META Tutorials

CFD

Table of Contents

1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 1
1.1. Prerequisites .................................................................................................................... 1
1.2. Problem Description......................................................................................................... 1
1.3. Data Files......................................................................................................................... 1
2. Post Processing Procedure ................................................................................................. 2
2.1. Read Geometry ............................................................................................................... 2
2.2. Model handling – Pids List ............................................................................................... 4
2.3. Reading of results ............................................................................................................ 6
2.4. Labels Options ................................................................................................................. 7
2.5. Fringe Options ................................................................................................................. 8
3. Streamlines............................................................................................................................ 9
3.1. Streamline from Line ........................................................................................................ 9
3.2. Set Fringe on Time ........................................................................................................ 13
3.3. Streamlines on Plane ..................................................................................................... 14
3.4. Streamlines from Surface .............................................................................................. 15
4. Append more results .......................................................................................................... 16
4.1. Read Velocity Magnitude and Turbulence Y+ results .................................................... 16
5. User Calculations ................................................................................................................ 17
5.1. Calculate Total Pressure................................................................................................ 17
6. Isofunctions ......................................................................................................................... 18
6.1. Total Pressure at Zero ................................................................................................... 18
7. Cut Planes ........................................................................................................................... 19
7.1. Cut plane at YZ plane .................................................................................................... 19
8. CFD Post toolbar ................................................................................................................. 20
9. Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 21
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1. Introduction

This tutorial highlights some of the META features oriented in CFD post processing. After completing this tutorial the user will be
able to handle easily a CFD model and its results. A Fluent model is used for this purpose.
Not all META capabilities and features are exhausted within this tutorial.

The steps described in this tutorial include:

 Loading of geometry
 Handling of properties
 Loading of results
 Labels
 Fringe options
 Streamlines creation, modification
 Appending of results
 User calculations
 IsoFunctions creation, modification
 Cut planes creation, modification

1.1. Prerequisites

It is recommended for users who have never used META before to read the Introduction Tutorial. For old META users it would
be helpful referring to META Release Notes.

1.2. Problem Description

Completing this tutorial, the user should be able to load geometry and results, create streamlines, cut-planes and isofunctions,
and perform user calculations.

1.3. Data Files

The files required for this tutorial are:

/tutorials/META_tutorials/CFD/beta.cas
/tutorials/META_tutorials/CFD/beta.dat

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2. Post Processing Procedure

2.1. Read Geometry

1. Start META selecting the CFD option in META Launcher window.

2. META opens with the CFDPost toolbar docked in the user interface.

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1. Switch to the Read Results tab and press the button

to open the File Manager.

For this tutorial select the:

../CFD/beta.cas

1 file and press Open to read in the geometry of the model.

2. The model is read and it should appear as it is shown in

the image on the left.

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2.2. Model handling – Pids List

1. Isolate some of the parts of the model by using the

Focus buttons (e.g. Not) on PID level. The result is
shown in the image on the left.

2. Open the Pids list.

3. Press the Type header in order to sort the

properties according to their type.

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1. Select all properties of type Interior and Interface.

Hide these properties by selecting Hide option, from
1 2 the Right-Mouse button menu.

2. Click once in white space to deselect properties.

3. In case that, after closing the Pids list, some

properties are hidden, but still remain identified,
press the iReset button to reset identification.

TIP: After isolating the parts to be visible activate

the Lock button.

TIP

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2.3. Reading of results

The reading of results can be done either from the CFDPost toolbar or from the generic META interface. For demonstration
purposes, the first case is described below:

1. META finds automatically the results file (*.dat).

For this tutorial the results file is:

../CFD/beta.dat

2. For this model only one state exists.

3. Press the Read Results button to select the results

to read

4. Select Pressure for scalar and Velocity for vector

5

Results are loaded and animation bar is populated. Slider moves automatically to position corresponding to State 1.

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2.4. Labels Options

1. Scalar Fringe & Vector Fringe are enabled

automatically.

Model is drawn with pressure as scalar and velocity

as vectors, as shown in the image on the left.

TIP: Colors and Palettes can be modified from

Fringe Colors option in the context menu of the
Fringe.

2. The loaded results appear as Labels in the Labels

tool.

TIP: For each state one or more labels (results) can

2 be loaded as described in Chapter 4.

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2.5. Fringe Options

1. It is possible to change the Fringe options by pressing the

black arrow on the Fringe icon. For example switch to On
Node for scalar results.

2. Change the vectors’ scale from the menu appearing when

pressing the black arrow on the Vector Fringe icon.

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3. Streamlines

3.1. Streamline from Line

1
1. Create a new Streamline from Line.

Streamlines created are tangent to the velocity

vector of the flow.
2
2

2. The Line tool is created on the Z axis. Change the

orientation or position of the Line by selecting Edit.

Line enters Edit mode (becomes black).

Switch to right view with F6 and press Shift+F3 to

set the Direction of the Line on the Z axis.

3. Move the Line towards the –X axis by dragging its

middle area with the Left mouse button.

TIP: Note all possible uses of the

F keys in the META Info window.

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1. Switch to front view with F2 and move the Line towards the –Y axis.

2. Change Start-Stop position of the Line by 3. Move Line towards +Z axis by dragging its middle area with the
dragging each point with the Right mouse with the Right mouse button.
button. Points move along the Z axis.

TIP: This is a quick way for positioning the Line tool in the desirable position with accuracy.
Another way is turning to Isometric view, with F10 and moving the Line in two directions at the same time.

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4
4. Deactivate Fringes and open the Streamlines card
by pressing the Streamlines icon.

1. Define the properties of the streamlines such as, the direction of

the flow (e.g. Forward), the Start-Stop position, the Total number
of streamlines, etc.

