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Tutorials
Tutorials show you how to use Simcenter STAR-CCM+ for various applications in a step-by-step format with recommendations for setup, initialization and steps of the solution process specific to the application. Macro and simulation files are available for download for a large proportion of cases.
Coupling with CAE Codes
The tutorials in this set illustrate various Simcenter STAR-CCM+ features for coupling with CAE codes:
Rotor Blade Aeroelasticity: Modeling Elastic Blade Deformation
Simcenter STAR-CCM+ allows you to model the aeroelastic performance of elastic rotor blades using displacement and twist data from external files, which can be obtained in multi-body dynamics software such as RCAS, CAMRAD-II, DYMORE, and FLIGHTLAB.

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Tutorials
Tutorials show you how to use Simcenter STAR-CCM+ for various applications in a step-by-step format with recommendations for setup, initialization and steps of the solution process specific to the application. Macro and simulation files are available for download for a large proportion of cases.
- Using Tutorial Macros and Files
  Macros, input files, and final simulation files for a range of tutorials are provided as an optional download package on the Support Center website. These macros and final simulation files are provided as an aid to the written tutorials, so that you can check your final results against the downloaded files, or against a simulation that is built and run using the macros.
- Introduction
  Welcome to the Simcenter STAR-CCM+ introductory tutorial. In this tutorial, you explore the important concepts and workflow. Complete this tutorial before attempting any others.
- Foundation Tutorials
  The foundation tutorials showcase the major features of Simcenter STAR-CCM+ in a series of short tutorials.
- Geometry
  The tutorials in this set illustrate various Simcenter STAR-CCM+ features for creating and working with parts and 3D-CAD.
- Mesh
  The tutorials in this set illustrate various STAR-CCM+ features for building CFD meshes.
- Incompressible Flow
  The tutorials in this set illustrate various Simcenter STAR-CCM+ features for incompressible fluid flows as well as porosity and solution recording
- Compressible Flow
  The tutorials in this set illustrate various Simcenter STAR-CCM+ features for compressible fluid flows as well as harmonic balance.
- Heat Transfer and Radiation
  The tutorials in this set illustrate various Simcenter STAR-CCM+ features for heat transfer, radiation, and thermal comfort.
- Multiphase Flow
  The tutorials in this set illustrate various Simcenter STAR-CCM+ features for simulating multiphase fluid flow problems
- Discrete Element Method
  The tutorials in this set illustrate various Simcenter STAR-CCM+ features for simulating Discrete Element Method problems
- Motion
  The tutorials in this set illustrate various STAR-CCM+ features for simulating problems with moving geometries and meshes, dynamic fluid body interaction, and rigid body motion:
- Reacting Flow
  The tutorials in this set illustrate various Simcenter STAR-CCM+ features for simulating reacting flows such as combustion.
- Solid Stress
  The tutorials in this set illustrate various Simcenter STAR-CCM+ features for computing deformation, strain, and stresses in solid regions. They also show how such computations can be coupled to the fluid behavior in an analysis of fluid-structure interaction.
- Aeroacoustics
  The tutorials in this set illustrate various Simcenter STAR-CCM+ features for solving aeroacoustic simulations.
- Electromagnetism
  The following tutorials illustrate features for solving problems that involve electromagnetic fields.
- Electrochemistry
  The following tutorial demonstrates chemical reactions induced by an electrical current.
- Battery
  The tutorials in this set illustrate various Simcenter STAR-CCM+ features for setting up a battery model:
- Automation
  The tutorials in this set illustrate various Simcenter STAR-CCM+ automation and macro features.
- Design Exploration
  The tutorials in this set illustrate various features for running design exploration studies in Design Manager.
- Coupling with CAE Codes
  The tutorials in this set illustrate various Simcenter STAR-CCM+ features for coupling with CAE codes:
  - Simcenter STAR-CCM+ to Simcenter STAR-CCM+ Coupling: Heat Transfer in a Chimney
    This tutorial demonstrates the process for modeling conjugate heat transfer using Simcenter STAR-CCM+ to Simcenter STAR-CCM+ thermal co-simulation.
  - Simcenter Nastran Co-Simulation: Disc Valve
    To solve fluid-structure interaction problems, you can couple Simcenter STAR-CCM+ and Simcenter Nastran in a co-simulation analysis. Simcenter STAR-CCM+ computes the flow solution and Simcenter Nastran computes the structural analysis for the solid.
  - FMU Co-Simulation with Simcenter Amesim: Check Valve
    Simcenter STAR-CCM+ can exchange data with Simcenter Amesim through imported FMU models. An FMU is a time-dependent model written in the Functional Mock-up Interface (FMI) standard.
  - FMU Co-Simulation: Temperature Controller
    Simcenter STAR-CCM+ can exchange single-value data with imported FMU models. FMU models are time-dependent models that are written according to the Functional Mock-up Interface (FMI) standard.
  - Abaqus File-Based Coupling: Exhaust Manifold
    The purpose of this tutorial is to demonstrate the typical workflow in running a thermal fluid-structure interaction case using the file-based coupling method with Abaqus.
  - Abaqus Co-Simulation: Thermal Coupling
