ANSYS CFX Introduction

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Table of Contents
1. Computational Fluid Dynamics .............................................................................................................. 1
1.1. The History of CFD ............................................................................................................................ 1
1.2. The Mathematics of CFD ................................................................................................................... 1
1.3. Uses of CFD ...................................................................................................................................... 2
1.4. CFD Methodology ............................................................................................................................ 2
1.4.1. Creating the Geometry/Mesh ................................................................................................... 4
1.4.2. Defining the Physics of the Model ............................................................................................. 4
1.4.3. Solving the CFD Problem .......................................................................................................... 5
1.4.4. Visualizing the Results in the Postprocessor .............................................................................. 5
1.5. Further Background Reading ............................................................................................................ 5
2. Overview of ANSYS CFX .......................................................................................................................... 7
2.1. The Structure of ANSYS CFX .............................................................................................................. 7
2.1.1. CFX-Pre .................................................................................................................................... 8
2.1.2. CFX-Solver ............................................................................................................................... 8
2.1.3. CFX-Solver Manager ................................................................................................................. 9
2.1.4. CFD-Post .................................................................................................................................. 9
2.2. Running ANSYS CFX .......................................................................................................................... 9
2.2.1. Valid Syntax in ANSYS CFX ...................................................................................................... 10
2.3. The Directory Structure of ANSYS CFX ............................................................................................. 10
2.4. ANSYS CFX File Types ...................................................................................................................... 11
2.5. Starting ANSYS CFX Components from the Command Line .............................................................. 12
2.5.1. Obtaining System Information with the cfx5info Command .................................................... 13
3. Customizing ANSYS CFX ....................................................................................................................... 15
3.1. ANSYS CFX Resource Configuration Files ......................................................................................... 15
3.1.1. The Site-wide Configuration Files ............................................................................................ 15
3.1.2. Users Configuration Files ....................................................................................................... 15
3.1.3. Syntax of CFX Resource Configuration Files ............................................................................. 16
3.1.3.1. Resource Names ............................................................................................................ 16
3.1.4. Resources Set in cfx5rc Files .................................................................................................... 17
3.1.4.1. Setting Environment Variables ....................................................................................... 18
4. Using the ANSYS CFX Launcher ............................................................................................................ 19
4.1. Starting the ANSYS CFX Launcher .................................................................................................... 19
5. ANSYS CFX in ANSYS Workbench .......................................................................................................... 21
5.1. The ANSYS Workbench Interface ..................................................................................................... 21
5.1.1. Toolbox .................................................................................................................................. 22
5.1.2. Project Schematic .................................................................................................................. 23
5.1.3. Workspace Tabs ...................................................................................................................... 24
5.1.4. View Bar ................................................................................................................................. 24
5.1.5. Properties View ...................................................................................................................... 25
5.1.6. Files View ............................................................................................................................... 30
5.1.6.1. ANSYS CFX Files in ANSYS Workbench ............................................................................ 30
5.1.7. Sidebar Help .......................................................................................................................... 31
5.1.8. Context Menu Commands ...................................................................................................... 31
5.2. Data Flow Within and Between Systems .......................................................................................... 33
5.3. An Example Fluid Flow Setup .......................................................................................................... 33
5.4. Default File Locations ...................................................................................................................... 36
5.5. Working With CFX in Workbench ..................................................................................................... 37
5.5.1. Tips on Using ANSYS Workbench ............................................................................................ 37
5.5.1.1. ANSYS Workbench Interface .......................................................................................... 37
5.5.1.2. Setting Units ................................................................................................................. 37
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iii

Introduction
5.5.1.3. Files View ...................................................................................................................... 37
5.5.1.4. ANSYS Workbench Preferences: Named Selections ......................................................... 37
5.5.1.5. Mesh Modifications in CFX-Pre in ANSYS Workbench ...................................................... 38
5.5.1.6. Loading .cmdb Files ....................................................................................................... 38
5.5.1.7. ANSYS Workbench Connections ..................................................................................... 39
5.5.2. Working With CFX/Fluid Flow Systems .................................................................................... 39
5.5.2.1. Changes in Behavior ...................................................................................................... 39
5.5.2.2. Duplicating Systems ...................................................................................................... 39
5.5.2.3. Renaming Systems ........................................................................................................ 40
5.5.2.4. Updating Cells ............................................................................................................... 40
5.5.2.5. Setup Cell ...................................................................................................................... 40
5.5.2.6. Solution Cell .................................................................................................................. 41
5.5.2.7. Results Cell .................................................................................................................... 42
5.5.2.8. Recovering After Deleting Files ...................................................................................... 43
5.5.2.9. Backwards Compatibility When ANSYS CFX Files Exist in the Original Project ................... 43
5.5.2.10. License Sharing ........................................................................................................... 43
5.5.3. Working with Parameters and Design Exploration ................................................................... 44
5.5.3.1. Retaining and Exporting Design Points .......................................................................... 45
5.5.3.2. Number of Design Points ............................................................................................... 45
5.5.3.3. Obtaining Solutions for Design Points ............................................................................ 45
5.5.3.4. The CFX-Solver Background Mode ................................................................................. 45
5.5.3.5. Limitations When Using Parameters and Design Points with ANSYS CFX ......................... 46
5.5.4. Using CFX with the Remote Solve Manager ............................................................................. 46
5.5.4.1. Configuring CFX over Remote Solve Manager ................................................................ 47
5.5.4.2. Limitations When Using Remote Solve Manager with ANSYS CFX ................................... 48
5.5.5. Using Journaling and Scripting with CFX in Workbench ........................................................... 48
5.5.5.1. Acquiring a Journal File with CFX in Workbench ............................................................. 49
5.5.5.1.1. Journal of an Operation That Uses CFX-Pre ............................................................ 49
5.5.5.1.2. Journal of an Operation That Uses CFX-Solver Manager ......................................... 50
5.5.5.1.3. Journal of an Operation That Creates a Plane in CFD-Post ....................................... 51
5.5.5.2. Editing a Journal File (Scripting) ..................................................................................... 52
5.5.5.2.1. Example: Using a Script to Change the Turbulence Setting in a Setup Cell ............... 52
5.5.5.2.2. Example: Using a Script to Change an Existing Locator in a Results Cell ................... 53
5.5.5.3. Limitations of Scripting Actions with CFX Applications ................................................... 53
5.5.6. Using RIF Generation in CFX-Pre in ANSYS Workbench ............................................................ 53
5.5.7. Performing System Coupling Simulations Using CFX in Workbench ......................................... 54
5.5.8. Archiving CFX Projects ........................................................................................................... 54
5.5.9. Troubleshooting ..................................................................................................................... 55
5.5.9.1. Resolving Execution Control Conflicts ............................................................................ 55
5.5.9.2. Resolving a 2-Way FSI Error ............................................................................................ 55
5.5.10. Running ANSYS CFX Tutorials in ANSYS Workbench ............................................................... 56
6. Help On Help ......................................................................................................................................... 57
6.1. Document Conventions .................................................................................................................. 57
6.1.1. Spelling Conventions ............................................................................................................. 57
6.1.2. File and Directory Names ........................................................................................................ 58
6.1.3. Optional Arguments ............................................................................................................... 58
6.1.4. Long Commands .................................................................................................................... 58
6.1.5. Operating System Names ....................................................................................................... 59
6.2. Accessing Help ............................................................................................................................... 59
6.3. Using the Search Feature ................................................................................................................ 60
7. Contact Information .............................................................................................................................. 61

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Chapter 1: Computational Fluid Dynamics

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a computer-based tool for simulating the behavior of systems
involving fluid flow, heat transfer, and other related physical processes. It works by solving the equations
of fluid flow (in a special form) over a region of interest, with specified (known) conditions on the
boundary of that region.
This chapter discusses:
1.1.The History of CFD
1.2.The Mathematics of CFD
1.3. Uses of CFD
1.4. CFD Methodology
1.5. Further Background Reading

1.1. The History of CFD

Computers have been used to solve fluid flow problems for many years. Numerous programs have been
written to solve either specific problems, or specific classes of problems. From the mid-1970s, the
complex mathematics required to generalize the algorithms began to be understood, and general
purpose CFD solvers were developed. These began to appear in the early 1980s and required what
were then very powerful computers, as well as an in-depth knowledge of fluid dynamics, and large
amounts of time to set up simulations. Consequently, CFD was a tool used almost exclusively in research.
Recent advances in computing power, together with powerful graphics and interactive 3D manipulation
of models, have made the process of creating a CFD model and analyzing results much less labor intensive, reducing time and, hence, cost. Advanced solvers contain algorithms that enable robust solutions
of the flow field in a reasonable time.
As a result of these factors, Computational Fluid Dynamics is now an established industrial design tool,
helping to reduce design time scales and improve processes throughout the engineering world. CFD
provides a cost-effective and accurate alternative to scale model testing, with variations on the simulation
being performed quickly, offering obvious advantages.

1.2. The Mathematics of CFD

The set of equations that describe the processes of momentum, heat and mass transfer are known as
the Navier-Stokes equations. These partial differential equations were derived in the early nineteenth
century and have no known general analytical solution but can be discretized and solved numerically.
Equations describing other processes, such as combustion, can also be solved in conjunction with the
Navier-Stokes equations. Often, an approximating model is used to derive these additional equations,
turbulence models being a particularly important example.
There are a number of different solution methods that are used in CFD codes. The most common, and
the one on which CFX is based, is known as the finite volume technique.

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Computational Fluid Dynamics

In this technique, the region of interest is divided into small sub-regions, called control volumes. The
equations are discretized and solved iteratively for each control volume. As a result, an approximation
of the value of each variable at specific points throughout the domain can be obtained. In this way,
one derives a full picture of the behavior of the flow.
Additional information on the Navier-Stokes equations and other mathematical aspects of the CFX
software suite is available in Basic Solver Capability Theory in the CFX-Solver Theory Guide.

1.3. Uses of CFD

CFD is used by engineers and scientists in a wide range of fields. Typical applications include:
Process industry: Mixing vessels, chemical reactors
Building services: Ventilation of buildings, such as atriums
Health and safety: Investigating the effects of fire and smoke
Motor industry: Combustion modeling, car aerodynamics
Electronics: Heat transfer within and around circuit boards
Environmental: Dispersion of pollutants in air or water
Power and energy: Optimization of combustion processes
Medical: Blood flow through grafted blood vessels

1.4. CFD Methodology

CFD can be used to determine the performance of a component at the design stage, or it can be used
to analyze difficulties with an existing component and lead to its improved design.
For example, the pressure drop through a component may be considered excessive:

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CFD Methodology
The first step is to identify the region of interest:

The geometry of the region of interest is then defined. If the geometry already exists in CAD, it can be
imported directly. The mesh is then created. After importing the mesh into the preprocessor, other
elements of the simulation including the boundary conditions (inlets, outlets, and so on) and fluid
properties are defined.

The flow solver is run to produce a file of results that contains the variation of velocity, pressure and
any other variables throughout the region of interest.
The results can be visualized and can provide the engineer an understanding of the behavior of the
fluid throughout the region of interest.

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Computational Fluid Dynamics

This can lead to design modifications that can be tested by changing the geometry of the CFD model
and seeing the effect.
The process of performing a single CFD simulation is split into four components:
1.

Creating the Geometry/Mesh (p. 4)

2.

Defining the Physics of the Model (p. 4)

3.

Solving the CFD Problem (p. 5)

4.

Visualizing the Results in the Postprocessor (p. 5)

1.4.1. Creating the Geometry/Mesh

This interactive process is the first preprocessing stage. The objective is to produce a mesh for input
to the physics preprocessor. Before a mesh can be produced, a closed geometric solid is required. The
geometry and mesh can be created in the Meshing application or any of the other geometry/mesh
creation tools. The basic steps involve:
1.

Defining the geometry of the region of interest.

2.

Creating regions of fluid flow, solid regions and surface boundary names.

3.

Setting properties for the mesh.

This preprocessing stage is now highly automated. In CFX, geometry can be imported from most major
CAD packages using native format, and the mesh of control volumes is generated automatically.

1.4.2. Defining the Physics of the Model

This interactive process is the second pre-processing stage and is used to create input required by the
Solver. The mesh files are loaded into the physics preprocessor, CFX-Pre.

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Further Background Reading

The physical models that are to be included in the simulation are selected. Fluid properties and
boundary conditions are specified.

1.4.3. Solving the CFD Problem

The component that solves the CFD problem is called the Solver. It produces the required results in a
non-interactive/batch process. A CFD problem is solved as follows:
1.

The partial differential equations are integrated over all the control volumes in the region of interest. This
is equivalent to applying a basic conservation law (for example, for mass or momentum) to each control
volume.

2.

These integral equations are converted to a system of algebraic equations by generating a set of approximations for the terms in the integral equations.

3.

The algebraic equations are solved iteratively.

An iterative approach is required because of the nonlinear nature of the equations, and as the solution
approaches the exact solution, it is said to converge. For each iteration, an error, or residual, is reported
as a measure of the overall conservation of the flow properties.
How close the final solution is to the exact solution depends on a number of factors, including the size
and shape of the control volumes and the size of the final residuals. Complex physical processes, such
as combustion and turbulence, are often modeled using empirical relationships. The approximations
inherent in these models also contribute to differences between the CFD solution and the real flow.
The solution process requires no user interaction and is, therefore, usually carried out as a batch process.
The solver produces a results file that is then passed to the post-processor.

