. Set the Mesh motion to Rigid_body_rotation.

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Figure 855:

Assign Rigid Body Motion to the Cylinder Surface

1. Expand Model > Surfaces > Cylinder.

2. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the detail panel.
3. Set the Mesh motion to Rigid_body_rotation.

Figure 856:

4. Click Save to save the database.

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Add the Mesh Motion to the BLNodes

Since the surfaces beam and cylinder have a rigid body rotation, in addition to flexible body motion, you
would like to have similar motion for the boundary layer nodes (BLNodes), so that mesh distortion in the
boundary layer is reduced.

The following steps will add the rigid body mesh motion to these nodes, in addition to the already defined
flexible motion of these nodes.

1. Expand Model > Nodes > BLNodes.

2. Double-click Mesh X-Displacement.
3. Change the Mesh motion to Rigid_body_rotation.

Figure 857:

4. Similarly assign the Rigid_body_rotation mesh motion to the Mesh Y-Displacement and Mesh Z-
Displacement.

Reduce the Inlet Velocity

As mentioned in Analyze the Problem, you will set the inlet velocity to 4 m/sec.

1. Expand Model > Surfaces > Inlet.

2. Double-click Simple Boundary Condition to open the detail panel.
3. Set the X velocity to 4.0 m/sec.

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Figure 858:

Set Initial Conditions

In the next steps you will set the initial conditions.

1. Under Global in the Data Tree, double-click Nodal Initial Condition to open the dialog in the detail
panel.
2. Set the X velocity to 4 m/sec.
3. Verify that the Eddty viscosity is set to 1e-005 m2/sec.

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Figure 859:

4. Save the database.

Add Time History Output Point

Time History Output commands enables you to extract the nodal solution at any point within the domain.
In this simulation, it would be interesting to observe the displacement at the tip and root of the cantilever
beam. The .acs database you started with has a monitor point at the tip of the cantilever beam.

The following steps will create a similar monitor point at the root of the cantilever beam.

1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.
2. Double-click the Global Data Tree item to expand it.
3. Double-click Output.
4. Right-click on Time History Output, and select New.
5. Rename the new time history output to Root_MonitorPoint.
6. Double-click Root_MonitorPoint to open the detail panel.
7. Change the Type to Coordinates.
8. Click Open Array next to Coordinates, and update the fields in the Array Editor dialog, as follows:

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Figure 860:

9. Set Time step frequency to 1.

10. Click Save to save the database.

Figure 861:

5.30.3 Compute the Solution and Review the Results

Run AcuSolve

In the next steps you will launch AcuSolve to compute the solution for this case.

1. Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuSolve dialog.

2. Click Ok to start the solution process.
As the solution progresses, an AcuTail window will open. Solution progress is reported in this
window.

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Figure 862:

A summary of the run printed in the AcuTail window indicates that AcuSolve has finished running
the solution.

Post-Processing with AcuProbe

AcuProbe can be used to monitor various variables over solution time.

1.
Open AcuProbe by clicking the icon on the toolbar.
2. Expand the Time History entry and Root_MonitorPoint.
3. Expand node 1, right-click mesh_y_displacement > Plot.

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Note: You might need to click the icon on the toolbar in order to properly display
the plot.

4. Repeat the above steps to plot the mesh_y_displacement for the Tip_MonitorPoint.

Figure 863:

The plot above shows the displacement of the tip and the root of the beam, due to the fluid forces as
the beam interacts with the flow. The above plot also shows the displacement at the root and at the
tip are not in phase, hence maximizing the bending stress (hence, strains) for a lower inlet velocity.
5. You can also save the plots as an image.
a) From the AcuProbe dialog, click File > Save.
b) Enter a name for the image and click Save.
6. The time series data of the variables can also be exported as a text file for further post-processing.
a) Right-click on the variable that you want to export and click Export.
b) Enter a File name and choose .txt for the Save as type.
c) Click Save.

5.30.4 Post-Process with AcuFieldView

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The tutorial has been written with the assumption that you have become familiar with AcuFieldView and
basic operations. In general, it will be helpful to understand the following basics:
• How to find the data readers in the File menu and open up the desired reader panel for data input.
• How to find the visualization panels either from the Side toolbar or the Visualization panel on the
Main menu to create and modify surfaces in AcuFieldView.
• How to move the data around the graphics window using mouse actions to translate, rotate and
zoom in to the data.

Launch AcuFieldView

1. Click on the AcuConsole toolbar to open the Launch AcuFieldView dialog.

You will see that the pressure contours have already been displayed on all of the boundary surfaces
with mesh. When results of a transient simulation are loaded in AcuConsole, the displayed results
correspond to the last time step of the simulation.

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Figure 864:

Set Up AcuFieldView

1. Close the Boundary Surface dialog.

2. Click Viewer Options.

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3. In the Viewer Options dialog:

a) Turn off perspective view by deselecting the Perspective checkbox.
b) Disable the axis markers by clicking Axis Markers.

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Figure 865:

4. Click Close to close the dialog.

5.
Click the Scalar Colormap Specification icon on the toolbar.
6. In the Scalar Colormap Specification dialog, click Background.

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Figure 866:

7. In the Background Color dialog, select the color white.

Figure 867:

8. Close the dialogs.

9.
Click the icon to turn off the outline display.
Your model should now look like this:

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Figure 868:

Visualize and Save an Animation of the Beam Displacement

1.
Click the icon to open the Boundary Surface dialog.
2. Turn off the visibility for the active boundary surfaces.
3.
Click the icon to open the Coordinate Surface dialog.
4. Create a new coordinate surface at the mid -Z coordinate plane.
The coordinate surface created is the mid plane between the z_neg and z-pos surfaces.
5. Set the COLORING to Scalar.
6. Set the DISPLAY TYPE to Smooth.

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7. Select x-velocity as the Scalar Function to be displayed.

8. In the COLORMAP tab, change Scalar Coloring to Local.
9. From the Defined Views, select +Z as the viewing direction.
Your model should look like the image below. The visible shape of the beam is its deformed shape
at the end of last time step in the simulation.

Figure 869:

10. Close the dialog.

11. Click Tools > Flipbook Build Mode.
12. Click OK to close the Flipbook Size Warning dialog.
13. Click Tools > Transient Data.
The Transient Data Controls dialog opens.

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Figure 870:

If the SWEEP CONTROL in this dialog shows Sweep instead of Build, the Flipbook Build mode is not
active. In Sweep mode, you will be able to create and visualize the animation, but you will not be
able to save it. To be able to save the animation, enable the Flipbook Build Mode.
14. Drag the time step slider to its left most position. Alternatively, type 0 for the TIME STEP or SOLUTION
TIME.
15. Click Apply.
The displayed state now corresponds to the initial state of the domain.

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Figure 871:

16. Click Build.

AcuFieldView will build the frame by frame animation of the solution progressing through all of the
available time steps. You will be able to see the progress in a Building Flipbook dialog.

5.30.5 Summary

In this tutorial you worked through a basic workflow to set up a flexible body motion of a rotating beam in
the wake of a cylinder. You started with the piezo_harvester_P-FSI.acs file from the tutorial Piezoelectric
Flow Harvester and modified the set up to accommodate the rigid body rotation of the beam and the
cylinder. Once the case was set up, you generated a solution using AcuSolve. Results were post-processed
in AcuFieldView to allow you to create animation of the beam displacements with time.

