1. Introduction:
DHCAE Tools

2. Simulation solutions based on Open-source solver technology
Engineering:
CFD services with OpenFOAM® and CalculiX
Software:
Standard/ Customised:
GUIs (CastNet),
Extensions
User Support
Training:
OpenFOAM®/our Extensions

3. DHCAE Tools GmbH
Why open-source based:
Competitive high level CFD tools :
(Fluent/CFX/Star-CD) are expensive
License cost at least 25 k US$/year base system, typically 40 k US$/year or more
“Lost-CFD/FEA” are
not always reliable
restricted in functionality (no chance to grow) and model size
Particular advantages of OpenFOAM:
very well established, proven, no-black box
high range of advanced models (e.g. multiphase (particles, free surface))
can be adapted to particular workflow
very good performance for large models
Drawback:
Text file based, Linux only, hard to start

4. DHCAE Tools GmbH
CFD for in house usage:
Service: Close cooperation: E.g. base model setup by DHCAE Tools, further runs and modifications done by customer
Engineers on-site would like to make use of CFD technologies:
No CFD/OpenFOAM experts
No Linux experts
Used to work with GUIs
Meshing and case setup: CastNet (GUI based)
Solution: GUI to run the case:
Important: Visual result control: Residual and even more important probes
Why GUIs?
Our experience: OpenFOAM feature (e.g. probes) will not be used if there is no
possibility of an easy definition
graphical visualization

5. CastNet-Meshing Geometry Input Meshing/ Case Setup Solving/Job Control
Parasolid:
(Nx, Solidworks,
Solidedge,…)
ACIS:
(Inventor, SpaceClaim,
TurboCAD,…)
Granite
Pro-E
Creo
Catia
Discrete
(stl, Nastran)
universal
Translator
e.g. SpaceClaim
CastNet: Direct CAD Kernel based geometry import: Models/assemblies
CFD: Hybrid CFD-meshing or SnappyHexMesh-definition
Case setup GUI for OpenFOAM: More than 30 solvers
FEA: Second order elements, non-linear modeling e.g. contact
Meshing/
Case Setup
Local machine/cluster
Direct export: Cloud Cluster on demand
Fluid analysis: OpenFOAM
Linux: ESI-versions OpenFOAM Windows: BlueCFD port Job control: runGui
Structural analysis: CalculiX
Linux: Standard linux version
Windows: bconverged port
Coupling:
Data mapping (runGui)
Solving/Job Control
OpenFOAM: Paraview, Fieldview, EnSight, Tecplot (Windows or Linux)
CaluliX: Linux: CGX Windows: CGX/Paraview
Post-
processing

6. DHCAE-Tools Our philosophy: More pragmatic then dogmatic
We have to accept the reality of our customers. Not always but often:
Commercial CAD systems with proprietary kernels
Windows systems (IT says “NO” to Linux)
New software must be productive from the first second
GUI based working is preferred for certain tasks
Can not be covered with OpenFOAM/CalculiX directly
Combine proprietary solutions with OpenSource
Try to share open source part of work (e.g. OpenFOAM-extensions)
Major tools:
CastNet: Preprozessor for OpenFOAM/CalculiX
Rungui for CastNet Job-Control

7. CastNet for OpenFOAM®
The outstanding features of the CastNet modeling environment are:
Supporting a flexible and complete simulation environment for CFD and FEA on Windows and Linux operating systems including pre-processing, solving and post-processing
Providing access to reliable, robust and high quality CFD and FEA-meshing based on CAD geometry
Establishing a complete GUI based environment: Access to strong open source solver capabilities without editing text files or detailed knowledge of the keyword-structure
Reducing the time from CAD model to ready-to-run case
Allowing a reliable and stable CFD and FEA analysis by detailed job control
Fully compatible:
User can switch at any time from GUIs to text-based model setup
User can extend the CastNet model output for specific needs

8. OpenFOAM® Interface
CAD model based input
CastNet allows a high quality geometry:
import based on CAD kernel data.
no need to repair the CAD geometry and
volume information is preserved.
The CAD import includes:
• Direct access to Parasolid, ACIS and Granite (ProE/Creo) parts and assemblies.
• CastNet generates internally a non-manifold model of complex assemblies resulting in conformal grids between the various regions (parts).
region models, e.g. Porous, MRF, AMI rotating, CHT.
different meshing approaches (e.g. free or extrude meshes)
• Automated geometry improvement for meshing by suppression of sliver faces if needed.