1.4.4. Visualizing the Results in the Postprocessor

The postprocessor is the component used to analyze, visualize and present the results interactively.
Post-processing includes anything from obtaining point values to complex animated sequences.
Examples of some important features of postprocessors are:
Visualization of the geometry and control volumes
Vector plots showing the direction and magnitude of the flow
Visualization of the variation of scalar variables (variables that have only magnitude, not direction, such as
temperature, pressure and speed) through the domain
Quantitative numerical calculations
Animation
Charts showing graphical plots of variables
Hard copy and online output.

1.5. Further Background Reading

The following is a selection of books related to fluids, thermodynamics, CFD and computing:
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Computational Fluid Dynamics

An Introduction to Computational Fluid Dynamics, The Finite Volume Method
H K Versteeg and W Malalasekera; Longman, 1995. An excellent introduction to the theory of CFD
with well-presented derivations of the equations.
Using Computational Fluid Dynamics
C T Shaw; Prentice Hall, 1992. An introduction to the practical aspects of using CFD.
Numerical Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow
S V Patankar; Taylor & Francis, 1980. A standard text on the details of numerical methods.
Engineering Thermodynamics: Work and Heat Transfer
G F C Rogers and Y R Mayhew; Longman, 1996. An undergraduate thermodynamics text book.
Mechanics of Fluids
Bernard Massey, Spon Press, 1998. An undergraduate fluid mechanics text book.
Viscous Fluid Flow
F M White; McGraw Hill, 2005. An advanced text on fluid dynamics.
Perrys Chemical Engineers Handbook (7th Edition)
McGraw Hill Professional Publishing, 1997. A superb reference for the physical properties of fluids.
An Album of Fluid Motion
Milton Van Dyke, The Parabolic Press, 1982. Fluid flow phenomena demonstrated in pictures.

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Chapter 2: Overview of ANSYS CFX

ANSYS CFX is a general purpose Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software suite that combines an
advanced solver with powerful preprocessing and postprocessing capabilities. It includes the following
features:
An advanced coupled solver that is both reliable and robust.
Full integration of problem definition, analysis, and results presentation.
An intuitive and interactive setup process, using menus and advanced graphics.
ANSYS CFX is capable of modeling:
Steady-state and transient flows
Laminar and turbulent flows
Subsonic, transonic and supersonic flows
Heat transfer and thermal radiation
Buoyancy
Non-Newtonian flows
Transport of non-reacting scalar components
Multiphase flows
Combustion
Flows in multiple frames of reference
Particle tracking.
This chapter discusses:
2.1.The Structure of ANSYS CFX
2.2. Running ANSYS CFX
2.3.The Directory Structure of ANSYS CFX
2.4. ANSYS CFX File Types
2.5. Starting ANSYS CFX Components from the Command Line

2.1. The Structure of ANSYS CFX

ANSYS CFX consists of four software modules that take a geometry and mesh and pass the information
required to perform a CFD analysis:

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Overview of ANSYS CFX

ANSYS CFX File Types (p. 11) show the file types involved in this data flow.

2.1.1. CFX-Pre
The next-generation physics pre-processor, CFX-Pre, is used to define simulations.
Multiple meshes may be imported, allowing each section of complex geometries to use the most appropriate mesh.
Analyses, which consist of flow physics, boundary conditions, initial values, and solver parameters, are
also specified. A full range of boundary conditions, including inlets, outlets and openings, together with
boundary conditions for heat transfer models and periodicity, are all available in ANSYS CFX through
CFX-Pre; for details, see CFX-Pre Basics in the CFX-Pre User's Guide.
Complex simulations are assembled from one or more configurations, each of which combines an
analysis definition with other related tasks such as remeshing. Control over the configuration execution
order and inter-configuration solution dependencies then facilitates the setup of relatively common
simulations, such as those involving the initialization of a transient analysis using results from a steadystate analysis. Use of multiple configurations and control also facilitates the setup of increasingly complex
simulations of, for example, performance curves for turbo-machines or internal combustion engines
with evolving geometry and physics.

2.1.2. CFX-Solver
CFX-Solver solves all the solution variables for the simulation for the problem specification generated
in CFX-Pre.

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Running ANSYS CFX

One of the most important features of ANSYS CFX is its use of a coupled solver, in which all the hydrodynamic equations are solved as a single system. The coupled solver is faster than the traditional segregated solver and fewer iterations are required to obtain a converged flow solution.
Additional information on the CFX-Solver models is available; for details, see Basic Capabilities Modeling
in the CFX-Solver Modeling Guide.

2.1.3. CFX-Solver Manager

The CFX-Solver Manager module provides greater control to the management of the CFD task. Its major
functions are:
Specify the input files to the CFX-Solver.
Start/stop the CFX-Solver.
Monitor the progress of the solution.
Set up the CFX-Solver for a parallel calculation.
Additional information on the CFX-Solver Manager is available; for details, see CFX-Solver Manager Basics
in the CFX-Solver Manager User's Guide.

2.1.4. CFD-Post
CFD-Post provides state-of-the-art interactive postprocessing graphics tools to analyze and present the
ANSYS CFX simulation results.
Important features include:
Quantitative post-processing
Report generation (see Report in the CFD-Post User's Guide)
Command line, session file, or state file input (see File Types Used and Produced by CFD-Post in the CFD-Post
User's Guide)
User-defined variables
Generation of a variety of graphical objects where visibility, transparency, color, and line/face rendering can
be controlled (see CFD-Post Insert Menu in the CFD-Post User's Guide)
Power Syntax to allow fully programmable session files (see Power Syntax in ANSYS CFX in the CFX Reference
Guide).
Additional information on CFD-Post is available; for details, see Overview of CFD-Post in the CFD-Post
User's Guide.

2.2. Running ANSYS CFX

To run ANSYS CFX:

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Overview of ANSYS CFX

On this operating
system:

Do this:

UNIX

Enter cfx5 in a terminal window.

Windows

From the Start menu select All Programs > ANSYS 17.0 > Fluid
Dynamics > CFX 17.0.

This opens the ANSYS CFX Launcher, from which all other components of ANSYS CFX can be accessed.
You will usually want to start by setting your Working Directory (where all files will be written to) and
then opening CFX-Pre by clicking the CFX-Pre 17.0 button. See Using the ANSYS CFX Launcher (p. 19)
for more information about using the launcher.

Note
You can also start ANSYS components from the command line (Starting ANSYS CFX Components from the Command Line (p. 12)) or ANSYS Workbench (ANSYS CFX in ANSYS Workbench (p. 21)).

2.2.1. Valid Syntax in ANSYS CFX

Valid Syntax for Named Objects
The names of objects must be no more than 80 characters in length. Any of the following characters are
allowed to name new objects: A-Z a-z 0-9 <space> (however, the first character must be A-Z or
a-z). Multiple spaces are treated as single space characters, and spaces at the end of a name are ignored.
In general, object names must be unique within the physics setup.
Valid Decimal Separator
In ANSYS CFX, only a period is allowed to be used as a decimal delimiter in fields that accept floating-point
input. If your system is set to a European locale that uses a comma separator (such as Germany), fields that
accept numeric input will accept a comma, but an error will be returned. If your system is set to a nonEuropean locale, numeric fields will not accept a comma at all.
ANSYS Workbench accepts commas as decimal delimiters, but translates these to periods when
passing data to ANSYS CFX.
Valid Network Path
UNC paths are not supported in ANSYS CFX. You should use drive letters when opening ANSYS CFX products
over a network installation.

2.3. The Directory Structure of ANSYS CFX

In this documentation, <CFXROOT> refers to the path to your installation of ANSYS CFX, for example
C:\Program Files\ANSYS Inc\V170\CFX on Windows. The path to <CFXROOT> is releasespecific to enable you to have more than one release of ANSYS CFX installed.
Some of the important directories immediately under <CFXROOT> are:
bin

Contains executable programs for starting ANSYS CFX software components.

config

Contains the host definition file for ANSYS CFX software.

etc

Contains various data files common to all supported system types.

10

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ANSYS CFX File Types

examples

Contains files that will help you work through the ANSYS CFX tutorials. There are
sample meshes, CAD files, session files, CFX Expression Language files, User Fortran
examples, and example C source code files.

include

Contains header files used by parts of the ANSYS CFX software.

lib

Contains libraries needed to relink the CFX-Solver for user-defined mesh import
or mesh export.

tools

Contains software tools such as cygwin, hpmpi, perl, and qt.

2.4. ANSYS CFX File Types

During the process of creating the model, running the CFX-Solver and analyzing the results, a number
of different files are created by the various modules of the software. This section describes some of
these files and their purposes.
The use of these files with their default extension is shown in the following flowchart. The standard
files used and produced are indicated with solid black lines; other possible uses are indicated with
dotted lines.

Details of the main file types can be found in:

CFX-Pre File Types in the CFX-Pre User's Guide
CFX-Solver Files in the CFX-Solver Manager User's Guide

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11

Overview of ANSYS CFX

File Types Used and Produced by CFD-Post in the CFD-Post User's Guide
Supported Mesh File Types in the CFX-Pre User's Guide
For information on producing files for input into other post-processors, see File Export Utility in the
CFX-Solver Manager User's Guide.

2.5. Starting ANSYS CFX Components from the Command Line

The components of ANSYS CFX can all be started from the command line. A command consists of the
path to the command, the command name, and various arguments, many of which are optional.
For example, to start up CFX-Pre and play a session file named StaticMixer.pre, open a terminal
window and enter the command:
<CFXROOT>/bin/cfx5pre -play StaticMixer.pre
where <CFXROOT> is the path to your installation of CFX, for example C:\Program Files\ANSYS
Inc\V170\CFX on Windows.
The following table lists some of the commands you can use to start ANSYS CFX components:
Component

Command

Arguments

ANSYS CFX
Launcher

cfx5

See Starting the ANSYS CFX Launcher (p. 19).

or
cfx5launch
CFX-Pre

cfx5pre

See Starting CFX-Pre from the Command Line in the

CFX-Pre User's Guide.

CFX-Solver
Manager

cfx5solve

See Starting the CFX-Solver from the Command Line in

the CFX-Solver Manager User's Guide.

CFD-Post

cfdpost

See Starting CFD-Post from the Command Line in the

CFD-Post User's Guide.

Tip
To display a full list of all the possible arguments and a short description for any command, type
the command followed by -help. For example:
cfdpost -help
Typing the argument -verbose after a command launches the software specified and displays
a summary of the currently set environment variables.
ANSYS CFX Launcher provides a command line with a preset path to the ANSYS CFX executables.
From the launcher, select Tools > Command Line. For details, see Command Line.
You can append the path to the ANSYS CFX executables to your Windows PATH.
1.

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Right-click My Computer and select Properties.

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Starting ANSYS CFX Components from the Command Line

2.

Click the Advanced tab.

3.

Click Environment Variables.

4.

In the System variables pane, select Path and click Edit.

5.

Append the path to the ANSYS CFX executables to the Variable value field. For example:
C:\Program Files\ANSYS Inc\v170\CFX\bin;

6.

Click OK as required to set the new path and close the dialog boxes.

You can append the path to the ANSYS CFX executables to your UNIX search path.

2.5.1. Obtaining System Information with the cfx5info Command

You can use the command cfx5info to obtain information about your installation and your system.
The optional command arguments are given in the following table:
Argument

Usage

-arch

Displays the long architecture string for the current machine.

-cmds

Prints the location of some common commands, if they can be found in

the PATH.

-config

If any site-specific or user-specific configuration files are in use, this option

will display their locations and contents.

-full

Displays a full report on the installation and configuration of ANSYS CFX,

suitable for emailing to the ANSYS CFX Support desk. This includes the
output of the -inst and -system options.

-help

Shows available command line options and descriptions.

-host

Displays the current host name.

-host-addr
<host>

Looks up the named <host> in the network database, and displays some
information about it.

-inst

Displays information about the installation directory, and available versions

of ANSYS CFX. This is the default if no arguments are passed.

-os

Displays the short architecture string for the current machine.

-reltype

Displays the release type, which will be development, prerelease or

release.

-subsets

Shows information about which subsets are installed. This option is valid
only for UNIX platforms.

-system

Displays information about the system on which ANSYS CFX is running.

-verbose

Prints information about the environment variables that are currently set.
The alternative form for this argument is -v

-whereis
<cmd>

Displays all available versions of <cmd>, as found on the PATH. This option
can be repeated.

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Chapter 3: Customizing ANSYS CFX

This chapter discusses:
3.1. ANSYS CFX Resource Configuration Files

3.1. ANSYS CFX Resource Configuration Files

When ANSYS CFX starts up, it reads several resource configuration files. By creating your own local and
site-wide configuration files, you can modify the behavior of ANSYS CFX to meet your needs. A common
use for configuration files is to set the path to the license file or the license server.

3.1.1. The Site-wide Configuration Files

If you are accessing your ANSYS CFX files from a remote file system, your System Administrator may
create site-wide resource configuration files. ANSYS CFX first looks for such files in the following order:
1.

<CFXROOT>/config/cfx5rc-<host>.txt

2.

<CFXROOT>/config/cfx5rc-<arch>.txt

3.

<CFXROOT>/config/cfx5rc-<os>.txt

4.

<CFXROOT>/config/cfx5rc.txt

5.

<CFXROOT>/config/cfx5rc-site.txt

where:
host is the hostname of the machine on which ANSYS CFX is running.
arch is the architecture of the machine on which ANSYS CFX is running.
os is the operating system of the machine on which ANSYS CFX is running.
You can find the value of host, arch, and os by selecting Show > Show System from the menu bar of
the ANSYS CFX Launcher. On Windows, the value of os is winnt.

