What is the new Inventor to CFD work flow?

[Anonymous]

Hi All,

I have been away from CFD for a while.  In the "old days"  I would create a 3d cad drawing of a "wind tunnel" with my foil in it.  Save it as a dwg file and use Inventor Fusion 2013 r1 to define the fluid volume within the "wind tunnel"  and launch CFD from Fusion.  Fusion does not work on my station now and I have found on the Forums that Fusion 2013 r1 is no longer "supported."  Where can I find the new work flow?  Is it possible to define the Fluid Volume in Inventor now?  Thanks in advance.

Mike

[Anonymous]

I watched this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgHeW_zIHao&feature=youtu.be&t=12m55s

I assume it applies to 2014 too?

Mike

[Jon.Wilde]

Hi Mike,

No need to define the fluid. In Inventor I would cap off the inlet and outlet, with a nice long volume (5x diameter in length). Then read into CFD directly from the CAD interface and CFD will simply fill the internal hollow (as long as it is sealed) for you 🙂

Hope that helps,

Jon

[Anonymous]

Good Morning Jon,

Thanks for the reply.  Several questions came to mind based on the reply.  Suppose we were running the car example.  We must define a fluid volume around the car.  Say a volume 10 car lengths longer than the car upstream, 15 car lengths down stream, for a total length of 26 car lengths.  The width of the volume is 21 car lengths say, and the height is 15 car lengths.   The box volume is 21 x 26 x 15 car lengths.  Would one then create (extrude)  in Inventor, "Surfaces" that form a box around the car with the car centered on the top of the bottom surface of 10 car lengths from the "inlet".  Or would one have to extrude thin Solids to represent the exterior of the fluid volume?  So, is a cap a surface or a thin solid?  Finally if we wanted to use symmetry to minimize computational resources, would one create a vertical surface in the center of the box and suppress one of the halves in Inventor or in CFD?  Fusion 2013 allowed one to define volumes with in a volume for example.

May your day be blessed...

Mike

[Jon.Wilde]

Hi Mike,

There is a simpler way.

Just draw a big solid cuboid in Inventor, job done 😄

If you want to run a half, just draw it over half and suppress the car, should be super simple I hope.

Thanks,

Jon

[Anonymous]

Hi Jon,

I upgraded my computer by installing a second SSD (Drive F:).  Inventor has been installed on the new drive F:.  Simulation CFD is still on Drive C:  I believe this is why Inventor will not launch Sim CFD 2014.  Is there a work around?  Perhaps reinstalling one of the programs?  Your assistance with this has been most appreciated.

Mike

[Jon.Wilde]

Hi Mike,

Try running SimCFDconfig.exe (be sure to right click to run it as admin) from the CFD installation folder. If you installed Inventor after CFD, you need to tell CFD to add the button.

It also depends on what versions you are running but try this first.

Thanks,

Jon

[Anonymous]

Hi Jon,

I ran SimCFDconfig.exe as administrator and shortened the file names of my models and I am now simulating again!  I have difficulty with suppression of the solid body in Inventor.  When I suppress it and launch SimCFD I get the cuboid without the body.  I am running Inventor 2014 and SimCFD 2014.  Must I some how define the volume of the body better?  Please find attached my part file.  Perhaps and Inventor update?

As always, your help has been great and timely.

Mike

[Jon.Wilde · Accepted solution]

Hi,

What you are doing here is fine, although really you need individual parts within Inventor, better than everything being within one.

Bring both parts through into CFD then suppress what you don't need from the mesh. The fluid part will have the solid body cut out from it still, which I think will give you what you need.

You can still look at wall forces etc on where the solid body would have been.

Thanks,

Jon