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Interacting with CAE Software
Simcenter STAR-CCM+ can interact with a wide range of other computer-aided engineering (CAE) software. This interaction includes import/export of mesh and solution data as well as coupling capabilities for multiphysics simulations.
File Import and Export
Simcenter STAR-CCM+ allows you to import mesh and solution data from other CAE packages using files. You can also export such data from Simcenter STAR-CCM+ for use in external software.
gPROMS File Export
Simcenter STAR-CCM+ allows you to export solution data to gPROMS, a process modeling platform for the simulation of complex systems. In general, the gPROMS model consists of a multizonal network model that performs process calculations. Simcenter STAR-CCM+ provides the flow solution.

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Interacting with CAE Software
Simcenter STAR-CCM+ can interact with a wide range of other computer-aided engineering (CAE) software. This interaction includes import/export of mesh and solution data as well as coupling capabilities for multiphysics simulations.
- File Import and Export
  Simcenter STAR-CCM+ allows you to import mesh and solution data from other CAE packages using files. You can also export such data from Simcenter STAR-CCM+ for use in external software.
  - CGNS File Import and Export
    Simcenter STAR-CCM+ allows for import or export of data through CGNS files. CGNS (CFD General Notation System) is a standard data format that can can contain both mesh and solution data.
  - Simcenter Data File Export (.scd5)
    Simcenter STAR-CCM+ can export mesh and solution data as a Simcenter Data File (.scd5), which is a standard file format based on HDF5 (Hierarchical Data Format, Version 5). This type of file export enables file-based coupling with Simcenter 3D.
  - gPROMS File Export
    Simcenter STAR-CCM+ allows you to export solution data to gPROMS, a process modeling platform for the simulation of complex systems. In general, the gPROMS model consists of a multizonal network model that performs process calculations. Simcenter STAR-CCM+ provides the flow solution.
    - gPROMS File Export Workflow
      This workflow provides steps for exporting data to gPROMS. The workflow assumes that your simulation is fully set up as required by your analysis.
    - gPROMS Models Reference
      To export data to gPROMS, you require an additional physics continuum with the gPROMS Export model. For coupling of Lagrangian phases, you also require the Particle Clustering model.
  - Importing STAR-CD Data
    Simcenter STAR-CCM+ allows you to import mesh and solution data from STAR-CD, in order to post-process the STAR-CD solution data using the Simcenter STAR-CCM+ visualization tools. This import option does not support Lagrangian solution data.
  - Importing CAE Models
    Simcenter STAR-CCM+ allows you to import CAE models that have been prepared in other CAE products. You can use imported CAE models for coupling Simcenter STAR-CCM+ with external CAE codes using the file-based coupling technique.
- File-Based Coupling (through Imported CAE Model)
  File-based coupling is a method used to couple Simcenter STAR-CCM+ with another CAE code via external files stored in the computer memory.
- Rotor Blade Aeroelasticity
  Rotor Blade Aeroelasticity (RBA) simulations model the aerodynamic performance of elastic rotor blades using displacement and twist data from external files. You can create these data files in multi-body dynamics software such as RCAS, CAMRAD-II, DYMORE, and FLIGHTLAB. Typical RBA applications include urban air vehicle rotors, wind turbines, and helicopter rotors.
- Simcenter STAR-CCM+ to Simcenter STAR-CCM+ Co-Simulation
  Simcenter STAR-CCM+ allows you to couple two running simulations together in a co-simulation analysis. The Simcenter STAR-CCM+ to Simcenter STAR-CCM+ co-simulation capability targets analyses involving conjugate heat transfer (CHT), fluid-structure interaction (FSI), and exchange of any scalar or vector fields across the coupled boundaries or regions.
- Simcenter Nastran Co-Simulation
  For fluid-structure interaction (FSI) analyses, you can couple Simcenter STAR-CCM+ and Simcenter Nastran in a co-simulation analysis.
- Simcenter Amesim Co-Simulation
  Simcenter STAR-CCM+ allows for two-way co-simulation with Simcenter Amesim, which is used for modeling dynamic systems.
- FMU Co-Simulation
  Simcenter STAR-CCM+ allows you to import Functional Mock-up Unit (FMU) models for co-simulation. An FMU is a time-dependent model, typically representing a dynamic network, that is written according to the Functional Mock-up Interface (FMI) standard. The FMI standard is a software-independent standard that provides an interface for coupling simulation software.
- Abaqus Co-Simulation
  The co-simulation technique can be used to solve complex fluid-structure interaction (FSI) problems by coupling Abaqus and Simcenter STAR-CCM+. Mechanical and/or thermal fields can be exchanged across the fluid-structure interface.
- GT-SUITE Co-Simulation
  Simcenter STAR-CCM+ allows for two-way co-simulation with GT-SUITE, a multiphysics simulation tool from Gamma Technologies. GT-SUITE provides a modeling framework for the design and analysis of engineering systems, such as engines, vehicles, and thermal-hydraulic networks.
- Reacting Channel Coupling
  The Reacting Channel Coupling feature provides the ability for exchange of data between three-dimensional Simcenter STAR-CCM+ and the one-dimensional Plug Flow Reactor which uses the CVODE solver. You can use the Reacting Channel co-simulation model in Simcenter STAR-CCM+ to solve reacting flow simulations in tubular heat exchangers with channels that are long and thin.
- Generic Launcher
  Simcenter STAR-CCM+ provides a generic launcher for external applications that allows you to launch any application or file at a specified time interval during a simulation.
- Co-Simulation API
  Simcenter STAR-CCM+ provides an Application Programming Interface (API) that allows you to write partner code that exchanges data with a running Simcenter STAR-CCM+ simulation. As the partner code can be part of any other application that supports linking to a flat C library, the co-simulation API extends the range of co-simulation scenarios possible with Simcenter STAR-CCM+.
- Data Mappers
  In Simcenter STAR-CCM+, data mappers allow you to interpolate field data available either on a source mesh or on a source table to a target mesh representation, so that the mapped fields can be used for applying boundary or volume conditions on the target mesh.
- Coordinate Cell Clustering
  Simcenter STAR-CCM+ allows you to group mesh cells into clusters, based on their position with respect to a specified coordinate system, and provides a field index for querying values based on cluster. You can create threshold reports based on these clusters of cells.

