In
Simcenter STAR-CCM+, several nodes in the simulation tree require you to input scalar or vector values. For example, you input scalar or vector values when you define quantities at boundaries or regions, when you specify material properties, or when you define motion.
Common Scalar Input Methods
Simcenter STAR-CCM+ provides several methods for defining scalar quantities such as temperature, pressure, and mass flow. For example, you can input a scalar quantity using a constant value, a time-dependent expression, a field function, or imported tabular data.
In addition to properties that are specific to the quantity that you are defining, nodes that are set using a scalar input have the following common properties:
- Method
- Selects the method to use for entering the scalar input. The setting of the
Method property determines which other properties are present. The following table lists the methods that are common to most scalar value nodes. Additional methods may be available, depending on the value node that you are setting.
-
| Method | Associated Properties |
|---|
- Constant
- Allows you to define the scalar input using a spatially invariant scalar value.
|
- Value
- Specifies the value with a text entry.
- The text entry can simply be a constant value (for example,
1), or a more complicated expression (for example,
sin(2*3.14)).
The
Constant method requires expressions to evaluate to a spatially invariant scalar, that is, a scalar that is not a function of position. This means that expressions cannot contain spatially-varying field functions as variables. For spatially-varying scalar inputs,
Simcenter STAR-CCM+ provides the
Field Function method.
Time-dependent expressions, such as
10 * sin(3.14 * $Time), are allowed.
See
Expressions and
Setting Values Using Expressions.
|
- Field Function
- Allows you to define the scalar input using a field function (typically user defined), which can depend on position.
-
|
- Scalar Function
- Allows you to select a scalar field function from a list of available field functions.
|
- Normally distributed
- Defines the scalar value randomly using a normal distribution.
| See
Setting Values Using Distributions.
|
- Table (iteration)
- Defines the scalar value as a function of iteration number.
| See
Setting Values Using a Table and
Table (iteration). |
- Table (r)
- Defines the scalar value as a function of radius.
| See
Setting Values Using a Table and
Table (r). |
- Table (time)
- Defines the scalar value as a function of physical time.
| See
Setting Values Using a Table and
Table (time). |
- Table (x,y,z)
- Defines the scalar value as a function of position.
| See
Setting Values Using a Table and
Table (x,y,z). |
- Table (xyz, time)
- Defines the scalar value as a function of position and time.
| See
Setting Values Using a Table and
Table (xyz, time). |
- Tabular
- Defines the value using tabular data.
| See
Setting Values Using a Table.
|
- Uniformly distributed
- Defines the scalar value randomly using a uniform distribution.
| See
Setting Values Using Distributions. |
- User Code
- Defines the scalar value using a user subroutine.
|
- Function
- Provides a drop-down list from which you can choose a user function.
|
- Dimensions
- The dimensionality of the value (read-only). Clicking the customizer executes the define dimensionality action.
Pressure Inputs
Pressure profiles are similar to scalar profiles except that they have an additional option in the
Method property—Radial Equilibrium. This option defines the pressure using a radial equilibrium condition.
There is no corresponding node in the
Conditions node. Pressure value nodes have the following additional property:
- Hub Pressure
- Specifies the pressure. This property is only available when
Method is set to
Radial Equilibrium.
Common Vector Input Methods
Simcenter STAR-CCM+ provides several methods for defining vector quantities such as momentum source, flow direction, and velocity. For example, you can provide constant vector components, a time-dependent expression, a vector field function, or imported tabular data.
In addition to properties that are specific to the quantity that you are defining, nodes that are set using a vector input have the following common properties:
- Method
- Selects the method to use for entering the vector input. The setting of the
Method property determines which other properties are present. The following table lists the methods that are common to most vector value nodes. Additional methods may be available, depending on the value node that you are setting.
-
| Method | Associated Properties |
|---|
- Constant
- Allows you to define a vector input with spatially invariant components.
|
- Value
- Specifies the vector with a text entry. You can either:
- specify each component using a constant value (for example,
[1, 0, 2])
- enter an expression that evaluates to a vector
-
The
Constant method requires expressions to evaluate to a spatially invariant vector. This means that expressions cannot contain spatially-varying field functions as variables. For spatially-varying vector inputs,
Simcenter STAR-CCM+ provides the
Field Function method.
Time-dependent expressions, such as
[1, 2*${Time}, 0], are allowed.
See
Expressions and
Setting Values Using Expressions.
|
- Field Function
- Allows you to define the vector input using a vector field function (typically user-defined), which can depend on position.
-
|
- Vector Function
- Allows you to select a field function from the list of vector field functions that are defined in the simulation.
|
- Composite
- Defines the vector as three (for example, X, Y, Z) components (or two (for example, X, Y) for two-dimensional problems).
| See
Setting Values Using the Composite Vector Profile Method.
|
- Table (iteration)
- Defines the vector value as a function of iteration number.
| See
Setting Values Using a Table and
Table (iteration). |
- Table (r)
- Defines the vector value as a function of radius.
| See
Setting Values Using a Table and
Table (r). |
- Table (time)
- Defines the vector value as a function of physical time.
| See
Setting Values Using a Table and
Table (time). |
- Table (x,y,z)
- Defines the vector value as a function of position.
| See
Setting Values Using a Table and
Table (x,y,z). |
- Table (xyz, time)
- Defines the vector value as a function of position and time.
| See
Setting Values Using a Table and
Table (xyz, time). |
- Tabular
- Defines the value using tabular data.
| See
Setting Values Using a Table.
|
- Normally distributed
- Defines the scalar value randomly using a normal distribution.
| See
Setting Values Using Distributions.
|
- Uniformly distributed
- Defines the vector value randomly using a uniform distribution.
| See
Setting Values Using Distributions. |
- User Code
- Defines the vector input using a user subroutine.
|
- Function
- Provides a drop-down list from which you can choose a user function.
|
- Dimensions
- The dimensionality of the value (read-only). Clicking the customizer executes the define dimensionality action.
- Coordinate System
- Allows you to specify the coordinate system, from a list of coordinate systems that you created in the simulation, with respect to which the vector input is defined. The default coordinate system is the laboratory coordinate system.