Note
Any resources set in these files will affect all users of ANSYS CFX, unless users override these
variables in their personal users ANSYS CFX resource configuration files.

3.1.2. Users Configuration Files

After searching for site-wide configuration files, ANSYS CFX looks for the following users configuration
files:

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Customizing ANSYS CFX

cfx5rc-<host>.txt
cfx5rc-<arch>.txt
cfx5rc-<os>.txt
cfx5rc.txt
(and for the same files without .txt appended) in the following directories:
On Windows: %USERPROFILE%\Application Data\CFX-5\170\ if it exists, otherwise
%HOMEDRIVE%\%HOMEPATH%\.cfx\170\ where %USERPROFILE%, %HOMEDRIVE% and %HOMEPATH%
are environment variables.
On Linux: ~/.cfx/170/ and ~/CFX/170/
where ~ means your home directory (if you have one).

3.1.3. Syntax of CFX Resource Configuration Files

ANSYS CFX resource configuration files should consist only of:
Lines beginning with # (which are comments).
Variable assignments such as: CFX5EDITOR="textedit"
The right hand side of an assignment may include references to previously assigned variables by prefixing
the variable name with $; for example,
CFX5BROWSER="$CFX5EDITOR"

Note
In previous releases of ANSYS CFX, these files could contain arbitrary Bourne shell commands.
These are no longer supported.

3.1.3.1. Resource Names

ANSYS CFX software makes use of variable names that start with the following strings:
CFDS_
CFX_
CFX4
CFX5
CUE_
You must not set any variable of your own with a name beginning with these letters.

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ANSYS CFX Resource Configuration Files

3.1.4. Resources Set in cfx5rc Files

You can find out which ANSYS CFX resources have been set by using the Show > Show Variables option
from the menu bar of the ANSYS CFX Launcher. This displays a list of all the resources that have been
set. Although you can change the values of most of the resources shown in this list, it is generally useful
to change only a few of them. These few are described in the following table:
Resource

Description

CFX5BROWSER

Sets the program to use when browsing files in ANSYS CFX.

On Windows, the default browser is Notepad.
On Linux, the default value is system-dependent, but the Common
Desktop Environment file browser, dtpad, is used if possible. The
command must start its own X window, so if you wanted to use view,
for example, you could only do so by setting
CFX5BROWSER="xterm -e view"

CFX5EDITOR

Sets the program to use when editing files in ANSYS CFX.

On Windows, the default editor is Notepad.
On Linux, the default value is system-dependent but the Common
Desktop Environment file editor, dtpad, is used if possible. The
command must start its own X window, so if you wanted to use vi,
for example, you could only do so by setting
CFX5EDITOR="xterm -e vi"

CFX5XTERM

Creates a window to interact with the operating system.

On Windows, the default window is a Windows command prompt set
up to run the ANSYS CFX commands.
On Linux, the default value is system-dependent but the Common
Desktop Environment terminal emulator, dtterm, is used if possible.

CFX_FORMAT

If set to F, this command causes ANSYS CFX programs to write formatted

CFX-Solver input and results files instead of binary files.
If set to U, then the files generated will be in binary format, but not
compressed.
If not set, then the files generated will be binary and compressed. This
is the default.

CFX_IMPORT_EXEC

Sets the name of the user-defined executable for CFX Volume Mesh
Import.

ANSYSLMD_LI
CENSE_FILE

Can be used to identify a license server machine or license file. If set,

this specification is used before any other license path information. See
License Files Settings Precedence in the ANSYS, Inc. Licensing Guide for
precedence information.

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Customizing ANSYS CFX

Resource

Description
The default port number assigned to ANSYS, Inc. is 1055. Therefore, if
your server has the hostname alpha1 and the IP address of 10.3.1.69,
you can identify the server to use as 1055@alpha1 or [email protected].

Note
The FLEXlm environment variable LM_LICENSE_FILE is not
supported with the ANSYS, Inc. License Manager.
ANSYSLI_SERVERS

Used to identify the server machine for the Licensing Interconnect. Set
to port@host. The default port is 2325. This setting takes precedence
over settings specified in the ansyslmd.ini file.

SHLIB_PATH

This is a colon-separated list of directories that will be searched to look

for shared libraries on HP systems. If you have installed system libraries
in directories that are not included in this list, then add them to it.

3.1.4.1. Setting Environment Variables

You should set the variables in your cfx5rc file. You must not create environment variables that start
with CFX.

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Chapter 4: Using the ANSYS CFX Launcher

CFX can be run in two modes:
CFX stand-alone, which refers to CFX running as a stand-alone application independent of the ANSYS
Workbench software
CFX in Workbench, which refers to CFX running as a component inside of the ANSYS Workbench software.
This is described in ANSYS CFX in ANSYS Workbench (p. 21).
ANSYS CFX stand-alone has the launcher, which makes it easy to run all the modules of CFX without
having to use a command line. The launcher enables you to:
Set the working directory for your simulation.
Start CFX and ANSYS products.
Access various other tools, including a command window that enables you to run other utilities.
Access the online help and other useful information.
Customize the behavior of the launcher to start your own applications.
The launcher automatically searches for installations of CFX and ANSYS products including the license
manager. Depending on the application, the search includes common installation directories, directories
pointed to by environment variables associated with CFX and ANSYS products, and the Windows registry.
In the unlikely event that a product is not found, you can configure the launcher using steps outlined
in Customizing the ANSYS CFX Launcher in the CFX Reference Guide.
This chapter discusses Starting the ANSYS CFX Launcher (p. 19). For more information about the
launcher, see ANSYS CFX Launcher in the CFX Reference Guide.

4.1. Starting the ANSYS CFX Launcher

You can run the ANSYS CFX Launcher in any of the following ways:
On Windows:
From the Start menu, select All Programs > ANSYS 17.0 > Fluid Dynamics > CFX 17.0.
In a DOS window that has its path set up correctly to run ANSYS CFX, enter: cfx5
If the path has not been set, you need to type the full path to the cfx5 command; typically this
is:
C:\Program Files\ANSYS Inc\V170\CFX\bin\cfx5.exe

On Linux, open a terminal window that has its path set up to run ANSYS CFX and enter: cfx5

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Using the ANSYS CFX Launcher

If the path has not been set, you need to type the full path to the cfx5 command; typically this is:
/usr/ansys_inc/v170/CFX/bin/cfx5.exe

Note
When you start ANSYS CFX Launcher, the displayed Working Directory is not the directory
the launcher was started in; the directory is defined by the settings stored in CFXPreferences.ccl. To default the working directory to the current directory at start-up, set the
CFX_LAUNCH_START_IN_CWD environment variable to 1.

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Chapter 5: ANSYS CFX in ANSYS Workbench

ANSYS CFX components can be run in two modes:
As stand-alone applications started from the ANSYS CFX Launcher and independent of the ANSYS Workbench
software. This mode is described in Using the ANSYS CFX Launcher (p. 19).
As applications launched from ANSYS Workbench.
This chapter describes using ANSYS CFX in ANSYS Workbench:
5.1.The ANSYS Workbench Interface
5.2. Data Flow Within and Between Systems
5.3. An Example Fluid Flow Setup
5.4. Default File Locations
5.5. Working With CFX in Workbench

Note
This chapter assumes that you are familiar with using ANSYS CFX in stand-alone mode. You
should consult the ANSYS Workbench help for more detailed information on ANSYS Workbench.

Important
CFX in ANSYS Workbench does not support the use of filenames or project names that contain
multiple consecutive spaces, or the "$", "#", or "," characters anywhere in their filepath.

5.1. The ANSYS Workbench Interface

To launch ANSYS Workbench on Windows, click the Start menu, then select All Programs > ANSYS
17.0 > Workbench 17.0.
To launch ANSYS Workbench on Linux, open a command line interface, type the path to runwb2 (for
example, ~/ansys_inc/v170/Framework/bin/Linux64/runwb2), then press Enter.
The ANSYS Workbench interface is organized to make it easy to choose a system (a group of components)
that will enable you to solve particular types of problems. Once you have chosen a system from the
Toolbox and moved it into the Project Schematic, supporting features such as Properties and Messages
provide orienting information. These features and the status indicators in the system cells guide you
through the completion of the System steps.
The figure that follows shows ANSYS Workbench with a TurboGrid component system and a Fluid
Flow (CFX) analysis system open and linked together. The properties of cell A1 (TurboGrid) are displayed
in the Properties view:

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ANSYS CFX in ANSYS Workbench

The following sections describe the main ANSYS Workbench features.

5.1.1. Toolbox
The Toolbox shows the systems available to you:
Analysis Systems
Systems that match the workflow required to solve particular types of problems. For example, the Fluid
Flow (CFX) system contains tools for creating the geometry, performing the meshing, setting up the
solver, using the solver to derive the solution, and viewing the results.
Component Systems
Software elements upon which Analysis Systems are based. For example, the CFX component system
contains Setup (CFX-Pre), Solution (CFX-Solver Manager), and Results (CFD-Post). The Results component
system contains only Results (CFD-Post).
Custom Systems
Systems that combine separate analysis systems. For example, the FSI: Fluid Flow (CFX) > Static Structural
system combines ANSYS CFX and the Mechanical application to perform a unidirectional (that is, one-way)
Fluid Structure Interaction (FSI) analysis.

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The ANSYS Workbench Interface

Design Exploration
Systems that enable you to see parametric change of outputs in relation to changing inputs.

Note
Which systems are shown in the Toolbox depends on the licenses that exist on your system.
You can hide systems by enabling View > Toolbox Customization and clearing the check
box beside the name of the system you want to hide.
To begin using a system, drag it into the Project Schematic area.

5.1.2. Project Schematic

The Project Schematic enables you to manage the process of solving your CFD problem. It keeps track
of your files and shows the actions available as you work on a project. At each step you can select the
operations that process or modify the case you are solving.
When you move a system from the Analysis Systems toolbox to the Project Schematic, you will see
a set of tools similar to the following:

Each white cell represents a step in solving a problem. Right-click the cell to see what options are
available for you to complete a step.

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ANSYS CFX in ANSYS Workbench

Many cells launch specialized software that enables you to perform the task required by that step. For
example, in a Fluid Flow (CFX) system:
Geometry > New Geometry launches DesignModeler.
Mesh > Edit launches the Meshing Application.
Setup > Edit launches CFX-Pre.
Solution > Edit launches CFX-Solver Manager.
Results > Edit launches CFD-Post.
However, the system cells are not simply launching other software, they operate to advance the workflow.
For example, if the Mesh cell is in the state Update required, you will not be able to launch CFX-Pre
from the Setup cell until the Mesh cell has been updated.

5.1.3. Workspace Tabs

Systems such as Engineering Data, DesignXplorer, and Parameters, can be placed in the Project
Schematic and can be opened in arrangements of views, called workspaces. Native workspaces are
edited directly within Workbench. Each native workspace is shown in its own tab with its Outline,
Properties, Table, and Chart views displayed when appropriate. Tabs can be opened by editing a system
cell from the Project Schematic. You can switch between workspaces by selecting their respective tabs.
For more details on tabs and the views available within tabs, see Tabs within Workbench in the Workbench
User's Guide and Views within Tabs in the Workbench User's Guide.

5.1.4. View Bar

You control which views are displayed by opening the View menu and setting a check mark beside
the view you want to display. If you minimize that view, it appears as a tab in the View Bar and the
check box is cleared from the View menu.
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The ANSYS Workbench Interface

5.1.5. Properties View

The Properties view is a table whose entries describe the status of a system. These entries vary between
system cells and are affected by the status of the cell. Some entries in the Properties area are writable;
others are for information only.
To display the Properties for a particular cell, right-click the cell and select Properties. Once the
Properties view is open, simply selecting a cell in the Project Schematic will display that cell's properties.
The following properties are specific to ANSYS CFX components:
Setup Cell Properties
Physics Status

Provides information about the current settings in ANSYS CFX-Pre and describes
how to adjust them. This information includes details on any physics validation
errors that require attention before the solution can update (which is the same
information that is available in the CFX-Pre physics validation summary).

Solution Cell Properties

Keep Latest Solution
Data Only

Choose True (the default, unless you change the Workbench preference
for this property) to automatically, after updating the Solution cell, delete
any associated old solution data (in effect, performing Clear Old Solution
Data > All Old Data). This is useful for reducing the total disk space used
by the project.
The default, which applies to newly created systems, can be changed via
a Workbench preference. For details, see CFX in the Workbench User's Guide.
Choose False to retain old solution data when updating the Solution cell.
This is the behavior for Release 16.2 and prior releases.
The default, which applies to newly created systems, can be changed via
a Workbench preference. For details, see CFX in the Workbench User's Guide.

Cache Solution Data

Choose True to retain cached solution data for non-current Design Points
(in addition to the current Design Point) after they are solved. This allows
for faster Design Point restarts, and is especially useful when updating
multiple Design Points after making a small non-parametric change to the
case; the cached solution data is used to provide initial conditions.
The default can be changed via a Workbench preference. For details, see
CFX in the Workbench User's Guide.

Note
The Cache Solution Data property acts as if set to False when
running a multiple configuration case.
Choose False (the default, unless you change the Workbench preference
for this property) to automatically, after solving the current Design Point,
delete any associated cached solution data (in effect, performing Clear
Cached Solution Data > Current Design Point Only). This is useful for
reducing the total disk space used by the project.

