Sketching the Rectifier Circuit

When you activated the circuit model for the Coil Physics continuum, Simcenter STAR-CCM+ added the Circuits node within the simulation tree. Here you use the circuit editor to create the rectifier circuit with its primary and secondary loops.

To open the circuit editor:
  1. Right-click the Circuits > Circuit 1 node and select Open Circuit Editor.
    In the circuit editor workspace that opens, circuit elements are available through the icons on the left side. Icons on the top bar expose actions such as rotate element, zoom in, zoom out, and reset workspace.

As you add circuit elements and their connections in the circuit editor, Simcenter STAR-CCM+ adds corresponding circuit objects within the Circuit 1 node. Some objects require further property settings not available within the circuit editor—you make these settings in the simulation tree.

  1. To add the elements for the primary circuit:
    1. In the circuit editor, from the left side, click (Resistance). (Only click the button—do not click and drag).
    2. To place the element, click within the circuit canvas at the approximate location shown below.


    3. Click (Confirm Changes).
    4. To move the element to its intended position, click and drag the element on the canvas.


    5. From the left side, click (Current) and add the primary current source as shown below.


    6. Also click (Coil) and add the primary excitation coil:


  2. Click (Confirm Changes).
    Although the elements are in the correct location, they are not oriented correctly.
  3. To orient the primary circuit elements:
    1. In the circuit editor, click the middle of the Resistance element. The middle part is highlighted.


    2. From the top bar of the circuit editor, click (Rotate element) twice, or until the positive terminal of the Resistance element is oriented towards the left of the screen.
    3. Repeat these steps for the current source and coil elements, so that the orientation of all three elements is as shown below:


  4. To give the Resistance element a name that includes reference to the primary circuit:
    1. In the circuit editor, double-click the Resistance label, and enter the name Primary R0.


    2. When done with entering the new name, press [Enter].
  5. Repeat the previous step for the other two elements, giving them names as follows:
    1. Rename Current to Primary Current Source.
    2. Rename Coil to Primary.
    3. Adjust the position of the Primary Current Source so that the name is fully visible.


  6. To connect the terminals of the primary circuit elements:
    1. In the actions toolbar, click (Create Connection).
    2. To start the connection, click once on the negative terminal of the Primary R0 element.
    3. To complete the connection, click once on the positive terminal of the Primary element and then press [Enter].


    4. If the corner in the connection goes inward rather than outward, then select the connection itself and click (Flip Connection).
      Flip Connection is active whenever you are drawing connections and allows you to redraw the connection with the orientation of the corners reversed.
    5. Using the same technique, connect the remaining elements.
    6. When you are done with making connections, click (Confirm Changes).
    The fully-connected primary circuit is as shown below:

Each circuit requires an earth connection. For the primary circuit, you specify the positive terminal of the Primary Current Source as the earth connection.
  1. To set the earth connection for the primary circuit:
    1. In the circuit editor, click the positive terminal of the Primary Current Source.
    2. In the actions toolbar, click (Add Earth Connection).
    3. Click (Confirm Changes).
The secondary circuit includes the full-wave rectifier composed of 4 diodes and a capacitor. Joints are introduced for this circuit as these allow you to make connections that converge on one point.
  1. Using the techniques described previously, add the following components to the circuit in the approximate positions shown below:
    • One excitation coil ()
    • Four diodes ()
    • One capacitance ()
    • One resistance ()


  2. To orient and align the components:
    1. Select each component in turn and apply the (Rotate element) action until their orientation matches those shown below.
    2. Align the components by dragging them to their target positions.


For the secondary circuit, you add joints at the junctions between the diodes and the capacitance and resistance elements.
  1. To add the joints:
    1. In the element list, click (Joint).
    2. Place four joints on the circuit canvas near to the locations shown below.


    3. If necessary, use the mouse pointer to select and drag each joint into its target location.
    4. Do not click (Confirm Changes). You must create connections to the joints before confirming the changes.
  2. To connect the joints to the diodes:
    1. In the actions toolbar, click (Create Connection).
    2. To start the first connection, click once on the positive terminal of the Diode element.
    3. To complete the first connection, click once on the Joint element.
      When you end a connection on a joint, you do not need to press [Enter].


    4. Repeat this action for the other three joints, beginning with the respective diode terminal each time, and ending on the joint:


  3. Now complete the circuit connections to match the following layout:


  4. Finally, add an earth connection for the secondary circuit, and also rename the excitation coil and resistance:
    1. Rename the element, Resistance, to Secondary Load.
    2. Rename the element, Coil, to Secondary.
    3. Select the positive terminal of the Secondary Load element and, in the actions toolbar, click (Add Earth Connection).
    4. Click (Confirm Changes).
    The final circuit is shown as follows:

  5. Save the simulation.