1 2013 ANSYS, Inc.

February 7, 2014 ANSYS Confidential

15.0 Release
Lecture 6A:
Geometry Modeling For CFD
Introduction to ANSYS DesignModeler
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In this lecture we will learn about:
Fluid Body Extraction
Internal
External
Symmetry Modeling
Watertight Body Preparation & Conformal Meshing
Surface Extensions
Connect
Use of Lines and Sketches for CFD Modeling
Zero Thickness Surface Modeling


Geometry Modeling for CFD
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Preprocessing Workflow
Sketches and Planes
Geometry Import
Options
3D Operations
Bi-Directional
CAD/ Neutral
Geometry Cleanup
and Repair
Automatic
Cleanup
Simplification,
Mid-surface,
Fluid Extraction
Extrude, Revolve,
Sweep, etc
3D Operations
Booleans,
Decompose, etc.
Import/
Geometry
Creation
Geometry
Modifications
Meshing Solver
Meshing Methods
Hybrid Mesh: Tet,
Prisms, Pyramids
Hexa Dominant,
Sweep meshing
Global Mesh
Settings
Local Mesh Settings
Sizing, Controls,
etc.
Assembly
Meshing
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Creates internal fluid volume
Two options
By Cavity : user must select all wetted surfaces
By Caps : user must create closing surfaces at inlets and
outlets, and select bodies


Fill
Details View of Fill
Internal fluid volume
extracted using Fill
Cap surface bodies must be selected
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Enclosure
Creates enclosure around the bodies
Useful for external aerodynamic analysis
Can be used for extracting internal flow domain
Input
All or selected bodies
Shape of enclosure
Extent of enclosure
Output
A frozen body around the selected parts with specified extents
Internal flow volume as a result of automatic Boolean subtract
Supports symmetry models
Full or partial models can be included in enclosure

Enclosure created for an airplane
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Enclosure: External Flow Example
Model
Using Symmetry
User Defined Shape
Enclosure
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Symmetry
Defines symmetry for the model
Input
All or selected bodies
Up to three symmetry planes
Operation
Symmetry planes slice the model
Output
Sliced model (part lying on the positive side of the axis is retained)
Details View of Symmetry
Note : Faces that are coincident with the
symmetry plane are tagged with a
Symmetry named selection under AMP
Using Symmetry
Tip: The symmetry tool
can be used as
visualization tool when
discovering the model
(then the operation is
deleted)
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Symmetry: Example
Full Model
Symmetry using XY
plane
Symmetry using XY
& ZX plane
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Surface Extension
Allows extension of surface bodies to the desired extent
Extension type
Natural: Based on gradients of selected edges
User Defined: User specifies the direction


Model with gap
Model with gap closed
Details View of Surface
Extension
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Connect
Aligns and possibly joins a set of
vertices, edges or faces
Properties
Location property
T-junction property










Details View of Connect
Vertex Connect
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Connect: Example (1)
Edge Connect

Model with a gap
Location:
Interpolated
Location: Preserve
First
Both edges moved to interpolated location
Second edge moved to first edge location
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Connect: Example (2)
Edge Connect

Model with a gap
Using
T-Junction
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Face Connect
Additional options as per edge connect

Connect: Example (3)
Model with a gap
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Connect After Shared Topology
Connect feature can be used after the Share Topology feature
to selectively share faces between two bodies of a multibody
part
This can be used to:
Fix face sharing failures after Shared Toplogy
Can be used for Selective sharing of faces in conjunction with Selective
Shared Topology
The advantage of Connect feature is that
It takes user defined tolerance to Connect faces which failed due to
smaller Shared Topology tolerance
This ensures conformal meshing
Please be careful in choosing tolerance value, as high values may result in
deformation of model at some places

