Introduction 9.04

STAR-CCM+ User Guide
Introduction 10823
Introduction
Welcome to the STAR-CCM+ introductory tutorial. In this tutorial, you

explore the important concepts and workflow. Complete this tutorial
before attempting any others.
Throughout this tutorial, links to other sections of the online
documentation explore important concepts. For example, for a clearer
understanding of the changes to typeface in the tutorials, refer to the
typographic conventions.
This tutorial is useful in addition to STAR-CCM+ training. For more
help, contact your local CD-adapco office. A list of contacts is found at:
http://www.cd-adapco.com/about/locations.html.
The case is a transonic flow over an idealized symmetrical blunt body in
a wind tunnel.
The tutorial workflow includes:
Importing the geometry files.
Generating a polyhedral mesh.
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Introduction 10824
Setting boundary names and types.
Defining the models in the continua and applying them to the

regions.
Defining the region conditions, values, and boundary conditions.
Running the simulation.
Post-processing the results.
These steps follow the general workflow for STAR-CCM+.
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Starting a STAR-CCM+ Simulation 10825
Starting a STAR-CCM+ Simulation

Start the simulation and familiarize yourself with the STAR-CCM+ user
interface.
1. Launch STAR-CCM+ using the appropriate instructions for your
operating system.
After a brief display of the splash screen, the STAR-CCM+ client
workspace opens without loading an existing simulation or creating
a simulation. This interface to the STAR-CCM+ software is a selfcontained graphical user interface (GUI) with panes and
subwindows. Some of the GUI terminology is shown in the
following screenshot.
The menu bar provides access to application-wide actions, with

some of the more important actions being duplicated in the toolbar.
2. Let the mouse hover over any of the buttons in the toolbar.
A short description of what that button does appears in a tooltip. In
this case, the tool tip shows the name of the bar.
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Creating a Simulation 10826
Creating a Simulation
Creating a simulation is the first step in a new STAR-CCM+ analysis.
STAR-CCM+ is a client-server application with the client (user interface
or batch interpreter) running in one process, and the server (the solver)
running in another process. Start a server process on the same machine
as the client:
1. Start a simulation by selecting File > New Simulation from the
menu bar.
The Create a New Simulation dialog appears.
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Creating a Simulation 10827
2. In the Create a New Simulation dialog, click OK.

A new window containing a simulation object tree is created in the
Explorer pane, with the name Star 1. The initial folder nodes for this
simulation are shown in the following screenshot. Other nodes are
added to the object tree as you progress further.
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Working with Objects 10828
As the new simulation is created, a window that is named Output

appears in the lower-right portion of the STAR-CCM+ workspace.
The Output window describes the progress of actions in the
simulation.
Working with Objects

Much of your interaction with the simulation is through the objects in
the simulation tree that was added to the Explorer pane.
Familiarize yourself with the objects in the simulation tree:
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The tree represents all the objects in the simulation. Nodes are added in
later sections when a geometry is imported and models are defined in
the continuum. Most of your interaction with the simulation is by
selecting nodes in the tree and:
Right-clicking to expose an action menu.
Using keys to, for example, copy and delete objects.
Dragging objects to other tree nodes or onto visualization displays.
The handle next to a node indicates that subnodes exist below that one.
To open a node and show the subnodes, click the handle. To close it, do
the same for an open node.
Most objects in the tree have one or more properties that define the
object. Access to the properties is through the table.
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To modify the properties of an object, click its node once to select it. Edit
most types of properties in the value cell. Otherwise, when setting
values of complex properties, click the Property Customizer button to
the right of the value. A property-specific dialog opens.
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Saving and Naming a Simulation 10831
Saving and Naming a Simulation

The simulation file (.sim) contains STAR-CCM+ analysis setup, runtime,
and results information.Here, you save the simulation to disk.
To save the simulation:
1. Select File > Save As.
2. Navigate to the directory where you want to locate the file.
3. In the Save dialog, type bluntBody.sim into the File Name text box
and click Save.
The title of the simulation window in the Explorer pane updates to
reflect the new name.
It is useful to save work in progress periodically. This tutorial includes
reminders to save the simulation at the end of each section. If you
would like to return to a stage of the tutorial at a later stage, save it with
a unique name.
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Importing the Geometry 10832
Importing the Geometry

STAR-CCM+ provides tools to generate the geometry, but for this
tutorial you start from a pre-generated Parasolid file of the design.
Before solving this case, you can recognize that the flow is likely to be
symmetrical in two planes around the body. Hence, only a quarter of
the geometry is modeled. This symmetry condition reduces
computational costs and solution time without losing information or
accuracy.
The first step in this tutorial is to import the geometry:
1. Select File > Import > Import Surface Mesh from the menu bar.
2. In the Open dialog, navigate to the doc/startutorialsdata/
introduction/data subdirectory of your STAR-CCM+ installation
directory and select file bluntBody.x_t.
3. To start the import, click Open.

The Import Surface Options dialog appears.
4. Select Create new Part from the Import Mode box.
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5. Click OK to import the geometry.

STAR-CCM+ provides feedback on the import process in the Output
window. A new geometry scene is created in the Graphics window
and shows the imported geometry.
6. In the simulation tree, expand the Geometry > Parts node to see the
new bluntBody part.
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The imported geometry represents the fluid volume around the

body in the wind tunnel.
7. Save the simulation by clicking Save.
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Visualizing the Imported Geometry 10835
Visualizing the Imported Geometry

The Geometry Scene 1 display is already present in the Graphics window.
Initially, solid, colored surfaces show the surfaces of the geometry.
View the imported geometry in the Graphics window.
A new geometry scene contains:
A part displayer, Geometry 1, which contains all faces in the

geometry part and is preset to display a shaded surface.
A second part displayer, Outline, which also contains all faces in the
geometry part and is preset to display the mesh outline.
Panning, Zooming, and Rotating the View

Familiarize yourself with the options to change the view of the
geometry.
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Panning, Zooming, and Rotating the View 10836
In the Graphics window, all three mouse buttons have drag operations
that change the view of the geometry:
To rotate about the selected point, hold down the left mouse button
and drag.
To zoom in or out, hold down the middle mouse button and drag.
To translate or pan, hold down the right mouse button and drag.
To rotate around an axis perpendicular to the screen, press the
<Ctrl> key and hold down the left mouse button while dragging.
There are also several hot keys that rotate the view:
To align with the X-Y plane, press the <T> key.
To align with the Y-Z plane, press the <F> key.
To align with the Z-X plane, press the <S> key.
To fit the view within the Graphics window, press the <R> key.
1. Adjust the view as shown in the following screenshot.
2. Save the simulation.
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Defining Boundary Surfaces 10837
Defining Boundary Surfaces

Specify the boundary type for each surface.
The following illustration gives an overview of how you set up this
problem.
Index
Description
Stagnation Boundary
Wall
Symmetry Planes
Pressure Boundary
Slip Walls
Split the surfaces that form specific boundaries:

1. Open the Geometry > Parts > bluntBody > Surfaces > Faces node.
2. Right-click the Faces node and from the pop-up menu, select Split
by Patch.
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The Split Part Surface by Patch dialog appears.

3. In Geometry Scene 1, select the face in the low X direction, rotating
the geometry as necessary.
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4. Type Inlet in the Part Surface Name field.
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5. Click Create.
The face is removed from the scene and the new surface appears
within the surfaces manager node belonging to the parent part.
6. Repeat the previous steps for the following surfaces:
Location
Corresponding part surface patch

number
Name
High X face 3
Pressure
Low Z face 4
Symmetry_plane1
Low Y face 6
Symmetry_plane2
The outside walls of the region can be defined as a single boundary by

combining two faces into one part surface using the multi-select
functionality.
7. Hold down the <Ctrl> key and click both the High Y and High Z
faces.
8. Type Slip_wall in the Part Surface Name.
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Renaming the Surface and Part 10841
9. Click Create.
The remaining patches remain as part of the default surface.
10. Click Close.

Renaming the Surface and Part

Renaming nodes is a common operation in STAR-CCM+. There are two
ways a node can be renamed.
Rename the Faces node and the bluntBody part:
1. Select the Geometry > Parts > bluntBody node.
2. Press <F2>.
3. Rename the part subdomain-1.
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4. Press <Enter> or click another node to accept.

To rename the Faces part surface, the previous method can be used. Use
the alternative right-click menu option:
5. Right-click the Geometry > Parts > subdomain-1 > Surfaces > Faces
node and select Rename....
6. In the Rename dialog, enter Inner_wall and click OK.
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The parts are ready to be converted to a region and boundaries.

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Assigning Parts to Regions 10844
Assigning Parts to Regions

Geometry parts are used to prepare the spatial representation of the
model. The computational model to which physics can be applied is
defined in terms of regions, boundaries, and interfaces.
Create a region and associated boundaries from the geometry part and
its surfaces:
1. Right-click Geometry > Parts > subdomain-1 and select Assign
Parts to Regions....
The Assign Parts to Regions dialog appears.

2. Select Create a Region for Each Part.
3. Select Create a Boundary for Each Part Surface.
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4. Click Apply.
5. Close the dialog.
The portion of the object tree below the Regions node appears as
shown below. All of the surfaces appear as individual boundaries
within the region.
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Setting Boundary Types 10847
Setting Boundary Types

Having previously given the boundaries sensible names, you can set the
boundary types.
Specify the appropriate boundary types:
1. Select the Symmetry_plane1 node and set Type to Symmetry Plane.
The boundary node icon changes to reflect the new type.

2. Using the same technique, change Symmetry_plane2 to Symmetry
Plane.
For compressible flows, the most appropriate inflow and outflow types
are stagnation inlet and pressure outlet.
3. Change the type of the Inlet boundary to Stagnation Inlet and the
type of the Pressure boundary to Pressure Outlet.
The Slip_wall and Inner_wall boundaries retain the default Wall
type. Slip walls are boundary conditions and are set up later.
Selecting Parts
STAR-CCM+ highlights selected parts in the visualization window.
To highlight parts:
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Selecting Parts 10848
1. Click a part in the Geometry Scene 1 display, for example the High X
face.
The object becomes highlighted and a label appears with the name
of the object selected.
In the bluntBody object tree, the node that corresponds to this object
is also highlighted.
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Adding and Removing Parts from a Scene 10849
Conversely, if a boundary node is selected in the bluntBody tree, the

surface corresponding to that boundary is highlighted in the
Graphics window.
Adding and Removing Parts from a Scene

Use the part selector dialog to add and remove parts from a scene.
To add and remove some parts:
1. Open the Scenes > Geometry Scene 1 > Displayers > Geometry 1 >
Parts node and click the ellipsis (Custom Editor) for the Parts value.
The Parts dialog appears.
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2.
(Column Selection) to clear the current selections.

Click
3. Expand Regions > subdomain-1 > Boundaries.
4. Select Inner_wall.
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5. Click OK.
This selection removes the solid-colored boundaries representing the
wind tunnel from the scene, leaving the outlines and the blunt body.
Add those parts back to the scene using a drag-and-drop method:

6. Open the Regions > subdomain-1 > Boundaries node.
7. To extend your selection, hold down the <Ctrl> key and select all
the boundary nodes except Inner_wall.
8. Release the <Ctrl> key but continue to keep the left mouse button
pressed.
9. Drag the nodes onto the display and release the left mouse button.
A pop-up menu appears.

Use this menu to choose which of the part displayers in the scene
receive the parts that you have dragged across.
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10. Select Add to Geometry 1.
The parts are restored to the scene.

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Generating the Mesh 10853
Generating the Mesh

Several steps are involved in defining and generating a volume mesh.
To generate the mesh:
1. Create a mesh continuum.
2. Choose appropriate meshing models.
3. Specify initial global settings.
4. Modify the boundary-specific settings.
Creating the Mesh Continuum

The mesh continuum is used to specify the required meshing models.
To create the mesh continuum:
1. Right-click Continua.
2. Select New > Mesh Continuum.
A new node, Mesh 1, is added to the simulation tree.
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Choosing Meshing Models 10854
Choosing Meshing Models

The meshing continuum has a Models node which you can now
populate.
To choose the meshing models:
1. Right-click the Mesh 1 node and choose Select Meshing Models....
In the Mesh 1 Model Selection dialog:

2. Select Surface Remesher from the Surface Mesh group box.
3. Select Polyhedral Mesher and Prism Layer Mesher from the
Optional Models group box.
The Enabled Models section appears as shown below.
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Choosing Meshing Models 10855
4. Click Close.
5. Expand the Models and Reference Values managers.
The simulation tree appears as shown below.
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Specifying the Mesh Settings 10856
Specifying the Mesh Settings

Generating a mesh often requires several iterations to achieve the
desired density and distribution of cells. In this tutorial, you generate a
volume mesh, add some simple refinement, and regenerate.
To specify the mesh settings:
1. Select the Continua > Mesh 1 > Reference Values > Base Size node
and set Value to 0.01 m.
With this base size, approximately 8 cells are created across the
width of the region.
2. Select Continua > Mesh 1 > Reference Values > Number of Prism
Layers and set Numbers of Prism Layers to 5.
Generating the Volume Mesh

Now that you have specified the appropriate settings, you can generate
the volume mesh.
1.
Click
(Generate Volume Mesh) in the toolbar or select Generate
Volume Mesh in the Mesh menu.
The run and progress of the meshers are displayed in the Output
window.
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Displaying the Volume Mesh 10857
Displaying the Volume Mesh

Display the mesh to permit its inspection in the existing displayer.
To display the volume mesh:
1. Select the Scenes > Geometry Scene 1 > Displayers > Geometry 1
node.
2. To display the surface of the mesh, activate Mesh.
3. Right-click an empty part of the display and select Apply

Representation > Volume Mesh.
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Displaying the Volume Mesh 10858
This action reveals the mesh on the boundaries.
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Refining the Mesh 10859
Refining the Mesh

The prism layer has been generated on the inner and the slip walls by
default. Because a fluid boundary layer does not form on slip walls, you
can customize the prism mesh settings on that boundary.
To refine the mesh:
1. Select the Regions > subdomain-1 > Boundaries > Slip_wall >
Mesh Conditions node and set Customize Prism Mesh to Disable.
To provide better definition of the blunt body, modify the surface mesh
at the inner wall:
2. Select the Regions > subdomain-1 > Boundaries > Inner_wall >
Mesh Conditions > Custom Surface Size node and activate Custom
Surface Size.
A new Mesh Values node appears.
3. Select the Surface Size node and set Relative/Absolute to Absolute.
4. Select the Surface Size > Absolute Minimum Size node and make
sure that Value is 0.0010 m.
To regenerate the mesh:
5.
Click
(Generate Volume Mesh).
6. Zoom in to the area around the slip walls and inner walls to see the
improved mesh.
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Refining the Mesh 10860
This mesh is satisfactory for an initial solution.

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Selecting the Physics Models 10861
Selecting the Physics Models

Physics models define the primary variables of the simulation, including
pressure, temperature and velocity, and the mathematical formulation.
In STAR-CCM+, the physics models are defined on a physics
continuum. In this example, the flow is turbulent and compressible. You
use the Coupled Flow model together with the default K-Epsilon
Turbulence model.
To select the physics models:
1. Right-click the Continua > Physics 1 node and choose Select
models....
The Physics Model Selection dialog appears as shown in the following

screenshot.
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2. Select the Gas radio button from the Material group box, since this
exercise involves an idealized gas (air).
Since the Auto-select recommended models checkbox is activated, the
Physics Model Selection dialog guides you through the model selection
process by selecting certain default models automatically as you make
some choices.
Certain models, when activated in a continuum, require other models
also to be activated in that continuum. For instance, once a continuum
contains a liquid or a gas, it also needs a flow model. Once it has a flow
model, it needs a viscous model (inviscid, laminar, or turbulent). Once
turbulence is activated within a fluid continuum, select a turbulence
model. The prompt Additional model selections are required alerts
you to the fact that you have not completed the model selection.
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3. The following selections are required for this simulation:

a) Select Coupled Flow from the Flow group box.
b) Select Ideal Gas from the Equation of State group box.
The Coupled Energy model is selected automatically.
c) Select Steady from the Time group box.
d) Select Turbulent from the Viscous Regime group box.
e) Select K-Epsilon Turbulence from the Reynolds-Averaged
Turbulence group box.
The Realizable K-Epsilon Two-Layer and the Two-Layer All y+
Wall Treatment models are selected automatically.
To reverse part or all of the model selection process, simply clear the
checkboxes of the models you wish to deactivate. Other active models
require the selections that are grayed out. Therefore, deactivate the
models that are not grayed out to begin with.
When complete, the Physics Model Selection dialog appears as shown in
the following screenshot:
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No optional models are required for this simulation.

4. Click Close.
5. To see the selected models in the simulation tree, open the Continua
node in the bluntBody window of the Explorer pane.
The color of the Physics 1 node has turned from gray to blue to
indicate that models have been selected.
6. To display the selected models, open the Physics 1 node and then
the Models node.
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You can view the model properties in the object tree.
When you select the Gas model, the properties of air such as dynamic
viscosity are used by default. Since this problem uses air, the properties
are acceptable.
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Setting Initial Conditions 10867
Setting Initial Conditions

Initial conditions in a continuum specify the initial field data for the
simulation.
Examples of initial conditions are:
Pressure
Temperature
Velocity components
Turbulence quantities
Each model requires sufficient information so that the primary variables

of the model can be set. For some models, such as turbulence models,
the option of specifying the information in a more convenient form is
presented. For example, turbulence intensity and turbulent viscosity
ratio instead of turbulent kinetic energy and turbulent dissipation rate.
In steady-state simulations, the solution ought to converge
independently of the initial field. However, the initial field still affects
the path to convergence, and with it the cost in computing power.
Therefore specify initial conditions and values judiciously, particularly
when the physics is complex.
Specifying the Initial Conditions for the Simulation

The stagnation inlet boundary has conditions that correspond to a Mach
number of 0.75. The equivalent freestream velocity is roughly 300 m/s,
the value you use to initialize the velocity field.
To specify the initial conditions:
1. Open the Continua > Physics 1 > Initial Conditions node.
2. Open the Velocity > Constant node and set Value to 300,0,0.
3. In the same Initial Conditions node, open the Turbulent Viscosity
Ratio node and select the Constant node.
4. Set Value to 50, which is the same as the turbulent viscosity ratio
that is set on the stagnation boundary condition.
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Defining the Region Continuum 10868
Defining the Region Continuum

You can associate a continuum with zero, one, or more regions. Multiple
continua can be defined and each region assigned a different one. In this
tutorial, only one geometry part is present, which requires a single
region to represent it, which was named subdomain-1. There is a simple
way to determine which set of continua models are allocated to a region.
To define the region continuum:
1. Select the subdomain-1 node in the Regions node.
2. Set the Physics Continuum property to Physics 1, the name of the

continuum where you defined all the models earlier.
During this tutorial, there is one continuum in the above drop-down list,
but as you add more (to the Continua node in the simulation tree), they
are added to the drop-down list. This process determines which
continua is used in the analysis, though continua can be defined and left
unused.
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Setting Boundary Conditions and Values 10869
Setting Boundary Conditions and Values

Although the concept of a boundary type is fairly unambiguous (wall,
stagnation inlet, and so on.), models need more information to deal with
the type. Conditions provide this information.
For example, with a boundary of type wall, the conditions specify
whether this wall is to be a no-slip wall, a slip wall, or a moving wall.
The conditions also tell you whether you want to apply a specified
temperature (Dirichlet) thermal boundary condition or a specified heat
flux (Neumann) thermal boundary condition.
The types and conditions inform models how to deal with a boundary
(or region or interface) but they do not specify actual numerical input.
Values provide this input. Value nodes are added in response to choices
made on conditions nodes.
Setting Inlet Conditions and Values

Set the appropriate conditions and values for the Inlet boundary.
To achieve a Mach number of approximately 0.75 at the inlet, isentropic
relations were used to determine the inlet total pressure and outlet static
pressure for a given total temperature. For an outlet static pressure
equal to one atmosphere (absolute) and a static temperature of 300 K,
the inlet total pressure is 164,904 Pa (absolute). The inlet total
temperature is 344.8 K.
The boundary values are specified as gauge pressures. Therefore, using
the default reference pressure of 101,325 Pa (one atmosphere), set the
inlet total pressure to 63,579 Pa (gauge). The outlet static pressure is 0 Pa
(gauge), the default value.
To set the Inlet conditions and values:
1. Open the Regions > subdomain-1 > Boundaries node.
2. Open the Inlet, Physics Values and Total Pressure nodes, and select
the Constant node.
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Setting Inlet Conditions and Values 10870
3. Set Value to 63579.

The total pressure setting is relative to the operating pressure value of
101,325 Pa. A supersonic static pressure is also required as part of a
stagnation inlet condition but is only used if the inlet velocity becomes
supersonic at some instance during solution iteration. The default value
of 0.0 Pa relative pressure is sufficient as long as supersonic flow does
not occur.
The next value to set is the total temperature.
4. In the same Physics Values node, open the Total Temperature node
and select the Constant node.
5. Set the Value to 344.8.

6. Select the Physics Values > Turbulent Viscosity Ratio > Constant
node.
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Setting the Slip Wall Condition 10871
7. Set Value to 50.

This value has been determined to give a reasonable decay of
turbulence in the channel core (for the default turbulence intensity).
Setting the Slip Wall Condition

To simulate the body in a wind tunnel, the upper boundary is set to a
slip wall, thus avoiding the need to resolve the boundary layer on this
wall.
To set the Slip Wall condition:
1. Select the Slip_wall > Physics Conditions > Shear Stress
Specification node.
2. Set Method to Slip.
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Setting Solver Parameters and Stopping Criteria 10872
Setting Solver Parameters and Stopping

Criteria
Set the appropriate stopping criteria for the simulation.
To set the stopping criterion:
1. Select the Stopping Criteria > Maximum Steps node.
2. Set the Maximum Steps to 300.

The solution does not converge in this number of iterations. The
solution does not run for more than 300 iterations, unless this stopping
criterion is changed or deactivated.
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Visualizing the Solution 10873
Visualizing the Solution

Create a scalar scene to display the results of the simulation.
To watch the Mach number on the blunt body and vertical symmetry
plane solution developing, set up a scalar scene.
To visualize the solution:
1. Right-click the Scenes node and select New Scene > Scalar.
A new Scalar Scene 1 display appears.
Hide all parts except the blunt body itself and the vertical symmetry
plane.
2. Select the new Scenes > Scalar Scene 1 > Displayers > Scalar 1 >
Parts node.
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3. Click the (Custom Editor) in the right half of the Parts property.
4. In the Parts dialog, expand Regions > subdomain-1, select
Inner_wall and Symmetry_plane1, and click OK.
Define Mach number as the scalar to display:

5. Right-click the scalar bar (near the bottom of the Graphics window).
6. Select Mach Number > Lab Reference Frame from the pop-up
menu.
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Since the geometry of this example is symmetric, the mesh was cut into
quarters with two symmetry planes to reduce computing costs.
However, the symmetric repeat transform lets you create the visual
effect of the complete geometry by setting up the mirror image of the
model in the Graphics window. In this case, you only do one repeat so
that half the model is shown.
7. Select the Scalar 1 node.
8. Set the Transform expert property to Symmetry_plane2 1.
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To remove the outline:

9. Select the Displayers > Outline 1 node.
10. Clear the checkbox of the Outline property.
The scalar scene appears as below.
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Monitoring Simulation Progress 10878
Monitoring Simulation Progress

STAR-CCM+ can dynamically monitor a quantity of interest while the
solution develops.
The process involves:
Setting up a report that defines the quantity of interest and the

region parts that are monitored
See Setting Up a Report.
Defining a monitor using that report, which controls the update

frequency and normalization characteristics
Setting up an X-Y plot using that monitor

See Setting Up a Monitor and a Plot.
For this case, force is monitored on the body in the x-direction of the
flow, which effectively is the total drag force. This process starts with
the report definition.
Setting Up a Report
Create a report to collect the simulation results.
To set up a report:
1. Right-click the Reports node and select New Report > Force
Coefficient.
This action creates a Force Coefficient 1 node under the Reports

node.
2. Select the Force Coefficient 1 node and enter the settings for the
report in the Properties window.
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Setting Up a Report 10879
a) Enter 1.277 for Reference Density, the density of the freestream

air.
b) Enter 264.6 for Reference Velocity, the velocity at the inlet.
c) Enter a value of 0.0161269 for Reference Area, the projected
area of the quarter of the blunt body that is used in the
simulation.
d) Make sure that Direction is [1.0,0.0,0.0] (for drag).
Use the drag-and-drop method to select the monitored part, namely the
Inner_wall boundary:
3. Open the Regions > subdomain-1 > Boundaries node and then drag
the Inner_wall node onto the Force Coefficient 1 node.
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Setting Up a Monitor and a Plot 10880
The Inner_wall entry is now listed in the Parts property of the Force
Coefficient 1 node.
The setup for the report is now complete, and a monitor and a plot can
be made from that report.
Setting Up a Monitor and a Plot

Create a monitor and a plot to display the report data.
1. Right-click the Force Coefficient 1 node and select Create Monitor
and Plot from Report.
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This action creates a Force Coefficient 1 Monitor node under the

Monitors node.
The existing monitors in this branch of the simulation tree are the
residual monitors from the solvers that the models use. With the
new monitor node selected, the default settings for the Force
Coefficient 1 monitor are seen.
These settings update the plot every iteration while the solution is
running.
In addition to the new monitor node, a Force Coefficient 1 Monitor
Plot node is created in the Plots node.
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2. Select the new Force Coefficient 1 Monitor Plot node.

The property settings for the plot appear.
Additional properties of the plot can be adjusted using the subnodes of

the Force Coefficient 1 Plot node.
3. To view the plot display, do one of the following:
Double-click the Force Coefficient 1 Monitor Plot node.

or
Right-click the Force Coefficient 1 Monitor Plot node and select

Open from the pop-up menu.
A Force Coefficient 1 Monitor Plot appears in the Graphics window.
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This plot display is automatically updated with the drag force

coefficient when the solver starts to run.
The pre-processing setup is completed. The simulation can now be run
to convergence.
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Running the Simulation 10884
Running the Simulation

Preparation of the simulation is now complete, and the simulation can
be run.
To run the simulation:
1. Do one of the following:
Click
Use the Solution > Run menu item.
(Run) in the Solution toolbar.
The Residuals display is created automatically and shows the

progress of the solver. If necessary, click the Residuals tab to bring
the Residuals plot into view. An example of a residual plot is shown
in a separate part of the User Guide. This example looks different
from your residuals, since the plot depends on the models selected.
The tabs at the top of the Graphics window allow you to select any one
of the active displays for viewing.
2. To see the results, click the tab of the Scalar Scene 1 display.
3. Rotate and zoom if desired for a better view.
4. During the run, it is possible to stop the process by clicking

in the toolbar.
(Stop)
If you do halt the simulation, you can resume it by clicking

(Run).
If left alone, the simulation continues until the stopping criterion of
300 iterations is satisfied.
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Running the Simulation 10885
5. After the run is finished, save the simulation.
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Adjusting Solver Parameters and Continuing 10886
Adjusting Solver Parameters and

Continuing
The default Courant number of 5 is conservative for this type of
problem on a mesh of reasonable quality, so it can be increased to
accelerate convergence. When the solution has reached the stopping
criterion of 300 iterations, adjust the solver parameters.
To adjust the solver parameters:
1. Select the Solvers > Coupled Implicit node and set Courant
Number to 10.0.
2. Select the Stopping Criteria > Maximum Steps node and set the
Maximum Steps to 1500.
This setting instructs STAR-CCM+ to iterate 1200 steps in addition
to the 300 already done.
The maximum number of 1500 steps is a reasonable setting, in this case,
to get to convergence. Normally, you do not know ahead of time what a
suitable iteration count is. You can either set a large iteration and watch
the residuals or a monitor plot, or add a stopping criterion from a
monitor.
3. To continue running the simulation, click
(Run).
Disconnecting and Reconnecting

The STAR-CCM+ client-server design permits you to run a simulation,
disconnect the client from the running server, and then reconnect later
to check on results. You can also reconnect from a different machine,
even a machine of another architecture.
To disconnect the client from the server:
1. Open the Servers window (if it is not already open) by selecting
Window > Servers.
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Disconnecting and Reconnecting 10887
2. To see your simulation, look in the Servers window of the Explorer

pane.
3. Reselect the simulation window in the Explorer pane, and select the
File > Disconnect menu item.
4. In the OK to disconnect dialog, click OK.

The client disconnects from the server, but both are still running,
although the simulation window no longer appears in the client. If
desired, the client can be shut down using File > Exit.
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Completing the Run 10888
The Servers window of the Explorer pane lists all server processes
(simulations) that are running locally.
5. Selecting the node in the tree displays the server process properties.
6. Continue by right-clicking the server process node in the Servers

tree and selecting Connect from the pop-up menu.
When you reconnect, none of the previously created scenes and

plots are displayed in the Graphics window.
7. To display a scene of interest, do one of the following:
Double-click its node in the simulation object tree.

or
Right-click the node and select Open.
Completing the Run

At the end of the calculation, the Residuals display show most of the
residuals flattening out, which is a good indicator of convergence.
To confirm that the solution has converged:
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Completing the Run 10889
1. Select the Force Coefficient 1 Monitor Plot display to verify that the
drag coefficient has also flattened out.
2. Once the run is finished, save the simulation.
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Visualizing the Results 10890
Visualizing the Results

View the results of the simulation using the scalar and vector scenes that
you prepared earlier.
Once the solution is finished, you can examine the results in scalar
scenes and vector scenes.
Examining Scalars
View the results of the simulation in a scalar scene.
To see the Mach number results for the finished solution:
1. Make the Scalar Scene 1 display active.
By default, Filled cell values are shown.

To display smooth contours:
2. Select the Scalar 1 node and set the Contour Style to (Smooth
Filled).
The contours of the scalar display now appear smooth.
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Examining Scalars 10891
Display two scalar values at the same time: one on the symmetry plane,
the other on the inner wall:
3. Add another scalar displayer by right-clicking the Displayers node
and selecting New Displayer > Scalar.
The creation of the second displayer has added a second scalar bar
in the display.
To view both scalar bars:
4. Point the mouse in the interior of a scalar bar to drag either one of
them to a different location.
Version 9.04
5. In the display, right-click the scalar bar (blue) of the new displayer
and select Pressure.
6. Right-click the inner wall in the display, select Displayers, and open
its submenu.
7. Among the checkboxes to the right of in, clear the checkbox under
Scalar 1 and tick the one under Scalar 2.
Version 9.04
This single step transfers the part from one displayer to another.
8. Select the Scenes > Scalar Scene 1 > Displayers > Scalar 2 node.
9. Set the Contour Style to (Smooth Filled).

The blunt body shows pressure values while the symmetry plane
shows Mach number.
Version 9.04
Examining Vectors 10894
Examining Vectors
This section demonstrates how to examine velocity vectors in the model.
In this example, you set up vectors in a reflected symmetry plane
around a solid-colored blunt body.
1. First, create a scene by right-clicking the Scenes node.
2. Select New Scene > Vector.
A new Vector Scene 1 display appears.

You do not need the outlines that the Outline part displayer
provides by default, so reuse that displayer to show the blunt body
as a solid object.
3. Select the Vector Scene 1 > Displayers > Outline 1 > Parts node and
click (Custom Editor).
4. In the Parts dialog, click the column selection button twice.
Version 9.04
5. Expand the Regions and subdomain-1 nodes.

6. Select the Inner_wall node.
7. Click OK.
8. Select the Outline 1 node in the Displayers node.
9. Make the following changes to the Outline displayer properties:

a) Deactivate the Outline property.
b) Activate the Surface property.
Version 9.04
c) Set the Transform expert property to Symmetry_plane2 1.
10. Select the Vector 1 > Parts node and click the ellipsis (Custom
Editor) for the Parts value.
11. In the Parts dialog, expand the Regions and subdomain-1 nodes.
Select the Symmetry_plane1 node and click OK.
Version 9.04
12. Select the Vector 1 node.

These settings show a solid blunt body with velocity vectors
surrounding it.
Version 9.04
It is possible to make the arrows shorter to see the vectors more

clearly.
14. Select the Vector 1 > Glyph > Relative Length node and change
Glyph Length (%) to 2.0.
The arrows now appear shorter.
Version 9.04
Plotting Data on a Slice 10899
Plotting Data on a Slice

Create an x-y plot to visualize the pressure coefficient (on the y-axis)
along a slice of the blunt body.
Creating the x-y plot requires the following steps:
1. Create a derived part for the slice.
2. Create a plot using the new derived part.
Creating a Derived Part

Create a plane section that cuts the blunt body. In STAR-CCM+
terminology, this plane section is called a derived part.
To create the derived part:
1. Right-click the Scenes node and select New Scene > Geometry.
2. Right-click the Derived Parts node and select New Part > Section >
Plane....
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Creating a Derived Part 10900
A new interactive in-place dialog is activated to allow definition of

the derived part.
To define the source part for this derived part:
3.
4.
5.
6.
In the Input Parts group box, click [subdomain-1].

In the dialog that appears, click the column selection button twice.
Expand the Regions and subdomain-1 nodes.
Select the Inner_wall boundary and click OK.
Version 9.04
The plane tool in the scene display allows interactive definition of the
plane that cuts the blunt body.
7. Rotate and pan the image as needed so that the inner wall is in front
of the plane tool rectangle as shown.
8. In the dialog, leave the Display box at its default setting.
Version 9.04
The barbell represents the normal of the cutting plane, which can
be changed by dragging one of the balls to another location. The
plane can also be dragged to change the origin of the cutting plane.
A bounding box slightly larger than the regions in the scene is displayed
to limit the movement of the plane.
9. Move the mouse over the plane tool, then click-and-drag the
rectangle so that it cuts the blunt body close to the symmetry plane.
The properties of the edit dialog are similar to those in the following
screenshot:
Version 9.04
10. Click Create and then Close.

In the bluntBody window, a node, plane section, has been added
within the Derived Parts.
Version 9.04
Plotting Simulation Data 10904
It is now possible to plot data on the new surface.

Plotting Simulation Data

Set up a plot of pressure coefficients for the new derived part.
To create the plot:
1. In the bluntBody window, right-click the Plots node and select New
Plot > X-Y.
An empty plot node is added to the tree and opens in the Graphics
window.
To select the part on which to plot:
2. Select the Plots > XY Plot 1 node and click (Custom Editor) for the
Parts property.
3. In the XY Plot 1 dialog, make sure that Derived parts > plane
section is ticked.
4. Click OK.
To set the variable to plot on the y-axis:
5. Select the XY Plot 1 > Y Types > Y Type 1 node and make sure that
the Type property is set to Scalar.
6. Select the Y Type 1 > Scalar node and set Scalar to Pressure
Coefficient.
Version 9.04
Match the reference density, reference pressure, and reference velocity

of the Pressure Coefficient field function in the Force Coefficient 1
report. Copy and paste these properties from the report to the field
function:
7. Select the Reports > Force Coefficient 1 node.
8. In the Properties window, select the value of the Reference Density
property, and press <Ctrl+C>.
9. Select the Tools > Field Functions > Pressure Coefficient node.
10. In the Properties window, select the value of the Reference Density
property, press <Ctrl+V>, and then Enter.
11. Repeat the above steps for the Reference Velocity.
12. Leave the Reference Pressure property at 0.0 Pa.
13. Select the Plots > XY Plot 1 > Axes > X Axis > Labels node then
ensure that Auto Range Min and Auto Range Max are selected.
The plot appears as shown below.
Version 9.04
Version 9.04
Adding Streamlines 10907
Adding Streamlines
Set up a streamline derived part so that it shows the recirculating flow
behind the blunt body. Modify the part to show streamlines over the
blunt body.
To visualize streamlines in STAR-CCM+, do the following:
Create a scene.
Create a streamline derived part.
Add a streamline displayer, with suitable properties, to the new

scene based on the streamline derived part.
To create a scene and add streamlines:

1. Right-click the Scenes node and select New Scene > Geometry.
2. Right-click the Derived Parts node.
3. Select New Part > Streamline.
As with the plane section earlier, an interactive in-place dialog

appears.
Version 9.04
The entire fluid region is used as the input part for the streamline part.
4. In the Input Parts group box, click the Select button.
5. In the Select Objects dialog, make sure that subdomain-1 is the only
region selected.
6. Click OK.
7. In the Vector Field group box, make sure that Velocity is selected in
the drop-down list.
8. For the seed mode, select Point Seed.
Version 9.04
To position the seed point just after the back of the blunt body (in the
direction of flow):
9. Enter the following coordinates under Seed Position:
0.05 for X, 0.01 for Y, and 0.01 for Z
10. Enter 0.002 for Seed Radius and 10 for Number of Points.
11. Click Create.

After a few seconds, the streamlines are shown in the display.
Version 9.04
In the bluntBody window, a streamline node appears in the Derived

Parts node.
12. Click Close in the interactive in-place dialog.

A new streamline displayer has been added to the scene.
13. Select the Displayers > Section Stream 1 node to customize how the
streamlines appear:
a) Set the Mode to Tubes so that the streamlines are displayed as
tubes instead of lines.
b) Make sure that Orientation is set to Normals.
c) Specify Width at 2.0E-4, the width of the tube in meters.
Version 9.04
14. In the display, right-click the color bar and select Velocity:
Magnitude.
Improve the contrast between boundaries and streamlines:

15. Select the Geometry 1 node and set the Color Mode to Constant.
You now fine-tune the streamline derived part.
Version 9.04
16. Select theDerived Parts > streamline node and make sure that the
Rotation Scale expert property is 1.0.
17. Select the streamline > 2nd Order Integrator node and set the
Integration Direction to Both so that the streamlines are generated
both upstream and downstream.
In the Expert properties:
18. Set Initial Integration Step to 0.1 to provide more resolution to the
streamlines.
19. Set Maximum Propagation to 5.0.
20. Set Max Steps to 1000.
This option, together with the maximum propagation, provide a
stopping criterion to make sure that the streamlines are not
calculated endlessly.
The modified streamlines appear as below.
The next step involves moving the seed point of the streamline derived
part to the front of the blunt body.
21. Select the 2nd Order Integrator node and change Integration
Direction to Forward.
22. Select the streamline > Point Seed node and set the x-value of the
Center to -0.05, so that the value of the property is -0.05, 0.01,
0.01.
Version 9.04
The modified streamlines appear in the display.
Version 9.04
Closing and Reopening the Simulation 10914
Closing and Reopening the Simulation

Close the simulation and reopen it again.
To close a simulation while it is running:
1. Close the bluntBody window.
The following dialog prompts you to choose whether to wait for the
operation to finish before closing the window, or close the window
and leave the operation to complete in the background.
2. Click Disconnect.
It is easy to reopen the file and restore the displays.
3. Select File > Recent Files > /bluntBody.sim.
Version 9.04
Summary 10915
Summary
This tutorial has introduced the following STAR-CCM+ features:
Starting STAR-CCM+ and creating a simulation.
Saving and naming the simulation.
Importing a geometry file.
Visualizing the imported geometry.
Splitting and naming the geometry surfaces.
Renaming techniques.
Changing types of boundaries.
Designing a three-dimensional mesh
Visualizing the mesh.
Selecting the physics models.
Defining the initial conditions.
Defining the boundary conditions and values.
Setting the solver parameters and stopping criteria.
Setting up a monitoring report and plot.
Running the solver until the residuals are satisfactory.
Disconnecting from a server and reconnecting during a run.
Analyzing results using the visualization, monitor-plot, and XY-plot

features.
Creating streamlines.
Reopening a simulation.
Version 9.04

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STAR-CCM+ User Guide

Welcome to the STAR-CCM+ introductory tutorial. In this tutorial, you

The tutorial workflow includes:

Importing the geometry files.

Generating a polyhedral mesh.

STAR-CCM+ User Guide

Setting boundary names and types.

Defining the models in the continua and applying them to the

Defining the region conditions, values, and boundary conditions.

Running the simulation.

Post-processing the results.

These steps follow the general workflow for STAR-CCM+.

STAR-CCM+ User Guide

Starting a STAR-CCM+ Simulation 10825

Starting a STAR-CCM+ Simulation

The menu bar provides access to application-wide actions, with

STAR-CCM+ User Guide

Creating a Simulation 10826

STAR-CCM+ User Guide

Creating a Simulation 10827

2. In the Create a New Simulation dialog, click OK.

STAR-CCM+ User Guide

Working with Objects 10828

As the new simulation is created, a window that is named Output

Working with Objects

STAR-CCM+ User Guide

Working with Objects 10829

Right-clicking to expose an action menu.

Using keys to, for example, copy and delete objects.

Dragging objects to other tree nodes or onto visualization displays.

STAR-CCM+ User Guide

Working with Objects 10830

STAR-CCM+ User Guide

Saving and Naming a Simulation 10831

Saving and Naming a Simulation

STAR-CCM+ User Guide

Importing the Geometry 10832

Importing the Geometry

3. To start the import, click Open.

STAR-CCM+ User Guide

Importing the Geometry 10833

5. Click OK to import the geometry.

STAR-CCM+ User Guide

Importing the Geometry 10834

The imported geometry represents the fluid volume around the

STAR-CCM+ User Guide

Visualizing the Imported Geometry 10835

Visualizing the Imported Geometry

A new geometry scene contains:

A part displayer, Geometry 1, which contains all faces in the

Panning, Zooming, and Rotating the View

STAR-CCM+ User Guide

Panning, Zooming, and Rotating the View 10836

To rotate around an axis perpendicular to the screen, press the

To align with the X-Y plane, press the <T> key.

To align with the Y-Z plane, press the <F> key.

To align with the Z-X plane, press the <S> key.

1. Adjust the view as shown in the following screenshot.

2. Save the simulation.

STAR-CCM+ User Guide

Defining Boundary Surfaces 10837

Defining Boundary Surfaces

Split the surfaces that form specific boundaries:

STAR-CCM+ User Guide