Ansys Fluent User's Guide
Release 2022 R2ANSYS, Inc.
July 2022Southpointe
2600 Ansys Drive
Canonsburg, PA 15317
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Table of Contents
I. Getting Started .................................................................................................................................... 141
1. Introduction to Ansys Fluent ........................................................................................................ 143
1.1.The Ansys Product Improvement Program ............................................................................... 145
1.2. Program Capabilities ............................................................................................................... 149
1.3. Known Limitations in Ansys Fluent 2022 R2 ............................................................................. 150
1.4. Supported Third-Party Software .............................................................................................. 169
2. Basic Steps for CFD Analysis using Ansys Fluent .......................................................................... 171
2.1. Steps in Solving Your CFD Problem .......................................................................................... 171
2.2. Planning Your CFD Analysis ..................................................................................................... 171
3. Guide to a Successful Simulation Using Ansys Fluent .................................................................. 177
4. Starting and Executing Ansys Fluent ............................................................................................ 179
4.1. Starting Ansys Fluent .............................................................................................................. 179
4.1.1. Selecting the Licensing Level .......................................................................................... 179
4.1.2. Starting Ansys Fluent Using Fluent Launcher ................................................................... 180
4.1.2.1. Setting General Options in Fluent Launcher ........................................................... 184
4.1.2.2. Single-Precision and Double-Precision Solvers ........................................................ 185
4.1.2.3. Setting Parallel Options in Fluent Launcher ............................................................ 186
4.1.2.4. Setting Remote Options in Fluent Launcher ........................................................... 188
4.1.2.5. Setting Scheduler Options in Fluent Launcher ........................................................ 189
4.1.2.6. Setting Environment Options in Fluent Launcher .................................................... 190
4.1.3. Starting Ansys Fluent on a Windows System .................................................................... 191
4.1.4. Starting Ansys Fluent on a Linux System ......................................................................... 192
4.1.5. Command Line Startup Options ..................................................................................... 193
4.1.5.1. ACT Option ............................................................................................................ 196
4.1.5.2. Application Option ................................................................................................ 197
4.1.5.3. Application Script Option ...................................................................................... 197
4.1.5.4. Graphics Options ................................................................................................... 197
4.1.5.5. Meshing Mode Option ........................................................................................... 199
4.1.5.6. Performance Options ............................................................................................. 199
4.1.5.7. Parallel Options ..................................................................................................... 199
4.1.5.8. Postprocessing Option ........................................................................................... 200
4.1.5.9. Remote Visualization Options ................................................................................ 201
4.1.5.10. Scheduler Options ............................................................................................... 201
4.1.5.11.Text Command Option ......................................................................................... 202
4.1.5.12.Version, Release Options, and Environment Variables ............................................ 203
4.1.5.13. System Coupling Options ..................................................................................... 203
4.1.5.14. Other Startup Options ......................................................................................... 204
4.2. Running Ansys Fluent in Batch Mode ....................................................................................... 204
4.2.1. Background Execution on Linux Systems ........................................................................ 204
4.2.2. Background Execution on Windows Systems ................................................................... 206
4.2.3. Batch Execution Options ................................................................................................ 206
4.3. Switching Between Meshing and Solution Modes .................................................................... 208
4.4. Checkpointing an Ansys Fluent Simulation .............................................................................. 208
4.5. Cleaning Up Processes From an Ansys Fluent Simulation .......................................................... 210
4.6. Exiting Ansys Fluent ................................................................................................................ 211
Glossary of Terms ................................................................................................................................ 213
II. Meshing Mode ..................................................................................................................................... 217
1. Introduction to Meshing Mode in Fluent ...................................................................................... 219
1.1. Meshing Approach ................................................................................................................. 219
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1.2. Meshing Mode Capabilities ..................................................................................................... 219
2. Starting Fluent in Meshing Mode ................................................................................................. 221
2.1. Starting the Dual Process Build ................................................................................................ 221
2.2. Dynamically Spawning Processes Between Fluent Meshing and Fluent Solution Modes ............ 222
3. Graphical User Interface ................................................................................................................ 225
3.1. User Interface Components ..................................................................................................... 226
3.1.1. The Ribbon .................................................................................................................... 226
3.1.2.The Workflow Tab ........................................................................................................... 232
3.1.3.The Outline View Tab ...................................................................................................... 233
3.1.4.The Graphics Window ..................................................................................................... 241
3.1.5. Quick Search .................................................................................................................. 241
3.1.6. The Console ................................................................................................................... 242
3.1.7.The Toolbars ................................................................................................................... 242
3.1.7.1. Pointer Tools .......................................................................................................... 243
3.1.7.2. View Tools ............................................................................................................. 244
3.1.7.3. Graphics Effects Tools ............................................................................................ 245
3.1.7.4. Mesh Display Tools ................................................................................................ 246
3.1.7.5.Visibility Tools ........................................................................................................ 246
3.1.7.6. Copy Tools ............................................................................................................. 247
3.1.7.7. Object Selection/Display Tools ............................................................................... 247
3.1.7.8. Filter Toolbar ......................................................................................................... 248
3.1.7.9. CAD Tools .............................................................................................................. 248
3.1.7.10.Tools .................................................................................................................... 249
3.1.7.11. Context Toolbar ................................................................................................... 249
3.1.8. ACT Start Page ............................................................................................................... 249
3.2. Customizing the User Interface ................................................................................................ 249
3.3. Setting User Preferences/Options ............................................................................................ 250
