Chapter 1

Introduction

ICEM CFD Introductory

Course

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

1-1

July 2009
Inventory #002664

Introduction

Schedule

Training Manual

Day 1

Introduction
Geometry Handling
Shell Meshing
Volume Meshing
Output to Solver

Day 2
Prism meshing
Intro to Hexahedral meshing

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

1-2

July 2009
Inventory #002664

Introduction

Purpose/Goals

Training Manual

Gain understanding of basic functionality for

Geometry import/editing
Meshing (surface meshing, tetra, prism, hexa)
Mesh Editing (smoothing, checks, individual element editing)
Solver setup

Propose best meshing practices

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

1-3

July 2009
Inventory #002664

Introduction

What is a Mesh?

Training Manual

Mesh
Volume comprised of elements
used to discretize a domain for
numerical solution

2D Surface/Shell

Structural
Fluid dynamics
Electromagnetics
Other

3D - Volume

Elements
0D Node element
Point mass
Constraint, load location

Tetra
Pyramid
Penta (prism)
Hexa
Solid modeling
3D fluid modeling

Formats

1D Lines

Unstructured
Block Structured

Bars, beams, rods, springs

2D mesh boundary

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

Quads
Tris
Thin sheet modeling
2D volume
3D mesh boundary

Nodes
Point locations of element
corners
1-4

July 2009
Inventory #002664

Introduction

Ansys ICEM CFD Features

Training Manual

Geometry Creation/Repair/Simplification
Including Mid-Plane Extractions/Extensions
Most geometry intended to be imported

Powerful Meshing tools

Tetra/Prism from CAD and/or existing surface
mesh
Shell meshing: structured, unstructured
Hex-dominant, swept, Structured hexa,
Extruded quads, Body-fitted and stair-step
Cartesian
Hybrid meshing (merging, multi-zone)

Advanced mesh editing

Solver Setup
Output to 100+ Solvers
Post processing
Scripting and much more

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

1-5

July 2009
Inventory #002664

Introduction

Ansys ICEM CFD Product Purchasing

Training Manual

ICEM CFD
Full capabilities (all meshers, CFD and FEA)
Enables Ansys meshing in Workbench

ICEM CFD Tetra/Prism

Includes hexa core, but not other hexa methods
Enables Ansys meshing in Workbench

ICEM CFD hexa

No tetra/prism
Includes Body-fitted Cartesian (BFC) and Hexdominant

ICEM CFD Add-on

Lower cost, added to Ansys solver bundles
Full capabilities
Only writes to Ansys solvers (Ansys, CFX, Fluent)

CAD interfaces sold separately

Settings->Product filters what options are seen in the application, but
the licensing determines which ones can be used
ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary
2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

1-6

July 2009
Inventory #002664

Introduction

GUI and Layout

Training Manual

Utility Menu
Function Tabs

Utility
Icons

Selection Toolbar
Model
Tree

Data Entry
Panel

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

Display
Triad

Message
Window

1-7

Histogram
Window

July 2009
Inventory #002664

Introduction

File and Directory Structure

Training Manual

Use of many files

Not one large common database
For faster input/output

All files are usually associated within a Project

Establishes working directory
Settings (*.prj) file

Primary file types:

Tetin (.tin): Geometry plus

.prj

Geometry entities and material points

Part association
Global and entity mesh sizes
Created in Ansys ICEM CFD or Direct Cad Interface

Domain file (.uns)

.tin

Unstructured mesh

.blk

Blocking file (.blk)

.uns

Blocking topology

Attribute file (.fbc, .atr)

Boundary conditions, local parameters & element types

Parameter file (.par)

.fbc

solver parameters & element types

.rpl

Journal and replay file(.jrf, .rpl)

Record of performed operations (echo file)
ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary
2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

1-8

.par

.jrf
July 2009
Inventory #002664

Introduction

Mouse Usage

Training Manual

Dynamic viewing mode (click and drag)

left:
middle:
right:
Wheel

rotate (about a point)

translate
zoom(up-down)
screen Z-axis rotation (sideways)
zoom

Selection mode (click)

left:
middle:
right:

select (click and drag for box select)

apply operation
unselect

F9 toggles the mouse control to Dynamic

mode while in Select mode
Spaceball allows for dynamic motion even
while in select mode
ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary
2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

1-9

July 2009
Inventory #002664

Introduction

File menu

Training Manual

To open/save/close

Most common
functions are
duplicated as utility
icons:

Projects
Will open/save/close all
associated files including
Geometry (*.tin)
Mesh (*.uns)
Attributes (*.fbc, *.atr)
All file types can be
opened/saved/closed
independently

Open Project

Also to
Read in results data
Import/Export
Geometry/Mesh
Invoke scripting

Exit
ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary
2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

Save Project

Open/Save/Close
Geometry
Open/Save/Close
Mesh
Open/Save/Close
Blocking

Save frequently!
1-11

July 2009
Inventory #002664

Introduction

Other Commonly Used Utilities

Training Manual

Edit > Undo/Redo

Local Coordinate System

View
Fit
Fit active entities into screen

Box Zoom
Standard views
Top, Bottom, Left, etc.
Can also select X, Y, Z axis of display triad
in lower right hand corner of main view
screen to orient to standard view, e.g.
selecting X will orient right
Isometric select blue dot within triad