New features introduced in this tutorial included:

• Creating rigid body type mesh motion for rotation
• Implementation of P-FSI in conjunction of rigid body rotation

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AcuTrace 6
AcuTrace

This chapter covers the following:

• 6.3 ACU-6000: Static Mixer Simulation - AcuTrace (p. 891)

AcuSolve Tutorials 891

6.3 ACU-6000: Static Mixer Simulation - AcuTrace

6.3
This tutorial provides the instructions for setting up, solving and viewing results for a simulation of a static
mixer in combination with the post processing module – acuTrace. In this simulation, AcuSolve is used to
compute the species mixing within a simple mixer and acuTrace is used to compute the particle motion
of finite mass particles within the mixer. This tutorial is designed to introduce you to concepts necessary
to visualize streamlines and produce particle path with acuTrace.

The basic steps in any CFD simulation were shown in ACU-2000: Turbulent Flow in a Mixing Elbow. The
following additional capabilities of AcuSolve are introduced in this tutorial:
• Generation of finite mass particle paths with acuTrace.
• Conversion of the nodal output data with AcuTranstrace for reading into AcuFieldView.
• Post-processing the nodal output with AcuFieldView to visualize streamlines and particle path.

You should have already run through the introductory tutorial, ACU-2000: Turbulent Flow in a Mixing
Elbow. It is assumed that you have some familiarity with AcuConsole, AcuSolve, and AcuFieldView. You
will also need access to a licensed version of AcuSolve.

Prior to running through this tutorial, copy Acu_tutorial_input.zip from <AcuSolve installation
directory>\model_files\tutorials\AcuSolve\Acu_tutorial_inputs.zip to a working directory.
Extract StaticMixer.acs from Acu_tutorial_input.zip.

6.3.1 Analyze the Problem

6.3.1
An important step in any CFD simulation is to examine the engineering problem at hand and determine
the important parameters that need to be provided to AcuSolve. Parameters can be based on geometrical
elements (such as inlets, outlets, or walls) and on flow conditions (such as fluid properties, velocity, or
whether the flow should be modeled as turbulent or as laminar).

The problem to be addressed in this tutorial is shown schematically in Figure 1. It consists of a mixing
tube that contains several swept walls to instigate mixing within the tube. The inlet face is split into two
regions, one containing 100% of species_1 and the other containing zero.

The diameter of the inlet is 0.1 m and the length of the mixing tube is 0.525 m. The fins have a mean
diameter of 0.1 m. The maximum thickness of the fins are 0.003 m.

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Figure 872: Schematic of the static mixer

The boundary condition at the inlet is defined to produce a fully developed inlet profile with velocity of
1.0 m/s. One portion of the inlet is defined to contain 100% of species_1, while the other inlet is defined
to contain 0.0% of species_1.

The fluid in this problem is an epoxy resin, which has a density of 1264.0 kg/m3 and a viscosity of 1.49
kg/m-sec.

In addition to setting appropriate conditions for the simulation, it is important to utilize a mesh that will be
sufficiently refined to provide good results. In this application, the flow will accelerate as it passes over the
fin walls. This leads to the higher gradients that need finer resolution. Proper boundary layer parameters
need to be set to keep the y+ near the wall surface to a reasonable level. Although a slightly refined
mesh is used in this area, it should be noted that a proper mesh refinement study is necessary in order to
determine the required mesh controls to obtain a grid independent solution. The mesh controls used in this
tutorial are very coarse and are only intended to illustrate the process of setting up the model and to retain
a reasonable run time. A significantly higher mesh density is needed to achieve a grid converged solution.

6.3.2 Define the Simulation Parameters

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6.3.2

Start AcuConsole

In the next steps you will start AcuConsole, and open the database for storage of the simulation settings.
In this tutorial, you will begin by loading the existing database, preparing the particle trace settings and
running the model. Next you run AcuTrace to generate the particle paths within the flow field and convert
the data for reading into AcuConsole. Finally, you will visualize some characteristics of the results using
AcuConsole.

1. Start AcuConsole from the Windows Start menu by clicking Start > All Programs > Altair
HyperWorks <version> AcuSolve > AcuConsole.
2. Click the File menu, then click New to open the New data base dialog.
3. Browse to the location that you would like to use as your working directory.
This directory is where all files related to the simulation will be stored. The AcuConsole database
file (.acs) is stored in this directory. Once the mesh and solution are created, additional files and
directories will be created within this directory.
4. Browse to the directory where StaticMixer.acs is stored.
5. Click StaticMixer.acs and then click Open to open the database.
This directory is where all files related to the simulation will be stored. Initially there will be an
.acs file in this area, which corresponds to AcuConsole's database. Once the mesh and solution are
created, additional files and directories will be added.

Note: In order for other applications to be able to read the files written by AcuConsole,
the database path and name should not include spaces.

Set General Simulation Parameters

In next steps you will review parameters that apply globally to the simulation. To make this simple, the
basic settings applicable for any simulation can be filtered using the BAS filter in the Data Tree Manager.
This filter enables display of only a small subset of the available items in the Data Tree and makes
navigation of the entries easier.

The general parameters that you will set for this tutorial are for turbulent flow, steady analysis, and mesh
type as fixed.

1. Click BAS in the Data Tree Manager to switch to basic view in the Data Tree.

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Figure 873:

2. Double-click Global in the Data Tree to expand it.

Tip: You can also expand a tree item by clicking next to the item name.

Figure 874:

3. Double-click Problem Description to open the Problem Description detail panel.

Tip: You can also open a panel by right-clicking a tree item and clicking Open on
the context menu.

4. Enter Mixing_tube as the Title.

5. Enter Steady State as the Sub title.
6. Change the Analysis type to Steady State.
7. Set the Species equation to Advective Diffusive.
8. Change the Turbulence equation to Spalart Allmaras.
9. Set the Mesh type to Fixed.

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Figure 875:

Set Solution Strategy Parameters

1. Double-click Auto Solution Strategy to open the Auto Solution Strategy detail panel.
2. Check that the Analysis type is set to Steady State.
3. Set the Max time steps as 100.
4. Check that the Convergence tolerance is set to 0.001 seconds.
5. Set the Relaxation factor to 0.4.
The relaxation factor is used to improve convergence of the solution. Typically a value between 0.2
and 0.4 provides a good balance between achieving a smooth progression of the solution and the
extra compute time needed to reach convergence. Higher relaxation factors cause AcuSolve to take
more time steps to reach a steady state solution. A high relaxation factor is sometimes necessary
in order to achieve convergence for very complex applications.

Set Material Model Parameters

AcuConsole has three pre-defined materials, Air, Aluminum, and Water, with standard parameters defined.
For this tutorial you will use a newly defined material model, “Epoxy Resin” which has been preloaded into
the AcuConsole database. In the next steps you will check the material characteristics of the predefined
"Epoxy Resin" to match the desired properties for this problem.
1. Double-click Material Model in the Data Tree to expand it.

