Configuring the Reference Simulation and Starting Design Manager

After configuring the chosen design from the Optimization tutorial, you create a Design Manager project.

Before you open Design Manager, you must set up the reference simulation so that Design Manager can modify the mass flow rate. Design Manager does not set properties on simulation objects directly. Rather, you create global parameters that are reference by object properties. In this tutorial, you create a global parameter that drives the mass flow rate at the inlet.

In order to reduce the size of the simulation file, and because Design Manager requires the reference simulation to have no existing solution, the solution data is cleared in the simulation file provided.

To configure the reference simulation in Simcenter STAR-CCM+:

  1. In your workspace, create a folder named Static Mixer.
  2. Navigate to the designExploration folder of the downloaded tutorials bundle and copy staticMixer_optimized.sim to your workspace.
    See Downloading the Tutorial Files from the Support Center Portal.
  3. Launch Simcenter STAR-CCM+.
  4. Select File > Load....
  5. In the Load Simulation dialog, click Browse... and open staticMixer_optimized.sim from your workspace.
  6. Create a global parameter that controls the mass flow rate on the inlet boundary:
    1. In the simulation tree, right-click the Automation > Parameters node and select New > Scalar.
    2. Rename the Scalar node to Mass Flow Rate.
    3. In the node properties for the Mass Flow Rate, click the property customizer () for Dimensions.
    4. In the Mass Flow Rate - Dimensions dialog, enter the following:
      Parameter Setting
      Mass 1
      Time -1
      These settings return the units of mass flow rate, Kg/s.
    5. Click OK.
    6. For the same node, set Value to 1.0 Kg/s.
  7. Use the global parameter to define the inlet mass flow rate:
    1. Expand the Regions > Mixer > Boundaries > Inlet node.
    2. Select the Physics Values > Mass Flow Rate, click the customizer () for Value.
    3. In the Mass Flow Rate - Value dialog, set Definition to ${Mass Flow Rate} and click OK.
  8. Save the simulation.
Launch Design Manager from the reference simulation:
  1. Right-click the root node of the simulation tree and select Create Design Manager Project.
    The contents of the simulation file are read into a Design Manager study and are ready for use. During this process, Design Manager scans the simulation file for objects that map to inputs and outputs. Design parameters can be used as inputs, while reports, scenes, and plots are outputs.
  2. Click File > Save.
  3. In the Save dialog, save the project as staticMixer_sweep.dmprj