Used by:
Select location
Measuring
Node/point movement/creation
Alignment
Loads
Transformation

Surface display
Wireframe
Solid
Transparent

Measure
Distance
Angle
Location

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

1-12

July 2009
Inventory #002664

Introduction

Help

Training Manual

Menu Driven
Searchable
Includes tutorials
Programmers guide
(for ICEM CFD/Tcl
scripting procedures)

Hyper-link to specific
topic

Bubble explanation with

cursor positioning

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

1-13

July 2009
Inventory #002664

Introduction

Function Tabs

Training Manual

Geometry

Create/Modify geometry

Set mesh sizes, types and methods

Set options
Auto create Shell, Volume, Prism meshes

Mesh

Initialize a block
Split/modify blocks
Generate structured hexa
mesh
Check, Smooth
Refine/Coarsen
Merge, Auto
repair,
Manual edit
Transform, etc.
Set Boundary Conditions
and Parameters
Write mesh for 100+
solvers.

Blocking

Edit Mesh

Output
ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary
2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

1-14

July 2009
Inventory #002664

Introduction

Primary Function Tabs

Training Manual

Create, read, write out

material properties
Apply to geometry/elements

Properties

Set constraints,
displacements,
define contacts,
initial velocity, rigid
walls

Constraints

Set force, pressure

and temperature
loads

Loads

Set parameters,
attributes, create
subcases, write out input
file, run solver

Solve
options

Visualize results: cut

plane, streams, animation,
calculate integral and
more.

Post
Processing
ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary
2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

1-15

July 2009
Inventory #002664

Introduction

Selection Toolbar

Training Manual

During select mode, popup selection toolbar appears

Some tools are common to all, others are contextual
Linked to select mode hotkeys
By Part
Filtering of entities
Cancel

Geometry
Polygon

Select all

Only visible

Flood fill to Angle

Flood fill to Curve

Entity Filter
Mesh on Geom

Mesh
Circle

Entire/Partial toggle

Blocks
Toggle
Dynamic
Mode (F9)
ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary
2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

By Subset

From
Corners

Set FF angle

All Shells

Faceted
Geometry
Segments

1-16

In between
segments
July 2009
Inventory #002664

Introduction

Model Tree

Training Manual

To toggle on/off various sections

of the model
Main Categories for:
Geometry, Mesh, Blocking, Parts
Element Properties, Connectors,
Displacements, Loads and Material
Properties

Toggle check boxes to

blank/unblank
Blanked/inactive
Visible/active
Partially visible/active: some sub
members turned on, some turned off

Click on plus sign to expand tree

Expose sub members

Right mouse click for display

options
ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary
2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

1-17

July 2009
Inventory #002664

Introduction

Model Tree: Parts

Training Manual

Parts
Grouping of mesh and geometry entities

Based on boundary condition/property

Based on mesh size (can set mesh size by part)
Based on material property
Just to partition large model

Select to blank/unblank all entities within part

Color coded: Part name matches entity screen
display
Right Mouse Button on Parts to access:

Create Part
Create Assembly
Delete Empty Parts
Etc.

RMB on specific parts branches allows options

to modify or delete the parts
Properties are shown as a sub branch of the
part
Double Left Click or RMB > Modify to modify
element properties

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

1-18

July 2009
Inventory #002664

Introduction

Workflow

Training Manual

Typical ICEM CFD Workflow:

Create/open new project
Import/Create geometry
Build topology/Clean geometry
Mesh model (Possibly Hex Blocking)
Check/edit mesh
Output to Solver
Postprocess

Workflow
ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary
2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

1-19

July 2009
Inventory #002664

Introduction

Overall Meshing Process

Open/Create Project

Training Manual

Geometry Import/Creation
Geometry Manipulation/Clean Up
Set Parts

Create Mesh
Auto sizing
Default method/type

Set Mesh Sizes,

Methods and Types

Blocking (Quad/Hexa)
View/Edit Pre-Mesh

Shell Mesh

Auto Volume
Mesh
View/Edit Mesh
Solver Setup
Output to Solver
Post process

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

1-20

Run
Solver
July 2009
Inventory #002664

Introduction

Accessing from Workbench

Training Manual

Ansys ICEM CFD 12 is no longer a module inside Workbench

Export files from Mechanical Model (Simulation) to open in ICEM CFD

Many ICEM CFD capabilities

have been integrated into
the Meshing Application
Tetra octree

Patch dependent surface

mesher
Multizone
ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary
2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

1-21

July 2009
Inventory #002664

Introduction

Workbench Interactive Link

Training Manual

Ansys ICEM CFD can still be accessed in Workbench 12 by setting

the environment variable:
ICEM_CFD_INTERACTIVE = 1

Insert a meshing method

MultiZone
Patch Independent
Autoblock

Generate Mesh
Edit within ICEM CFD, save
project, then exit ICEM CFD

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

1-22

July 2009
Inventory #002664

Introduction

Lets Explore the GUI with a simple practice part

Training Manual

File > Import Geometry (parasolid or acis)

Show menu locations
Mouse controls
Change display options
Shading/Wire, simple/full
Views/Save view

Create Part
Parts concept

Overview process

Create/open/Save Project
Build topology
Define global and local mesh sizes
Create volume mesh
Edit/check quality, smooth
Set up and write out to solver

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

1-23

July 2009
Inventory #002664