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Obtain and Use InitialConditions Object

Question asked by Martin Herling on Jul 15, 2013
Latest reply on Jul 18, 2013 by Martin Herling

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Hi there,

I'm trying to make use of the FlowSimulation API on SW2011 Premium x64. I think I understand how most of the methods and obejcts described in the API help file and used in the examples are used and what they do, but that's not true for the objects derived from ParametrizedFeature (ComputationalDomainSettings, InitialConditions, MeshSettings). I'm especially interested in the InitialConditions object, since I want to change flow direction for an external problem. It's stated that "You can obtain a InitialConditions object directly from a ParametrizedFeature object.", but until now this didn't really make sense to me...

So the question is: How do I obtain this object for my currently active configuration?

Thanks in advance,

Martin

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Jared Conway Jul 15, 2013 11:52 AM

don't know much about the API, but you might want to post your code here to have someone take a look and/or in the API section of the forum. if it is something you want to outsource, we have programmers in-house that could take a look at your code and complete it. Otherwise, i'd throw it to your VAR.

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Martin Herling @ Jared Conway on Jul 16, 2013 2:11 AM

Hi all,

today I tried one last time and guess what? I got it to work It's not this complicated after all and looks like this:

	' Get EFD Project
	Set FDAPrj = MC.GetFluidDynamicAnalysisProject
	.
	.
	.
	Dim GIC As NIKCommonApiLib.ParametrizedFeature
	Dim Epar As NIKCommonApiLib.EnumParameters
	Dim Param As NIKCommonApiLib.Parameter

	Set GIC = FDAPrj.GlobalInitialConditions
	Set Epar = GIC.EnumParameters

	Set Param = Epar.Next

	Dim ptype As NIKCommonApiLib.nikParametersTypes_e
	ptype = nikVelocityAlongXdirection
	Dim NewValue As Double
	NewValue = 21 'm/s

	While Not Param Is Nothing
	If Param.Type = ptype Then
	Param.SetValue (NewValue)
	End If
	Set Param = Epar.Next
	Wend

Thanks anyway,

Martin

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Jared Conway @ Martin Herling on Jul 16, 2013 5:06 PM
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martin, would you be willing to share what you're doing with the API? I've worked with a lot of customers that asked about it, but i've never seen any one follow through.

At HRS we were going to write something to automate something similar to the parameter sweep function but SolidWorks came out with it in 2013!
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- Martin Herling @ Jared Conway on Jul 17, 2013 5:11 AM
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  Hi Jared,
  
  there´s nothing too fancy about it: We did some windtunnel measurements for different angles of attack. All I´m trying to do is to change the initial external flow field and do a couple of simulations (successfully )to compare the results with the real data. As far as I know, the API also lets one change applied boundary conditions, some mesh and domain settings and the other initial conditions and enables access to all results. Sadly, since natural convection is also involved in my problem, I would need to change the gravitational vector too, or the global coordinate system, doesn't matter, this is where I'm stuck at the moment...
  
  If somebody knows how: Let me know. But I didn't find nothing in the documentation...
  
  So, after all, to me it seems the API is not really more powerful then the Parametric Study Tool and in the end I have to do everything by hand
  
  Was this helpful?
  
  Greetings,
  
  Martin
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  - Jared Conway @ Martin Herling on Jul 17, 2013 1:26 PM
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    if you have forced flow (wind tunnel), do you think the natural convection is really strong enough to affect the results such that they need to be included?
    
    if you rotate the geometry instead of rotating the flow, you shouldn't need to change gravity.
    
    otherwise, i think that the parametric study (sweep) option in 2013 should solve all your problems!
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    - Martin Herling @ Jared Conway on Jul 18, 2013 9:23 AM
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      Hi Jared,
      
      my case is in principle a box with heat sources inside which gets cooled by the wind, so the inner natural convection isn't negligable. I kind of found a solution, but it's not really perfect:
      
      - use the FlowSimulation API to make new configurations from a starting one (like "clone project")
      - change boundary conditions as needed
      - still manual: insert table to rotate the configurations respectively
      - run all the simulations (API again)
      - get goal data and some plotting for all cases
      
      the starting configuration can be used to determine refining periods and control the initial mesh settings, which is quite handy. Also the main flow is always orthogonal to the cell faces, which should decrease numerical diffusion. On the other hand the cell count goes up, but I've got time, as long as I don't have to sit in front of the screen, just to press a button from time to time
      
      But still: After my opinion there's definitely a need for a more powerful API!
      
      greetings,
      
      Martin
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Obtain and Use InitialConditions Object

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