Overset Mesh in STAR-CCM+

Dr. Sven ENGER, CD-adapco, Nuremberg Office

DANSIS Copenhagen, 24 Sep. 2014

Brand new technology. !
 Overtaking Cars Demo
900

800

700

600

500

400 Drag Force

Car 1
300 Downforce
Car 1
200
0.5 5.5 10.5 15.5
What are Overset Meshes?
Overset meshes are also known as Chimera or overlapping
meshes
An overset mesh typically containing a body of interest such as a boat
or a gear is superimposed on a background mesh containing the
surrounding geometry and data is interpolated between the two
This approach allows complex motion and moving parts to be easily set
up and simulated
How it Works

The cells from the two meshes are sorted

into four types:
Active Cells
Discretizing governing equations are solved
Yellow cells are active cells marked by the hole
cutting process
Passive Cells
No equations are solved
Donor Cells
Used to provide interpolation information to the
other mesh acceptor cells
Acceptor Cells
The boundary cell which receives interpolated
information from the other mesh donor cells
These cells are sometimes referred to as ghost
cells
 Construction of the Overset Mesh

Cells from Cells from overset Assembled cells

background region region from both regions

Active cells

Passive cells

Active cells

Acceptor Cells
Data Transfer Between the Meshes
Note: The
active cells
of the
background
and overset
meshes
overlap
Data Transfer Between the Meshes
For the active cells at the edge of one mesh, here shown as the cells marked C,
an adjacent acceptor (or ghost) cell exists shown by the dotted lines
This acceptor or ghost cell must provide information to allow the calculation
of:-
Cell center values in active cell C
Face fluxes on the face between active cell C and the acceptor (ghost) cell

Acceptor cells
Implementation
No explicit interpolation of solution is performed
Solution is computed on all grids simultaneously
Grids are implicitly coupled through the linear equation system matrix...
1st Example: sphere moving inside a box
Fixed wall
Moving shape
2

In Out

Fixed wall

Step 1: define 2 regions :

R1 = background mesh
R2 = Overset mesh

Note: Shape of external boundary of R2 is arbitrary

boundary type = Overset
Valid configurations: Overset boundary
Meshing Strategy: tight vs loose

Tight Fit Loose Fit

Overset Region is as small as possible Overset Region is as big as possible

and tightly surrounds the immersed
body

Pros: can move to smaller gaps, Pros: background mesh can be

smaller cell count coarser, interpolation occurs at
distance

Cons: requires background mesh to Cons: overset mesh can interfere

be fine with boundaries, limit time steps
Meshing: all types compatible
Step 2: The two regions are meshed independently*
Overset Meshing Golden Rule #1
Mesh size should match as much as possible around
the overset boundary

Background
Region cell

Overset
Region
cell
Define Steady Physics and run the baseline case.
Post-process as usual: notice differences
Double Isolines
Extra Outlines
Behind the scene
Cell deactivation occurs in both background and overset region
Advantage over traditional methods #1
No remeshing required if object is moved at different position
Region OVERSET Transform continue run

Overset interface is automatically reset and re-calculated

Advantage over traditional methods #2
Create duplicates with no volume remeshing
Need just to define additional interface

Overset meshes can extend out of background domain

Overset meshes can overlap each other
Moving mesh
Define motion us usual
and apply it to overset mesh

Hole Cutting algorithm is

re-calculated at each time step

Change interpolation option from

Distance weighted to linear
Variation: Tunnel Entry
Option #1 & #2 still valid, option #3 valid from version 902

Mountain
side Partial
Overset Overset
boundary boundary

Tunnel roof

A boundary type that is partially wall and

partially overset needs to be defined as
wall with Dynamics Overset Behaviour
flagged on
Tunnel entry results
Further sliding concepts
Can slide on arbitrary surface if boundary is projected, mesh will deform
Further sliding concepts

The nodes on the sliding wall

are projected at each timestep
to the fixed shape wall

Use slide on Guide Surface

Feature of Morpher
Scenarios for Multiple overlaps
No background scenario

The background mesh

can be removed

Use Dynamic Overset

Boundary option on wall
boundaries
Stacking background mesh
Dynamic Overset boundary use on static wall of background
Stacking background mesh.
Application Examples
Contact Forces #1
Contact Forces #2
Example : Torpedo Launch
Pitching foil
Benchmark: Store Separation
Visualization Overall Trajectory
Store Separation: Overset Region Dynamics
Ball Mill Mixing Concept
Simulation of Pouring - Principle

Pouring optimization:
Reduce misruns;
Increase yield (skull reduction);
Use STAR-CCM+ to find optimized pouring curve (CD-adapco/ Access);
Variation in rotational speed, pouring height and position
Frictionless Contact Coupling
Contact with Friction
Contact between Two Bodies
Solid Side
The ABAQUS model consists of the following materials:
Green = Aluminium
Beige = Rubber
The pipe is modelled as a rigid surface and contact and motion along the
pipe is fully modelled
Results
Windscreen Wipers

Overset grids allow simulation of wiper action on a windscreen (VoF,

locally fine grid around wipers, intersecting paths, FSI)
THANK YOU !