    This tutorial demonstrates how to run a thermal co-simulation case using Simcenter STAR-CCM+ and Abaqus. Co-simulation involves a strong coupling between the two codes, in which data exchange occurs at frequent intervals, that are known as coupling steps. In this case, data is exchanged at the end of each time-step, and a relatively large time-step is used to approximate a steady-state solution.
  - Abaqus Co-Simulation: Mechanical Coupling
    This tutorial demonstrates how to carry out a mechanical co-simulation case using Simcenter STAR-CCM+ and Abaqus. Co-simulation involves a strong coupling between the two codes. Data is exchanged at frequent intervals that are called coupling steps. This level of communication between the solvers allows you to obtain a full solution across the fluid-solid interface.
  - gPROMS File Export: Spray Dryer
    Simcenter STAR-CCM+ allows for one-way coupling with gPROMS, a process modeling platform for the simulation of complex systems. In Simcenter STAR-CCM+ you reduce three-dimensional solution data to discrete values defined for clusters of cells; data from these clusters can then be exported to a network in gPROMS.
  - GT-SUITE Co-Simulation: 1D Coupling
    This tutorial demonstrates the typical workflow for co-simulation with the engine simulation code GT-SUITE from Gamma Technologies.
  - Co-Simulation API: Spindle Valve
    This tutorial demonstrates how to use the Simcenter STAR-CCM+ Co-Simulation API (Application Programming Interface), in order to couple a partner program to a Simcenter STAR-CCM+ simulation. The partner simulation models the behavior of a spindle ball valve in response to a multiphase flow.
  - CGNS File Import: Stress Analysis with Imported Fluid Loads
    Simcenter STAR-CCM+ allows you to import external mesh and solution data in the form of a CGNS file. You can apply the solution data stored in the CGNS file to regions or boundaries within Simcenter STAR-CCM+.
  - Rotor Blade Aeroelasticity: Modeling Elastic Blade Deformation
    Simcenter STAR-CCM+ allows you to model the aeroelastic performance of elastic rotor blades using displacement and twist data from external files, which can be obtained in multi-body dynamics software such as RCAS, CAMRAD-II, DYMORE, and FLIGHTLAB.
    - Prerequisites
      The instructions in the Rotor Blade Aeroelasticity: Modeling Elastic Blade Deformation tutorial assume that you are already familiar with certain techniques in Simcenter STAR-CCM+.
    - Loading the Starting File
    - Generating the Fluid Mesh
      The starting simulation contains predefined mesh operations that generate a polyhedral mesh for the fluid regions surrounding the blades.
    - Selecting the Physics Models
      The starting simulation contains a predefined physics continuum for the air domain. To model rotor blade aeroelasticity, you require an additional physics continuum that represents the external physics (that is, the external files which contain the blade motion and twist data). In both continua, you add the Rotor Blade Aeroelasticity model.
    - Defining the Rotor Blade Motion
      To account for the motion of the rotor blades, you define two motions—a rotation motion and a morphing motion. The rotation motion accounts for the rigid rotation of the external beam regions. The morphing motion updates the fluid mesh based on the imported displacement data.
    - Specifying the Input Files
      The deformation and twist of the 1D beams are described in two seperate files. The motion file contains displacement information at aerodynamic control points along the span of the blade. The twist table file describes the spanwise pitch of the undeformed blade geometry.
    - Creating the Coupling Zones
      To exchange data between the Simcenter STAR-CCM+ boundaries and the beam structures defined in the external file, you create coupling zones. You require two zones for each rotor blade—one zone for the external beam and one for the corresponding Simcenter STAR-CCM+ boundary. These zone pairs exchange data throughout the simulation.
    - Mapping the Surface and Beam Data
      To exchange data between the 1D beams and the Simcenter STAR-CCM+ blade boundaries, you create data mappers. You require one mapper for each zone. Simcenter STAR-CCM+ automatically defines the sources, targets, and functions of each data mapper when you assign the mappers to their corresponding zones.
    - Define the Morphing Motion
      Set up mesh morphing around the blade regions so the mesh updates based on the beam displacements imported from the external motion file.
    - Visualizing the Solution
      To visualize how the pressure at the blade surfaces and the beam forces change with the solution time, set up a scene with two displayers—one for the pressure field and one for the beam forces.
    - Monitoring the Rotor Force
      To assess how the solution varies with time, you can monitor the fluid loads as the simulation runs. Additionally, you can monitor the displacement at a point on the blade.
    - Running the Simulation
      To reduce the run time, you only run the simulation for one full rotation of the rotor. This means running for 360 time-steps. In industry, it is typical to run over a large number of revolutions to ensure you obtain a converged result.
- Analysis Methods
  The tutorials in this set illustrate various Simcenter STAR-CCM+ features for analysing and visualizing simulation data.
- Simcenter STAR-CCM+ In-cylinder
  The tutorials in this set illustrate features for simulating internal combustion engines in Simcenter STAR-CCM+ using the dedicated add-on Simcenter STAR-CCM+ In-cylinder.