2. Switch to Styles tab. Enable the Shade option. Streamlines are

drawn as cylinders.
2
3. Enable the Modulate option. Streamlines’ radius variates
according to the result label selected (e.g. Pressure).

4. Enable Fringe Style option and set Fringe on Scalar.

3

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1. Change Shape to Ribbon and apply Twist according to Pressure

with scale factor 1.
1
2. Before proceeding to the next step disable Shade option.
Activate Scalar Fringe.

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3.2. Set Fringe on Time

1. Enable the Fringe On Time to color Streamlines according to

actual time (integration-time).

2. Switch to Settings tab. Specify settings Max. Time 0.08 and

Calculation method Fine.

TIP: With Element Vector the streamline will be straight and

hold one value within an element. Faster solution of differential
equation but coarse result. Nodal Vector is more accurate.

Adaptive Timestep can increase/decrease the accuracy of the

streamline according to the defined coefficient e.g. 0.1 (this
means that each element is divided into 10 steps).

Coarse or Fine options correspond to the calculation methods

1 of solving the differential equation (V = dx/dt):
st
Coarse: Euler->1 order
nd
Fine: Runge-Kutta->2 order

3. Max. Time is the time where the lines will end. This is the actual
time (integration-time) of where the flow will be at time e.g. 0.08
sec.

TIP: Before proceeding to the next step delete the Streamline.

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3.3. Streamlines on Plane

1. Press New > Plane to create a new Plane Streamline with

settings as shown in the image on the left.

2. Enable the Restrict on Plane option in order to visualize vorticity

of flow.
1
3. Switch to Styles tab and enable the Fringe Style > Fringe on T-
Vector option.

4. Before proceeding to the next step delete the Streamline.

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3.4. Streamlines from Surface

1. Create a new Streamline from Surface by choosing Pid 1

car_body with settings as shown in the image on the left. In
Styles tab enable the Fringe Style > Fringe on T-Vector option.
1
2. Enable the Oil Flow option in order to visualize flow on top of
surfaces such as the rear window of the vehicle.

TIP: When Oil Flow is activated on a Streamline from Line, it is

2 possible to edit interactively the oil flow results. This is done by
enabling the Interactive Edit mode and changing the direction of
the streamlines by holding the Middle mouse button pressed
and dragging the mouse in Left-Right direction. Such an
example is shown in the image below.

3. Before proceeding to the next step delete the Streamline.

TIP

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4. Append more results

4.1. Read Velocity Magnitude and Turbulence Y+ results

The appending of results can be done either from the CFDPost toolbar or from the generic META interface. Although it is
possible to append many results in one step through the CFDPost toolbar, for demonstration purposes, the first case is
described below:

1. Enable the Append results option.

2. Press on the Read results button

3. In scalar column, uncheck the Pressure and select

the TurbulenceWallYplus and the Velocity,
Magnitude

4. Uncheck the Velocity from Vector column

5. The loaded labels are updated.

1
2
2

3
1
3

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5. User Calculations

5.1. Calculate Total Pressure

Total Pressure can be read as one of the available results. However, for demonstration purposes, the procedure of
calculating user-defined results is described below:

1 2

1. From the Main menu open Calculate > Create 3. Set options for naming the new results as shown in the image
user Field Function in order to create new results above.
based on user formulas.
4. Press Apply.
Select the type of result to be calculated. For this
tutorial Total Pressure is calculated based on 5. The Labels tool is updated with Total Pressure. Set active label
Scalar results (Pressure, Velocity Magnitude) Total Pressure and enable Fringe.
currently loaded on the model.
2. Formula’s syntax is automatically filled by picking
entities from the lists.

* Formula for Total Pressure: s1.f[label={Pressure}]+0.5*1.225*pow(s1.f[label={Velocity,Magnitude}],2)

3
Air density = 1.225 kg/m (TIP: Use dot as decimal separator).

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6. Isofunctions

6.1. Total Pressure at Zero

4 1

1. Create a new IsoFunction on

Default Value 0.

2. Set the settings as shown in the image on the left

and press OK.

3. It is possible to edit IsoFunction interactively by

enabling the Edit mode. Pick IsoFunction from
screen and drag mouse holding the Left mouse
2 button pressed.

4. Open IsoFunctions card by pressing the

IsoFunctions icon.

5. In the same way, as it is done for Streamlines, it is

possible to Lock Fringe of an IsoFunction on a
specific result and view the model with a different
one.

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7. Cut Planes

7.1. Cut plane at YZ plane

4 1

1. Create a new Cut Plane on the Default YZ plane.

3
2. Change the position or orientation of the Cut Plane
by selecting Edit.

Cut Plane enters Edit mode (becomes black). If

more cut planes exist, then editing can be
performed through the Cut Planes tool.

3. Use Mouse buttons to rotate the plane or move it

along the X axis.

Restore the orientation of the Cut Plane directly on

the principal planes by pressing any of the Shift+F#
button.

4. Open Cut Planes card by pressing the Cut Planes

icon.

5. In the same way, as it is done for Streamlines and

5 IsoFunctions, it is possible to Lock Fringe of a Cut
Plane on a specific result and view the model with a
different one.

6. Before proceeding to the next step delete Cut Plane

and IsoFunction and deactivate Fringe.

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8. CFD Post toolbar

By using the CFDPost toolbar it is possible to:

- read multiple results in one step

- calculate Drag/Lift Forces, Coefficients, Moments, Surface
and Volume Integrals
- create 2d plots of Cd, Cl versus Time and Distance

For more details, refer to CFDPost toolbar User Guide

available under Help > META Documentation Index…

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9. Conclusion

In this tutorial some of the basic tools used for CFD analyses have been presented. Not all capabilities were demonstrated.
Below are some examples of using some of the tools described in this tutorial.

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