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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.
Discrete Element Method
The tutorials in this set illustrate various Simcenter STAR-CCM+ features for simulating Discrete Element Method problems
DEM Particles in a Conveyor
The purpose of this tutorial is to provide a guide to setting up a simulation using the Discrete Element Method.
Importing the Surface Mesh and Naming the Simulation
Create a new simulation and import the mesh from grainConveyor.x_b.

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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
  - DEM Particles in a Conveyor
    The purpose of this tutorial is to provide a guide to setting up a simulation using the Discrete Element Method.
    - Prerequisites
      The instructions in this tutorial assume that you are already familiar with certain techniques in Simcenter STAR-CCM+.
    - Importing the Surface Mesh and Naming the Simulation
      Create a new simulation and import the mesh from grainConveyor.x_b.
    - Visualizing the Imported Geometry and Surface Mesh
      Examine the Geometry Scene 1 display in the Graphics window.
    - Generating the Volume Mesh
      The first step in generating a volume mesh is to create a fluid region from the imported geometry part.
    - Selecting Physics Models
      Physics models are required to define the behavior of the multiphase continuum.
    - Defining Lagrangian Phases
      A Lagrangian phase is used to define the solid particles in the simulation. The phase requires specific physics models and properties to characterize its behavior. In this case, the solid particles are grains of wheat, with the material properties defined manually.
    - Defining the DEM Particle Interaction
      The DEM particle interaction is used to define how the particles behave when they collide with one another and the region walls.
    - Setting Reference Values
      Define the reference values to make sure that the acceleration due to gravity acts in the expected direction.
    - Setting the Moving Conveyor Wall Condition
      Define the conveyor boundary with a translational velocity to represent the movement of the belt.
    - Creating an Injector
      Create the local Cartesian coordinate system.
    - Setting the Solver Parameters and Stopping Criteria
      As the simulation is transient, set the solver time-step and elapsed time.
    - Setting Up a Visualization Scene
      Create a scalar scene to provide a visual representation of the grain particles within the fluid system.
    - Running the Simulation
      The simulation is now ready to be run.
    - Visualizing Results
      When the solver is complete, the Scalar Scene 1 in the Visualization window appears.
    - Summary
      This tutorial provides a guide to setting up a simulation using the Discrete Element Method.
  - DEM Particle Settling
    This tutorial simulates a three-dimensional solid flow through a model blast furnace to predict the formation of the deadman region at the base of the furnace.
  - Cylindrical Particles in a Rotating Drum
    This tutorial simulates a large number of cylindrical-shaped tablets tumbling in a rotating drum and being sprayed with a protective coating.
  - Arbitrarily Shaped Particles: DEM Polyhedra
    This tutorial demonstrates how to compose and inject DEM particles of an arbitrary shape.
  - Meshfree DEM: Excavator
    For DEM simulations of particles that are not significantly impacted by the surrounding fluid, Simcenter STAR-CCM+ allows you to model the particle behavior without requiring a volume mesh. This type of simulation is known as meshfree DEM.
  - Coarse Grain Particles: Fluidized Bed
  - Flexible Fiber Model: Lawnmower
- 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:
- 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.

Importing the Surface Mesh and Naming the Simulation

Create a new simulation and import the mesh from grainConveyor.x_b.

Navigate to the discreteElementMethod folder of the downloaded tutorial files. Copy the grainConveyor.x_b file to the current working directory.

Start up Simcenter STAR-CCM+ in the usual manner and select the New Simulation option from the menu bar.

Continue by importing the fluid surface mesh and saving the simulation.

Select File > Import > Import Surface Mesh from the menu bar. In the Open dialog, navigate to the working directory and select the file grainConveyor.x_b. Click Open.
To maintain the default import options, in the Import Surface Options dialog click OK.
Simcenter STAR-CCM+ provides feedback on the import process, which takes a few seconds, in the Output window. A geometry scene is created in the Graphics window.
Save the new simulation to disk under file name tutorialDEM.sim.