1. ICEM CFD Introductory Course
Chapter 1 Introduction
ICEM CFD Introductory Course

2. Schedule Day 1 Day 2 Introduction Geometry Handling Shell Meshing
Volume Meshing
Output to Solver
Day 2
Prism meshing
Intro to Hexahedral meshing

3. Purpose/Goals Gain understanding of basic functionality for
Geometry import/editing
Meshing (surface meshing, tetra, prism, hexa)
Mesh Editing (smoothing, checks, individual element editing)
Solver setup
Propose best meshing practices

4. What is a Mesh?
Mesh
Volume comprised of elements used to discretize a domain for numerical solution
Structural
Fluid dynamics
Electromagnetics
Other
Elements
0D – Node element
Point mass
Constraint, load location
1D – Lines
Bars, beams, rods, springs
2D mesh boundary
2D – Surface/Shell
Quads
Tris
Thin sheet modeling
2D volume
3D mesh boundary
3D - Volume
Tetra
Pyramid
Penta (prism)
Hexa
Solid modeling
3D fluid modeling
Formats
Unstructured
Block Structured
Nodes
Point locations of element corners

5. Ansys ICEM CFD Features
Geometry Creation/Repair/Simplification
Including Mid-Plane Extractions/Extensions
Most geometry intended to be imported
Powerful Meshing tools
Tetra/Prism from CAD and/or existing surface mesh
Shell meshing: structured, unstructured
Hex-dominant, swept, Structured hexa, Extruded quads, Body-fitted and stair-step Cartesian
Hybrid meshing (merging, multi-zone)
Advanced mesh editing
Solver Setup
Output to 100+ Solvers
Post processing
Scripting … and much more…

6. Ansys ICEM CFD Product Purchasing
Full capabilities (all meshers, CFD and FEA)
Enables Ansys meshing in Workbench
ICEM CFD Tetra/Prism
Includes hexa core, but not other hexa methods
ICEM CFD hexa
No tetra/prism
Includes Body-fitted Cartesian (BFC) and Hex-dominant
ICEM CFD Add-on
Lower cost, added to Ansys solver bundles
Full capabilities
Only writes to Ansys solvers (Ansys, CFX, Fluent)
CAD interfaces sold separately
Settings->Product filters what options are seen in the application, but the licensing determines which ones can be used

7. GUI and Layout Utility Menu Utility Function Tabs Icons
Selection Toolbar
Model
Tree
The GUI is windows like in appearance and function. The main menu is in the top left corner. Below it are utility ICONS for more commonly used functions such as Save and Open, as well as measure tools and view controls such as zoom extents. The along the top right of the GUI are navigation tabs. These tabs are laid out from left to right in the order of a typical meshing process. Clicking on a tab brings its action icons to the fore front. Clicking on any of these icons will activate its Data Entry Panel. This snapshot shows the Smooth Elements Panel. This Panel also has a histogram associated with it, and this is displayed in the lower right corner. Simultaneously, the text histogram is displayed in the message window. The message window provides feedback and information for most commands and also serves as a text entry point. The lower left corner of the screen contains the Display tree, the user can use this to modify the display of entities, modify properties and create subsets.
Display Triad
Data Entry
Panel
Message
Window
Histogram
Window

8. File and Directory Structure
Project Dir
Use of many files
Not one large common database
For faster input/output
All files are usually associated within a Project
Establishes working directory
Settings (*.prj) file
Primary file types:
Tetin (.tin): Geometry plus
Geometry entities and material points
Part association
Global and entity mesh sizes
Created in Ansys ICEM CFD or Direct Cad Interface
Domain file (.uns)
Unstructured mesh
Blocking file (.blk)
Blocking topology
Attribute file (.fbc, .atr)
Boundary conditions, local parameters & element types
Parameter file (.par)
solver parameters & element types
Journal and replay file(.jrf, .rpl)
Record of performed operations (echo file)
.prj
.uns
.tin
.blk
.fbc
.par
.jrf
.rpl

9. Mouse Usage ‘Dynamic’ viewing mode (click and drag)
left: rotate (about a point)
middle: translate
right: zoom(up-down) screen Z-axis rotation (sideways)
Wheel zoom
Selection mode (click)
left: select (click and drag for box select)
middle: apply operation
right: unselect
F9 toggles the mouse control to Dynamic mode while in Select mode
Spaceball allows for dynamic motion even while in select mode

10. File menu To open/save/close Also to Exit
Projects
Will open/save/close all associated files including
Geometry (*.tin)
Mesh (*.uns)
Attributes… (*.fbc, *.atr)
All file types can be opened/saved/closed independently
Also to
Read in results data
Import/Export Geometry/Mesh
Invoke scripting
Exit
Most common functions are duplicated as utility icons:
Open Project
Save Project
Open/Save/Close
Geometry
Open/Save/Close
Mesh
Open/Save/Close
Blocking
Icons
Many menu items duplicated by utility icons:
Save frequently!