gPROMS File Export

Simcenter STAR-CCM+ allows you to export solution data to gPROMS, a process modeling platform for the simulation of complex systems. In general, the gPROMS model consists of a multizonal network model that performs process calculations. Simcenter STAR-CCM+ provides the flow solution.

Coupling Interface

In Simcenter STAR-CCM+, you partition the three-dimensional domain into groups, or clusters, of cells. The three-dimensional solution fields from Simcenter STAR-CCM+ are reduced to discrete values for each cell cluster. These values can then be exported to corresponding zones and surfaces in the gPROMS network through a data file.

Optionally, you can also export data from Simcenter STAR-CCM+ Lagrangian phases.


Simcenter STAR-CCM+domain	gPROMS network

In the Simcenter STAR-CCM+ simulation, the gPROMS network is represented as a region with its own associated physics continuum. In this region, mass flow inlet boundaries represent gPROMS environment zones and wall boundaries represent gPROMS surfaces. The physics continuum associated with the gPROMS region contains the models that enable file export.

Coupling is between the following objects:


Simcenter STAR-CCM+ part	gPROMS zone	gPROMS part in Simcenter STAR-CCM+
fluid region (divided in N cell clusters)	network of N internal zones (one per cell cluster)	fluid region associated with external physics continuum
inlet boundary	environment zone	mass flow inlet boundary
outlet boundary	environment zone	mass flow inlet boundary
wall boundary	surface	wall boundary

Exported Fields

The fields that Simcenter STAR-CCM+ exports to gPROMS are:


Source Location	Fields
cell cluster	Volume
interface between two cell clusters	Area of the interface Mass Flow Rate 1: mass flow rate from the first cluster to the second Mass Flow Rate 2: mass flow rate from the second cluster to the first Additionally, when exporting Lagrangian phase data: Bin-averaged normalized normal velocity 1 Bin-averaged normalized normal velocity 2: at inlet/outlet boundaries, this is set to 0.
Simcenter STAR-CCM+ inlet/outlet boundaries
Simcenter STAR-CCM+ wall boundaries	Area of the interface Additionally, when exporting Lagrangian phase data: Bin-averaged normalized normal velocity 1 Bin-averaged normalized normal velocity 2: always set to 0.

In addition to these fields, which are always exported, you can export additional fields as auxiliary field specifications.