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ANSYS CFX in ANSYS Workbench

Note that, for this choice (False), solving all Design Points has the effect
of deleting the associated cached solution data for all Design Points.
The default can be changed via a Workbench preference. For details, see
CFX in the Workbench User's Guide.
Initialization Optionab

Automatic
This option is intended to use the best available solution data to initialize
the solution.
The data for initializing the solution is found according to the following
order of precedence:
1. Restart
2. Cached solution data
3. Current solution data or previous updated solution data, depending on the
Design Point initiation.
4. Upstream solution data
5. Initial conditions

Note
Cached solution data is not available when running a multiple
configuration case.
Update from cached solution data if possible
The data for initializing the solution is found according to the following
order of precedence:
Restart
Cached solution data
Upstream solution data
Initial conditions

Note
Cached solution data is not available when running a multiple
configuration case.
Note that Update from cached solution data if pos
sible behaves in a similar way to Update from current
solution data if possible except that it is not influenced
by Design Point initiation.

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The ANSYS Workbench Interface

Update from current solution data if possible
The data for initializing the solution is found according to the following
order of precedence:
1. Restart
2. Current solution data or previous updated solution data, depending on the
Design Point initiation.
3. Upstream solution data
4. Initial conditions

Note
This option (Update from current solution data if
possible) is the default (unless you change the Workbench
preference for this property) and is not desirable for:
Starting from initial conditions provided by another system
A situation in which you have divergent results and do not want
to start an update from those bad results.
The default can be changed via a Workbench preference. For
details, see CFX in the Workbench User's Guide.
A Results Error file (.res.err) produced by CFX-Solver during a
failed run is treated as current cell data by the Solution cell; however,
the Solution cell will not be marked as being up-to-date. These files
may not be usable for initializing a subsequent update when the
initialization option Update from current solution data
if possible is selected. In these situations, update from the
originally defined initial conditions by selecting Clear Generated
Data, or by changing the Initialization Option property of the
Solution cell.

Update from initial conditions

The data for initializing the solution is found according to the following
order of precedence:
Restart
Upstream solution data

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ANSYS CFX in ANSYS Workbench

Initial conditions

Note
For cases involving System Coupling, and for cases involving multiple
configurations, the Initialisation Option property must be set to
Update from initial conditions.
In order to avoid using restart data (that is, to avoid having the run
continue from the previous results), the Solution cell must not be
in an up-to-date state or an interrupted state. To achieve this, clear
any generated data by right-clicking the Solution cell and selecting
Clear Generated Data.

Execution Control
Conflict Option

If you add or change Execution Control in CFX-Pre in a way that is perceived

to conflict with the Execution Control settings stored in the Solution cell,
by default an error message appears when you attempt to update the
Solution cell. From the Properties view you can choose to set Workbench
to:
Warn
This is the default (unless you change the Workbench preference for this
property), which enables you to decide on a case-by-case basis by using
the Solution cell's context menu.
When there is a perceived conflict between the two sources of execution
control settings, a warning message appears. This enables you to resolve
the conflict by right-clicking the Solution cell and selecting Edit Run
Definition. You can then choose to use the execution control settings
from either the Setup cell or the Solution cell for either this run or for
all subsequent runs (until you change the Workbench preference for this
setting).
Use Setup Cell Execution Control causes the execution control
specified by the Setup cell to be used. Selecting the corresponding Workbench
preference for this setting is equivalent to right-clicking the Solution cell and
selecting Using execution control from Setup cell always.
Use Solution Cell Execution Control causes the execution control
specified by the Solution cell to be used. Selecting the corresponding
Workbench preference for this setting is equivalent to right-clicking the Solution
cell and selecting Using execution control from Solution cell always.
The default can be changed via a Workbench preference. For details, see
CFX in the Workbench User's Guide.
See Resolving Execution Control Conflicts (p. 55) for details.

Load Option

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Choose Last results only to load only the last configuration of a

multi-configuration results file, or only the last results from a results file
that contains a run history, into CFD-Post.
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The ANSYS Workbench Interface

Choose Complete history as a single case to load all
configurations of a multi-configuration run as a single case, or all of the
results history from a results file that contains a run history. In either case,
only one set of results will appear in the CFD-Post viewer, but you can use
the timestep selector to move between results. This option is not fully
supported.

Note
When multi-configuration files are loaded as a single sequence,
the solution expressions (Reference Pressure, and so on) represent
the last configuration, no matter which configuration is currently
viewed.
Choose Complete history as separate cases to load all
configurations from a multi-configuration run into separate cases. If a results
file with run history is loaded, CFD-Post loads the results from this file and
the results for any results file in its run history as separate cases. Each result
appears as a separate entry in the tree.
Update Option

Controls how the update proceeds. The options are:

Run in Background
Run in Foreground
Submit to Remote Solve Manager
During a foreground update, the user interface strictly limits what you can do.
For example, you cannot edit other cells, save, or quit.
During a background update, the user interface allows other operations and
updates on other cells to take place, and you can also save and quit the project.
After saving and quitting, the solver run will still continue. You can
re-open the project and use the Reconnect button to access data that
was put into batch mode.
If you select Submit to Remote Solve Manager, you need to specify
the Solve Manager (use localhost for a local parallel run on a machine that
has the appropriate parallel processing software installed and configured) and
the Queue (which you define using the Remote Solve Manager software). See
Using CFX with the Remote Solve Manager (p. 46) for details.

Note
The run mode for the update to the Solution cell is set on the
CFX-Solver Manager's Define Run dialog box. If you specify a
remote host, you must ensure that the run mode you choose
is supported on that host.

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ANSYS CFX in ANSYS Workbench

For a project that has been saved, a foreground update that is in progress
can be made into a background update by using the Switch Active Solution
to Background context menu option. This action will not change the Update Option setting for the next run.
Results Cell Properties
Generate Report

Select this check box to automatically publish a report. The location of the
report is displayed in the Files view.

When running in Workbench, CFX-Solver Manager has, in its Define Run dialog box, on the Initial Values tab, an Initialization
Option setting that synchronizes interactively with changes in the Initialization Option property of the Solution cell. For details on
the Initial Values tab, see Initial Values Tab in the CFX-Solver Manager User's Guide.
b
For cases involving System Coupling, and for cases involving multiple configurations, this property must be set to Update from
initial conditions.
c
For details, see Configurations in the CFX-Pre User's Guide.

5.1.6. Files View

The Files view shows the files that are in the current project. The project files are updated constantly,
and any save operation from the ANSYS CFX components will save all files associated with the project.

Important
Although the Files View reveals the data files that make up a project, you should not attempt
to manipulate these files directly, as project data management will proceed unaware of your
changes and with unpredictable results.

5.1.6.1. ANSYS CFX Files in ANSYS Workbench

ANSYS Workbench associates data with system cells. This data may be stored in different ways, including
as part of the ANSYS Workbench project file or as separate files. When files are generated, they appear
in the Files view. This view can be used to identify which files are associated with each cell.
The table that follows associates cell types with file types and gives typical extensions for those file
types.
System
Cell

File Type

File Extension Examples

Geometry

Geometry File

.agdb

Mesh

Mesh File

.cmdb (CFX-Mesh)a
.mshdb (Mesh Database File)

Setup

Solution

CFX-Pre Case File

.cfx

CFX-Solver Input File

.defa, .mdefa

CFX-Solver Output File

.outa

CFX-Solver Results File

.resa, .mresa
.trn (Transient Results File)a

Results

30

CFD-Post State File

.cst

CFD-Post Output Filesb

AnsysReportLogo.pnga

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The ANSYS Workbench Interface

System
Cell

File Type

File Extension Examples

Report.htmla

Generated file (Generated files are not copied when you duplicate a system and are removed when you run the Clear Generated
Data command.)
b
Does not include animation files or the output of Save Picture commands.

5.1.7. Sidebar Help

In addition to having a visual layout that guides you through
completing your project, you can also access Sidebar Help by pressing
F1 while the mouse focus is anywhere on ANSYS Workbench. Sidebar
Help is a dynamically generated set of links to information appropriate
for helping you with questions you have about any of the tools and
systems you currently have open.

5.1.8. Context Menu Commands

You can access commonly used commands by right-clicking in most areas of ANSYS Workbench. These
commands are described in Context Menus in the Workbench User's Guide. In addition, there are commands that are specific to ANSYS CFX:
Recreate Deleted Cells
When you import a mesh file into CFX-Pre from a Fluid Flow (CFX) system and no geometry or mesh exists
in the upstream cells, the Mesh and Geometry cells are automatically deleted. You can restore these cells
by right-clicking the system header and selecting Recreate Deleted Cells.
There are also commands that are specific to CFX Solution cells:
Display Monitors
Opens the CFX-Solver Manager and shows either the monitors of the run in progress or, if there is no run
in progress, the results of the latest solver run associated with the cell.
If you are monitoring the progress of a Remote Solve Manager run, by default the progress reports
update every 30 seconds. However, you can adjust this through the Progress Download Interval

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ANSYS CFX in ANSYS Workbench

setting in the Solution cell Properties. See Submitting Solutions in the Workbench User's Guide for
details.

Note
If running using RSM you cannot use the CFX-Solver Manager to edit, interrupt, or stop
the run in progress, or to trigger a manual backup file.
Import Solution
Displays the most recent CFX Solver Results files imported (if any) and enables you to browse for such files
using the Open dialog box, where you can specify the CFX Solver Results file to load. When the results file
is loaded, the system will display only the Solution cell and the Results cell.
Continue Calculation
Performs an update of the Solution cell, completing a previously stopped run (if one is available), or otherwise restarts the current run.
Clear Execution Control
When you start a solver run or when you click Save Settings on the Define Run dialog box of the CFXSolver Manager, the settings from the Define Run dialog box are stored for the Solution cell that launched
the solver. These are the execution control settings for that cell; the Clear Execution Control command
removes those settings.

Note
You should not clear the execution control settings while the CFX-Solver Manager is
running as this can make file paths in the Define Run dialog box inaccurate.
Clear Old Solution Data
Enables you to reduce the use of disk space. There are two options:
Data Not Referenced by Current Solution
Deletes all the results files except the most recent one and any results files to which it refers.
All Old Data
Deletes all the results files except the most recent one.
Note that there is no change to cache data for any Design Point.
Clear Cached Solution Data
Enables you to reduce the use of disk space. There are two options:
Current Design Point Only
Deletes the associated cached solution data for the current Design Point, but not for the non-current
Design Points.
All Design Points
Deletes the associated cached solution data for all Design Points in the project.

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An Example Fluid Flow Setup

5.2. Data Flow Within and Between Systems

The cells in a system communicate status with each other. For example, when you change a mesh in
the Mesh cell, the Setup cell will report that its software (CFX-Pre) requires a refresh to re-read the
upstream data.
Similarly, the same type of data flow occurs between systems. For example, if you have an FSI: Fluid
Flow system (as shown in the image below), data and status from the Fluid Flow (CFX) Geometry cell
will flow both to the Fluid Flow (CFX) Mesh cell and the Static Structural Geometry cell. Data flow
between systems is shown by interconnecting lines:

5.3. An Example Fluid Flow Setup

This section walks through an example of using ANSYS CFX in ANSYS Workbench to perform a fluidflow analysis. This walkthrough assumes familiarity with the basic ANSYS Workbench and ANSYS CFX
applications and does not discuss the details of the steps within each application.
The data flow between cells (and systems) drives the workflow.
1.

You begin by launching ANSYS Workbench, which opens as an unsaved project and displays the available
Analysis Systems.

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ANSYS CFX in ANSYS Workbench

2.

In your file system you create a directory in which to store your project files. You then select File > Save
As and save your new project to that directory. This automatically sets your working directory for this
project.

3.

In the Analysis Systems toolbox, double-click Fluid Flow (CFX) to create a fluid-analysis system in the
Project Schematic. (Notice that if you hover over systems in the Toolbox, a tool tip appears.)

The fluid-analysis system in the Project Schematic shows the steps in performing a fluid analysis:
1. Create or import a geometry.
2. Create a mesh for the geometry.

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An Example Fluid Flow Setup

3. Set up the analysis that will be sent to the solver.
4. Control and monitor the solver to achieve a solution.
5. Visualize the results in a post-processor and create a report.
4.

In addition to showing those steps in appropriately named cells, each cell can launch a tool that will enable
you to perform the task it names. Right-click the Geometry cell to see your options for adding a geometry
to your project:

5.

As you move through the cells from Geometry to Results, you can choose to launch the tool that will
enable you to complete the cell's step:
a.

Create a new geometry with the DesignModeler application (Geometry cell).

b.

Create a new mesh with the Meshing application (Mesh cell).

c.

Edit the case with CFX-Pre (Setup cell).

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ANSYS CFX in ANSYS Workbench

d.

Run the solver by updating the Solution cell, or optionally edit the Solution cell and use the Define
Run dialog box from CFX-Solver Manager.

Note
The Custom Solver Options (Custom Executable and Solver Arguments), which
are available in the CFX-Solver Manager in stand-alone mode, are not available in
CFX-Solver Manager launched from ANSYS Workbench.

e.

Display of the results with CFD-Post (Results cell).

Note
You could open a Fluid Flow (CFX) system and go immediately to the Setup cell to import
an existing case. When the case is loaded, the now-unnecessary Geometry and Mesh
cells disappear.

6.

When the analysis is complete and the project is finished, you save the project (and therefore the associated
files). Once a project has been saved, it can be re-opened at a later date for review or modification of any
aspect of the simulation.

Important
Saving a project enables you to re-open the project on the machine that originally created
it. To make the project available on another machine, you need to use File > Archive to
create a project archive. To open the project on a different machine, run File > Restore
Archive on that machine.