9. Transfer into OpenFOAM text file
OpenFOAM® Interface
Transfer into OpenFOAM text file
CAD Geometry association

10. CastNet capabilites
The solvers include the following modeling capabilities:
Steady-state/transient analysis
compressible or incompressible flows and media
With or without heat transfer including radiation
Multiphase flow (VOF/Euler-Euler/Lagrangian particle tracking)
Dynamic meshes (sliding meshes or sloshing applications)
Conjugate heat transfer analysis
CastNet provides a strong user support for OpenFOAM® during the case setup:
The case setup is strongly simplified by solver templates to each application
CastNet gives warnings in case E.g. if gravity is required by the selected solver, but the definition is missing, a warning will appear.
CastNet defines the boundary by patch, not by field.
CastNet helps the user with many defaults in the background. E.g. CastNet thermo-class automatically, valid time loop parameter for the chosen solver.
These defaults can be modified by the user in a configuration file.

11. CastNet capabilites
Further CastNet functionalities for OpenFOAM® usage are:
• Simple configuration of settings for parallel runs.
• Probes definition and post processing output options.
• Fully automated setup for conjugate heat transfer and sliding mesh applications.
• Convenient definition of boundary conditions using derived OpenFOAM® patches.
• Easy and stable initialization with potentialFoam before the final run.
• Definition of local initial conditions, e.g. specification of volume fractions in particular regions.
• Support of baffle faces, fan faces, cyclic boundary conditions and two-dimensional modeling.
• Time dependent boundary conditions and support of groovyBC.
• Definition for incompressible (Newtonian/Non-Newtonian), multiphase or thermophysical materials.
• Second solver run for particle tracking.

12. CastNet capabilites
Rungui: Detail Job monitoring during runtime

13. CastNet capabilites
Access to many OpenFOAM functions, e.g. Postprocessing tools

14. CastNet capabilites
The runGui is a job control system for OpenFOAM®.
• To enable a reliable CFD analysis by a detailed job control.
• To facilitate the usage of OpenFOAM® : Modifying solution settings during runtime.
• To provide an easy access to OF meshing, pre- and post-processing features.
• To allow an easy exchange of data between CalculiX and OpenFOAM®.
These goals are reached by the following outstanding features:
• One click button for case setup from the CastNet output
• Job control by automated residual and probes plots controlled by CastNet settings
• Modifying solver settings during the run, e.g. by changing schemes and solution settings without stopping the solver
GUI based OpenFOAM features:
Mesh manipulations such as mesh extrusion, mesh scaling and wall refinement
mapFields: Mapping of results from one case to another
Wall results such as wall shear stress, YPlus-values etc

15. Meshing in CastNet
Internal mesher: Hybrid meshing (Simmetrix meshing technology):
Excellent boundary layer meshing
Hex-Core meshing
Extrude regions
Perfect geometry representation
External mesher support: SnappyHexMesh (OpenFOAM meshing technology):
Hex dominant polyhedral meshing
Fully integrated in CastNet workflow
Works well with bad geometry input (no solids, many sliver faces etc.)

16. CastNet CAD input and meshing
Effective and fast model generation
(less than one days)
CAD-model based
Reliable CFD-meshing
Reliable boundary layer meshing
Combination of extrude meshing/free meshing

17. Meshing feature CastNet hybrid meshing
Boundary Layer meshing
Extrude meshing
Hex Core Meshing

18. Meshing feature SnappyHexMesh
Edge Refinement in CastNet for SnappyHexMesh
Associated with geometry edges

19. Meshing feature CastNet For SnappyHexMesh
Face Refinement in CastNet for SnappyHexMesh
Associated with geometry faces

20. Meshing feature CastNet For SnappyHexMesh
Boundary Layer definition in CastNet for SnappyHexMesh
Associated with geometry edges

21. Meshing feature CastNet For SnappyHexMesh

22. Examples
Examples of technical applications:
Meshing and case setup in CastNet
OpenFOAM capabilities
Working fields and extensions of DHCAE Tools

