Using Table (T,P)

A (T,P) table consists of three columns, one for the material property itself, and two additional columns that give corresponding values of temperature and absolute pressure. STAR-CCM+ interpolates the material property value from the table.

By default, a linear-piecewise interpolation method is used for interpolating between data points in the table. If the point lies outside the table range, the function value is computed at the nearest data point in the table. The properties for this function are set in the Properties window.

This method is available with density, thermal conductivity, dynamic viscosity, and electrical conductivity. An example application is a circuit breaker, where an electrical arc passes through a gas and causes a large increase in the local air temperature and pressure. These changes exert a strong influence on the local value of the electrical conductivity.



Table (T,P) Properties

Columns Displays column headings in the table (read-only).
Table: Data Identifies the selected column in the table file as the Data (for example, density or electrical conductivity) column.
Table: Temperature Identifies the table column containing the temperature values.
Table: Absolute Pressure Identifies the table column containing the absolute pressure values.
Input Table Selects a table from among the ones that appear as nodes in the Tables node of the Tools node.

Table (T,P) Expert Properties

Table Format Read-only. Reports the format of the table data. Before the data is read and processed, the state is Unprocessed. Afterward, the state is one of these three:
  • Cartesian: Data is stored on equally spaced grid points.
  • Structured: Data is stored on grid points that are regularly spaced but not equally spaced.
  • Unstructured: Data is stored on irregularly spaced grid points.

See Cartesian and Structured Tables.

Verbose Provides more output for this value while the simulation is running. This property can be useful for debugging problems when they occur.
Cubic Interpolation

When On, provides smoother interpolation between table values than the default linear-piecewise method, and reduces simulation iteration time. This option is supported only for 1D and 2D Cartesian and Structured tables, as described in the Table Format property. This requires relatively smooth data to produce reliable results. For sudden jumps such as phase changes, use the default linear-piecewise method.