Star CCM+ Set-up

Owned by Nicole Choe
Last updated: Oct 05, 2024
2 min read

**this page is a work in-progress, and will continue to be updated

 

Importing File into StarCCM+:

Process Options >> Parallel on Local Host >> Compute Process >> 8 (or 6)

License >> Power On-Demand key >> wait for process

STAR Button >> x_t file

  • save SolidWorks file as .x_t file

 

StarCCM+ Workflow:

  1. Import Geometry - surface mesh

    1. File >> Import >> Import Surface Mesh (.x_t) file

      1. Alternatively, import into the 3D CAD editor > provides more control

  2. Geometry preparation - imported mesh is often inadequate for sims

    1. Surface Repair (manual)

    2. Surface Wrapper

    3. Geometry Operations (Boolean, split faces)

    4. Mesh Operations (Unite, intersect, extract volume)

  3. Specify regions/boundaries

  4. Meshing

    1. surface

    2. volume/domain

  5. Physics

  6. Boundary Condition

  7. Solver Settings

  8. Data Analysis

    1. reports

    2. scenes

  9. Run Simulation

  10. Post process result

 

Resources:

  • Found a video for simulating a battery but it is all in Korean:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjxEJA_1psk

Set-up:

  1. Make sure imported model contains all components - Nickel Strips, SigmaClad, Bus Bars and Battery

  2. Assign all-components with material-properties - battery, copper, nickel, etc.

    1. For cell, assign density, specific heat capacity and thermal capacity

    2. Refer to this document: Assembly, Geometry and Material Properties of the Battery Box

  3. Set-up a continua - physics model

    1. 3D model, gas, define flow (turbulent vs. laminar),

Defining Regions:

  1. Define outline & surface for batteries and busbars

  2. Add a region for the battery

    1. Applying appropriate materials to the parts being simulated

Creating Mesh:

  1. Create an automated THIN mesh and assign the thin-mesh to the busbars

    1. Select appropriate bass size

    2. Minimum surface size - why did he choose 25%? @Shem Kim + I’m not understanding why he chose the other settings

  2. Created separate mesh for cooling

    1. Since we are using air-cooling, is this not-needed?

  3. Created a prism mesh

    1. Assuming this is due to the video simulating pouch-cells not cylindrical cells

Volume mesh-pattern:

  1. Select all-parts, then execute the mesh

  2. Adding a “Weak-Contact Creator”

Configuring Battery-Cells (16:50)

 

To-do:

  • Fix Sigma-Clad & Nickel Strip collision on current CAD

  • Upload and save files to Bild

  • Re-upload model to StarCCM+

  • Follow above-steps to simulate for airflow