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Why is Concept Modeling(Lines and Faces) relevant for CFD users?
Sometimes the imported files contain issues like:
Missing Faces
Corrupt Faces
Details which require cleanup by selective geometry recreation
For cleaning, patching, recreating surfaces & stitching a water tight body,
several line and surface creation options of concept modeling are used
CFD models also require some solids/thin bodies to be modeled as zero
thickness surfaces
Examples are baffles, fins, zero thickness pipe walls, fan shrouds, etc.
For above mentioned cases, mid-surfacing tools need to be used
Sometimes 2D modeling operations also require use of concept modeling
tools

Concept Modeling Tools
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Lines from Points
[Main Menu] Concept Lines From Points
Points can be any 2D sketch points, 3D model vertices or Point Feature (PF) points.
A point segment is a straight line connecting two selected points.
The feature can produce multiple Line Bodies, depending on the connectivity of the
chosen point segments.

Point 1
Point 2
Line Body
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Lines from Edges
[Main Menu] Concept Lines From Edges
Creates line bodies based on existing 2D and 3D model edges
Can produce multiple line bodies depending on the connectivity
of the selected edges and faces
Can select edges and/or faces through two fields in the detail
window then Apply

Line Bodies
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Selected line Fraction = 0.5 Fraction = 0.25
Split Edges
[Main Menu] Concept Split Edges
Splits line body edges into two pieces
Split location is controlled by the Fraction property (e.g. 0.5 = split in half).
Other Options:
Split by Delta: Distance between each split is given by Delta along the edge
Split by N: Number of Divisions of the Edge

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Surfaces From Edges (1)
[Main Menu] Concept Surfaces from Edges
Creates surface body using line body edges as the boundary
Line body edges must form non-intersecting closed loops
Each closed loop creates a frozen Surface Body
The loops should form a shape such that a simple surface can be inserted into the model:
Planes, cylinders, tori, cones, spheres and simple twisted surfaces

Planar surface
Non-planar
surface
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Surfaces From Edges (2)
Creates surfaces from existing body edges
Can be solid or line body edges
Edges must produce non-intersecting closed loops
Existing solid body edges are selected for
new surface boundary.
New, frozen, surface body generated (note,
solid body is hidden).
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Surfaces From Sketches
[Main Menu] Concept Surfaces from Sketches
Creates surface bodies using sketches as boundaries (single or multiple sketches are OK)

Base sketches must be closed profiles which are not self intersecting

May choose to Add or Add Frozen operations

Can reverse normal direction No in Orient With Plane Normal field

Can enter thickness which will be used in creating the FE model
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Mid-Surface
Extracts surface body that is midway between existing solid
body faces
Two Options:
Manual: Operates only on user specified face pairs
Automatic: Provides option to search for other matching face
pairs

Details View of Mid-Surface
Mid-Surface created for
a pipe geometry
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Mid-Surface: Manual
Manual Method
Set the Selection Method to Manual
Select pair of faces, one pair at a time, in Face Pairs input
The order of selection determines the surface normal direction
Notice the first surface picked is displayed in purple, the second
is shown in pink
When the selection is finalized the selected pairs are displayed in
dark and light blue colors

Details View of Mid-Surface
2
nd

Pick
1
st

Pick
Normal Direction
Solid Model Color of faces during selection
Color of faces after selection
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Mid-Surface: Automatic
Automatic Method
Switching the Selection Method from Manual to Automatic exposes several additional
options
Bodies to search: Limits search to visible bodies, selected bodies or all bodies
Minimum and maximum threshold sets search range (thickness) for face pairs
Options like Extra Trimming are very useful with Automatic method
Provides options for situations where trimming problems with surface bodies occur
Preserve Bodies? allows you to save the solid bodies from which surfaces are created (default
is No)
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Summary
What have we learnt in this session?
Fluid Body Extraction
Symmetry Modeling
Watertight Body Preparation & Duplicate Face Removal
Modeling of Lines and Surfaces for Simplification/Repair





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Workshop 6.1A Geometry Cleanup & Fluid
Extraction
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Objective:
Create an Enclosure for extracting external fluid region
Micro-Workshop: 2