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2. Double-click Epoxy Resin in the Data Tree to open the Epoxy Resin detail panel.
3
3. Click the Density tab. The density of the epoxy is 1264.0 kg/m .
4. Click the Viscosity tab. The viscosity of the resin is 1.49 kg/m – sec.
5. Save the database to create a backup of your settings. This can be achieved with any of the following
methods.
• Click the File menu, then click Save.
• Click on the toolbar.
• Click Ctrl+S.

Note: Changes made in AcuConsole are saved into the database file (.acs) as they
are made. A save operation copies the database to a backup file, which can be used
to reload the database from that saved state in the event that you do not want to
commit future changes.

Prepare Output Data Stream

In order to utilize the finite mass particle trace functionality for particles that have non-constant density,
you are required to store additional variables during the simulation. This is done by using the Derived
Quantity Output mechanism.

1. In the Data Tree, double-click Output to expand it.

2. Double-click Nodal Output.
3. Change the Time step frequency to 1000.
4. Set the Time frequency to 0.
5. In the Data Tree, double-click Derived Quantity Output to open the Derived Quantity Output detail
panel.

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6. Change the Time step frequency to 1000.

7. Set the Time frequency to 0.

6.3.3 Compute the Solution and Review the Results

Run AcuSolve

In the next steps you will launch AcuSolve to compute the solution for this case.

1. Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuSolve dialog.

Figure 876:

Note: For this case, the default values will be used. AcuSolve will run using four
processors, and AcuConsole will generate AcuSolve input files and will launch AcuSolve.
AcuSolve will calculate the steady state solution for this problem.

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2. Click Ok to start the solution process.

As the solution progresses, an AcuTail window will open. Solution progress is reported in this
window. After AcuSolve has finished running, a summary of the solution process showing the “End
Time Step” data indicates that the simulation has been completed.

Figure 877:

Monitor the Solution with AcuProbe

AcuProbe can be used to monitor residuals.

1.
Open AcuProbe by clicking the icon on the toolbar.
2. In the Data browser on the left, expand Solution Ratio.
3. Right-click Final and select Plot All.
The Solution ratio measures how much the solution is changing from one step to the next.

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Note: You might need to click the icon on the toolbar in order to properly display
the plot.

Figure 878:

Prepare Particle Trace Attribute for AcuTrace

Now that the steady-state simulation is complete, we can use the finite mass particle tracer to simulate
micro-particles of SiO2 which are often used to add strength to the epoxy.

1.

Define Particle Trace Parameters for Static Analysis

In the next steps you will define the particle trace data.

1. In AcuConsole, click ALL in the Data Tree Manager to see all settings in the Data Tree.
2. In the Data Tree, expand Particle Trace to show only items related to particle tracing.

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Figure 879:

3. Double-click Problem Description to open the Problem Description detail panel.

4. For Particle equation, select Finite mass.
5. In the Data Tree, double-click on Flow Field to open the detail panel.
6. Set the Flow field type to Static as this is a static analysis.
7. In the Data Tree, double-click on Finite Mass to open the detail panel.
8. Verify that Density model is set to Use flow values.
In order to utilize the Use flow values option, the derived quantity output needs to be specified. If
the derived quality output is not available, you can select Constant and enter in a Constant density
value. This allows the particles to maintain a specified value for density.

Define Finite Mass Boundary Conditions

In the next steps you will set the finite mass boundary conditions.

1. Under Particle Trace, right-click on Finite Mass Boundary Condition and select New.
2. Right-click on Finite Mass Boundary Condition 1 and select Rename.
3. Enter the new name as SideWalls.
4. Double-click on SideWalls to open the Finite Mass Boundary Condition panel.
5. Set the Particle surface to Pipe Wall.
6. Leave the Wall type set to Reflect and the Normal and Tangential coefficient of restitution type set
to Constant.
7. Enter 0.2 for both the Normal and Tangential coefficient of restitution.

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Figure 880:

8. In the Data Tree, right-click on Finite Mass Boundary Condition and select New.
9. Rename Finite Mass Boundary Condition 2 to FinWalls.
10. Double-click FinWalls to open the Finite Mass Boundary Condition panel.
11. Set the Particle surface to Fin Walls.
12. Leave the Wall type set to Reflect and the Normal and Tangential coefficient of restitution type set
to Constant.
13. Enter 0.8 for both the Normal and Tangential coefficient of restitution.
This will allow for less energy to be lost when the particle hits the wall and in turn will reflect off
of the wall with a greater velocity.

Figure 881:

Define Particle Seeds

In the next steps you will define the particle seeds that are moving into the flow regime.

1. Under Particle Trace, right-click on Particle Seed and select New.

2. Rename Particle Seed 1 and to S1.
3. Double-click on S1 to open the Particle Seed panel.
4. For Coordinates type, select Surface Random.
5. For Particle surface, select Inlet S1.

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6. For Number of seeds, enter 500.

7. For Constant density, enter 200.
8. For Constant radius, enter 0.0001.

Figure 882:

9. Under Particle Trace, right-click on Particle Seed and select New.

10. Rename Particle Seed 1 and to S2.
11. Double-click on S2 to open the Particle Seed panel.
12. For Coordinates type, select Surface Random.
13. For Particle surface, select Inlet S2.
14. For Number of seeds, enter 500.
15. For Constant density, enter 200.
16. For Constant radius, enter 0.00015.

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Figure 883:

Define the Output Parameters

In the next steps you will define the output parameters.

1. Under Particle Trace, expand Output.

2. Check the box for Trace Output.
3. Double-click Trace Output to open the detail panel.
4. For Output frequency, enter 10.
This is equivalent to outputting the streamlines of the data at a frequency that relates the number of
segments, or the approximate length of the particles. In order to reduce the amount of disc required
in AcuTrace, it is recommended that the output frequency be larger than 1, more specifically, an
order of magnitude larger.

Figure 884:

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6.3.3.1 No TOC

6.3.4 Compute the Particle Paths and Review

Now that the steady-state simulation is complete, we can use the finite mass particle tracer to simulate
micro-particles of SiO2 which are often used to add strength to the epoxy.

1.

Run AcuTrace

In the next steps, you will launch AcuTrace to compute the solution for this case.

1.
Click on the toolbar to open the Launch AcuTrace dialog.

Figure 885:

2. Accept the default settings and select Ok to start the solution process.

Convert Results for AcuFieldView

Once the run is complete, you need to convert the results so that they can be read in AcuFieldView.
To do this, run the AcuTransTrace utility. This tool can be used to convert data for Ensight, FieldView or
AcuDisplay.

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1. Start AcuConsole Command Prompt from the Windows Start menu by clicking Start > All Programs
> Altair Hyperworks <version> > AcuSolve > AcuSolve Cmd Prompt.
2. Change the directory to your working location.
3. Enter the command

acuTransTrace –to fieldview –fvopt streamline,steady

Figure 886:

6.3.5 Post-Processing with AcuFieldView

The tutorials have been written with the assumptions that you have become familiar with the AcuFieldView
interface and basic operations. In general, it will be helpful to understand the following basics:
• How to find the data readers in the File pull-down on the Main menu and open up the desired reader
panel for data input.
• How to find the visualization panels either from the Side toolbar or the Visualization panel pull-downs
on the Main menu to create and modify surfaces in AcuFieldView.