23. Example: Chemical Engineering
Chemical plant engineering
Meshing setup and OpenFOAM case definition

24. Chemical Engineering
Direct setup for porous zones

25. CastNet Meshing
Porous Zones (Filter)
Porous Zones (Rotor)

26. Chemical Engineering
Roof section

27. Come to results rather in days than weeks
Chemical Engineering
Come to results rather in days than weeks

28. Chemical Engineering
Filter plant with hundreds of regions (CAD-Part)

29. Chemical Engineering
Filter regions separated with baffle faces

30. Chemical Engineering

31. Chemical Engineering

32. CastNet-Meshing ExampleQuench
Usage of extrude regions to avoid tetrahedral elements
Based on Parasolid-assembly:
Parts are transferred into regions
conformal mesh transition

33. CastNet-Meshing
Boundary Layer from extrude to free mesh regions

34. Particle Evaporation

35. Particle Evaporation Strong interaction: Heattransfer Momentum:
Temperature distribution
OpenFOAM Other CFD-Solver
Strong interaction:
Heattransfer
Momentum:
Density
Spray resistance

36. DHCAE Tools’ Filter solver
Increasing resistance due to particle hits is considered in iteration loop

37. DHCAE Tools’ Filter solver-Macro Modelling

38. DHCAE Tools’ Filter solver-Meso Scale Modelling

39. CFD-Development and Verifications Filling processes with free surfaces

40. Filling process

41. CFD-Development and Validation Rotating Meshes with AMI

42. Valve

43. Valve

44. VOF Mixer with SHM in CastNet
Mixer case setup for SnappyHexMesh

45. VOF Mixer with SHM in CastNet

46. ACMI with translational regions

47. CalculiX
CalculiX is a non-linear structural solver developed by Guido Dhondt und Klaus Wittig at MTU.
CalculiX is originally developed on Linux as an open source system.
CastNet supports the original Linux version as well as the Windows port provided by bConverged.
In structural mechanics with CalculiX CastNet supports:
Linear and non-linear statics/dynamics
Non-linear analysis:
Non-linear geometry:
Large displacement, contact
Non-linear material:
Plasticity, hyper elasticity
Linear frequency analysis
Buckling

48. CastNet Support for  CalculiX
Wide number of boundary conditions and loads are available such as
fixations,
prescribed displacements,
concentrated and distributed surface or volume loads.
CastNet supports
volume
shell elements,
beam, spring elements
two dimensional element formulation.
Furthermore a coupling to CFD-results is available:
Pressure distributions estimated in OpenFOAM® can be transferred to CalculiX as surface load.
Volume temperature fields from a conjugate heat transfer analysis can be transferred from a solid OpenFOAM® region to CalculiX volume. By this thermal stresses and displacements can be calculated in CalculiX.

49. CastNet Support for  CalculiX
CalculiX has been added to CastNet in 2013 (new SimModeler platform) to complete the open-source solver based tool environment for a reliable stress analysis
Special meshing Feature for FEA:
Manifold/non-manifold models
Second Order Elements – Curved non curved
Postprocessing Support:
Translator to Paraview provided by DHCAE Tools

50. CalculiX-Example CHT-Example OpenFOAM-Calculix:
Red: Fluid Region (considered in OpenFOAM only)
Green: Solid Region: (considered in OpenFOAM as solid for CHT in Calculix for stress analysis)

51. CalculiX-Example: Combination with OpenFOAM CHT
CHT-Mesh for OpenFOAM
Solid Region for CHT (OpenFOAM)
Fluid Region for CHT (OpenFOAM)

52. CalculiX-Example
CalculiX case setup

53. CalculiX-Example
CalculiX mesh:
-Second order elements for reliable FEA

54. CalculiX-Example
CalculiX results mapping of OpenFOAM temperature load for thermal stresses

55. CalculiX-Example
Final data transfer from OpenFOAM to CalculiX in Rungui

56. CalculiX-Example
Consistent postprocessing for all results in Paraview

57. CalculiX/Abaqus(CSM)
FSI Workflow
CastNet: Case setup (CFD/CSM)
OpenFOAM (CFD)
Mesh
update No
pressure/WSS
Transfer Forces
FSI-coupling
CalculiX/Abaqus(CSM)
Displacement
converged?
yes
DAtaconversion (vtk)-Post-process: Paraview

58. CalculiX-Example

59. Conclusion
Open-Source solver technology can substitute commercial CFD/FEA system in many fields:
Not only license costs but also strong features
Very good integration into workflow
Very strong solution capabilities
Additional GUIs may help:
- Make use of the solver capabilities
- More reliable job control resulting in more accurate results
- Time effective case setup and control
Thank you for your attention !