Specifying Co-Simulation Settings

Before connecting to GT-SUITE, you couple the GT-SUITE CFD connections with the corresponding Simcenter STAR-CCM+ objects. You also specify co-simulation global settings, such as the connection method and the location of the GT-SUITE case file.

In Simcenter STAR-CCM+, you define co-simulation settings in a link node under the External Links node. This node is created automatically when you activate the GT-SUITE Co-Simulation model.

To couple GT-SUITE CFD connections with Simcenter STAR-CCM+ boundaries, you define co-simulation zones:

  1. Expand the External Links > [Link 1] > Zones node.
  2. Create a zone for each CFD connection defined in GT-SUITE.
    By default, the [Link 1] > Zones node contains one zone. To create additional zones, right-click the Zones node and select New.
Simcenter STAR-CCM+ matches co-simulation zones and CFD connections by name. To successfully couple Simcenter STAR-CCM+ with GT-SUITE:
  1. Rename each co-simulation zone to the name of the corresponding GT-SUITE CFD connection.
Use the co-simulation zones that you created to couple Simcenter STAR-CCM+ boundaries with GT-SUITE. To couple a boundary with a GT-SUITE CFD connection:
  1. Expand the relevant boundary node, [Fluid Region] > Boundaries > [Boundary].
  2. Select the Physics Conditions > External Code Coupling Specification node.
  3. Set External Code Coupling Specification to the co-simulation zone associated with the CFD connection of interest.
    When you assign a boundary to a co-simulation zone, the Coupled Model Parts property for the zone automatically updates to display the name coupled boundary.
  4. Repeat the previous steps as required, to specify all coupled boundaries. The type of coupled boundary and CFD Connection determines the fields that are exchanged during the co-simulation (see Exchanged Fields).
For multi-component gases, associate the GT-SUITE species with corresponding gas components or passive scalars in Simcenter STAR-CCM+:
  1. Right-click the Link 1 > Values > Partner Material Components node and select New Partner Material Component.
  2. Repeat the previous step to create a material component node for each of the species defined in GT-SUITE.
  3. Rename each material component node to the name of the corresponding GT-SUITE species.
  4. Select each of the Partner Material Components > [Material Component] node and set Coupled STAR-CCM+ Mixture Component/Passive Scalar to the corresponding gas component or passive scalar.
    NoteMake sure that each GT-SUITE species is coupled with a unique mixture component or passive scalar. If you assign two GT-SUITE species to the same gas component, the solver stops with an error message before the first iteration.