5.4. Default File Locations

ANSYS CFX applications launched from ANSYS Workbench have default locations for file operations
that are appropriate for ANSYS Workbench:
Save operations default to the user_files directory. The user_files directory appears under the
directory that holds the Project file (projectfile_name/user_files/).
If the default directory has already been set, changing the save location in a file dialog box also
changes the default save directory. If a change is made to the project directory through ANSYS
Workbench, that will also reset the default directory.

Note
A change in defaults is held only for the duration of the ANSYS CFX application session
(that is, an exit and re-edit of an ANSYS CFX application) will reset the defaults back to
project user_files for export operations and to the permanent files directory for import
operations.

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Working With CFX in Workbench

Open operations default to the permanent files directory. The permanent files directory holds the Project
file.
Export operations initially default to the user_files directory, but change to the last directory used for
an export operation during a session.
In addition, there is an icon in the directory tree that takes you to the user_files, and all recent
directory selections are available from the directory path drop-down selector.

5.5. Working With CFX in Workbench

The following topics are discussed:
5.5.1.Tips on Using ANSYS Workbench
5.5.2. Working With CFX/Fluid Flow Systems
5.5.3. Working with Parameters and Design Exploration
5.5.4. Using CFX with the Remote Solve Manager
5.5.5. Using Journaling and Scripting with CFX in Workbench
5.5.6. Using RIF Generation in CFX-Pre in ANSYS Workbench
5.5.7. Performing System Coupling Simulations Using CFX in Workbench
5.5.8. Archiving CFX Projects
5.5.9.Troubleshooting
5.5.10. Running ANSYS CFX Tutorials in ANSYS Workbench

5.5.1. Tips on Using ANSYS Workbench

The following sections contain tips for the general use of ANSYS CFX in ANSYS Workbench:

5.5.1.1. ANSYS Workbench Interface

A lot of important functionality is available in the context menu (cells, parameter bar, and so on). Also,
you should enable the View > Properties view and investigate options for each cell.
Compact Mode is very useful. It turns the schematic into a small non-intrusive button that is always on
top, effectively replacing the need for the toolbar navigation.

5.5.1.2. Setting Units

ANSYS Workbench units and options are not passed to ANSYS CFX applications; this could require you
to set units twice.

5.5.1.3. Files View

Use the Files view to determine which files were created for each cell/system. This can be very useful
if you need to do some runs or change some settings outside of ANSYS Workbench, or if you want to
manually delete some but not all files associated with a particular cell. It is easiest to find files associated
with a specific cell by sorting the view by Cell ID. This will sort the list by system and then by cell.

5.5.1.4. ANSYS Workbench Preferences: Named Selections

The default setting in Workbench for Named Selection is off, and a filter prefix is specified, in the
Tools > Options > Geometry Import settings. In order to make sure that Named Selections specified

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ANSYS CFX in ANSYS Workbench

in DesignModeler propagate through to the meshing stage, you need to enable Named Selections
and clear the Filtering Prefixes.

Note
If you select a language other than English under Regional and Language Options in ANSYS
Workbench, use of Symmetry and Enclosure operations in DesignModeler can lead to special
characters (e.g. Umlauts in German, which are not supported for use in ANSYS CFX) being
included in automatically generated Named Selections. You can prevent such Named
Selections from being created by either:
Using Meshing as part of a Fluid Flow (CFX) system (rather than a separate Mesh
component system)
Changing the Advanced Geometry Option > Enclosure and Symmetry Processing, under
the Geometry cell properties, from the default Yes/On to No/Off.

5.5.1.5. Mesh Modifications in CFX-Pre in ANSYS Workbench

If you perform any mesh modifications (such as transformations, renaming, glue/unglue, delete) within
CFX-Pre on meshes provided by the project schematic, avoid any further changes to the Mesh and
Geometry cells providing these meshes.
During a refresh of upstream mesh data, CFX-Pre will require that the same series of mesh modifications
and transformations on the new mesh be successfully reapplied. If any of these transformations fail
(possibly due to topological changes, or changes to regions and named selections that the transformations operate on), CFX-Pre will issue an error message, and revert to the previous mesh data. Workbench
will report the error as an "Application Error" during the mesh refresh, however the project schematic
state for the Setup cell will indicate that the refresh was done successfully by being marked as Up-todate.
To correct this mesh refresh error, the geometry or mesh changes that caused the error should be reverted, or (if possible) the Mesh cell should be disconnected and the Setup cell refreshed again before
reconnecting the Mesh cell.

5.5.1.6. Loading .cmdb Files

To import a .cmdb file, you have to use the File > Import option on the main ANSYS Workbench
toolbar. This will import the geometry and mesh settings and create a .mshdb file.
It is not possible to read a mesh file without any reference to a geometry file, even when you select
File > Import and select a .cmdb file. A Mesh system that includes a Geometry cell appears (the Geometry cell has a green tick and a red circle with "!"). If you try to link or duplicate such a system, problems
are observed.
It is also not possible to read a mesh file without any reference to a geometry file when creating a mesh
component system first you cannot right-click the Mesh cell and select a command to import a .cmdb
file; only .gtm and .cfx files are possible choices.

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Working With CFX in Workbench

5.5.1.7. ANSYS Workbench Connections

When selecting a system in the toolbox, ANSYS Workbench will highlight the cells in any systems already
in the Project Schematic to which a valid connection can be made.
Connections between systems in ANSYS Workbench are direction-dependent. This has implications in
one-way and two-way FSI cases. For example, in a one-way case you need to transfer the data from the
CFX system to the Static Structural system. As a consequence, the CFX system will be positioned to the
left of the Static Structural system on the schematic. For two-way FSI, the Static Structural system will
be positioned to the left of the CFX system on the schematic.
Connections are not supported from the Setup cells of Steady-State and Transient Thermal analyses
systems to the Setup cell of the Fluid Flow systems (for example, thermal two-way FSI).
Using multi-configuration CFX cases as part of a one-way FSI calculation is not supported. The project
schematic will permit the connection, but the calculation will fail.

5.5.2. Working With CFX/Fluid Flow Systems

The following sections contain tips for the use of CFX/Fluid Flow systems in ANSYS Workbench:
5.5.2.1. Changes in Behavior
5.5.2.2. Duplicating Systems
5.5.2.3. Renaming Systems
5.5.2.4. Updating Cells
5.5.2.5. Setup Cell
5.5.2.6. Solution Cell
5.5.2.7. Results Cell
5.5.2.8. Recovering After Deleting Files
5.5.2.9. Backwards Compatibility When ANSYS CFX Files Exist in the Original Project
5.5.2.10. License Sharing

5.5.2.1. Changes in Behavior

The ability to play session files is missing in ANSYS Workbench for ANSYS CFX applications.
The undo stack is cleared in CFX-Pre/CFD-Post after the application receives commands from ANSYS
Workbench.
You cannot launch ANSYS CFX products from one another in ANSYS Workbench; you must use the
system cells.
ANSYS Workbench "remembers" previous locations of imported files / projects. ANSYS CFX, however,
displays different behavior for loading or saving any files, always using the directory specified in the
Tools > Options > Default Folder for Permanent Files in ANSYS Workbench.
Duplicate node removal for importing Fluent meshes into CFX-Pre is always ON in ANSYS Workbench,
regardless of any settings in the ANSYS CFX preferences file. CFX-Pre does not read this file when run
in ANSYS Workbench.

5.5.2.2. Duplicating Systems

If you have a Fluid Flow (CFX) system, and you want to duplicate the system in such a way that the
duplicate shares Geometry and Mesh with the original system, then right-click the Setup cell of the

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ANSYS CFX in ANSYS Workbench

original Fluid Flow system (not the system header) and choose Duplicate. The CFX data associated with
the original Setup cell is copied to the duplicated Setup cell, ready for you to modify it.
If you create a set up by duplicating an existing one, the run files associated with the first schematic
are named according to the name of the schematic; in this release it is not possible to control the name
of the run files in the duplicate schematics.
Duplication normally involves only user files (files for which you have specified settings). For ANSYS
CFX, these are the .cfx and .cst files. Other files, which are considered to be "generated" (for instance,
the .def, .res, and .out files), are not duplicated.

5.5.2.3. Renaming Systems

Rename all your CFX and Fluid Flow (CFX) systems to something unique and meaningful that reflects
the contents of the system, especially if there are multiple systems. The names of the files associated
with the system cells will incorporate this system name when the files are first created, making it easier
for you to identify the files in the Files view. Furthermore, CFD-Post will take the system name (by default
"Fluid Flow" for a Fluid Flow system) as the case name of the results in CFD-Post. Note that it is best to
rename the systems as soon as they are placed on the Project Schematic, as the generated file names
and/or the CFD-Post case names will not necessarily be updated if a system is renamed after the appropriate cells already have associated data (for example, a .cfx file with the Setup cell). It may be useful
to reset the Results cell to update the CFD-Post case name if the system is renamed, but you will lose
any existing CFD-Post settings and objects by doing this.

5.5.2.4. Updating Cells

When you connect an up-to-date Mesh cell to the Setup cell of a CFX or a Fluid Flow (CFX) system, the
Mesh cell becomes out-of-date because the relevant data must be created. You must update the Mesh
cell.
If a second identical component system is added (CFX+CFX or Fluent+Fluent), there is no need to update
the project again. An update of the project is required if a different system component is added
(CFX+Fluent or Fluent+CFX).

5.5.2.5. Setup Cell

Changing the Mesh Import options (for example, relating to Names Selections or Contact settings) for
importing a mesh from a Mesh cell into a Setup cell (CFX-Pre) is not straightforward. The Setup cell will
use whatever options are stored in your preferences file at the time when the mesh is imported. You
can change these settings by using Tools > Options or by using the Mesh Import form in stand-alone
CFX-Pre (choosing Use settings next time). The next time you refresh the Setup cell with a new Mesh,
CFX-Pre will use the new mesh import settings. In some circumstances this could lead to unexpected
results, for example if you were relying on a specific set of Named Selection options to identify your
regions but changed these settings when working on another project.

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Working With CFX in Workbench

If you make changes to the execution control in CFX-Pre while you have CFX-Solver Manager open, you
need to click the Refresh button on the Define Run dialog box in order to make sure that the CFXSolver Manager re-reads the new information from the CFX-Solver Input file.

Note
ANSYS Workbench supports only one connection from Static Structural or Transient Structural
systems' Setup cells to a single CFX or Fluid Flow (CFX) Setup cell for two-way FSI.

5.5.2.6. Solution Cell

When you edit the Solution cell, the Define Run dialog box of the CFX-Solver Manager has a Save
Settings button. Clicking this button associates the settings on the dialog box with the Solution cell
and closes the dialog box. You must now update the Solution cell to run the CFX-Solver.
Always check that the Initialization Option property is set correctly for each Solution cell in any CFXrelated system. This can be viewed and set using:
The Properties view on the Solution cell.
CFX-Solver Managers Define Run dialog box, Initial Values tab.
When running in Workbench, CFX-Solver Manager has, in its Define Run dialog box, on the Initial
Values tab, an Initialization Option setting that synchronizes interactively with changes in the Initialization Option property of the Solution cell.
The default value for the Initialization Option property is Update from current solution
data if possible unless you change the Workbench preference for this property. Details of the
Initialization Option property are given in Properties View (p. 25).
If you have performed a solver run and want to re-run it with initialization provided by the results of the
first solver run, then you can leave the Initialization Option property set to Update from current
solution data if possible.
If you have performed a solver run and want to re-run it with the original initialization then perform at least
one of the following actions before re-running:
Set the Initialization Option property to Update from initial conditions.
Right-click the Solution cell and select Clear Generated Data.
If you have performed a solver run and want to re-run it with specified initialization then perform all of the
following actions before re-running:
Specify the new initial values.
Set the Initialization Option property to Update from initial conditions.
Right-click the Solution cell and select Clear Generated Data.
Clearing the generated data prevents the Solution cell from being in an up-to-date state or in an
interrupted state, thereby preventing restart data from being used.

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ANSYS CFX in ANSYS Workbench

After running the CFX solver multiple times within the same system, for example when updating the
solution or continuing the calculation, you may accumulate unwanted results files from the previous
runs. Consider using Reset or Clear Generated Data on the Solution cell before re-running the CFXSolver on this cell. These delete all the files from any previous run on that cell (for example, all CFXSolver Results and CFX-Solver Output files), and prevent the project from getting too large. If you do
not want to clear all the files, but want to clear some of them, consider using Clear Old Solution Data
or Clear Cached Solution Data on the Solution cell. If you want to delete specific files:
1.

Open the Files view (ANSYS Workbench View > Files).

2.

Sort the list by Cell ID (which is actually the cell coordinates, not the ID).

3.

Scroll down to the results file(s) for the desired Solution cell ID.
Note that you cannot directly delete the files from this view.

4.

Right-click a result file and select Open Containing Folder.

This opens your operating system's file browser at the directory containing the result file.

5.

Remove the unwanted files using the browser.

