Chapter 3

Solver Basics

Introductory FLUENT
Training

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Solver Basics
FLUENT 12 GUI Navigation Training Manual

• The FLUENT GUI is arranged such that the tasks are generally
arranged from top to bottom in the project setup tree.

• Selecting an item in the tree opens the relevant input items in the
center pane.
– General
– Models
– Materials
– Boundary
Conditions
– Solver Settings
– Initialization and
Calculation
– Postprocessing

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Solver Basics
Scaling the Mesh and Selecting Units Training Manual

• When FLUENT reads a mesh

file (.msh), all physical
dimensions are assumed to be
in units of meters.
– If your model was not built in
meters, then it must be scaled.
– Verify that the Domain Extents
are correct after scaling the
mesh.

• When importing a mesh under

Workbench, the mesh does not
need to be scaled; however, the
units are set to the default MKS Define Units…
system.

• Any “mixed” units system can

be used if desired.
– By default, FLUENT uses the SI
system of units (specifically,
MKS system).
– Any units can be specified in
the Set Units panel, accessed
from the top menu.
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Solver Basics
Text User Interface Training Manual

• Most GUI commands

have a corresponding
TUI command.
– Many advanced
commands are only
available through
the TUI.
– Press the Enter key
to display the
command set at the
current level.
– q moves up one level.

• FLUENT can be run

in batch mode or
scripted using a
journal file (see
Appendix)

• A TUI user guide is available on the FLUENT User Services Center

www.fluentusers.com
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Solver Basics
Mouse Functionality Training Manual

• Mouse button functionality depends on the chosen solver (2D / 3D)

and can be configured in the solver.
Display Mouse Buttons…
• Default settings
– 2D Solver
• Left button translates/pans (dolly)
• Middle button zooms
• Right button selects/probes
– 3D Solver
• Left button rotates about 2 axes
• Middle button zooms
– Middle click on point in screen centers point
in window
• Right button selects/probes

• Retrieve detailed flow field information at point with Probe enabled.

– Right-click on the graphics display.

• Mouse controls can be set to emulate those in Workbench!

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Solver Basics
Material Properties Training Manual

• FLUENT provides a standard

database of materials and the
ability to create a custom
user-defined database.

• Your choice of physical models

may require multiple materials
and dictate which material
properties must be defined.
– Multiphase (multiple materials)
– Combustion (multiple species)
– Heat transfer (thermal
conductivity)
– Radiation (emissivity and
absorptivity)

• Material properties can be directly customized as function of

temperature/pressure
– Use of other solution variable(s) requires UDF.

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Solver Basics
Materials Databases Training Manual

• FLUENT materials database

– Provides access to a number
of pre-defined fluid, solid and
mixture materials.
– Materials can be copied to
the case file and edited if
required.

• Custom material database:

– Create a new custom database
of material properties and
reaction mechanisms from
materials in an existing case
file for reuse in future cases.
– Custom databases can be created,
accessed and modified from the
standard materials panel in FLUENT.

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Solver Basics
Operating Conditions Training Manual

• The Operating Pressure with a Reference

Pressure Location sets the reference
value that is used in computing gauge
pressures.

• The Operating Temperature sets the

reference temperature
(used when computing
buoyancy forces.

• Specified Operating
Density sets the reference
value for flows with widely
varying density.

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Solver Basics
Parallel Processing Training Manual

• Parallel processing can be used to run

FLUENT on multiple processors to
decrease turnaround time and increase
simulation efficiency.
– Critical for cases involving large meshes
and/or complex physics.
– FLUENT is fully parallelized and capable of
running across most hardware and
software configurations, such as compute
clusters or multi-processor machines.
• Parallel FLUENT can be launched either
using the system command prompt or
using the FLUENT Launcher panel.
– For example, to launch an n-CPU parallel
session, use the command
fluent 3d –tn
• The mesh can be partitioned either
manually or automatically using a number
of different methods.
– Non-conformal meshes, sliding mesh
interfaces and shell conduction zones
require partitioning in serial.
• A web-based lecture is available on the
FLUENT User Services Center.
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Solver Basics
Summary Training Manual

• This lecture has presented many basic tasks that are often performed
during a CFD simulation setup.

• Parallel processing can be used to reduce calculation time. This is

advantageous only on large meshes.

• A later lecture contains material related to the setup and solution of

time-dependent problems.

• Other topics not discussed (see Appendix for information).

– Mesh heirarchy and relationships.
– Reordering and modifying the mesh in the solver.
– Polyhedral mesh conversion.
– Solution-based mesh adaption.

