Engineering with STAR-CCM+ Kasey Webster Brigham Young University - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Collaborative Engineering with STAR-CCM+ Kasey Webster Brigham Young University

1. Importance of Collaboration 2. Examples of Multi-User programs 3. STAR-CCM+ Client-Server Architecture 4. Using Collaboration Mode in STAR-CCM+ 5. STAR-CCM+ Multi-User Capabilities 6. Best Practices for Collaboration 7. Multi-User Testing on CFD Models 8. Potential Improvements 9. Example Set-Up 2

1. Time 2.Knowledge 3.Revision 3

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NXConnect • Multi-User CAD • Thick Client – Thin Server • Developed at Brigham Young University 1 • 𝑜 design time for n users 5

Client – Where the user can set up simulations, input commands, and manipulate views for analysis. Generally the GUI workspace Server – Executes the commands set up by the user. 6

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STAR-CCM+ Multi-User Capabilities 8

Geometry Yes No SURFACE REPAIR Combine Parts X  2 Users cannot use surface repair Combine Surfaces X mode at the same time Surface Repair X  “WARNING: Already editing Splitting Surfaces * (see notes) surface, shutting down repair session” 3D CAD Models * (see notes)  The client that gets closed Create part X will often have errors in the Composite Parts X scene that was used Boolean Operations X Retesselate Parts X Apply Tags/Filters X 9

Geometry Yes No SPLITTING SURFACES  Can be done with multiple clients, Combine Parts X but with some issues* Combine Surfaces X  While splitting by patch, the Surface Repair X scene only highlights the part surface in the client which Splitting Surfaces * (see notes) selected it and the part surface 3D CAD Models * (see notes) number will not be removed from the edit window Create part X  User 1 and User 2 can select the Composite Parts X same surface to be split by angle, Boolean Operations X but the operation done last will split a different surface Retesselate Parts X Apply Tags/Filters X 10

Geometry Yes No 3D CAD MODELS Combine Parts X  Can be used by both clients Combine Surfaces X simultaneously*  Different operations can be Surface Repair X performed simultaneously Splitting Surfaces * (see notes)  1 scene is shared by all users 3D CAD Models * (see notes)  Operations open at the same time will be combined, not overwritten Create part X  If features are being edited by user 1, only Composite Parts X those listed below that operation can be Boolean Operations X edited simultaneously by user 2 Retesselate Parts X Apply Tags/Filters X 11

Meshing Yes No Create Mesh X Continua WHILE GENERATING MESH Assign Mesh Values X • No new operations can be performed Customize Surface X • Only values in the properties window Mesh can be edited Generate Surface X Mesh Generate Volume X Mesh Contact Prevention X 12

Region Yes No Assign Parts to X Regions Defining Boundaries X Specify Applied X Continua Edit Boundary Mesh X Values Splitting Feature X Curves Edit Feature Curve X Mesh Size Create Interface X 13

Boundary Conditions Yes No Create Physics X Continua Define Initial X Conditions Define Boundary X conditions Setting Boundary X Type Edit Boundary Mesh X Values Edit Boundary X Physics Values 14

Post Processing Yes No Create Scenes X Create Reports, X Monitors, and Plots Visualize Report X Solutions in Scenes Select Convergence X Criteria Create Derived Parts X 15

• Macros can be created and saved by each client • The macro for each client will be different • Macros are saved from client rather than server • Macros set up in a collaborative simulation cannot be played if operations not yet executed are called. 16

Viewing Scenes Highlighted Parts • Selected part is highlighted for each client • Have only the working scene open in each client Split Surfaces • Surfaces hidden in a scene can be seen when that surface is split (only specific named surface is hidden) • Each user should include only the necessary parts in a scene, rather than hiding other parts 17

Surfaces Surface Repair • Avoid opening surface repair mode when it is in use by another user • Use Boolean operations (unite, intersect, merge) for other surface repair • Parts must be closed and manifold Splitting Surfaces • User 1 cannot split a surface that is currently open in surface repair mode by User 2 • False split surfaces will appear in the tree, but will not correspond to any geometry • Surface Repair mode will be closed for User 2 18

Multi-User Testing 19

Velocity: Magnitude (m/s) 0.00739 1.2959 2.5843 3.8728 5.1613 6.4497 20

Time Reduction User 1 13 User 2 Average: 30 % Both Users Model 10 460,124 Cells 9 8 7.5 6.5 SINGLE USER (4 TESTS) 2 USERS (2 TESTS) Model Set-Up Time (minutes) 21

Pressure (Pa) 3581.3 5677.6 7773.9 9870.2 11966. 14063. 22

Time Reduction User 1 19 Average: 35 % User 2 17.5 Both Users 16 15.5 Model 600,000 Cells 11 11 SINGLE USER (4 TESTS) 2 USERS (2 TESTS) Model Set-Up Time (minutes) 23

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Time Reduction User 1 Average: 36 % 12.5 User 2 11.5 Both Users 11 2-D Model 9 24,576 Cells 7.5 6.5 SINGLE USER (4 TESTS) 2 USERS (2 TESTS) Model Set-Up Time (minutes) 25

Temperature (K) 738.01 741.17 744.33 747.49 750.65 753.21 26

User 1 Time Reduction 32 User 2 Average: 24.4 % Both Users 28 26.5 26 Model 5.2 M Cells 22 20.5 SINGLE USER (4 TESTS) 2 USERS (2 TESTS) Model Set-Up Time (minutes) 27

Temperature (C) 49.510 159.61 269.71 379.80 489.90 600.00 Temperature (C) 52.783 150.06 247.34 344.62 441.90 539.18 28

Time Reduction User 1 113 User 2 Average: 35 % Both Users 96 Model 1.85 M Cells 78 74 71 58 47 SINGLE USER (4 TESTS) 2 USERS (3 TESTS) Model Set-Up Time (minutes) 29

Single User 1 Single User 2 Collaborative 30

Mesh Generation • Only values can be changed while the mesh is being generated. No new operations can be executed • Possible Improvements – Enable other non mesh based operations during mesh generation (post processing setup, continua setup, new shape part creation) Surface Repair • Only one user can use surface repair at a time. All other non mesh based operations can still be done while surface is being repaired. • Possible Improvements – Enable surface repair for different users when used on different parts Macros • Macros will only log processes done by one client • Possible Improvements – Record macros on server so that all commands are logged and can be re-executed 31

• Dr. Steve Gorrell, Dr. Greg Jensen, and Dr. Chia-Chi Teng from my graduate committee • Ryan Packer for working as User 2 • Deryl Snyder, Lisa Mesaros, Chris Penny, Prashanth Shankara, Aaron Bird, and Jeff Smith from CD-adapco 32