8/22/2011

Introduction to Workbench and CFX Workflow

The Workbench Environment

For most situations the Workbench GUI is divided into 2 primary sections (there are other optional sections we’ll see in a moment):

The Toolbox

The toolbox contains 4 subgroups:

Analysis systems:

-Predefined templates that can be placed in the schematic.

Component systems:

-Various applications that can be accessed to build, or expand, analysis systems.

Custom Systems:

-Predefined analysis systems for coupled applications (FSI, thermal-stress, etc.). Users can also create their own predefined systems.

Design Exploration:

-Parametric management and optimization tools.

The systems and components displayed in the toolbox will depend on the installed products.

Using the check boxes in the “View All / Customize” window, the items displayed in the toolbox can be toggled on or off.

The toolbox customization window is normally left closed when not in use.

The Project Schematic

The Workbench project schematic is a graphical representation of the workflow defining a system or group of systems.

The workflow in the project schematic is always left to right.

There are currently several applications which are native to Workbench, meaning they run entirely in the Workbench window:

-Project Schematic, Engineering Data and Design Exploration

Non-native applications (called data-integrated) run in their own window:

-Mechanical (formerly Simulation), Mechanical APDL (formerly ANSYS), ANSYS Fluent, ANSYS CFX, Etc . . .

Blocks of cells can be deleted by RMB menu selection.

-In this example a Static Structural analysis type is selected for the project schematic.

-From the toolbox the selection can be dragged and dropped onto the schematic or simply double clicked.

By dropping applications and/or analyses into various locations in the schematic, an overall analysis project is defined.

“Connectors” indicate the level of collaboration between systems.

In the example shown a structural system is dragged and dropped onto a thermal system at the Model cell (A4).

Before completing the operation notice there are a number of optional “drop” locations that will provide various types of linkage between systems (continued next page).

By completing the operation from the previous page, notice the linkage here is only at the Model level and above.

In this case there would be no thermal/structural coupling.

Notice too each system block is given an alphabetic designation (A, B, C, etc.).

By dropping the structural system at the “Solution” level we obtain a structural system that is coupled to the thermal solution.

A schematic can also be constructed by RMB and choosing to “Transfer Data To New” or “Transfer Data From New”.

In using the RMB transfer feature all transfer possibilities (upstream and downstream) are displayed.

These selections will vary depending on which cell in a particular system you highlight.

Identifying cell states:

-Unfulfilled: missing upstream data.

-Attention required: may need to correct this or upstream cells.

-Refresh required: upstream data has changed. Need to refresh cell. An update will also refresh the cell and regenerate any output data (e.g. mesh, results).

-Update required: the data has changed and the output of the cell must be regenerated.

-Up to date.

-Input changes pending: cell is locally up to date but may change when the next update is performed due to upstream changes.

-Interrupted: solver was manually stopped before it finished. Can use Resume or Update to continue to solving.

-ending: a batch process is in progress

Optional Workbench Windows

The “View” menu (and RMB) allows additional information to be displayed in the Workbench environment.

-Below, the geometry is highlighted and the properties are displayed.

Workbench File Management

-Workbench creates a project file and a series of subdirectories to manage all associated files.

-Users should allow Workbench to manage the directories.

Please do NOT manually modify the content or structure of the project directories.

-When a project is saved a project file is created (.wbpj), using the user specified file name (e.g. MyFile.wbpj).

-A project directory will be created using the project name. In the above example the directory would be MyFile_files.

-A number of subdirectories will be created in the project directory.

http://www.cadfamily.com/html/Article/Introduction%20to%20Workbench%20and%20CFX%20Workflow_762_1.htm

http://www.cadfamily.com/html/Article/Introduction%20to%20Workbench%20and%20CFX%20Workflow_762_2.htm

http://www.cadfamily.com/html/Article/Introduction%20to%20Workbench%20and%20CFX%20Workflow_762_3.htm

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