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Interacting with CAE Software
Simcenter STAR-CCM+ can interact with a wide range of other computer-aided engineering (CAE) software. This interaction includes import/export of mesh and solution data as well as coupling capabilities for multiphysics simulations.
Simcenter STAR-CCM+ to Simcenter STAR-CCM+ Co-Simulation
Simcenter STAR-CCM+ allows you to couple two running simulations together in a co-simulation analysis. The Simcenter STAR-CCM+ to Simcenter STAR-CCM+ co-simulation capability targets analyses involving conjugate heat transfer (CHT), fluid-structure interaction (FSI), and exchange of any scalar or vector fields across the coupled boundaries or regions.
STAR-CCM+ Co-Simulation Workflow

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Interacting with CAE Software
Simcenter STAR-CCM+ can interact with a wide range of other computer-aided engineering (CAE) software. This interaction includes import/export of mesh and solution data as well as coupling capabilities for multiphysics simulations.
- File Import and Export
  Simcenter STAR-CCM+ allows you to import mesh and solution data from other CAE packages using files. You can also export such data from Simcenter STAR-CCM+ for use in external software.
- File-Based Coupling (through Imported CAE Model)
  File-based coupling is a method used to couple Simcenter STAR-CCM+ with another CAE code via external files stored in the computer memory.
- Rotor Blade Aeroelasticity
  Rotor Blade Aeroelasticity (RBA) simulations model the aerodynamic performance of elastic rotor blades using displacement and twist data from external files. You can create these data files in multi-body dynamics software such as RCAS, CAMRAD-II, DYMORE, and FLIGHTLAB. Typical RBA applications include urban air vehicle rotors, wind turbines, and helicopter rotors.
- Simcenter STAR-CCM+ to Simcenter STAR-CCM+ Co-Simulation
  Simcenter STAR-CCM+ allows you to couple two running simulations together in a co-simulation analysis. The Simcenter STAR-CCM+ to Simcenter STAR-CCM+ co-simulation capability targets analyses involving conjugate heat transfer (CHT), fluid-structure interaction (FSI), and exchange of any scalar or vector fields across the coupled boundaries or regions.
  - Co-Simulation Interface and Exchanged Fields
    Simcenter STAR-CCM+ to Simcenter STAR-CCM+ co-simulation allows for data exchange across the coupled boundaries, or regions, of two running Simcenter STAR-CCM+ simulations.
  - STAR-CCM+ Co-Simulation Workflow
    - Preparing the Simulations for Co-Simulation
      Modify standalone Simcenter STAR-CCM+ simulations for interactive co-simulation.
    - Specifying the Coupled Model Parts
      In each simulation, create co-simulation zones to couple boundaries or regions across simulations.
    - Specifying the Exchanged Fields
      For each zone, specify the fields that are exported and imported during the co-simulation at the coupled parts selected for that zone. Simcenter STAR-CCM+ allows you to specify the exchanged fields using predefined mechanical and thermal fields, for common Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) and Conjugate Heat Transfer (CHT) applications, or auxiliary fields, for generic data exchange.
    - Specifying the Data Exchange Frequency
      In steady simulations, you specify the frequency at which data is exchanged in terms of the solver iterations. In transient simulations that use the implicit coupling scheme, you specify the exchange frequency in terms of the solver inner iterations. In transient simulations that use the explicit coupling scheme, you specify a time interval.
    - Specifying Boundary Conditions on Uncoupled Faces
      At a coupled boundary, you define boundary conditions using the data imported from the partner simulation. However, if the coupled boundaries are only partially in contact, or have very different meshes, not all the faces on a coupled boundary mesh are successfully matched with faces on the partner boundary mesh. For these uncoupled faces, which do not participate in the co-simulation, you can define independent boundary conditions.
    - Running the Co-Simulation
      The following instructions outline the standard workflow for running a co-simulation. With a standard run, the co-simulation solver automatically executes the steps that are required in a co-simulation.
  - Simcenter STAR-CCM+ Co-Simulation Models Reference
    The Simcenter STAR-CCM+ co-simulation models allow you to couple two Simcenter STAR-CCM+ simulations in a co-simulation analysis.
  - Uncoupled Mesh Entities Treatment Model Reference
    The Uncoupled Mesh Entities Treatment model allows you to set independent boundary conditions for the faces, on the coupled boundary mesh, that are not successfully matched with faces on the partner simulation mesh.
- Simcenter Nastran Co-Simulation
  For fluid-structure interaction (FSI) analyses, you can couple Simcenter STAR-CCM+ and Simcenter Nastran in a co-simulation analysis.
- Simcenter Amesim Co-Simulation
  Simcenter STAR-CCM+ allows for two-way co-simulation with Simcenter Amesim, which is used for modeling dynamic systems.
- FMU Co-Simulation
  Simcenter STAR-CCM+ allows you to import Functional Mock-up Unit (FMU) models for co-simulation. An FMU is a time-dependent model, typically representing a dynamic network, that is written according to the Functional Mock-up Interface (FMI) standard. The FMI standard is a software-independent standard that provides an interface for coupling simulation software.
- Abaqus Co-Simulation
  The co-simulation technique can be used to solve complex fluid-structure interaction (FSI) problems by coupling Abaqus and Simcenter STAR-CCM+. Mechanical and/or thermal fields can be exchanged across the fluid-structure interface.
- GT-SUITE Co-Simulation
  Simcenter STAR-CCM+ allows for two-way co-simulation with GT-SUITE, a multiphysics simulation tool from Gamma Technologies. GT-SUITE provides a modeling framework for the design and analysis of engineering systems, such as engines, vehicles, and thermal-hydraulic networks.
- Reacting Channel Coupling
  The Reacting Channel Coupling feature provides the ability for exchange of data between three-dimensional Simcenter STAR-CCM+ and the one-dimensional Plug Flow Reactor which uses the CVODE solver. You can use the Reacting Channel co-simulation model in Simcenter STAR-CCM+ to solve reacting flow simulations in tubular heat exchangers with channels that are long and thin.
- Generic Launcher
  Simcenter STAR-CCM+ provides a generic launcher for external applications that allows you to launch any application or file at a specified time interval during a simulation.
- Co-Simulation API
  Simcenter STAR-CCM+ provides an Application Programming Interface (API) that allows you to write partner code that exchanges data with a running Simcenter STAR-CCM+ simulation. As the partner code can be part of any other application that supports linking to a flat C library, the co-simulation API extends the range of co-simulation scenarios possible with Simcenter STAR-CCM+.
- Data Mappers
  In Simcenter STAR-CCM+, data mappers allow you to interpolate field data available either on a source mesh or on a source table to a target mesh representation, so that the mapped fields can be used for applying boundary or volume conditions on the target mesh.
- Coordinate Cell Clustering
  Simcenter STAR-CCM+ allows you to group mesh cells into clusters, based on their position with respect to a specified coordinate system, and provides a field index for querying values based on cluster. You can create threshold reports based on these clusters of cells.

STAR-CCM+ Co-Simulation Workflow

This section outlines the recommended workflow for coupling two Simcenter STAR-CCM+ simulations in a co-simulation analysis.