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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.
Heat Transfer and Radiation
The tutorials in this set illustrate various Simcenter STAR-CCM+ features for heat transfer, radiation, and thermal comfort.
Multi-Part Solid: Graphics Card Cooling
This tutorial demonstrates how you can model multiple solid parts in a single continuum using the Multi-Part Solid physics model.
Setting up the Meshers
For this simulation, you generate a volume mesh using the polyhedral mesher for the bulk mesh, and the thin mesher for the graphics card.
Generating the Volume Mesh
Generate and visualize a conformal mesh.

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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.
  - Conjugate Heat Transfer: Heated Fin Introduction
    This tutorial incorporates both multi-region conjugate heat transfer and natural convection in a Simcenter STAR-CCM+ simulation.
  - Simulation Operations: Multi-Timescale Conjugate Heat Transfer
    Through simulation operations, Simcenter STAR-CCM+ provides an automated methodology by which you can include a multiple time-scale workflow in a single simulation.
  - Simulation Operations: Transient-transient Multi-Timescale Conjugate Heat Transfer
    An important analysis for automotive applications is to simulate the thermal behavior of components during cold-start conditions. As the timescales involved in fluctuating fluid behavior often varies significantly from the timescales in solid thermal behavior, it is not efficient to run an implicitly coupled conjugate heat transfer simulation. Simcenter STAR-CCM+ provides a coupling strategy that permits distinct transient timescales for the solid and fluid components.
  - Multi-Part Solid: Graphics Card Cooling
    This tutorial demonstrates how you can model multiple solid parts in a single continuum using the Multi-Part Solid physics model.
    - Prerequisites
      The instructions in the Multi-Part Solid tutorial assume that you are already familiar with certain techniques in Simcenter STAR-CCM+.
    - Importing the Geometry
      The simulation set-up process starts by importing a CAD geometry in a Parasolid model part format.
    - Creating and Visualizing Contacts
      Within 3D-CAD you are able to create face contacts within the model and visualize them using the Contact Display Options. This capability allows you to inspect the model to ensure that all the required contacts are created before the model is converted into parts.
    - Defining Regions Layout
      Two regions are required for this simulation: one for the air and one for the solid components.
    - Selecting Physics Models
      This tutorial requires two physics continua: one for the air and one for solid components.
    - Assigning Continua to Regions
      Since this simulation has multiple regions and continua, you must explicitly associate each region with the correct continuum.
    - Setting the Boundary Types
      Define the boundary types for the inlet and outlet boundaries.
    - Assigning Materials to the Multi-Part Solid Parts
      The Components region contains multiple solid parts that you must match with the materials defined in the Multi-Part Solid physics continuum.
    - Setting up the Heat Sources
      Heat generated by the electronic components is represented in Simcenter STAR-CCM+ using total heat sources. Heat sources are set on regions.
    - Setting up the Fan Interfaces
      Two fans drive the flow inside the PC case.
    - Setting up the Meshers
      For this simulation, you generate a volume mesh using the polyhedral mesher for the bulk mesh, and the thin mesher for the graphics card.
      - Creating the Custom Controls
        Use custom controls to modify the mesh on the graphics card and to disable the prism layers in the solid regions.
      - Generating the Volume Mesh
        Generate and visualize a conformal mesh.
    - Preparing Scenes for Visualization
      Create three scalar scenes: one to display the velocity magnitude on a plane cutting through the tower case, one to display the temperature on the graphics card, and one to display the thermal conductivity tensor of the graphics card materials.
    - Reporting Temperature with a Monitor and a Plot
      Create a monitor and plot of maximum temperature to help you judge the rate at which the solution is converging.
    - Modifying Solver Settings and Stopping Criteria
      Modify the under-relaxation factors for the Segregated Energy solvers to help accelerate convergence.
    - Running the Simulation
      The simulation is now ready to run.
    - Visualizing the Results
      View the results of the solution.
    - Summary
      The Multi-Part Solid tutorial used simplified geometry of a PC tower and graphics card to introduce various Simcenter STAR-CCM+ features.
  - Natural Convection: Concentric Cylinders Introduction
    This tutorial demonstrates how to solve a natural convection problem in Simcenter STAR-CCM+.
  - Electronics Cooling Toolset: Natural Convection JEDEC
    Although many electronic devices benefit from cooling fans in removing excess heat, some devices rely on natural convection only. The Electronics Cooling Toolset includes a method for estimating cooling due to natural convection.
  - Electronics Cooling Toolset: Graphics Card Cooling
    When you are positioning fans that cool electronic components, the Electronics Cooling Toolset allows you to assess the impact that they have on removing heat. By comparing multiple designs, you can decide which arrangement gives you the best performance.
  - Dual Stream Heat Exchanger: Car Radiator
    Heat exchangers are devices that efficiently transfer heat from one medium to another. Some prominent examples of heat exchanger applications include car radiators, such as the one used in this tutorial, power plants and air-conditioning.
  - Surface-to-Surface Radiation: Thermal Insulator
    This tutorial incorporates gray thermal radiation in a Simcenter STAR-CCM+ simulation.
  - Multiband Surface-to-Surface Radiation: Solar Collector
    This tutorial uses the simulation created for the Surface-to-Surface Radiation: Thermal Insulator.
  - Photon Monte Carlo Radiation: Headlamp
    Thermal management simulations of headlamp applications allow you to identify temperature hotspots that can cause damage to the headlamp. Modifying the design—for example, including heat shields in the right places—leads to better and more durable designs.
  - Thermal Comfort: Car Cabin
    Comfort is one of the main factors that consumers consider when deciding how they travel. Therefore, passenger comfort is one of the key criteria that influence the design process of enclosed spaces such as a car or aircraft cabin.
  - Parts-Based Shells: Exhaust Pipe
    Simcenter STAR-CCM+ provides support for thin-walled structures that are best represented by a single-cell layer during simulation. These single-cell layers are known as shells. One of the main advantages of using shell elements is that it reduces the computational time and resources required for simulations.
- 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
- 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.

Generating the Volume Mesh

Generate and visualize a conformal mesh.

The volume mesh is ready to be generated.

Click (Generate Volume Mesh) in the Mesh toolbar.
A conformal mesh is generated between all regions.
To visualize the mesh, create a mesh scene and inspect the fluid domain mesh.
Edit the Mesh Scene 1 > Displayers > Mesh 1 > Parts node.
In the Parts dialog, deselect all regions and select all parts.
Expand the Parts node and deselect the following items:
- Air Case
- Air Inlet
- Air Outlet
- Block
- Inlet Fan Casing
- Outlet Fan Casing
The mesh on the graphics card is shown in the following screenshot.
Save the simulation.