After doing this, you may want to remove the obsolete file references from the list in the Files view.
Multi-select all the red files (sort by ascending size to get them all together) and choose to Remove
<file> from List to get ANSYS Workbench to remove them from the Files view completely.
If you set the CFX-Solver to Background mode and shut down ANSYS Workbench, upon restarting ANSYS
Workbench and reopening the project, if the solver run has not completed, you will need to use the
Reconnect button to continue monitoring the solver run.
The information at end of a CFX-Solver Output file shows only the temporary location for the CFXSolver Results file, not the final location. The correct locations can be found in the Files view.
CFX-Solver Results files (in particular the .res files) are associated with the Solution cell, not the Results
cell. This means that a CFX-Solver Results file cannot be imported onto a Results cell; it can be imported
onto a Solution cell of a Fluid Flow or CFX system. Similarly, resetting the Results cell will not remove
the CFX-Solver Results file.
ANSYS Workbench permits you to import data from a Polyflow Solution cell into the Solution cell of a
CFX system; however, the CFX-Solver execution will fail when the Solution cell of the CFX system is
updated.
For simulations involving multiple configurations, initializing a Solution cell of either a Fluid Flow (CFX)
analysis system or a CFX component system from another Solution cell is not supported. Attempts to
update the downstream Solution cell will result in an error. You must define initialization conditions
for each configuration manually.

5.5.2.7. Results Cell

In ANSYS Workbench, the state of CFD-Post is associated with the Results cell. To maintain multiple
states, you must generate multiple Results systems. For your convenience, you can provide a unique
name for each system.
To perform a file comparison in CFD-Post, drag a Solution cell from another system to the Results cell.

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Working With CFX in Workbench

You can have CFD-Post generate report output at every update (by setting Generate Reports in Results
cell Properties view). The .html file is visible in the Files view: right-click it, select Open containing
folder, and double-click the file in the explorer to see the report in a browser.
When updating existing Results cell data (with CFD-Post open) where a turbo chart with an averaged
variable was used (for example, turbo reports), a warning dialog box may appear reporting that "No
data exists for variable " This warning can be ignored.
You can change the CFD-Post multi-configuration load options (available on the Load Results panel
of CFD-Post when in stand-alone mode) by editing the Properties of the Solution cell. This is a property
of the Solution cell, rather than the Results cell.

5.5.2.8. Recovering After Deleting Files

If you accidentally delete the current .def, .res or .out files for a CFX system and the Solution cell
status is up-to-date, you may get errors when trying to display the solution monitor or edit the Results
cell. In this case you will need to replace the files in the File Manager, or Reset the Solution cell, and
update the system. If the .def file is missing, you may also need to Clear Generated Data for the
Setup cell before updating the system.

5.5.2.9. Backwards Compatibility When ANSYS CFX Files Exist in the Original Project
When importing a .wbdb file (that contains .agdb, .cmdb, .cfx, and .res files), only a Mesh system
is imported instead of a "Fluid Flow (CFX)" analysis system. You need to drag a CFX system and associate
the files with this system.
Pointers to the original CFX files are present in the Files view. Using the right-click option Import Onto
Schematic, a copy of the file is taken and an associated system is generated with the copy - however
the Files view now seems to have two versions of the same file.
You can drag a CFX system and associate the files with this system, manually importing the file into
the correct cell.
ANSYS Workbench does not support directly importing legacy FSI cases, so you have to create a CFX
system from the legacy CFX-Solver Results file, manually link it to the Static Structural system, suppress
the old load in Static Structural, and update it to import the load in the proper format from the CFX
system.
Files that are moved or deleted and that were previously associated with a cell in the project schematic
will be highlighted in red in the Files view. There are right-click options to Remove or Repair the files.
You should be aware that ANSYS Workbench will ensure that the file is repaired using a file of a similar
type but not necessarily the same name (or contents). If the contents of the repaired file do not match
those of the original file, unexpected results may be produced or the case will fail.

5.5.2.10. License Sharing

If you are using license sharing in ANSYS Workbench, you can use only one license for CFX-Pre/CFDPost even if you have more available. This has implications if, for example, you want to run a long animation in CFD-Post and use CFX-Pre at the same time. If you know you are going to be working with
CFX-Pre and CFD-Post at the same time, you need to change the license-sharing setting before starting
your project.

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ANSYS CFX in ANSYS Workbench

5.5.3. Working with Parameters and Design Exploration

Design Exploration enables you to modify the geometry and physics of your project so that you can
determine the influence of selected design parameters defined in your model. You do this by declaring
design input parameters in CFX-Pre (see Outline Tree View Shortcut Menu Commands in the CFX-Pre
User's Guide) and input parameters and output parameters in CFD-Post (see Expressions Tree View in
the CFD-Post User's Guide), then running a Design Exploration study with ANSYS CFX in ANSYS Workbench.
You can apply a DesignXplorer study to a converged project by opening the project in ANSYS Workbench
and double-clicking a Design Exploration system from the left pane. This displays the design exploration
system under the Parameter Set bar in the Project Schematic.

Note
A sample tutorial describing how to use design exploration in ANSYS CFX is available.
For more information on using design exploration in ANSYS Workbench, see DesignXplorer User's
Guide.

The following sections contain tips for the use of parameters and design exploration:
5.5.3.1. Retaining and Exporting Design Points
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Working With CFX in Workbench

5.5.3.2. Number of Design Points
5.5.3.3. Obtaining Solutions for Design Points
5.5.3.4.The CFX-Solver Background Mode
5.5.3.5. Limitations When Using Parameters and Design Points with ANSYS CFX

5.5.3.1. Retaining and Exporting Design Points

By default (depending on the Solution cell property Cache Solution Data, described in Properties
View (p. 25)), only data associated with the current Design Point is stored, whereas data associated
with non-current Design Points is not.
For information on accessing data associated with non-current Design Points, see Retaining Design
Point Data and Exporting Design Points in the Workbench User's Guide.

5.5.3.2. Number of Design Points

During a parametric study, the original set of files used to set a problem up is copied for each Design
Point, using file space. To minimize the use of file space, minimize the number of unnecessary Design
Points.
When working with exported Design Points, you should limit the project schematic only to systems
that are involved in the Design Point changes. Having other systems (for example, a CFX system) in the
project that are not involved in the Design Point update will mean duplication of these systems' database/results files for every exported Design Point, and this can use a significant amount of disk space.
If you generate a large number of Design Points in a Design of Experiments (DOE), it is possible that a
small proportion of them will fail to update, preventing the DOE cell from becoming up-to-date. In such
a case, you cannot continue with the rest of this design exploration analysis. The DOE can be modified
to remove these failing Design Points by selecting Design of Experiments > Type > Custom and then
manually deleting the Design Points that failed to update successfully. Provided that sufficient Design
Points remain for adequate analysis, then the DOE can be updated and you can continue with the
analysis

5.5.3.3. Obtaining Solutions for Design Points

When running Design Points with a CFX system with a specified solver maximum residual criterion, you
should always set the minimum solution iterations to at least 3 in the Solver Control panel. If this setting
is left at the default "1", the solver may stop after one or two iterations, falsely believing convergence
has been reached.
If you have selected the solution to Update from Current Solution Data (default setting), you may
need to choose the input parameter values wisely for the Current Design Point because it will be the
starting solution for all other Design Points. To avoid this situation, set Update from Initial Conditions
as an Initialization Option in the CFX-Solver Manager before updating the Design Points.

5.5.3.4. The CFX-Solver Background Mode

In a Design Points study, if you have set the CFX-Solver to Background mode1, none of the Design
Points will become up-to-date until all the solver jobs have finished. This is not the case when the CFXSolver has been set to Foreground mode (the default setting), where each Design Point becomes up-

Note that an adequate number of licenses are required for this.

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to-date before the next one commences updating. The former option, though, can prove more efficient
in terms of speed, especially in the case of long runs on multi-core configurations.

Note
When the Licensing Interconnect sharing mode is used, the Update of Design Points in
background mode will not work.

5.5.3.5. Limitations When Using Parameters and Design Points with ANSYS CFX
Although the names of design parameters can be modified using the Parameter Manager within ANSYS
Workbench, this is not recommended, because the new names will not be reflected within the CFX application
user interfaces.
In a design points study, when you have some up-to-date design points, it is recommended that you avoid
editing the Results cell and running CFD-Post interactively. Most editing and viewing actions result in an
underlying state change and therefore make the design points appear out-of-date, requiring another update.
If an input parameter is defined in CFX-Pre directly in the physics setup (that is, not using an expression)
then it should be removed by clearing the parameterization check box next to the parameter setting before
any physics changes are made that would make the parameter not applicable. If it is not removed, then any
attempt to change the value of this parameter through Workbench, or run multiple design points, will result
in a physics error of the form: "The parameter <parameter name> is present in the object
<path> but it is not physically valid.", referring to the parameter that was set as a Workbench input parameter. If this occurs, then one way to remove the input parameter is to enter the following
into the Command Editor: delete /PARAMETERIZATION/INPUT FIELD: <parameter name>
where <parameter name> is the input parameter name. Once the parameterization has been removed,
the new physics settings can be re-applied in CFX-Pre to remove the physics error and allow the design
point update to complete successfully.

5.5.4. Using CFX with the Remote Solve Manager

Remote Solve Manager (RSM) enables you to configure queues containing compute servers (machines
that will run partitions of a job). A serial run is one in which there is one partition, a local parallel run is
one in which all of the partitions are executed on the same compute servers (not necessarily your local
machine), and a distributed parallel run is one in which partitions are distributed and run across multiple
hosts. When runs on remote hosts are completed, the resulting files are automatically sent back to your
local machine.
CFX Distributed Parallel is supported via RSM for batch queuing systems.
Remote Solve Manager generally enables you to solve on remote machines as many types of runs as
can be solved on your local machine, but with various restrictions that are generally related to the
availability of external files (files that you have manually specified for certain features in CFX applications)
on the remote machine. For remote runs, where external files may not be available using the same path
as the machine on which the run was set up, RSM has to identify the location of any external files and
then copy them to the remote location. Not all external files can be treated correctly at the current release. The restrictions include:
Solver models that include user-defined remeshing may not be reliably run in RSM mode if the External
Command refers to a command that is not available in the same location as that specified in the External
Command parameter.

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The following are unsupported:
Directory structures (unsupported, but may work)
Custom Solvers
User-defined remeshing
TASCFlow Real Gas Properties
Manual specification of Initial Values files (not set up through the Workbench project schematic)
Files referenced from within another non-CFX file (for example, a file referenced by an ANSYS Input File)
User Fortran source code or libraries (unsupported, but may work)
Any file manually specified in CFX-Solver Manager
Some unsupported features may work if the file paths for external files on the remote machine are the
same as on the machine that set up the case.
To learn how to configure Remote Solve Manager, see RSM Overview in the Remote Solve Manager User's
Guide.

5.5.4.1. Configuring CFX over Remote Solve Manager

To configure a local parallel run for a CFX/Fluid Flow (CFX) case using a previously configured Remote
Solve Manager in either serial mode or with previously installed parallel processing software (such as
Platform MPI):
1.

Start Workbench.

2.

Drag either a CFX or a Fluid Flow (CFX) system into the Project Schematic.

3.

Load the case into the Setup cell.

4.

Select View > Properties on the Solution cell to set the following Solution Process options:
a.

Set Update Option to Submit to Remote Solve Manager.

b.

Set Solve Manager from the drop-down menu. (The available hosts are determined by the queue.)

c.

Set Queue to a queue listed in the drop-down menu. (Use Remote Solve Manager to add queues
and Compute Servers.)

d.

Set the Solution Process as desired. Note that:

Serial runs are always supported.
Platform MPI Local Parallel is supported on all platforms that support RSM, and therefore is the
safest choice.
Distributed parallel processing is supported only when the RSM Client is also the RSM Manager
and acts as one of the Compute Servers (remote machines can also act as Compute Servers in this
configuration).

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5.

Update the Solution cell. A dialog box appears that gives the status of the update.

5.5.4.2. Limitations When Using Remote Solve Manager with ANSYS CFX
ANSYS CFX has the following limitations when used with Remote Solve Manager:
You cannot edit, interrupt, or stop a run that is in progress using the CFX-Solver Manager. You can, however,
interrupt the run using the Workbench progress bar.
You cannot create a manual backup file using the Backup button in the CFX-Solver Manager.
By default the CFX-Solver Manager will update its monitors only every 30 seconds, rather than continuously.
However, you can adjust this through the Progress Download Interval setting in the Solution cell Properties.
See Submitting Solutions in the Workbench User's Guide for details.
Using the Cache Solution Data option in conjunction with the Remote Solve Manager may result in a large
number of data files (all the cached data) being submitted to the Remote Solve Manager when each design
point is calculated. This can lead to a significant slowdown in the overall calculation.

5.5.5. Using Journaling and Scripting with CFX in Workbench

Journaling is the capturing of Workbench actions (creating a project, opening a system, and so on) to
a file. For CFX applications, CCL and command actions are embedded within Workbench actions.
Scripting refers to the processes of editing and running a journal file in Workbench. With scripting, you
could, for example, implement a prescribed workflow.
This section describes how to acquire, edit, and run script files that have commands that affect CFX
components. For more general information, see Using Journals and Scripts in the Workbench User's
Guide.

Note
Journal actions such as a CFD-Post Export or the loading of a static .res file record the path of
the file. You may need to manually adjust this filepath before attempting to rerun the journal,
particularly if you have created the journal using an unsaved project. More generally, when you
create a project, you should save the project immediately to set file paths that Workbench uses

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(rather than require Workbench to use file paths that have temporary directories, as happens
before the project is saved).
The handling of file paths described in File Path Handling in ANSYS Workbench in the ANSYS AIM
and Workbench Scripting Guide applies to file references that are made outside of CCL and command actions.
Journal files must not contain an Undo command from a CFX application.

5.5.5.1. Acquiring a Journal File with CFX in Workbench

The basic workflow for acquiring a journal file with CFX in Workbench is as follows:
1.

Start Workbench.

2.