3.4. Using the Help System ............................................................................................................ 251
3.4.1. Help for Text Interface Commands .................................................................................. 251
3.4.2. Obtaining a Listing of Other License Users ...................................................................... 251
4.Text User Interface ......................................................................................................................... 253
5. Reading and Writing Files ............................................................................................................. 255
5.1. Shortcuts for Reading and Writing Files ................................................................................... 255
5.1.1. Binary Files ..................................................................................................................... 255
5.1.2. Reading and Writing Compressed Files ........................................................................... 256
5.1.2.1. Reading Compressed Files ..................................................................................... 256
5.1.2.2.Writing Compressed Files ....................................................................................... 256
5.1.3.Tilde Expansion (LINUX Systems Only) ............................................................................. 257
5.1.4. Disabling the Overwrite Confirmation Prompt ................................................................ 257
5.2. Mesh Files ............................................................................................................................... 257
5.2.1. Reading Mesh Files ......................................................................................................... 258
5.2.1.1. Reading Multiple Mesh Files ................................................................................... 259
5.2.1.2. Reading 2D Mesh Files in the 3D Version of Fluent .................................................. 259
5.2.2. Reading Boundary Mesh Files ......................................................................................... 259
5.2.3. Reading Faceted Geometry Files from Ansys Workbench in Fluent ................................... 260
5.2.4. Appending Mesh Files .................................................................................................... 260
5.2.5. Writing Mesh Files .......................................................................................................... 260
5.2.6. Writing Boundary Mesh Files .......................................................................................... 261
5.3. Case Files ................................................................................................................................ 261
5.3.1. Reading Case Files .......................................................................................................... 262
5.3.1.1. Reading Files Using the Legacy Format ................................................................... 263
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User's Guide
5.3.2. Writing Case Files ........................................................................................................... 263
5.3.2.1.Writing Files Using the Legacy Format .................................................................... 264
5.4. Reading and Writing Size-Field Files ......................................................................................... 264
5.5. Reading Scheme Source Files .................................................................................................. 265
5.6. Creating and Reading Journal Files .......................................................................................... 265
5.7. Creating Transcript Files .......................................................................................................... 267
5.8. Reading and Writing Domain Files ........................................................................................... 268
5.9. Importing Files ........................................................................................................................ 268
5.9.1. Importing CAD Files ....................................................................................................... 269
5.10. Saving Picture Files ............................................................................................................... 276
5.10.1. Using the Save Picture Dialog Box ................................................................................. 276
6. Working With Fluent Guided Workflows ....................................................................................... 281
6.1. Getting Started with the Fluent Guided Workflows .................................................................. 281
6.1.1. Prerequisites for the Fluent Guided Workflows ................................................................ 282
6.1.2. Limitations of the Fluent Guided Workflows .................................................................... 283
6.1.3. Customizing Workflows .................................................................................................. 290
6.1.3.1. Customizing Your Journal Files Using Python .......................................................... 291
6.1.4. Understanding Task States .............................................................................................. 294
6.1.5. Operating on Tasks ......................................................................................................... 295
6.1.6. Grouping Tasks ............................................................................................................... 295
6.1.7. Editing Tasks .................................................................................................................. 295
6.1.8. Monitoring Task Updates ................................................................................................ 296
6.1.9. Accessing Advanced Options .......................................................................................... 297
6.1.10. Filtering Lists and Using Wildcards ................................................................................ 297
6.1.11. Saving and Loading Workflows ..................................................................................... 298
6.1.12. Setting Preferences for Workflows ................................................................................. 299
6.1.13. Getting Help for Workflow Tasks .................................................................................... 301
6.2. Using the Watertight Geometry Workflow ................................................................................ 301
6.2.1. Importing Geometries .................................................................................................... 302
6.2.2. Importing Body of Influence Geometries ........................................................................ 304
6.2.3. Adding Local Sizing ........................................................................................................ 305
6.2.4. Generating the Surface Mesh .......................................................................................... 309
6.2.5. Setting Up Periodic Boundaries ...................................................................................... 316
6.2.6. Describing the Geometry ............................................................................................... 319
6.2.7. Applying Share Topology ................................................................................................ 320
6.2.7.1.Troubleshooting Gap Marking ................................................................................ 323
6.2.8. Enclosing Fluid Regions .................................................................................................. 326
6.2.9. Creating Regions ............................................................................................................ 329
6.2.10. Updating Regions ......................................................................................................... 330
6.2.11. Adding Boundary Layers ............................................................................................... 331
6.2.12. Adding Multizone Controls ........................................................................................... 334
6.2.12.1. Understanding Multizone Meshing ...................................................................... 336
6.2.12.2. Strategies for Using Multizone Meshing ................................................................ 336
6.2.12.3.Working With Boundary Layers in Multizone Meshing ........................................... 337
6.2.13. Generating the Multizone Mesh .................................................................................... 337
6.2.14. Generating the Volume Mesh ........................................................................................ 338
6.2.15. Updating Boundaries .................................................................................................... 343
6.2.16. Improving the Surface Mesh ......................................................................................... 344
6.2.17. Adding Boundary Types ................................................................................................ 346
6.2.18. Improving the Volume Mesh ........................................................................................ 347
6.2.19.Transforming the Volume Mesh ..................................................................................... 347
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Release 2022 R2 - © ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. - Contains proprietary and confidential information
of ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates.
User's Guide