Creating the Coupling Zones

To exchange data between the Simcenter STAR-CCM+ boundaries and the beam structures defined in the external file, you create coupling zones. You require two zones for each rotor blade—one zone for the external beam and one for the corresponding Simcenter STAR-CCM+ boundary. These zone pairs exchange data throughout the simulation.

To create the external beam zones:
  1. Expand the Rotor 1 > Zones node and rename Zone 1 to Beam 1.
  2. Select Beam 1 and set Zone Type to Curve Zone.
  3. Select the Beam 1 > Conditions > Continuum node and set Continuum to External.
  4. Expand the Beam 1 > Values node and set the following properties:
    Node Property Value
    Coordinate System Coordinate System Laboratory > Rotor CS
    Radius Radius ${Xblade_radius}
    Twist Angle Method Table (Twist Angle)
    Table (Twist Angle) Table AFDD_blade_twist
    Table: Data column0
  5. Create the beam zone for the second blade:
    1. Right-click the Beam 1 node and select Instance Zone.
    2. Rename Beam 1 Instance 1 to Beam 2.
  6. Create two more instances of the Beam 1 zone: one called Beam 3 and one called Beam 4.


As the rotor blades are spaced 90 degrees from each other about the origin, you specify the angle offset of each beam zone.
  1. Select the Beam 2 > Values > Angle Offset node and set Angle Offset to 90.0 deg.
  2. Set the Angle Offset for Beam 3 and Beam 4 to 180.0 deg and 270.0 deg respectively.
To create the surface zones that represent the internal blade boundaries:
  1. Right-click the Rotor 1 > Zones node and select New.
    The default Zone Type, Surface Zone, is appropriate for the Simcenter STAR-CCM+ blade boundaries.
  2. Rename Zone 1 to Blade 1.
  3. Select the Blade 1 > Conditions > Continuum node and set Continuum to Air.
  4. Select Blade 1 > Conditions > Surface Parts and set Parts to Blade 1 > Boundaries > Blade 1.
Specify the fields that are exported to the ouput file.
  1. Expand the Blade 1 > Exported Fields node.
    Pressure is exported by default.
  2. Right-click the Exported Fields node and select Add Mechanical Field > Wall Shear Stress.


  3. Create a surface zone for the second blade:
    1. Right-click Blade 1 and select Instance Zone.
    2. Rename Blade 1 Instance 1 to Blade 2.
    3. Select Blade 2 > Conditions > Surface Parts and set Parts to Blade 2 > Boundaries > Blade 2.
  4. Using the same procedure, create two more instances of the Blade 1 zone (one called Blade 3 and one called Blade 4) and set their Parts to the Blade 3 and Blade 4 boundaries respectively.


  5. Save the simulation.