Rotor Blade Aeroelasticity: Modeling Elastic Blade Deformation

Simcenter STAR-CCM+ allows you to model the aeroelastic performance of elastic rotor blades using displacement and twist data from external files, which can be obtained in multi-body dynamics software such as RCAS, CAMRAD-II, DYMORE, and FLIGHTLAB.

Simcenter STAR-CCM+ models the fluid around the blades, whereas the external software models the solid blades as 1D beams and collects the beam displacement and twist data. Simcenter STAR-CCM+ imports the beam data and calculates quantities such as aerodynamic forces, moments, and blade loadings.

Typical applications include urban air vehicles rotors, wind turbines, and helicopter rotors.

The conditions and geometry for this tutorial follow the HART-II (Higher harmonic control Aeroacoustics Rotor Test) set up. HART-II is a test that is commonly used to validate rotor blade aeroelasticity characteristics against experimental data. This simulation is a blade vortex interaction study—the wake interacts with the rotor in such a way as to have a significant impact on the blade loading and deformation.

The simulation focuses on the isolated rotor and does not account for the influence of the rotor hub and aircraft body on the aeroelastic performance. The blade motion data is obtained from a CAMRAD-II simulation coupled with the OVERFLOW-2 CFD code (see CAMRAD II). The motion data is provided by the HART-II team.

The rotor blade geometry has a NACA-23012 airfoil profile with a radius

R

of 2 m and a chord length

c

of 0.121 m. The rotor rotates with a rotation rate

Ω

of 109.12 rad/s. The free stream velocity of Mach 0.7 is incident to the rotor acting in the postive

x

direction of the laboratory coordinate system.

Required Files

If you have not done so already, download the tutorial files bundle. See Downloading the Tutorial Files from the Support Center Portal.

For this tutorial, you require the following files:

starting file simulation data: couplingWithCaeCodes/Hart-II_start.sim
zip folder containing the blade motion and blade twist data: couplingWithCaeCodes/RBAinputs.zip

Acknowledgements

The external files used in this tutorial were provided by HART-II partners: DLR, DNW, NASA, Onera, and AFDD.