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 Appendix

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Solver Basics
FLUENT Journals Training Manual

• FLUENT can be run in batch mode using

journal files.
• A journal file is a text file which contains
TUI commands which FLUENT will execute
sequentially. Sample Journal File
• The FLUENT TUI accepts abbreviations of ; Read case file
the commands; for example, rc example.cas.gz
– ls Lists the files in the working folder ; Initialize the solution
– rcd Reads case and data files /solve/initialize/initialize-flow
; Calculate 50 iterations
– wcd Writes case and data files
it 50
– rc/wc Reads/writes case file ; Write data file
– rd/wd Reads/writes data file wd example50.dat.gz
– it Iterate ; Calculate another 50 iterations
• TUI commands in a batch file can be used it 50
to automate operations in a non-interactive ; Write another data file
mode. wd example100.dat.gz
– The TUI commands file/read-bc and ; Exit FLUENT
file/write-bc can be used for reading exit
and writing the settings for a FLUENT yes
session to and from a file, respectively.
– A web-based training module is available
which explains this process

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Solver Basics
Reading the Mesh – Zones Training Manual

plate
plate-shadow
wall

outlet
Default-interior zone(s)
can always be ignored.

inlet
fluid (cell zone)
• In this example, there are two cell zones (fluid-upstream and fluid-
downstream).
• Because of this, FLUENT splits the exterior wall zone into two zones
(wall and wall:001). This is because an external boundary cannot
span multiple cell zones.
• FLUENT also splits the orifice plate into two walls also (plate and
plate-shadow) since the plate zone is an internal wall.
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Solver Basics
Mesh Information and Hierarchy Training Manual

• All mesh information is stored in the mesh file.

– Node coordinates
Node
– Connectivity
Cell
– Zone definition
Center
• Similar to the way geometry is defined, mesh
entities obey a hierarchy: Cell Face
– Node Edge intersection / grid point
– Edge Boundary of a face (defined by Boundary
two nodes Face
– Face The boundaries of cells, defined by
a collection of edges Cell
– Cell The control volumes into which the
domain is discretized.
– Zone A collection of nodes, edges, faces Simple 2D Mesh
or cells.
• The computational domain is defined by all
members of the hierarchy Node
– For fluid flow simulation only, the domain consists
only of the fluid region.
– For conjugate heat transfer or fluid-structure Boundary
interaction problems, the domain needs to include Face
any solid parts that are present.
• Boundary data is assigned to face zones. Edge
• Material data and source terms are assigned to
cell zones.
Cell
Simple 3D mesh
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Solver Basics
Polyhedral Mesh Conversion Training Manual

• A tetrahedral or hybrid grid can be

converted to polyhedra in the FLUENT GUI
(not in the preprocessor). Tet/Hybrid Mesh
– Generate a tetrahedral mesh then convert
inside FLUENT.
– Advantages
• Improved mesh quality.
• Can reduce cell count significantly.
• User has control of the conversion process.
– Disadvantages:
• Cannot be adapted or converted again.
• Cannot use tools such as smooth, swap, merge
and extrude to modify the mesh.

• Two conversion options are available in the Polyhedral Mesh

Grid menu: Grid Polyhedra Convert Domain

– Convert all cells in the domain (except hex

cells) to polyhedra
• Cannot convert meshes with hanging nodes
• HexCore mesh can be converted using the tpoly
standalone utility.
– Convert only highly skewed cells to
polyhedra
Grid Polyhedra Convert Skewed Cells
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Solver Basics
Profile Data and Solution Data Interpolation Training Manual

• FLUENT allows interpolation of selected

variable data on both face zones and cell
zones by using profile files and data
interpolation files, respectively.
– For example, a velocity profile from
experimental data or previous FLUENT run
at an inlet, or a solution interpolated from
a coarse mesh to fine mesh.

File Write Profile…

File Read Profile…

• Profile files are data files which contain

point data for selected variables on
particular face zones, and can be both
written and read in a FLUENT session.

File Interpolate…
• Similarly, Interpolation data files contain
discrete data for selected field variables
on particular cell zones to be written and
read into FLUENT.

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Solver Basics
Mesh Adaption Training Manual

• Mesh adaption refers to refinement

and/or coarsening cells where needed
to resolve the flow field without
returning to the preprocessor.
– Mark cells satisfying the adaption
criteria and store them in a “register.”
– Display and modify the register if
desired.
– Click Adapt to adapt the cells listed in
the
register. Refine Threshold should
be set to 10% of the value
• Registers can be defined based on: reported in the Max field.
– Gradients or isovalues of all variables
– All cells on a boundary
– All cells in a region with a defined
shape
– Cell volumes or volume changes
– y+ in cells adjacent to walls

• To assist adaption process, you can:

– Combine adaption registers
– Draw contours of adaption function
– Display cells marked for adaption
– Limit adaption based on cell size
and number of cells

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Solver Basics
Adaption Example – Supersonic Projectile Training Manual

• Adapt grid in regions of large pressure gradient to better resolve the

sudden pressure rise across the shock.

Large pressure gradient

indicating a shock (poor
resolution on coarse
mesh)

Initial Mesh (Generated by Preprocessor) Pressure Contours on Initial Mesh

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Solver Basics
Adaption Example – Supersonic Projectile Training Manual

• Solution-based mesh adaption allows better resolution of the bow

shock and expansion wave.
Mesh adaption yields
much better resolution
of the bow shock.
Adapted cells
in locations of
large pressure
gradients

Adapted Mesh (Multiple Adaptions Pressure Contours on Adapted Mesh

Based on Gradients of Pressure)
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