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• How to move the data around the graphics window using mouse actions to translate, rotate and
zoom in to the data.

This tutorial shows you how to work with the steady state data and load a particle paths file.

1. Launch AcuFieldView from the AcuConsole window using the icon on the toolbar.
You will see that the pressure contours have already been displayed on all the boundary surfaces.
The image below was captured with the mesh turned off.

Figure 887:

Create a Boundary Surface and Coordinate Plane in Mixer

1. In the Boundary Surfaces dialog, change the COLORING to geometric.

2. Select grey from the color tab.
3. Uncheck the Show Mesh option to turn off the mesh display.
4. From the BOUNDARY TYPES list, select OSF: Fin Walls and click Ok.
5. Orient the geometry to show that the flow moves from bottom to top of the screen.
6. In the Boundary Surfaces dialog, click Create to create a new boundary surface.
7. From the BOUNDARY TYPES list, select OSF: Pipe Walls and click OK.
8. Set the DISPLAY TYPE to Outlines and set to Geometric.

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Set the Coordinate Surface Showing Velocity Magnitude on the Mid Coordinate Surface

1.
Click to open the Coordinate Surface dialog.
2. Click Create to create a new surface.
3. Set the COORD PLANE at the mid –Y coordinate surface.
4. Change the DISPLAY TYPE to Constant.
5. Change the COLORING to Scalar.
6. For Scalar Function, select z-velocity as the scalar function to be displayed, and click Calculate.
7. Click the Colormap tab, and change the coloring to Local.
8. Click the Legend tab, and activate the Show Legend checkbox to display the velocity magnitude
values on the coordinate plane.

Figure 888:

Set the Boundary Surface and Particle Paths

1.

Click the Paths icon to open the Particle Paths dialog.

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2. Click Import.
3. Browse to the .fvp file created with acuTransTrace and click Open.
4. In the Particle Paths dialog, change the COLORING type to Scalar.
5. Select the Scalar Variable to particle_z_velocity
6. Click the Legend tab and turn on the legend.

Figure 889:

6.3.6 Summary

6.3.6
In this tutorial you successfully set up and solved for a steady simulation of a static mixer to visualize the
particle path. You started the tutorial by opening a database in AcuConsole and setting up the simulation
parameters to compute the species mixing within the mixer. You ran acuTrace to generate the particle
paths within the static mixer and converted the data using AcuTranstrace to visualize the particle paths
in AcuFieldView.

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HyperWorks 7
HyperWorks

This chapter covers the following:

• 7.3 ACU-6100: HyperWorks-AcuSolve Integration (p. 912)

AcuSolve Tutorials 912

7.3 ACU-6100: HyperWorks-AcuSolve Integration

This tutorial provides the instructions for setting up a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation
making use of Altair’s HyperWorks package. Altair HyperWorks is a comprehensive suite of various
Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) products, each specialized in a certain aspect of the CAE process.
These include HyperMesh as a generic, powerful geometric modeling and pre-processing tool, and
HyperView as a post-processing and visualization tool. Bridging these two applications is a complete range
of solvers for a gamut of engineering applications. Among these solvers is AcuSolve, which is Altair’s
offering for fluid flow and thermal analysis simulations.

In previous tutorials you have used AcuConsole for importing the CAD model, generating the mesh and
setting up the simulation before launching AcuSolve. Although AcuConsole offers powerful pre-processing
capabilities, it is required that you use a third-party tool to generate the CAD model (or a mesh)
beforehand, and export it in a format that can be imported in AcuConsole. HyperMesh’s inbuilt geometric
modeling and finite element meshing capabilities will allow you to create the geometry for your problem
and generate excellent quality meshes in a single tool. Meshes generated in HyperMesh can be exported
in the format that AcuSolve will recognize. Moreover, HyperMesh’s integration with AcuSolve also allows
you to complete the pre-processing steps in HyperMesh itself, including the problem setup. Once you have
completed setting up your simulation in HyperMesh, you can directly generate the AcuSolve input files in
the same format as AcuConsole. You can also choose to directly launch AcuSolve from within HyperMesh.
This integration is expected to be especially beneficial for you if you happen to be a traditional user of
HyperMesh for your modeling and meshing requirements.

Similarly, you have been post-processing your results previously using AcuFieldView. The Altair
HyperWorks package has another powerful tool for post-processing and visualizing the results of your CFD
simulations, called HyperView. HyperView enables you to visualize data interactively as well as capture
and standardize your post-processing activities using process automation features. HyperView combines
advanced animation and XY plotting features with window synching to enhance results visualization.
HyperView also saves 3D animation results in Altair's compact H3D format so you can visualize and share
CAE results within a 3D web environment using HyperView Player. HyperView has a rich feature set that
you might find beneficial to your post-processing activities and are useful to explore. HyperView, just
like AcuFieldView, has inbuilt direct-reading capabilities for AcuSolve results and does not require any
conversion steps.

The basic steps in a CFD simulation have been discussed in the earlier tutorials. In the previous tutorials
you have been using AcuConsole for setting up the simulation steps before launching AcuSolve. This
tutorial is not focused on introducing any new AcuSolve concepts or features. As discussed above, this
tutorial is intended to familiarize users with other HyperWorks products, and how to leverage on the
HyperWorks-AcuSolve integration for pre and post-processing of a CFD simulation. For example, traditional
users of HyperMesh can prepare the geometric model (or import one), generate the mesh and setup the
simulation in HyperMesh and then can either export the CFD model (including the mesh and the setup
information) to AcuConsole, or launch AcuSolve directly from within HyperMesh. In this tutorial, you will

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learn how to use HyperMesh for importing a geometric model and generating a mesh. You will then set
up and launch the simulation from within HyperMesh. Following that, you will learn how to use HyperView
for post-processing AcuSolve results.

In this tutorial you will do the following:

• Analyze the problem
• Start HyperMesh and create a model database
• Import the geometry for the simulation
• Generate and organize the mesh using the Mesh Controls browser
• Set general problem parameters
• Set solution strategy parameters
• Set the appropriate boundary conditions
• Run AcuSolve
• Monitor the solution with AcuProbe
• Post-process with HyperView

7.3 Prerequisites
In order to run this tutorial, you will need access to a licensed version of HyperMesh 2017 and AcuSolve
2017. This tutorial introduces you to HyperMesh and HyperView so no prior experience is expected.

Prior to running through this tutorial, copy Acu_tutorial_input.zip from <AcuSolve installation
directory>\model_files\tutorials\AcuSolve\Acu_tutorial_inputs.zip to a working directory.
Extract the file manifold.x_t from Acu_tutorial_input.zip. The file manifold.x_t stores the
geometry information for the fluid portion of the model for this problem in Parasolid ASCII format.

The color of objects in the tutorial and that on your screen may differ. This tutorial was developed on
Windows. If you are running this tutorial on a Linux system, you may notice a slight difference in the user
interface and colors between your screen and the images in the tutorial. Also, the color of objects in the
graphics window may appear differently on your screen from those in this document.

7.3.1 Analyze the Problem

An important step in any CFD simulation is to examine the engineering problem and determine the
important parameters that need to be provided to AcuSolve. Parameters can be based on geometrical
elements, such as inlets, outlets or walls, and on flow conditions, such as fluid properties, velocity or
whether the flow should be modeled as turbulent or as laminar.

The system being simulated here is a manifold pipe, analogous to an inlet manifold in an engine. An inlet
manifold distributes the incoming flow to multiple outputs. As can be seen in the image below, the pipe
has a single inlet and multiple outlets, thus distributing a fraction of the flow among each outlet. Ideally
in an inlet manifold used in an engine, the manifold design is such that it ensures near-equal distribution

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of flow among all the outlets. However, the geometry being used here is purely a demonstration case and
not an optimized manifold geometry.

Figure 890: Schematic of the Problem

7.3.2 Introduction to HyperMesh

HyperMesh is a generic tool offering a combination of geometric modeling and pre-processing capabilities.

HyperMesh supports a number of commonly used solvers used in simulating various engineering
applications, providing direct interfaces to most of them. This offers you flexibility to use HyperMesh as a
single tool for most, if not all, of your modeling and pre-processing activities.

AcuSolve is among the solvers that are closely integrated with HyperMesh. In order to simplify the
interfaces associated with each solver, HyperMesh uses user profiles to automatically manage the
templates for a given solver. Each user profile has an associated pre-defined set of menus, options
and toolbars visible. User profiles ensure that the solver setup is in accordance with the options and
requirements of the solver associated with the profile in which it is generated. It is advised that you make
sure you are using the correct user profile when setting up a model. Also, it is recommended that the
active user profile is not to be changed while the current HyperMesh database is populated.

In this tutorial, you will be working in a user profile associated with AcuSolve. Once you begin the tutorial
you will change the active user profile to the AcuSolve user profile. HyperMesh remembers the last active
user profile when it is restarted. If the last HyperMesh user on your machine was working in the AcuSolve
user profile when you launch HyperMesh it will start with the AcuSolve user profile.

A HyperMesh session loaded with the AcuSolve user profile looks like the image below.

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Figure 891: HyperMesh Interface with Active AcuSolve User Profile

a. Menu bar: Located at the top of the window, just under the title bar. Like the pull-down menus in
many applications, these menus drop-down a list of options when clicked.
b. Toolbars: Located around the graphics window. These have icons that provide quick access to
commonly-used functions, such as changing display options. They can be dragged and placed as
per the user preference.
Below are some of the commonly used toolbars.

Figure 892: Standard toolbar

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Provides the options for creating, opening or saving the database, import/export options and
changing user profiles.

Figure 893: Checks toolbar

On the Checks toolbar, you can access various checks and calculations tools that are commonly used
in the model building process.

Figure 894: CFD toolbar

The CFD toolbar has options for creating, deleting and organizing entities, accessing meshing panels
and launching AcuConsole or AcuSolve.

Figure 895: Display toolbar

On the Display toolbar, you can control what entities HyperMesh displays, primarily by masking
entities to hide or display. This toolbar is usually located along the left edge of the graphics window.

Figure 896: Visualization toolbar

Options available on the Visualization toolbar control how HyperMesh visualizes entities in the
graphics window.
c. Tab area: The two areas marked 3 and 4 in the image make up the tab area. The tab area is so
named because various specialized tools display on tabs in this area of the interface. One of these
tabs is the Model tab, which you will be using most frequently. Model tab will also be the tab active
by default when you start a HyperMesh session. The top half of the tab area, marked 3 in image

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2, is the browser area. Depending on the selected tab, you will be able to see the various options
or entities which belong to the active HyperMesh database. For example, when the Model tab is
selected, the Model Browser will display the entities present in the model, each of which carry some
information about the model. This information may be related to the geometrical components that
make up the model, the material information, the load information, and so on. The model structure
is viewed as a flat, listed tree structure within the browser.
d. Tab area: The bottom half, marked 4 in the image 2, is the Entity Editor. In the Entity Editor you will
be able to view and edit the information associated with the different entities available in the browser.
Clicking on an entity in the browser area will display the entity related information in this area.
e. Main Menu: The main menu displays the available functions. You access these functions by clicking
on the button corresponding to the function you want to use. Clicking on the button will open the
panel associated with the function in the menu area.
f. Modeling Window: The graphics window is the display area for your model. You can interact with
the model in three dimensional space in real time. In addition to viewing the model, entities can be
selected interactively from the graphics window.
g. Status bar: The status bar is located at the bottom of the screen. The four fields on the right side of
the status bar display the current include file, current part, current component collector and current
load collector. As you work in HyperMesh, any warning or error messages also display in the status
bar, on the left side.

7.3.3 Introduction to HyperView

HyperView is a generic post-processing and visualization environment for finite element analysis (FEA),
CFD, multi-body system simulation, digital video and engineering data.

HyperView offers direct-reading capabilities for AcuSolve generated results. AcuSolve results can be
directly opened in HyperView. HyperView also has process automation features, which can enable you to
expedite and standardize your post-processing activities.

The image below shows the HyperView interface when it is started.

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Figure 897: HyperView

a. Menu bar: Located at the top of the window, just under the title bar. Like the pull-down menus in
many applications, these menus drop-down a list of options when clicked.
b. Toolbars: Located around the graphics window. These have icons that provide quick access to
commonly-used functions, such as changing display options. They can be dragged and placed as per
the user preference. Below are some of the commonly used toolbars.

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Figure 898: Standard toolbar

Provides the options for creating or opening a model, saving a HyperView session and import/export
options.

Figure 899: Results toolbar

On the Results toolbar you can access various options related to displaying the results, for example,
contours, vectors and streamlines.

Figure 900: Display toolbar

The Display toolbar provides you with quick access to the Mask panel, Section Cut panel and Display
Controls.

Figure 901: Visibility Controls toolbar

The Visibility Controls toolbar provides you quick access to the visibility controls of the entities in
the Results Browser.

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Figure 902: Image Capture toolbar

The Image Capture toolbar provides you quick access to the image and video capturing capabilities.
c. Tab area: The two areas marked 3 and 4 in the image make up the tab area. The tab area is so
named because various specialized tools display on tabs in this area of the interface. In HyperView,
one of these tabs is the Results tab, which you will be using most frequently. Results tab will also be
the tab active by default when you start a HyperView session. The top half of the tab area, marked
3 in image 3, is the browser area. Depending on the selected tab, here you will be able to see the
various options or entities which are part of the active HyperView model, in a listed tree structure
similar to HyperMesh.
d. Tab area: The bottom half, marked 4 in the image 3, is the Entity Editor. In the Entity Editor you will
be able to see and edit the information associated with the different entities available in the browser.
Clicking on an entity in the browser area will display the entity related information in the Entity Editor.
e. Panel area: The panel area displays the function panel associated with the active function selection.
You can access these functions by clicking on the icon on a toolbar corresponding to the function
you want to use. Clicking on the icon will open the panel associated with the function in the panel
area. When you launch HyperView, you will see the Load Model panel in this region.

Figure 903:

f. Modeling window: The graphics window is the display area for your model. You can interact with
the model in three dimensional space in real time. In addition to viewing the model, entities can be
selected interactively from the graphics window.
g. Status bar: The status bar is located at the bottom of the screen. As you work in HyperView, any
warning or error messages also display in the status bar, on the left side.

