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.

Some tutorials can be completed with a choice of pre-processor. Therefore, three sets of tutorials are provided here: one for AcuConsole, one for HyperMesh, and one for HyperWorks CFD.

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-aided engineering.

For AcuConsole tutorials, it is strongly recommended that you complete ACU-T: 2000 Turbulent Flow in a Mixing Elbow prior to running any of the other tutorials. This tutorial walks you through the basic simulation workflow and the use of AcuConsole.

For HyperMesh based tutorials, the introductory tutorial ACU-T: 1000 HyperWorks UI Introduction provides the instructions for setting up CFD simulations in HyperMesh starting from geometry import through post-processing. The subsequent tutorials do not have the steps related to geometry import and mesh generation. For these tutorials, you will be provided with the model HyperMesh database (.hm file), which has the meshed geometry. The tutorials then provide instructions related to CFD set up and post-processing.

For the HyperWorks CFD based tutorials, it is strongly recommended that you go through the introductory tutorial ACU-T: 1000 HyperWorks UI Introduction before proceeding to the other tutorials. This tutorial includes the steps to import the geometry model, define surface mesh controls and boundary layer parameters, etc., which are not included in the subsequent tutorials. For these remaining tutorials, you will be provided a HyperMesh database (.hm file) which has the pre-defined mesh controls. Instructions related to post-processing have been included in all the tutorials.

Basic Workflow

AcuConsole Based Tutorials

The basic workflow for AcuConsole based tutorials consists of the following tasks:
  1. Analyze the problem and identify the important attributes that need to be provided to AcuSolve.
  2. Start AcuConsole and create the simulation database.
  3. Set general simulation attributes.
  4. Set solution strategy attributes.
  5. Set material model attributes.
  6. Import the geometry for the simulation.
  7. Apply attributes to volumes.
  8. Create surfaces, such as inlet, outlet, and wall, and apply boundary conditions.
  9. Set global meshing attributes.
  10. Set user-defined zones for mesh refinements to areas not linked to a particular surface.
  11. Set surface meshing attributes.
  12. Generate the mesh.
  13. Run AcuSolve to calculate the solution.
  14. 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.

HyperMesh Based Tutorials

The basic workflow for HyperMesh based tutorials consists of the following tasks:
  1. Problem Description.
  2. Start HyperMesh and import the model database.
  3. Set up the general simulation parameters.
  4. Specify the solver settings.
  5. Define the body force, material models, multiplier functions, emissivity models, reference frame, and mesh motion, etc.
  6. Set up the surface boundary conditions, such as inlet, outlet, wall, etc., and assign material model parameters to volume regions.
  7. Specify the nodal initial conditions, reference pressure, etc. (if needed).
  8. Compute the solution using AcuSolve.
  9. 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.

HyperWorks CFD Based Tutorials

The basic workflow for HyperWorks CFD based tutorials consists of the following tasks:
  1. Problem Description.
  2. Start HyperWorks CFD and open the HyperMesh database.
  3. Validate the model.
  4. Set up the simulation parameters and solver settings.
  5. Assign material properties to the fluid and solid regions.
  6. Define any porous media, body force, and/or reference frames.
  7. Assign flow boundary conditions, such as inlet, outlet, slip, symmetry, etc.
  8. Define any radiation parameters.
  9. Define any mesh motion and mesh boundary conditions.
  10. Define surface mesh controls, boundary layer and volume mesh controls, and generate the mesh.
  11. Define nodal output frequencies, surface and volume monitors, and nodal initial conditions.
  12. Compute the solution using AcuSolve.
  13. Post-process results with the plot utility (to visualize data related to the progress of the calculations) and/or with HyperView to visualize simulation data with contours, vectors, streamlines, and the like.
Note: Validation (comparison with experimental results) and verification (determination of a mesh independent solution) approaches are not covered in this manual. 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.

Supporting Files

Supporting files are provided for completing the tutorials. These files are located in a compressed .zip archive located in the <hwcfdsolvers installation directory>\acusolve\win64 (or linux64)\model_files\tutorials\AcuSolve directory.

Copy the following zip files to a local directory and expand their contents.

AcuConsole tutorials AcuConsole_tutorial_inputs.zip
HyperMesh tutorials HyperMesh_tutorial_inputs.zip
HyperWorks CFD tutorials HyperWorksCFD_tutorial_inputs.zip

You will need to know these locations in order to load files for any given tutorial.

Typographical Conventions Used in this Manual

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,
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 when the dialog opens.

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.