Setting Up a Workflow in Simulation Operations

Simulation operations allow you to automate tasks within Simcenter STAR-CCM+. In this tutorial, you use simulation operations to switch between solvers for the fluid and solid continua and so respect their timescales without requiring co-simulation.

The final workflow sequence that you define in this topic is shown in the following image. You define a loop counter that records the number of outer loops in which you solve both fluid and solid regions.



To define a simulation operation workflow:
  1. Right-click the Automation > Simulation Operations node and select New.
    A Simulation Operations 1 node appears in the tree.
  2. Rename the Simulation Operations 1 to MultiTimeScale Workflow
  3. Right-click the MultiTimeScale Workflow > Operations node and select New > Clear Solution.
    By default this operation clears the History and Field Data when it executes. But you can also choose other options when required.
In simulation operations, you use a scalar parameter to count the loop number.
  1. To define a scalar parameter:
    1. Right-click the Automation > Parameters node and select New > Scalar.
    2. Rename Scalar to LoopCounter.
  2. To initialize the LoopCounter within operations workflow, use a Set Scalar Parameter as follows:
    1. Right-click the Simulation Operations > MultiTimeScale Workflow > Operations node and select New > Set Parameter.
    2. Rename Set Parameter to Reset LoopCounter.
    3. Select the Reset LoopCounter node and set the following properties:
      Property Definition
      Parameter LoopCounter
      Value 0.0
To activate and deactivate solver, you use a loop including two Solve Physics operations.
  1. To define a new loop with a stopping criterion predicate:
    1. Right-click the MultiTimeScale Workflow > Operations node and select New > Loop.
    2. Click the Loop node and set the following properties:
      Property Option
      Predicate Type Stopping Criterion Predicate
      Stopping Criterion Predicate [Maximum Physical Time]

      The loop ends when 500s is reached. This condition is defined in the Stopping Criteria > Maximum Physical Time node.

  2. Define the following operations in the loop:
    1. Right-click the MultiTimeScale Workflow > Operations > Loop > Operations node and select New > Set Parameter.
    2. Rename Set Parameter to Increase LoopCounter and set the following properties:
      Property Definition
      Parameter LoopCounter
      Value $LoopCounter+1
    3. Right-click the Loop > Operations node and select New > Solve Physics
      This operation ends when the solver stopping criterion is met. Here the criterion Fixed Steps is applied with the value 250.
    4. Rename Solve Physics to Solve Fluid and set Simulation Objects to Thermal Analysis - Gas Physics.
    5. Right-click the Loop > Operations node and select New > Solve Physics.
      This operation ends when the solver stopping criterion is met. Here the criterionFixed Physical Time is applied with the value 50.0s is applied.
    6. Rename Solve Physics to Solve Solid and set Simulation Objects to Thermal Analysis - Manifold Physics.
  3. Save the simulation.