7.3.4 Define the Simulation Parameters

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Start HyperMesh and Create a Model Database

In this tutorial, you will begin by creating a model database in HyperMesh, loading the geometry and
generating and organizing the mesh. Next you will set up the problem parameters, component parameters,
and boundary conditions and then launch AcuSolve to solve for the number of time steps specified. Finally,
you will visualize some characteristics of the results using HyperView.
In the next steps you will start HyperMesh and create the database for storage of the simulation settings.

1. Start HyperMesh from the Windows Start menu by clicking Start > All Programs > Altair
HyperWorks > <version> > HyperMesh.
A User Profiles dialog opens.
2. Click the Application drop-down selector in the User Profiles dialog and select Engineering
Solutions.
3. Click CFD in the list of applications and make sure that AcuSolve is selected.
4. Click OK.

Figure 904:

Traditional HyperMesh users will be able to tell the difference between using the default HyperMesh
profile and the CFD (AcuSolve) profile. There will be an additional CFD toolbar visible. Also, the Model
Browser will be populated with some entities relevant to a CFD simulation setup.

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Figure 905:

5. Click File > Save.

The Save Model As dialog opens. Save the model database frequently as you proceed through the
tutorial steps.
6. Browse to the location where you would like to create your working directory.
The working directory is where all files related to the simulation will be stored. When you are setting
up the problem, there will be a file with the extension .hm in this directory, which corresponds
to a HyperMesh model database. Once the mesh and solution are generated additional files and
directories will be added by HyperMesh and AcuSolve.
7. Create a new directory in this location. Name it Manifold_HyperWorks and navigate into this
directory.
8. Enter manifold as the File name for the database, or choose any name of your preference.
In order for other applications to be able to read the files written by HyperMesh the database path
and name should not include spaces.
9. Click Save to create the database.

Import the Geometry

You will import the geometry for the problem in the next part of this tutorial. You will need the file
manifold.x_t in order to complete these steps. This file contains information about the geometry of the
fluid portion of the domain in Parasolid ASCII format.
1. Click File > Import > Geometry.
2. Select Parasolid as the File type.

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Figure 906:

3.
Click the icon.
If you see any files listed in the list of import files, clear the list before this step. For clearing the

list click the icon.

4. Select manifold.x_t in the Select Parasolid file dialog and click Open.
5. Make sure that the selected file is in the list of import files and click Import.
6. Click Close.
7.
Click the icon on the Visualization toolbar to display the surfaces. You can rotate the visualization
to view the entire model.
8. Use the following controls for visualizing the model:
a) Ctrl + left-click to rotate the model
b) Ctrl + Scroll to zoom in and out
c) Ctrl + right-click to pan the model

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Figure 907:

Delete the Solid and Create the Surfaces

1. Open the Delete panel by doing one of the following:

a) Click delete in the panel area.

Figure 908:

b) Click BCs > Delete from the menu bar.

c) Click the icon on the CFD toolbar.
2.
In the Delete panel click on the entity selector and select solids.
You might need to navigate to the right to see all of the available options.
The entity selector is now set to solids.
3. Click solids > all.

Important: Make sure that the delete bounding surfs checkbox is not selected.

The display color of all solids will change to white, indicating that they are selected.
4. Click delete entity.

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Figure 909:

5. Click return to exit the panel.

Organize the Surfaces into Components

1. In the Model Browser, right-click Create > Component to create a new component.
2. Type inflow as the component name.
3. Press Enter.
4. Create another component and type outflow as the component name.
5. Right-click Part 1 and select Rename from the context menu.
6. Type wall as the new component name.
7. Press Enter.

Figure 910:

8. Open the Organize panel by doing one of the following:

a) Click organize in the panel area.

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Figure 911:

b) Click BCs > Organize from the menu bar.

c)
Click the icon on the CFD toolbar.
9. Click the collectors radio button.
10.
Click the icon to set the entity selector to surfs.
11. Using the image below as a guide, graphically select the surface that will act as the inlet for the
manifold.
To select an entity use left-click. To deselect use right-click. Also, you might need to rotate the model
to select the surface of interest.
12. Click dest component = and then select inflow by clicking on it.
13. Click move.
The surface that you selected will be moved to the inflow component. The color of the inlet surface
will now be set to match the component color for inflow.
14. Using the image below as a guide, graphically select the surfaces which will act as the outlets for
the manifold.
15. Click dest component = and then select outflow by clicking on it.
16. Click move.
The surfaces that you selected will be moved to the outflow component. The color of the outlet
surfaces will now be set to match the component color for outflow.

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Figure 912:

17. Click return to exit the panel.

7.3.5 Set up the Mesh Controls

In the following steps you will set up the mesh controls and generate the mesh for the model. You will be
introduced to the Mesh Controls browser for this purpose.
1. Click Mesh > Mesh Controls.
The Mesh Controls browser opens.

Figure 913:

The Mesh Controls browser lets you access all of the different meshing technologies in the single
browser. As you can see in the image above there are options to generate the surface mesh, volume
mesh, refinement zones, and so on. Within these options there are associated model, local, feature
and refinement controls available. The model controls apply to the entire model. The local controls

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apply to a specific entity in the model (surface/elements). You will start with creating a surface mesh
model control, followed by a volume mesh model control with boundary layers active. You will then
add a volume mesh local control for the surfaces that do not require a boundary layer.

Set up the Surface Mesh Controls

1. In the Mesh Controls browser, right-click Surface Mesh > Create > Model > Size and Bias >
Surfaces.
2. In the Entity Editor type surface_mesh_control for the name. This step is optional.
3. Set the Element Size to 0.01.
4. Set the Element Type to Trias.
5. Under the Entity Selection group click in the value next to Entities and then click Surfaces.

Figure 914:

The surface entity selector menu opens in the menu area.

6. Click surfs and select all.
7. Click proceed.
8. Expand the Advanced group and verify the following settings:
a) Destination Component: Original
b) Mesh Connectivity: Keep

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Figure 915:

Set up the Volume Mesh Controls

1. In the Mesh Controls browser, right-click Volume Mesh > Create > Model > BL + Tetra.
Selecting BL + Tetra shows options for the boundary layer specification in addition to tetra volume
meshing options.
2. In the Entity Editor type volume_mesh_control for the name. This step is optional.
3. Under the Entity Selection group click in the value field next to Entities and then click Components.

Figure 916:

The Select Components dialog opens.

4. Select all three components in the dialog and click OK.

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Figure 917:

You can click the icon in the dialog to quickly select all of the components.
5. Click OK to close the dialog.
6. Expand the Boundary Layer group and set the boundary layer parameters as follows:
a) First Layer Thickness: 0.002
b) Growth Rate: 1.2
c) Number of Layers: 3
d) Hexa Transition Mode: All Prism

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Figure 918:

When generating boundary layer meshes in HyperMesh it is recommended to use All Prism as
the boundary layer meshing mode for superior element quality. The prism elements can later
be split into tetrahedral elements, which is the recommended element type for AcuSolve.

This completes the boundary layer mesh control. You will now add a local control for surfaces
that do not require a boundary layer.
7. In the Mesh Controls browser, right-click Volume Mesh > Create > Local > No BL .
8. In the Entity Editor, type no_BL_control for the name. This step is optional.
9. Under the Entity Selection group click in the value field next to Entities and then click Components.

Figure 919:

A Select Components dialog opens.

10. Select inflow and outflow from the list and click OK.

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Figure 920:

11. Expand the Boundary Layer group and set Base Surface Mesh Treatment to Float.

Figure 921:

12. In the Mesh Controls browser, right-click Volume Mesh > Create > Volume Selector to add a
volume selector control to put the boundary layer and the core tetramesh in the same component.
13. In the Entity Editor, activate the checkbox for BL and Tetras in One Component.

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Figure 922:

Generate the Mesh

Once you have created the mesh controls you can proceed to generating the mesh. Mesh generation has
to be completed in two steps. First the surface mesh is generated, followed by the volume mesh. In the
previous steps, you created some model and local mesh controls. Your Mesh Controls browser should look
like the image below.

Figure 923:

When you set up the mesh controls, at least one active model control should be present before you can
generate the mesh. You can create multiple model controls, but only one model control can be active at
a time. Surface and Volume mesh however have different mesh controls.

Local controls are optional. You can create multiple local mesh controls, however only the ones which are
selected at the time of mesh generation will be applied.

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1. Click on surface_mesh_control and ensure that it is Enabled in the Mesh Controls browser.
2. In the Mesh Controls browser right-click Surface Mesh > Mesh.
Once the meshing is complete observe the mesh using the visualization controls.

Figure 924:

3. Click on no_BL_control to ensure it is activated in the Mesh Controls browser.

4. After the surface meshing is complete right-click Volume Mesh in the Mesh Controls browser and
select Mesh.
The volume mesh generated will be placed in a single collector which will be called CFD_tetcore001.
This collector will be visible in the Model Browser. Once the meshing is complete observe the mesh
using the visualization controls.

Figure 925:

You can turn off the surface display to view the mesh more clearly. On the Visualization toolbar, click

the icon to display the geometry as wireframe. This will turn off the surface display. To turn on

the surface display, click the icon. Zoom in to observe the boundary layer generated.

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Figure 926:

5. In the Model Browser rename the collector CFD_tetcore001 to fluid. This collector will hold all of
the 3D volume elements.
The mesh generated has prismatic elements in the boundary layer. These elements will be split to
create tetrahedral elements.
6. Click Mesh > Edit > Elements > Split Elements.
The Split Elements panel opens.
7. Select the solid elements subpanel.
8. Click elems and select all.
9. Change the split pattern to split symmetrically into tetras.
This is the optimized mode for splitting elements into tetras for a CFD simulation.
10. Click split.
Observe the mesh after the splitting process is complete.

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Figure 927:

11. Click return to close the panel.

7.3.6 Set up Simulation Parameters for AcuSolve

The next step after creating the mesh is to set up the simulation parameters. You will use the Solver
Browser for this purpose. The Solver Browser provides a solver perspective view of the model structure
in flat, listed tree structure. Before switching to the Solver Browser it is useful to specify the type for the
components in the model.
1. Expand Component in the Model Browser and click fluid.
The fluid collector entity opens in the Entity Editor.
2. Change Type from None to FLUID.
3. Click wall in the Model Browser to open it in the Entity Editor.
4. Change Type from None to WALL.
5. Click outflow in the Model Browser to open it in the Entity Editor.
6. Change the Type from None to OUTFLOW.
7. Click inflow in the Model Browser to open it in the Entity Editor.
8. Change Type from None to INFLOW.

Set General Simulation Parameters

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In next steps you will set parameters that apply globally to the simulation.
1. Click View > Solver Browser to open the Solver Browser.
The Solver Browser lists every entity mapped to the active solver profile within the session and
places those entities into their respective entity group folders.

Figure 928:

2. Expand Global and then expand PROBLEM_DESCRIPTION.

3. Click PROBLEM_DESCRIPTION to open the Entity Editor.
4. Type manifold for the Title.
5. Change the Turbulence model from Laminar to Spalart Allmaras.

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Figure 929:

Set Solution Strategy Parameters

1. Expand the Solver_Settings group then click Solver_Settings to open it in the Entity Editor.
2. Set the Relaxation factor to 0.4.
3. Check that Flow and Turbulence are set to On.

Figure 930:

Set Initial Conditions

1. Expand the Nodal_Initial_Condition group then click Nodal_Initial_Condition to open it in the

Entity Editor.
2. Set Pressure to 0.
3. Set the X velocity to 2 m/sec.
2
4. Set the Eddy viscosity to 1e-05 m /sec.

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Figure 931:

Apply Volume Parameters

Volume collectors are containers used for storing information about a volume region. This information
includes solution and meshing parameters applied to the volume and the geometric regions that these
settings are applied to.

There is one volume collector in this model, fluid. In the next steps you will set the material properties for it.
1. Expand Volumes then expand the Fluid volume group in the Solver Browser and click fluid.
The fluid collector entity opens in the Entity Editor.
2. Click in the value field for Material (it is Unspecified by default).
3. Click Material.
The Select Material dialog opens.
4. Select Water_HM and click OK.

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Figure 932:

Apply Surface Parameters

Surface groups are containers used for storing information about a surface, including solution and meshing
parameters, and the corresponding surface in the geometry that the parameters will apply to.

1. Expand Surfaces then expand the Wall surface group in the Solver Browser.
2. Click wall to open it in the Entity Editor.
3. Verify that Type is set to WALL.
4. Expand the Outflow surface group then click outflow to open it in the Entity Editor.
5. Verify that Type is set to OUTFLOW.
6. Expand the Inflow surface group then click inflow to open it in the Entity Editor.
7. Verify that the Type is set to INFLOW.
8. Set the value for Inflow type to Average Velocity.
9. Set the Average velocity to 2 m/s.

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Figure 933:

7.3.7 Run AcuSolve

In the next steps you will run AcuSolve in order to get a solution for this case. For this tutorial, you will
start AcuSolve directly from within HyperMesh.
1. In the Model Browser, ensure that the visibility of the grid for all collectors to be exported for
AcuSolve are activated. In this case, display for all the collectors, fluid, wall, inflow and outflow
should be activated.

Figure 934:

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2.
Click the icon on the CFD toolbar.
The Solver job Launcher dialog opens.

Figure 935:

For this case the default settings will be used. You may choose to change the number of processors
to allow AcuSolve to run using more processors, if available. HyperMesh will generate the required
solver input files and launch AcuSolve. AcuSolve will calculate the steady state solution for this
problem.
3. Verify that Auto run AcuProbe is On.
This will open an AcuProbe dialog which will let you monitor the solution progress.
4. Click Launch to start the solution process.
As the solution progresses, an AcuTail and an AcuProbe dialog will open. Solution progress is reported
in the AcuTail dialog. An AcuSolve Control dialog will also open from which you can control the

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solution process. In this dialog you have options to stop the solution or generate the output files
at the end of the current time step.

Figure 936:

A summary of the run printed in the AcuTail dialog indicates that AcuSolve has finished running
the solution.

Figure 937:

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Monitor the Solution with AcuProbe

AcuProbe can be used to monitor various variables over solution time.

1. In the AcuProbe dialog expand the Residual Ratio entry.
2. Right-click Final > Plot All.

Note: You might need to click the icon on the toolbar in order to properly display
the plot.

Figure 938:

The plot above shows the residuals of the equations as the solution progresses through each time
step. You can see the residuals dropping smoothly.
3. You can also save the plots as an image.
a) From the AcuProbe dialog, click File > Save.
b) Enter a name for the image and click Save.

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7.3.8 Post-Processing with HyperView

This part of the tutorial shows you how to work with steady state analysis data in HyperView.

Start HyperView

1. Open HyperView by doing one of the following:

a) Click Applications > HyperView.
b) From the Start menu on Windows click Start > All Programs > Altair HyperWorks >
<version> > HyperView.

Load Model and Results

1. Click the icon next to Load model.

2. In the Load Model File dialog navigate to your working directory and select the AcuSolve .log
file for the solution run that you want to post-process. In this example the file to be selected is
manifold.1.Log.
3. Click Open.

Figure 939:

4. Click Apply to load the model and results.

The model is colored by geometry after loading.

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Figure 940:

Apply Pressure Contours on the Boundary Surfaces

1.
Click the icon on the Results toolbar.
2. On the Contour panel select Pressure (s) as the Result type.

Figure 941:

3. Click Apply.

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Figure 942:

Save Plots as Image Files

1.
On the Image Capture toolbar toggle the / icons so that it shows the icon to save to file.
2.
Click the icon on the Image Capture toolbar.
3. Provide a name for the image in the dialog and click Save.
If you want to use the image in a presentation you can copy them to the clipboard by toggling the

Save Image to File/Clipboard icon to instead of . Then paste the image in your presentation.

Create Pressure and Velocity Contours on a Cut Plane

1. To create a new cut plane right-click in the Results Browser and select Create > Section Cut >
Planar from the context menu.
A new entity, Section 1, under Section Cuts is created in the Results Browser.
2. Right-click Section 1 and select Edit from the context menu.
3. In the Section Cut panel verify that Define plane is set to Y Axis.

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4. Verify that Display options has the Cross section checkbox activated.
5. Verify that the Clip elements checkbox is activated.

Figure 943:

6. Move the Define plane slider bar to choose a desired position for the section cut plane.
The section cut plot shows the pressure contours on the cross section as the Result type for the
Contour plot which is set to Pressure.

Figure 944:

7.
Click the icon on the Results toolbar.
8. On the Contour panel select Velocity as the Result type.
9. Click Apply.

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Figure 945:

Create a Clipping Plane

The section cut plane can be used as a clipping plane as well. In this step you will create a clipping plane.
1. Right-click Section 1 under Section Cuts in the Results Browser and select Edit from the context
menu.
2. In the Section Cut panel change the selection under Display options from Cross section to Clipping
plane.

Figure 946:

3. Click Reverse to toggle the clipping direction to your choosing.

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Figure 947:

Create Velocity Vectors

1. In the Section Cut panel under Display options set the selection back to Cross section.
2. Click the icon on the Results toolbar.
3. On the Vector panel make sure that the Result type is set to Velocity (v).
4. Set the Selection mode to Sections by selecting from the drop-down menu.
5. Click Sections to open the Extended Entity Selection dialog.
6. Click Displayed.

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Figure 948:

7. Select X and Z components.

Figure 949:

8. Click Apply.

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Figure 950:

Display Streamlines

1. In the Results Browser expand the Section Cuts folder.

2. Click the icon next to Section 1 to turn off its display.
3. In the Results Browser turn off the display for all components, except inflow and outflow.
4.
Click the icon on the Results toolbar to open the Streamlines panel.
5. Click Add to add a new set of streamlines.
6. Set the Rake type to Line, if not already selected.
7.
Click the icon.
The Reference point dialog opens.
8. Enter the reference points as:
a) X1: 0.4293, Y1: 0.0, Z1: 0.09208
b) X2: 0.4293, Y2: 0.0, Z2: 0.03492

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Figure 951:

9. Type 20 for the Number of seeds.

10. Set the Integration mode to Downstream from drop-down menu, if not already selected.
11. Make sure that the Source is set to Velocity.
12. Click Create Streamlines.
13. Enter the Streamline Size as 3.

Figure 952:
14. Press Enter on the keyboard.

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Figure 953:

7.3.9 Summary

In this tutorial you worked through a basic workflow to carry out a CFD simulation and post-processed
the results using HyperWorks products, namely HyperMesh and HyperView. You started by importing and
meshing the model in HyperMesh. You also set up the model and launchedAcuSolve directly from within
HyperMesh. Upon completion of solution by AcuSolve you used HyperView to post-process the results.
You learned how to create contours on the boundary surfaces and the section cuts, velocity vectors and
streamlines.

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Index
A
ACU-2000: Introduction to AcuSolve: Turbulent Flow in a Mixing Elbow 15
ACU-2100: Turbulent Flow Over an Airfoil using the SST Turbulence Model 66
ACU-2200: Transition Flow Over an Airfoil using the SA Transition Models 101
ACU-2201: Turbulence: Transition Flow over an Airfoil using the SST Transition Models 142
ACU-3000: Enclosed Hot Cylinder: Natural Convection 184
ACU-3100: Conjugate Heat Transfer in a Mixing Elbow 228
ACU-3101: Transient Conjugate Heat Transfer in a Mixing Elbow 285
ACU-3200: Greenhouse Nocturnal Climate Simulation-Enclosure Radiation and Porous Media 322
ACU-3201: Greenhouse Daytime Climate Simulation - Solar Radiation and Thermal Shell 378
ACU-4000: Dam Break Simulation: Two Phase Problem 424
ACU-4001: Water Filling in a Tank 449
ACU-5000: Blower-Steady (Rotating Frames) 483
ACU-5001: Blower - Transient (Sliding Mesh) 519
ACU-5100: Modeling of Fan_Component: Axial Fan 561
ACU-5200: Rigid Body Dynamics of a Check Valve 597
ACU-5201: Coupled Simulation of a Check Valve Using AcuSolve and MotionSolve 649
ACU-5300: Ship Hull Static 702
ACU-5301: Ship Hull Dynamics 741
ACU-5400: Piezoelectric Flow Energy Harvester: A Fluid-Structure Interaction (P=FSI) 763
ACU-5401: Moving Body: Piezoelectric Flow Energy Harvester - PFSI & IMM 813
ACU-5402: Piezoelectric Flow Energy Harvester with Rigid Body Rotation 864
ACU-6100: HyperWorks-AcuSolveIntegration 912

B
basic workflow 9

C
change the angle of attack and compute the solution 98

D
display velocity magnitude on the front symmetry plane 690

G
generate the mesh 45

955
I
Introduction to AcuSolve Tutorials 9

O
objectives 9
operating system used for tutorial development 10

P
post-process velocity of valve walls with AcuProbe 688

S
set solution strategy parameters 190
start AcuFieldView 49, 689
supporting files 10

T
tutorial prerequisites 9
typographical conventions used in this guide 10

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