Save the project. (This enables Workbench to set file paths that will be usable when you play back journal
operations that involve the loading or exporting of files.)

3.

Start journaling: Select File > Scripting > Record Journal and set a name for the journal file.

4.

From Toolbox panel, open a CFX system (such as Component System > CFX).

5.

Create and run a CFX simulation. The actions you perform are captured by the Journaling process and
written to the .wbjn file that you named in step 2.

6.

Stop journaling: File > Scripting > Stop Recording Journal.

7.

Optionally, edit the journal file (this is the process of scripting).

8.

Run File > Scripting > Run Script File and select a .wbjn file.

5.5.5.1.1. Journal of an Operation That Uses CFX-Pre

When you record a journal file of an operation that uses CFX-Pre, the contents will be similar to the
following code snippets. In these snippets, a user has opened Workbench and recorded a session that
created a CFX system, opened CFX-Pre, imported a mesh file (SYS-1.cmdb), created an inlet boundary,
created an outlet boundary, and saved the project as saveJou.wbpj:
Create the CFX system
template1 = GetTemplate(TemplateName="CFX")
system1 = template1.CreateSystem(Position="Default")

Edit the Setup cell and import a mesh (SYS-1.cmdb)

setup1 = system1.GetContainer(ComponentName="Setup")
setup1.Edit()
setup1.SendCommand(Command=r">gtmImport filename=C:\SYS-1.cmdb, \
type=GTM_DSDB, genOpt= -names 'CFXMesh ACMO_Simulation' \
-contact read -relative 0.001, units=m, nameStrategy= Assembly")

Note
The setup1.SendCommand command above must be entered as a single line; multiple
lines are shown here for readability.
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Create an inlet boundary (in1)
setup1.SendCommand(Command="""FLOW: Flow Analysis 1
DOMAIN: Default Domain
&replace
BOUNDARY: in1
Boundary Type = INLET
Interface Boundary = Off
Location = F18.12
BOUNDARY CONDITIONS:
FLOW REGIME:
Option = Subsonic
END # FLOW REGIME:
MASS AND MOMENTUM:
Normal Speed = 1 [m s^-1]
Option = Normal Speed
END # MASS AND MOMENTUM:
TURBULENCE:
Option = Medium Intensity and Eddy Viscosity Ratio
END # TURBULENCE:
END # BOUNDARY CONDITIONS:
END # BOUNDARY:in1
END # DOMAIN:Default Domain
END # FLOW:Flow Analysis 1""")

Create an outlet boundary (out)

setup1.SendCommand(Command="""FLOW: Flow Analysis 1
DOMAIN: Default Domain
&replace
BOUNDARY: out
Boundary Type = OUTLET
Interface Boundary = Off
Location = F17.12
BOUNDARY CONDITIONS:
FLOW REGIME:
Option = Subsonic
END # FLOW REGIME:
MASS AND MOMENTUM:
Option = Average Static Pressure
Pressure Profile Blend = 0.05
Relative Pressure = 0 [Pa]
END # MASS AND MOMENTUM:
PRESSURE AVERAGING:
Option = Average Over Whole Outlet
END # PRESSURE AVERAGING:
END # BOUNDARY CONDITIONS:
END # BOUNDARY:out
END # DOMAIN:Default Domain
END # FLOW:Flow Analysis 1""")

Quit CFX-Pre
setup1.Exit()

Save the Project file

Save(
FilePath=r"C:\saveJou.wbpj",
Overwrite=True)

In the above snippets, note how CCL and command actions for CFX-Pre are encapsulated as arguments
of SendCommand instructions.

5.5.5.1.2. Journal of an Operation That Uses CFX-Solver Manager

When you record a journal file that refreshes and updates a CFX Solution cell, the contents will be
similar to the following snippet.
RefreshComponent(Component="/Schematic/Cell:Solution")
UpdateComponent(

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Component="/Schematic/Cell:Solution",
AllDependencies=True,
Force=False)

5.5.5.1.3. Journal of an Operation That Creates a Plane in CFD-Post

In the following incomplete snippet, a user has created a Results system, edited the Results cell, loaded
a CFX-Solver Results file (StaticMixer_001.res) and then created a plane named "Plane 1":
Create the Results system
template1 = GetTemplate(TemplateName="Results")
system1 = template1.CreateSystem(Position="Default")

Edit the Results cell and load the Results file (StaticMixer_001.res)
results1 = system1.GetContainer(ComponentName="Results")
results1.Edit()
results1.SendCommand(Command=r"""DATA READER:
Clear All Objects = false
Append Results = true
Edit Case Names = false
Open to Compare = false
Multi Configuration File Load Option = Separate Cases
Open in New View = true
Keep Camera Position = true
Load Particle Tracks = true
Files to Compare =
END
DATA READER:
Domains to Load=
END
> load filename=C:\StaticMixer_001.res, multifile=append""")

Set the camera and define a plane colored with a constant color
results1.SendCommand(Command="""VIEW:View 1
Camera Mode = User Specified
CAMERA:
Option = Pivot Point and Quaternion
Pivot Point = 0, 0, 0
Scale = 0.226146
Pan = 0, 0
Rotation Quaternion = 0.279848, -0.364705, -0.115917, 0.880476
Send To Viewer = False
END
END
> autolegend plot=/PLANE:Plane 1, view=VIEW:View 1""")
results1.SendCommand(Command="""PLANE:Plane 1
Apply Instancing Transform = On
Apply Texture = Off
Blend Texture = On
Bound Radius = 0.5 [m]
Colour = 0.75, 0.75, 0.75
Colour Map = Default Colour Map
Colour Mode = Constant
Colour Scale = Linear
Colour Variable = Pressure
# ...
# (Lines omitted for brevity)
# ...
END""")
results1.SendCommand(Command="""# Sending visibility action from View...
>show /PLANE:Plane 1, view=/VIEW:View 1""")

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Save the project
Save(
FilePath=r"C:\SaveJou.wbpj",
Overwrite=True)

The commands in the script above are the default values for a plane.

5.5.5.2. Editing a Journal File (Scripting)

Scripting refers to the processes of editing and running a journal file in Workbench. You can create your
own scripts and include the power of Python to implement high-level programming constructs for input,
output, variables, and logic. The two examples that follow illustrate this for CFX-Pre and CFD-Post.

5.5.5.2.1. Example: Using a Script to Change the Turbulence Setting in a Setup Cell
If you have a Workbench project currently open, you can run a script to change the characteristics of
the simulation. For example, if you have edited a Setup cell from a Workbench system, loaded a case
with a Default Domain in Flow Analysis 1, and want to use an interactive script to set CFXPre to use one of two turbulence settings, you can run a script similar to the one that follows.
Before running this script, you would have to first open the Command Window dialog box (by selecting
File > Scripting > Open Command Window from the Workbench main menu). To run the script, you
would select File > Scripting > Run Script File from the Workbench main menu and then use the
browser to open the file containing the script.
x = int(raw_input("Enter: 1=k epsilon, 2=Shear Stress Transport (SST): "))
if x == 1:
print 'k epsilon'
SetScriptVersion(Version="12.1")
system1 = GetSystem(Name="CFX")
setup1 = system1.GetContainer(ComponentName="Setup")
setup1.Edit()
setup1.SendCommand(Command="""FLOW: Flow Analysis 1
DOMAIN: Default Domain
FLUID MODELS:
TURBULENCE MODEL:
Option = k epsilon
END # TURBULENCE MODEL:
TURBULENT WALL FUNCTIONS:
Option = Scalable
END # TURBULENT WALL FUNCTIONS:
END # FLUID MODELS:
END # DOMAIN:Default Domain
END # FLOW:Flow Analysis 1""")
elif x == 2:
print 'Shear Stress Transport (SST)'
SetScriptVersion(Version="12.1")
system1 = GetSystem(Name="CFX")
setup1 = system1.GetContainer(ComponentName="Setup")
setup1.Edit()
setup1.SendCommand(Command="""FLOW: Flow Analysis 1
DOMAIN: Default Domain
FLUID MODELS:
TURBULENCE MODEL:
Option = SST
END # TURBULENCE MODEL:
TURBULENT WALL FUNCTIONS:
Option = Automatic
END # TURBULENT WALL FUNCTIONS:
END # FLUID MODELS:
END # DOMAIN:Default Domain
END # FLOW:Flow Analysis 1""")

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print 'Done'

Depending on the value of x you input in the Command Window, the script includes the CCL in the
appropriate setup1.SendCommand argument to set the TURBULENCE MODEL and TURBULENT
WALL FUNCTIONS options in the FLOW: Flow Analysis 1 > DOMAIN: Default Domain >
FLUID MODELS object for either the k-Epsilon or the Shear Stress Transport turbulence models.

5.5.5.2.2. Example: Using a Script to Change an Existing Locator in a Results Cell

If you have a Workbench project currently open, you can run a script to change how the results of the
simulation are post-processed. For example, if you have edited a Results cell from a Workbench system
and CFD-Post is displaying a plane named Plane 1, you can run the following script to change the
plane to be colored by the variable Velocity or Pressure:
x = int(raw_input("Enter an integer: 1=Velocity, 2=Pressure: "))
if x == 1:
print 'Velocity'
results1.SendCommand(Command="""PLANE:Plane 1
Colour Mode = Variable
Colour Variable = 'Velocity'
END""")
elif x == 2:
print 'Pressure'
results1.SendCommand(Command="""PLANE:Plane 1
Colour Mode = Variable
Colour Variable = Pressure
END""")

Depending on the value of x you input, the script includes the CCL in the appropriate results1.Send
Command argument to set the values for Colour Mode and Colour Variable in the PLANE:Plane
1 object for either the Velocity or Pressure variable.

5.5.5.3. Limitations of Scripting Actions with CFX Applications

There are the following limitations to scripting CFX applications. When interfacing with the Solution
cell:
On the Define Run dialog box, the Reload run settings from file icon is not scriptable.
CFX-Solver Manager actions that you can perform from the user interface after you start the run are not
scriptable.
CFX Command Editor actions are not scriptable.
The journaling command SwitchToBackgroundMode is not normally useful in a script. Journals may
record the invocation of this command after an Update, as the result of user activity while an Update is in
progress. However, replay of these journals will always wait for the Update to complete before invoking the
next command, rendering this step ineffective.

5.5.6. Using RIF Generation in CFX-Pre in ANSYS Workbench

When using the RIF Flamelet feature in CFX-Pre with Workbench, be aware that RIF Generation in CFXPre is an asynchronous activity that will complete in the background. You must ensure that the generation is complete before updating the Solution cell.

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While it is possible to journal and play back sessions involving RIF generation, you should take extra
care about these issues:
Playback with Workbench in interactive mode will be frozen by an Application Error dialog box stating
that RIF generation has begun. Playback will proceed when the dialog box is closed. (In batch mode, Workbench simply logs this message and proceeds immediately.)
Once Workbench proceeds with playback (in interactive or batch modes), a subsequent Solution update
can fail if the flamelet file does not yet exist. The best workaround is to insert a pause into the journal file
before the Solution Update command. The pause must be long enough to encompass the RIF generation
process; for example, if your RIF generation takes less than 5 minutes, insert a pause of 300 seconds:
time.sleep(300)

5.5.7. Performing System Coupling Simulations Using CFX in Workbench

See Coupling CFX to an External Solver: System Coupling Simulations in the CFX-Solver Modeling Guide.

5.5.8. Archiving CFX Projects

Archiving is the process of making a project available to another machine; you use File > Archive to
create a project archive. After you set the filename for the project and click Save, the Archive Options
dialog box appears, enabling you to set which optional files to include in the archive.

Note
You should not archive or restore a project while the CFX-Solver Manager is running.
Archiving CFX projects follows the steps above, but the resulting archive is created with the restrictions
listed below.
The following will be archived (provided that you choose the appropriate options when archiving):
Flamelet/RIF libraries
Profile boundary files
Initial values files provided by the Workbench project schematic and those manually selected by you from
within CFX-Pre
PAR files specified in CFX-Pre
ANSYS Input File (provided by the Workbench project schematic or manually specified by you from within
CFX-Pre)
RGP files
If you choose to archive with the Result/Solution files option selected, CFX-Solver Results files are included.
If you choose to archive with the Imported files external to project directory option selected, imported
files are included. For example, an imported geometry file will be added to the import_files directory
in the archived version of the project.

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In the normal workflow, no files are written to the User_files directory. However, if you perform operations
such as the export of a file from CFD-Post, that file will be copied to User_files. If you then choose to
archive with the Items in the User_files folder option selected, such files are included in the archive.
The following will not be archived:
Directory structures
Customization files
User Fortran source code or libraries
Custom solvers
Files referenced from within another non-CFX file (for example, a file referenced by an ANSYS Input File).

5.5.9. Troubleshooting
The topics in this section include:
5.5.9.1. Resolving Execution Control Conflicts
5.5.9.2. Resolving a 2-Way FSI Error

5.5.9.1. Resolving Execution Control Conflicts

If you add or change Execution Control in CFX-Pre in a way that is perceived to conflict with the Execution
Control settings stored in the Solution cell, an error message appears when you attempt to update the
Solution cell.
To resolve the error, right-click the Solution cell and choose one of the following options:
Using execution control from Setup cell
Using execution control from Setup cell always
Using execution control from Solution cell
Using execution control from Solution cell always
The Using execution control from Setup|Solution cell options enable you to decide how to resolve
the conflict on a case-by-case basis. Alternatively, you can choose one of the Using execution control
from Setup|Solution cell always options. The latter options change your Workbench preference.
To change the preference manually, select (from Workbench) Tools > Options > CFX and change the
value of the Set the default execution control conflict option for the solution cell field, which specifies
the default value for the Solution cell property Execution Control Conflict Option. For details, see the
description for Execution Control Conflict Option in Properties View in the CFX Introduction.