11. Other Commonly Used Utilities
Edit > Undo/Redo
View
Fit
Fit active entities into screen
Box Zoom
Standard views
Top, Bottom, Left, etc.
Can also select X, Y, Z axis of display triad in lower right hand corner of main view screen to orient to standard view, e.g. selecting “X” will orient “right”
Isometric – select blue dot within triad
Measure
Distance
Angle
Location
Local Coordinate System
Used by:
Select location
Measuring
Node/point movement/creation
Alignment
Loads
Transformation
Surface display
Wireframe
Solid
Transparent

12. Help Menu Driven Hyper-link to specific topic
Searchable
Includes tutorials
Programmers guide (for ICEM CFD/Tcl scripting procedures)
Hyper-link to specific topic
Bubble explanation with cursor positioning

13. Create/Modify geometry
Function Tabs
Geometry
Create/Modify geometry
Set mesh sizes, types and methods
Set options
Auto create Shell, Volume, Prism meshes
Mesh
Initialize a block
Split/modify blocks
Generate structured hexa mesh
Blocking
Check, Smooth
Refine/Coarsen
Merge, Auto repair,
Manual edit
Transform, etc.
The GUI is windows like in appearance and function. The main menu is in the top left corner. Below it are utility ICONS for more commonly used functions such as Save and Open, as well as measure tools and view controls such as zoom extents. The along the top right of the GUI are navigation tabs. These tabs are laid out from left to right in the order of a typical meshing process. Clicking on a tab brings its action icons to the fore front. Clicking on any of these icons will activate its Data Entry Panel. This snapshot shows the Smooth Elements Panel. This Panel also has a histogram associated with it, and this is displayed in the lower right corner. Simultaneously, the text histogram is displayed in the message window. The message window provides feedback and information for most commands and also serves as a text entry point. The lower left corner of the screen contains the Display tree, the user can use this to modify the display of entities, modify properties and create subsets.
Edit Mesh
Set Boundary Conditions
and Parameters
Write mesh for 100+
solvers.
Output

14. Primary Function Tabs Properties Constraints Loads Solve options Post
Create, read, write out material properties
Apply to geometry/elements
Properties
Set constraints, displacements, define contacts, initial velocity, rigid walls
Constraints
Set force, pressure and temperature loads
Loads
Set parameters, attributes, create subcases, write out input file, run solver
Solve options
The GUI is windows like in appearance and function. The main menu is in the top left corner. Below it are utility ICONS for more commonly used functions such as Save and Open, as well as measure tools and view controls such as zoom extents. The along the top right of the GUI are navigation tabs. These tabs are laid out from left to right in the order of a typical meshing process. Clicking on a tab brings its action icons to the fore front. Clicking on any of these icons will activate its Data Entry Panel. This snapshot shows the Smooth Elements Panel. This Panel also has a histogram associated with it, and this is displayed in the lower right corner. Simultaneously, the text histogram is displayed in the message window. The message window provides feedback and information for most commands and also serves as a text entry point. The lower left corner of the screen contains the Display tree, the user can use this to modify the display of entities, modify properties and create subsets.
Visualize results: cut plane, streams, animation, calculate integral and more.
Post
Processing

15. Selection Toolbar During select mode, popup selection toolbar appears
Some tools are common to all, others are contextual
Linked to select mode hotkeys
Filtering of entities
Blocks
Toggle Dynamic Mode (F9)
Select all
Polygon
Only visible
Cancel
Flood fill to Angle
By Part
Entity Filter
Geometry
Mesh
Faceted Geometry Segments
All Shells
Entire/Partial toggle
Circle
Flood fill to Curve
Set FF angle
Mesh on Geom
From Corners
By Subset
In between segments

16. Model Tree To toggle on/off various sections of the model
Main Categories for:
Geometry, Mesh, Blocking, Parts
Element Properties, Connectors, Displacements, Loads and Material Properties
Toggle check boxes to blank/unblank
Blanked/inactive
Visible/active
Partially visible/active: some sub members turned on, some turned off
Click on plus sign to expand tree
Expose sub members
Right mouse click for display options

17. Model Tree: Parts Parts
Grouping of mesh and geometry entities
Based on boundary condition/property
Based on mesh size (can set mesh size by part)
Based on material property
Just to partition large model
Select to blank/unblank all entities within part
Color coded: Part name matches entity screen display
Right Mouse Button on Parts to access:
Create Part
Create Assembly
Delete Empty Parts
Etc.
RMB on specific parts branches allows options to modify or delete the parts
Properties are shown as a sub branch of the part
Double Left Click or RMB > Modify to modify element properties

18. Workflow Workflow Typical ICEM CFD Workflow: Create/open new project
Import/Create geometry
Build topology/Clean geometry
Mesh model (Possibly Hex Blocking)
Check/edit mesh
Output to Solver
Postprocess
Workflow

19. Overall Meshing Process
Open/Create Project
Geometry Import/Creation
Geometry Manipulation/Clean Up
Set Parts
Create Mesh
Auto sizing
Default method/type
Set Mesh Sizes, Methods and Types
Blocking (Quad/Hexa)
View/Edit “Pre-Mesh”
Shell Mesh
Auto Volume Mesh
View/Edit Mesh
Solver Setup
Output to Solver
Run Solver
Post process

20. Accessing from Workbench
Ansys ICEM CFD 12 is no longer a module inside Workbench
Export files from Mechanical Model (Simulation) to open in ICEM CFD
Many ICEM CFD capabilities have been integrated into the Meshing Application
Tetra octree
Patch dependent surface mesher
Multizone

21. Workbench Interactive Link
Ansys ICEM CFD can still be accessed in Workbench 12 by setting the environment variable:
ICEM_CFD_INTERACTIVE = 1
Insert a meshing method
MultiZone
Patch Independent
Autoblock
Generate Mesh
Edit within ICEM CFD, save project, then exit ICEM CFD

22. Let’s Explore the GUI with a simple practice part
File > Import Geometry (parasolid or acis)
Show menu locations
Mouse controls
Change display options
Shading/Wire, simple/full
Views/Save view
Create Part
Parts concept
Overview process
Create/open/Save Project
Build topology
Define global and local mesh sizes
Create volume mesh
Edit/check quality, smooth
Set up and write out to solver