5.5.9.2. Resolving a 2-Way FSI Error

In some circumstances after you have set up a 2-way FSI case and attempted to start the run, you may
see the following error:
The Mechanical Input File specified on the MultiField tab was not found.
Please specify a valid Mechanical Input File.

This happens when the solver control has been edited after the execution control is already set. The
workaround is to close the Solver Manager, reset the Solution cell, and re-edit the solver control.
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5.5.10. Running ANSYS CFX Tutorials in ANSYS Workbench

The ANSYS Customer Portal contains tutorials that demonstrate the use of ANSYS CFX to set up, run,
and postprocess CFD simulations. To access tutorials and their input files on the ANSYS Customer Portal,
go to http://support.ansys.com/training.
The ANSYS CFX tutorials are generally written for ANSYS CFX in stand-alone mode, but some also include
information on running the tutorial in ANSYS Workbench.

Note
When compiling a Fortran file with the cfx5mkext command in CFX-Pre in ANSYS Workbench, a corresponding subdirectory is created for the output under the directory specified
by the Default Folder for Permanent File field (which is defined in the ANSYS Workbench
> Tools > Options > Project Management pane). When performing this operation in CFXPre in stand-alone mode, the subdirectory is created under your working directory.
In CFX-Pre in ANSYS Workbench, when creating the user routine that calls the compiled
Fortran subroutine, on the CFX-Pre Basic Settings tab set the Library Path to the directory
named in the Default Folder for Permanent Files field (not to the working directory, as
you would when running CFX-Pre in stand-alone mode).

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Chapter 6: Help On Help

This chapter discusses:
6.1. Document Conventions
6.2. Accessing Help
6.3. Using the Search Feature
For information on the ANSYS Help Viewer, see:
Using Help

6.1. Document Conventions

This section describes the conventions used in this document to distinguish between text, filenames,
system messages, and input that you need to type.

6.1.1. Spelling Conventions

ANSYS CFX documentation uses American spelling:
atomize/atomization rather than atomise/atomisation
color rather than colour
customize/customization rather than customise/customisation
discretize/discretization rather than discretise/discretisation
initialize/initialization rather than initialise/initialisation
linearize/linearization rather than linearise/linearisation
meter rather than metre
normalize/normalization rather than normalise/normalisation
oxidize/oxidizer/oxidization rather than oxidise/oxidiser/oxidisation
vapor/vaporize/vaporization rather than vapour/vaporise/vaporisation
When searching, use American spellings:
For:

Search for:

Colour Map

Color Map (or try Color Map Command in the CFD-Post User's Guide)

Colour Mode

Color Mode (or try Color Mode in the CFD-Post User's Guide)

Colour Scale

Color Scale (or try Color Scale in the CFD-Post User's Guide)

Colour Tab

Color Tab (or try Color Tab in the CFD-Post User's Guide)
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Help On Help
For:

Search for:

Customisation

Customization (or try Customization in the CFX-Pre User's Guide)

Domain Initialisation

Domain Initialization (or try Domain: Initialization Tab in the CFX-Pre User's Guide)

Global Initialisation

Global Initialization (or try Initialization in the CFX-Pre User's Guide)

Initialisation Tab

Initialization Tab (or try Initialization Tab in the CFX-Pre User's Guide)

Linearisation

Linearization

Turbo Initialisation

Turbo Initialization (or try Turbo Initialization in the CFD-Post User's Guide)

Auto-initialise

Auto-initialize (or try Requirements for Initialization in the CFD-Post User's Guide)

Uninitialise

Uninitialize (or try Uninitializing Components in the CFD-Post User's Guide)

Initialise All
Components

Initialize All Components (or try Initialize All Components in the CFD-Post User's
Guide)

Oxidise/Oxidiser

Oxidize/Oxidizer

Undefined Colour

Undefined Color (or try Undefined Color in the CFD-Post User's Guide)

Synchronise Camera

Synchronize Camera (or try Case Comparison in the CFD-Post User's Guide)

6.1.2. File and Directory Names

Note that on Linux, directory names are separated by forward slashes (/) but on Windows, usually
backslashes are used (\). For example, a directory name on Linux might be /CFX/bin whereas on a
Windows system, the same directory would be named \CFX\bin.

Important
Files names with multiple consecutive spaces cannot be read by ANSYS CFX.

6.1.3. Optional Arguments

Optional arguments are shown using square brackets:
cfx5export -cgns [-verbose] file
Here the argument -verbose is optional, but you must specify a suitable filename.

6.1.4. Long Commands

Commands that are too long to display on a printed page are shown with \ characters at the ends of
intermediate lines:
cfx5export -cgns [-boundary] [-corrected] [-C] \
[-domain <number>] [-geometry] [-help] [-name <file>] \
[-summary] [-timestep <number>] [-user <level>] [-norotate] \
[-boundaries-as-nodes|-boundaries-as-faces] [-verbose] file

On a Linux system, you may type the \ characters, pressing Enter after each. However, on a Windows
machine you must enter the whole command without the \ characters; continue typing if the command
is too long to fit in the command prompt window and press Enter only at the end of the complete
command.

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Accessing Help

6.1.5. Operating System Names

When we refer to objects that depend on the type of system being used, we will use one of the following
symbols in the text:
<os> refers to the short form of the name which CFX uses to identify the operating system in question.
<os> will generally be used for directory names where the contents of the directory depend on the
operating system but do not depend on the release of the operating system or on the processor type.
Wherever you see <os> in the text you should substitute with the operating system name. The correct
value can be determined by running:
<CFXROOT>/bin/cfx5info -os
<arch> refers to the long form of the name that CFX uses to identify the system architecture in
question. <arch> will generally be used for directory names where the contents of the directory depend
on the operating system and on the release of the operating system or the processor type. Wherever
you see <arch> in the text you should substitute the appropriate value for your system, which can be
determined by running the command:
<CFXROOT>/bin/cfx5info -arch

6.2. Accessing Help

You can access the ANSYS CFX help in the following ways:
Select the appropriate command from the Help menu of the ANSYS CFX Launcher or CFX-Pre, CFX-Solver
Manager, or CFD-Post. The help will open in the ANSYS Help Viewer.
Click a feature of the ANSYS CFX interface to make it active and, with the mouse pointer over the feature,
press the F1 key for context-sensitive help (that is, the help opens at the appropriate page for the feature
under the mouse pointer). Not every area of the interface supports context-sensitive help.
To access documentation files on the ANSYS Customer Portal, go to http://support.ansys.com/documentation.
PDF help is available in the ANSYS Customer Portal (support.ansys.com/docdownloads).
For information on using the ANSYS Help Viewer, see Using Help in the Using Help.
For further information about tutorials and documentation on the ANSYS Customer Portal, go to http://
support.ansys.com/docinfo.
The following table lists the pdf files available for ANSYS CFX:
Book

Description

PDF Name

ANSYS CFX
Introduction

An overview of CFD and the CFX

software

cfx_intr.pdf

ANSYS CFX-Pre
User's Guide

How to use ANSYS CFX-Pre, the

pre-processor for ANSYS CFX

cfx_pre.pdf

ANSYS CFX-Solver
Manager User's
Guide

How to use the CFX-Solver Manager

to control a CFD simulation

cfx_solv.pdf

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59

Help On Help
Book

Description

PDF Name

ANSYS CFD-Post
User's Guide

How to post-process a results file

cfd_post.pdf

ANSYS CFX-Solver
Modeling Guide

How to use the physical models

implemented in the CFX-Solver

cfx_mod.pdf

ANSYS CFX-Solver
Theory Guide

Describes the mathematical details of

the models used in the CFX-Solver and
also how the CFX-Solver solves flow
equations

cfx_thry.pdf

ANSYS CFX
Reference Guide

Best-practices guides and complete

details for APIs, CFX Command
Language, CFX Expression Language,
functions, and variables

cfx_ref.pdf

ANSYS CFX
Tutorials

A set of tutorials that demonstrate the

workflow

cfx_tutr.pdf

ANSYS CFD-Post
Tutorials

A set of tutorials that demonstrate the

workflow

cfd_posttutr.pdf

6.3. Using the Search Feature

Selecting Search from the menu bar of the help viewer enables you to perform searches through the
online help.
For information on the ANSYS Help Viewer search function, see Searching in the Using Help section.

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Chapter 7: Contact Information

Technical Support for ANSYS, Inc. products is provided either by ANSYS, Inc. directly or by one of our
certified ANSYS Support Providers. Please check with the ANSYS Support Coordinator (ASC) at your
company to determine who provides support for your company, or go to www.ansys.com and select
Contacts> Contacts and Locations.
If your support is provided by ANSYS, Inc. directly, Technical Support can be accessed quickly and efficiently from the ANSYS Customer Portal, which is available from the ANSYS Website (www.ansys.com)
under Support > Customer Portal. The direct URL is: support.ansys.com.
One of the many useful features of the Customer Portal is the Knowledge Resources Search, which can
be found on the Home page of the Customer Portal. To use this feature, enter relevant text (error
message, etc.) in the Knowledge Resources Search box and click the magnifying glass icon. These
Knowledge Resources provide solutions and guidance on how to resolve installation and licensing issues
quickly.
NORTH AMERICA
All ANSYS Products except Esterel, Apache and Reaction Design products
Web: Go to the ANSYS Customer Portal (http://support.ansys.com) and select the appropriate option.
Toll-Free Telephone: 1.800.711.7199 (Please have your Customer or Contact ID ready.)
Support for University customers is provided only through the ANSYS Customer Portal.
GERMANY
ANSYS Mechanical Products
Telephone: +49 (0) 8092 7005-55 (CADFEM)
Email: [email protected]
All ANSYS Products
Web: Go to the ANSYS Customer Portal (http://support.ansys.com) and select the appropriate option.
National Toll-Free Telephone: (Please have your Customer or Contact ID ready.)
German language: 0800 181 8499
English language: 0800 181 1565
Austria: 0800 297 835
Switzerland: 0800 564 318
International Telephone: (Please have your Customer or Contact ID ready.)
German language: +49 6151 152 9981
English language: +49 6151 152 9982
Email: [email protected]
UNITED KINGDOM
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61

Contact Information
All ANSYS Products
Web: Go to the ANSYS Customer Portal (http://support.ansys.com) and select the appropriate option.
Telephone: Please have your Customer or Contact ID ready.
UK: 0800 048 0462
Republic of Ireland: 1800 065 6642
Outside UK: +44 1235 420130
Email: [email protected]
Support for University customers is provided only through the ANSYS Customer Portal.
JAPAN
CFX and Mechanical Products
Telephone: +81-3-5324-7305
Email:
Mechanical: [email protected]
Fluent: [email protected];
CFX: [email protected];
Polyflow: [email protected];
Icepak
Telephone: +81-3-5324-7444
Email: [email protected]
Licensing and Installation
Email: [email protected]
INDIA
All ANSYS Products
Web: Go to the ANSYS Customer Portal (http://support.ansys.com) and select the appropriate option.
Telephone: +91 1 800 209 3475 (toll free) or +91 20 6654 3000 (toll) (Please have your Customer or
Contact ID ready.)
FRANCE
All ANSYS Products
Web: Go to the ANSYS Customer Portal (http://support.ansys.com) and select the appropriate option.
Toll-Free Telephone: +33 (0) 800 919 225 Toll Number: +33 (0) 170 489 087 (Please have your Customer
or Contact ID ready.)
Email: [email protected]
Support for University customers is provided only through the ANSYS Customer Portal.
BELGIUM
All ANSYS Products
Web: Go to the ANSYS Customer Portal (http://support.ansys.com) and select the appropriate option.

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Toll-Free Telephone: (0) 800 777 83 Toll Number: +32 2 620 0152 (Please have your Customer or Contact
ID ready.)
Email: [email protected]
Support for University customers is provided only through the ANSYS Customer Portal.
SWEDEN
All ANSYS Products
Web: Go to the ANSYS Customer Portal (http://support.ansys.com) and select the appropriate option.
Telephone: +46 (0) 10 516 49 00
Email: [email protected]
Support for University customers is provided only through the ANSYS Customer Portal.
SPAIN and PORTUGAL
All ANSYS Products
Web: Go to the ANSYS Customer Portal (http://support.ansys.com) and select the appropriate option.
Spain: Toll-Free Telephone: 900 933 407 Toll Number: +34 9178 78350 (Please have your Customer or
Contact ID ready.)
Portugal: Toll-Free Telephone: 800 880 513 (Portugal)
Email: [email protected], [email protected]
Support for University customers is provided only through the ANSYS Customer Portal.
ITALY
All ANSYS Products
Web: Go to the ANSYS Customer Portal (http://support.ansys.com) and select the appropriate option.
Toll-Free Telephone: 800 789 531 Toll Number: +39 02 00621386 (Please have your Customer or Contact
ID ready.)
Email: [email protected]
Support for University customers is provided only through the ANSYS Customer Portal.
TAIWAN, REPUBLIC OF CHINA
Telephone: 866 22725 5828
K0REA
Telephone: 82-2-3441-5000
CHINA
Toll-Free Telephone: 400 819 8999 Toll Number: +86 10 82861715

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Release 17.0 - SAS IP, Inc. All rights reserved. - Contains proprietary and confidential information
of ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates.