Engineering Solutions 11.0 Tutorials

Engineering Solutions 11.
0
Tutorials
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Engineering Solutions 11.0 Tutorials
Engineering
...........................................................................................................................................
Solutions 1
CFD
............................................................................................................................................... 3
CFD-1000: Creating a Hybrid Grid using the CFD Mesh Panel
................................................................................................................................... 4
CFD-1100: Creating a Hybrid Grid with Varying Boundary Layer Thickness
................................................................................................................................... 16
CFD-1200: Generating a CFD Mesh with Automatically Adjusted Boundary Layer Thickness
................................................................................................................................... 22
CFD-1300: Plane 2-D Meshing with Boundary Layers
................................................................................................................................... 33
CFD-1400: Wind Tunnel Mesh
................................................................................................................................... 45
CFD-1500: Hexcore Meshing with Boundary Layer
................................................................................................................................... 58
CFD-1600: Using Distributed Thickness for Varying Boundary Layer Thickness
................................................................................................................................... 66
Crash
............................................................................................................................................... 77
CRASH-1000: Defining LS-DYNA Model and Load Data, Controls, and Output
................................................................................................................................... 78
CRASH-1100: Using Curves, Beams, Rigid Bodies Joints, and Loads in LS-DYNA
................................................................................................................................... 91
CRASH-1200: Model Importing, Airbags, Exporting Displayed, and Contacts using DYNA
................................................................................................................................... 106
CRASH-1300: Rigid Wall, Model Data, Constraints, and Output using DYNA
................................................................................................................................... 114
CRASH-2000: Front Impact Bumper Model
................................................................................................................................... 124
CRASH-2100: Simplified Car Pole Impact
................................................................................................................................... 140
NVH
............................................................................................................................................... 153
NVH-1000: Acoustic Cavity
................................................................................................................................... 154
Altair Engineering Engineering Solution 11.0 Tutorials i
Proprietary Inform ation of Altair Engineering

Engineering Solutions
File Location Most tutorials use files that are located in the tutorials\ directory of the
software installation. In the tutorials, file paths are referenced as
<install_directory>\..\.
Finding the Installation In order to locate the files needed, you will need to determine the path of
Directory the installation directory <install_directory>. This path is
dependent on the installation that was performed at your site. To determine
what this path is, follow these instructions:
1. Launch the application.
2. From the Help menu, select Updates.
The HyperWorks Update Information dialog opens. The installation

directory path appears after Altair Home:.
The tutorial model files are located in

<install_directory>\tutorials\es\.
Downloading Model Files If you are using the tutorials via the Altair website, you'll need to download
the model files before beginning. Access them by clicking:
http://www.altairhyperworks.com/hwhelp/Altair/hw11.0/index.aspx
Please note that a User ID and password is required to access this area.
Follow the instructions provided to obtain the login information.
See the full listing of available tutorials:
CFD User Profile Tutorials
Crash User Profile Tutorials
NVH User Profile Tutorials
Altair Engineering Engineering Solutions 11.0 Tutorials 1

CFD
The following tutorials are available for the CFD user profile:
CFD-1100: Creating a Hybrid Grid with Varying Boundary Layer Thickness
CFD-1200: Generating a CFD Mesh with Automatically Adjusted Boundary Layer Thickness
CFD-1600: Using Distributed Thickness for Varying Boundary Layer Thickness

In this tutorial, you will learn to:
Generate meshes for CFD applications (for example Fluent, StarCD) using the CFD Tetramesh
panel
Generate boundary layer type meshes with an arbitrary number of layers and thickness distribution
Specify / identify boundary regions for CFD simulations
Export a mesh with boundary regions for FLUENT
Import the model into FLUENT
Exercise
Step 1: Open the model file
1. From the toolbar, click Open Model .

2. Select the manifold_surf_mesh.hm file from the tutorial directory.
3. Click Open to load this .hm file containing the surface mesh.
Step 2: Load the CFD user profile

1. Click Preferences > User Profiles.
2. In the Application field, select Engineering Solutions.
3. Select the radio button CFD.
4. Click OK.
4 Engineering Solutions 11.0 Tutorials Altair Engineering

5. Inspect the surface elements that will be used to generate the volume mesh.
The boundary mesh can have any combination of tria/quad elements. You will generate boundary layers
on all the surface elements contained in the collector named wall.
Step 3: Check that all the elements in the collectors wall, inlet, and outlets define a
closed volume
1. Click Mesh > Check > Component > Edges to open the Edges panel.
2. Click the yellow comps button and select the collectors wall, inlet and outlets.
3. Click select, and then click find edges.
A message indicating that no edges were found will appear on the status bar.
4. Toggle the free edges button to T-connections.
5. Select the three components again and then click find edges.
The status bar will display: "No T-connected edges were found."
6. Click return to close the panel.
Step 4: Create the CFD mesh

1. Click Mesh > Volume Mesh 3D > CFD tetramesh to open the CFD Tetramesh panel.
2. Select the Boundary selection subpanel.
You will need to first select all the elements/components that define the surface area on which you need
to generate boundary layers. This is done by selecting the elements/components under the With
boundary layer (float) and With boundary layer (fixed) selectors.
3. Under the heading With boundary layer (fixed), click comps and select the collector wall.

Next, select the remaining elements/components which define the volume but where a boundary layer is
not desired. This is done by selecting the elements/components under the W/o boundary layer (float)
and W/o boundary layer (fixed) selectors.
4. Under the heading W/o boundary layer (float), click comps and select the collectors inlet and outlets
.
5. Verify that the switch below the W/o boundary layer (float) selector is set to Remesh. This means
that the meshes in the zones defined by collectors inlet and outlets will be remeshed after being
deformed by the boundary layer growth from adjacent surface areas.
6. Leave the default Smooth BL option unchanged.
This option is strongly recommended for most cases because it produces boundary layers with more
uniform thickness and better element quality.
7. Click the BL parameters subpanel. All the data that has been entered in the Boundary selection
subpanel is stored.
8. Select the options to specify the boundary layer and tetrahedral core:
Number of Layers = 5
First layer thickness = 0.5
BL growth rate= 1.1 (This non-dimensional factor controls the change in layer thickness from one
layer to the next).
9. Under the BL hexa transition mode header, verify that selection is set to Simple Pyramid.
The default, Simple Pyramid, uses one pyramid element to transition from a BL hexahedral’s quad face
to the tetrahedral core mesh.
10. Leave the Boundary layer only checkbox unchecked.
This option generates the boundary layer alone and stops before generating the tetrahedral core. This
option modifies adjacent surface meshes to reflect changes introduced by the boundary layer thickness,
and creates a collector named ^CFD_trias_for_tetramesh, that is used to generate the inner core
tetrahedral mesh using the Tetramesh parameters subpanel.
11. Click the Tetramesh parameters subpanel.

12. There are three different tetrameshing algorithms available. Select Optimize Mesh Quality.
For a detailed explanation of each option, please refer to the online help.
13. Set the tetrahedral core growth rate, interpolate.
This avoids the problem of generating tetrahedral elements that are too large at the center of the core
mesh.
14. Click mesh to create the CFD mesh.
When this task is finished, two collectors are automatically created: CFD_boundary_layer and
CFD_Tetramesh_core.
.
Step 5: Mask some of the mesh to view the interior elements and boundary layers
1. You can mask the mesh by using the shortcut key F5, and select elements to be masked.
Following is a snapshot. Observe the excellent mesh quality produced.
2. You can also use the Hidden Line panel to view the interior of a solid mesh. Click BCs > Check >
Hidden Lines to access the panel.
3. Leave the title field blank and check the option for yz plane.
This defines the yz plane as the cutting plane.

4. Leave the options for trim planes and clip boundary elements checked on and click show plot.

This automatically places the cutting plane at the center of the model. Notice that the display of the
elements has been collapsed so that the nodes lie on the cutting plane.
5. Left-click in the graphics area where the cutting plane is, hold down the left mouse button, and drag the
mouse. Notice that the cutting plane moves.
6. Next, uncheck the option for clip boundary elements and click show plot.
Notice how the elements are displayed completely.
7. Drag the placement of the cutting plane. Experiment with the other cutting planes and the trim planes
option to see how they affect the plot.
8. Click return to exit the panel and clear the plot.
Step 6: Organize the model

In this section, you will define mesh surface regions used to specify boundary conditions in any CFD code
( FLUENT, StarCD, CFX, etc). For example, assume that you are going to export the mesh for FLUENT. For
this model, you need to create three collectors to place the boundaries: inflow, outflow, and wall. You
have selected two new names that are not already in your database and at the same time are compatible
with the prefixes required by FLUENT to recognize boundary types according to their names.
You are going to reuse the surface mesh contained in collector wall because this mesh remained
unchanged by the CFD mesh process as this component was specified as “fixed with boundary layer.”

However, the surface areas associated with the original collectors inlet and outlets have been completely
regenerated and you need to create new components that will be named inflow and outflow, respectively.
1. Rename the collector CFD_Tetramesh_core as fluid.
This collector will hold all the 3-D volume elements.

2. Click BCs > Organize to move all the elements from the collector CFD_boundary_layer to collector
fluid.
3. Click BCs > Faces to automatically generate the collector ^faces containing all the external faces of the
elements in collector fluid.
4. Click BCs > Component > Single to create two new components named inflow and outflow.
Now you are going to move some of the elements from the collector ^faces to the collectors inflow and
outflow.
5. In the Model Browser, isolate the ^faces component.
6. Click BCs > Organize and click one element on the inlet/inflow plane (the element will become
highlighted).
7. Click elems >> by face.
All the elements in the collector ^faces on the inlet/inflow plane will be selected.
8. Set the dest comp as inflow, and click move. Similarly, move the elements from ^faces associated
with the outlets to the collector outflow.
9. Show the inflow and outflow components in the Model Browser.
When done, you will have all the exterior surfaces colored according to the collectors where they have
been placed as shown in the following image.

10. The remaining elements in the collector ^faces are the same as in wall and you can discard them.
11. Delete both collectors ^faces and collector CFD_boundary_layer, which is now empty.
Step 7: Export surface and volume mesh and import this mesh into FLUENT
1. Display only the components containing elements that have to be exported for FLUENT, the components
are: fluid, inflow, outflow, and wall. All other components should not be visible.
2. Click the Export Solver Deck icon to open the Export tab.
3. Notice that the File Type is set to CFD. Set the Solver Type to Fluent.
4. In the File field, click on the file icon and specify a name and location for the file.
5. Click Export to export the file.
Step 8: Create a FLUENT simulation case

If you have access to FLUENT, you can import manifold.cas to create a new FLUENT simulation case as
follows
1. Start FLUENT 3d or 3ddp.
2. From the File menu, select Read, then Case....
3. Select manifold.cas.
4. Click OK.

After importing this file, you will observe that FLUENT has recognized the boundary zones outflow,
inflow, and wall by name, and the 3-D volume zone fluid. Zone interior-* is automatically created by
FLUENT containing all the interior faces shared by two 3-D cells.
5. Select Define, then select Boundary Conditions.

6. Select zone inflow, and set the appropriate boundary condition such as mass-flow-inlet and velocity
inlet.
7. Change the boundary condition type for the remaining surface zones, outflow and wall.
Engineering Solutions allows you to perform the most time consuming tasks of generating the volume mesh
and identifying the boundary zones. Now inside FLUENT the rest of the simulation tasks can be executed
easily.

Appendix: Boundary Layer Mesh with Distributed Thickness Ratio
The boundary layer type mesh generated in this tutorial was generated with uniform thickness. This is OK for
a model like this manifold as long as the total boundary layer thickness does not lead to collision or
interference that can occur when the sum of the BL thickness is close to or larger than the distance
separating boundary layer walls. When such collision or interference occurs you have the following options:
Decrease the global boundary layer thickness (throughout / for all the BL surfaces)
Use distributed boundary layer thickness ratios on nodes or collectors/components. This is a

capability in HyperMesh that allows you to specify a local value of boundary layer thickness by
specifying the ratio of the local value to the global value. For example, if the ratio specified on certain
nodes or all the nodes belonging to a collector is equal to 0.1, then the boundary layer thickness
generated around those nodes will be only 10% of the global boundary layer thickness.
The CFD User Profile has a tool (Generate BL Thickness) to generate automatically “distributed
boundary layer thickness ratios” at each node of the surface mesh so that boundary layer collision is
avoided when using the global or nominal boundary layer thickness. The usage of this tool is
explained in Tutorial HM-3240.
In this appendix you are going to use option B to manually change the BL thickness ratio.
Step A: Prepare data to generate a CFD mesh (boundary layer and core mesh)
using a distributed boundary layer thickness.
1. Create a new component named wall_thinner_bl, and move elements from wall to this new collector as
shown in the following image.
2. Click BCs > Check > Edge, then select the collectors wall, wall_thinner_bl, inlet and outlets.
3. Click find edges. A message indicating that no edges were found will appear on the status bar.
4. Click Mesh > Volume Mesh 3D > CFD tetramesh to access the CFD Tetramesh panel.
6. In the BL parameters subpanel, select the options to specify the boundary layer and tetrahedral core:
BL growth rate= 1.1

7. Select the type of tetrameshing algorithm: Simple Pyramid, Smooth Pyramid, All Prism, or All
Tetras
8. Ensure the Boundary layer only checkbox is not checked.
9. In the Tetramesh parameters subpanel, set the Pyramid transition ratio= 0.8
10. Select the tetrahedral core growth rate switch to Interpolate.
mesh.
Step B: Define a distributed boundary layer thickness on certain components.

1. In the BL parameters subpanel, ensure the BL reduction checkbox is checked and click the green
Manual button.
2. The Distributed BL Thickness Ratio dialog opens. This dialog enables you to specify distributed
thickness ratios for groups of nodes or whole components. You can choose either nodes or
components by selecting the associated radio button.
3. Click the Components radio button.

4. Click the yellow Select Components button and select the component wall_thinner_bl.
5. Specify a thickness ratio of value 0.3 and click Assign.
6. Notice that the summary message now indicates the number of BL thickness ratio loads on
components:

When the models are more complex it is useful to display surface contours of BL thickness ratio values.
7. Click Contours of BL Thickness Ratio, and the Contour panel will be automatically displayed.
8. Press contour to inspect the distribution of BL Thickness Ratio on the surface of your domain. Click
Close to close the dialog.
9. Go to the CFD Tetramesh panel, Boundary selection subpanel. Here all the elements/components
that define the surface area on which you need to generate boundary layers will be selected. This
selection is done with the With boundary layer (fixed) selector.
10. Click comps under With boundary layer (fixed) and select the collectors wall and wall_thinner_bl.
11. Select all the elements/components that define the surface area on which you do not want to generate
boundary layers. This selection is done with the W/o boundary layer (float) selector.
12. Click comps and select the collectors, inlet and outlets.
13. The switch below the W/o boundary layer (float) selector is set to Remesh. This means that the
meshes in the zones defined by collector’s inlet and outlets will be remeshed after being deformed by the
boundary layer growth from adjacent surface areas.
When this task is finished, note the two collectors automatically created: CFD_boundary_layer and
CFD_Tetramesh_core.
15. Inspect the relative size of the boundary layer thickness by masking some of the elements as shown in

the following image. This image shows that the BL thickness on component wall_thinner_bl is only
30% of the global BL thickness.
The manual approach followed previously is useful when you need to reduce the BL thickness throughout
a component, or at a clearly identified group of nodes.
When you have a very complicated geometry and BL collision is likely to occur, the best approach is to
use the Generate BL Thickness tool to generate automatically “distributed boundary layer thickness
ratios” at each node of the surface mesh. This tool performs a collision study and assigns a BL
thickness ratio to each node of the surface mesh that requires a reduction of the baseline BL thickness
to avoid collision. Usage of this tool is explained in Tutorial CFD-1100.
The previous steps illustrate simple and effective steps to reduce the BL thickness on surface components.
This approach is very easy to use and effective when you know how much you want to increase or decrease
the BL thickness all over a component. A similar approach is followed to increase/decrease BL thickness on
groups of nodes.

CFD-1100: Creating a Hybrid Grid with Varying Boundary Layer
Thickness
Generate boundary layer type meshes with an arbitrary number of layers and thickness distribution,
which can be used for CFD applications, molding simulations, or other processes.
Generate automatically a distributed thickness distribution to prevent boundary layer interference /

collision in zones where the distance between opposing walls is too small to accommodate the
baseline or nominal boundary layer thickness.
Exercise

1. Click Preferences > User Profiles….
3. Select the radio button CFD.
4. Click OK.
Step 2: Open the model file

2. Select the molding1.hm file from the tutorial directory.
3. Click Open to load this .hm file containing the surface mesh.

The boundary mesh can have any combination of tria/quad elements. You will generate boundary layers
on all the surface elements contained in the collector named wall.
Step 3: Check that all the elements in collector wall define a closed volume
1. Click Mesh > Check > Components > Edges to open the Edges panel.
2. Click comps and select the collector wall.
3. Click find edges.
4. Toggle free edges to T-connections.
5. Select the collector wall again and click find edges.
The status bar will display, “No T-connected edges were found.”
Step 4: Create the CFD mesh

1. Click Mesh > Volume Mesh 3D > CFD Tetra mesh to open the CFD Tetramesh panel.
You will need to first select all the elements/components that define the surface area on which you need
to generate boundary layers. This is done by selecting the elements/components under the With
boundary layer (float) selector.
3. Under the heading With boundary layer (float), click comps and select the collector wall.
4. Verify that the switch below the W/o boundary layer (float) selector is set to Remesh. This means
that the meshes in the zones defined by the collector wall will be remeshed after being deformed by the
boundary layer growth from adjacent surface areas.
This option is strongly recommended for most cases because it produces boundary layers with more
uniform thickness and better element quality.

6. Click the BL parameters subpanel. All the data that has been entered in the Boundary selection
subpanel is stored.
7. Select the options to specify the boundary layer and tetrahedral core:
layer to the next).
8. Under the BL hexa transition mode header, change the selection to All Prisms (Prisms to all Layers)
.
This means that if there are any quad elements in the surface mesh, those will be split into two trias
each so that there is no need to transition from quad faces to tria faces when transitioning from the last
boundary layer to the tetrahedral core. This option is very important when there are quad elements on
areas with (low) distributed BL thickness ratio, because in such areas the thickness of the transition
elements (e.g., simple pyramid) was not taken into account when doing the interference study to assign
distributed BL thick ness ratio to those elements.
9. Leave the Boundary layer only checkbox unchecked.
This option generates the boundary layer alone and stops before generating the tetrahedral core. This
option modifies adjacent surface meshes to reflect changes introduced by the boundary layer thickness,
and creates a collector named ^CFD_trias_for_tetramesh, that is used to generate the inner core
tetrahedral mesh using the Tetramesh parameters subpanel.
10. Click the green Auto button.
11. In the Generate Boundary Layer distributed thickness values dialog, click Add collectors with
surface elements.
12. The components selection subpanel opens.
13. Select the collector wall, and then click proceed.
14. Specify the Boundary Layer options as shown in the following image.
- The number of layers, first layer thickness and growth rate have been established in the BL

parameters subpanel and are greyed out here. All layers will have the same thickness (except for
mesh smoothing operations such as hyperbolic smoothing at corners).
- Specify a Minimum Tetrahedral Core / Boundary Layer thickness ratio value of 0.5.
This means that in areas where there is not enough room to grow the nominal BL (3 layers of 0.5
each), the boundary layers’ thickness will be reduced so that the tetrahedral core thickness is at
least 0.5 times the total boundary layer thickness, except for mesh smoothing operations such as
hyperbolic smoothing at corners, and convex/concave areas.
- The last option, Bound Layer thickness at corners, is a coefficient that controls the hyperbolic
growth where walls make an angle. The smaller this value is, the thinner the total BL thickness in
such areas is.
Now you are ready to generate the Distributed BL Thickness loading. Make sure that none of the
elements specified in the boundary collectors are masked. If they are masked an error message will
indicate that there is a discrepancy between the total number of elements in the components and the
tria3/quad4 elements found. If you have masked elements, you can access the Mask (F5), and press
unmask all.
15. Click Generate Distributed BL Thickness Ratio.
16. If the model already contains boundary layer thickness ratios, then a pop-up message box will ask you if
you want to keep such loading or if you want to delete them. Most of the time you will want to clear the
existing boundary layer thickness ratios; press Yes. In some special cases you may want to keep them,
if more than one loading value is specified at a node, the minimum value is used when generating the
mesh.
After a few seconds you will see a pop-up message indicating the number of distributed boundary layer
thickness values included in collector ^CFD_BL_Thickness.
17. Click Close in the Generate Boundary Layer distributed thickness values window.
18. Click the Tetramesh parameters subpanel.

19. There are three different tetrameshing algorithms available. Select Optimize Mesh Quality.
For a detailed explanation of each option, please refer to the online help.
20. Set the tetrahedral core growth rate, interpolate.
mesh.
When this task is finished, two collectors are automatically created: CFD_boundary_layer and
CFD_Tetramesh_core.
Step 6: Mask elements to inspect the boundary layers’ thickness on thinner areas
1. Access the Mask panel by using the shortcut key F5.
2. Select elements to be masked.
3. Click mask.
The following images illustrate how BL interference has been avoided by reducing the BL thickness.

Step 7: Generate a pure tetrahedral mesh for moldflow.
The mesh needs to consist of tetrahedral elements only. This was accomplished by generating tetras directly
in the boundary layer. However, if you need to split penta / wedge elements into tetras, use the procedure
below.
1. Click Mesh > Edit > Elements > Split Elements.
2. Select the solid elements subpanel.
3. Set the switch to split into tetras.
4. Select elems >> by collector and select wall.
5. Click split.
Now you have a mesh consisting of tetrahedral elements only.
The objective of this tutorial is to illustrate how you can generate very thin boundary layers without
interference. However, such thin boundary layers can lead to element with a high aspect ratio if the size of
the surface mesh is not small enough. If you need to limit the tetrahedral elements’ aspect ratio (e.g., < 5),
then you need to use a fine enough mesh on the wall component so that thin boundary layers do not
produce high aspect ratio elements. For example, in this case, the minimum value of tetra collapse of all
tetrahedral core elements was 0.2, but after you split the BL penta / wedge elements into tetras, the
minimum value of tetra collapse of all tetrahedral elements becomes 0.04. This occurs because the BL penta
elements are thin compared to their triangular face area size.
Summary
HyperMesh allowed you to generate high-quality boundary layer meshes on parts with very thin walls. To
accomplish this you first need to use the utility Generate Distributed BL Thickness Ratio to generate load
collector ^CFD_BL_Thickness. This load collector is then used when you enable distributed thickness. As
shown in the cross-sectional images, the mesh is very smooth and is of excellent quality.

CFD-1200: Generating a CFD Mesh with Automatically Adjusted
Boundary Layer Thickness
Mesh generation in domains bounded by surfaces that are very close to one another in some
areas.
Generate meshes for most CFD codes (e.g. Acusolve, CFD++, CFX, Fluent, StarCD, SC/Tetra)
using the CFD Tetramesh panel.
Generate boundary layer type meshes with arbitrary number of layers and thickness distribution in
domains defined by surfaces that are very close to one another in some areas. More specifically, in
some areas the clearance or separation of bounding surfaces is not enough to accommodate the
user specified nominal boundary layer thickness.
Generate a distributed thickness “loading” that prevents boundary layer interference / collision in
zones where the distance between opposing walls is too small to accommodate the baseline or
nominal boundary layer thickness.
Exercise
Step 1: Open the exercise file

2. Select the manifold_inner_cylinder.hm file from the directory
<install_directory>\tutorials\es\cfd.
3. Click Open to load this file containing the surface mesh.
You would like to generate boundary layers on all the surface elements contained in components wall
and wall_cyl. However, there is an area close to the end of wall_cyl where the clearance between wall
and wall_cyl is very small. This can be easily observed in this case by changing the visibility of
component wall as shown, following.

In more complex models it is not possible to visually identify all the zones where there is not enough
space to growth the “baseline” or nominal boundary layer as specified in terms of the number of layers,
first layer thickness and growth rate. This is not a problem because the automatic distributed
thickness “loading” computation takes into account all possible interference cases. This is demonstrated
in this tutorial.
Step 2: Check that the surface elements define a closed volume

1. Click Mesh > Check > Components > Edges.
2. Click comps and select all collectors that define the domain’s surface, namely inlet, outlets, wall and
wall_cyl.
4. Toggle the free edges switch to T-connections.
5. Select the components again and click find edges.
The status bar will display, “No T-connected edges were found.”
Step 3: Generate a BL distributed thickness loading to prevent boundary layer

interference
1. Click Mesh > Volume Mesh 3D > CFD tetramesh.
3. Under the heading With boundary layer (fixed), click comps and select the collectors wall and
wall_cyl.
4. Under the heading W/o boundary layer (float), click comps and select the collectors inlet and outlets

.
5. Ensure that the switch below the W/o boundary layer (float) selector is set to Remesh. This means
that the surface meshes associated with those components will be remeshed or rebuilt after shrinking
due to boundary layer growth from adjacent boundary layer components.
7. Click the BL parameter subpanel.
8. Set the following fields:
layer to the next).
BL quad transition= All Prisms (Prism to all Layers). This means that if there are any quad
elements in the surface mesh, those will be split into two trias each so that there is no need to
transition from quad faces to tria faces when transitioning from the last boundary layer to the
tetrahedral core. This option is very important when there are quad elements on areas with (low)
distributed BL thickness ratio, because in such areas the thickness of the transition elements (e.g.,
simple pyramid) was not taken into account when doing the interference study to assign distributed
BL thickness ratio to those elements.
9. Click the green Auto button. The Generate Boundary Layer distributed thickness values dialog
opens.
10. Click Add collectors with surface elements. The component selection panel opens.
11. Select all the collectors that define the volume surface, namely inlet, outlets, wall and wall_cyl, and
then click proceed.
12. The Generate BL Thickness window will show the components selected as shown, following:

13. Set the correct Bound Type for each one of the selected components. You want to generate a boundary
layer from components wall and wall_cyl, therefore, you will leave wall as their Bound Type. Also
verify that the Bound Type of components inlet and outlets is set to in/outlet as shown, following:

Note:
A component with Bound Type: wall indicates that you are going to generate a boundary layer mesh
on the component later on when you generate the mesh. Therefore, the same component should be
consistently specified with the comps selector for the With boundary layer (fixed or float) in the
Boundary selection subpanel.
A component with a Bound Type: slip, symmetry, in/outlet, or farfield indicates that you are NOT
going to generate a boundary layer mesh on the component. Therefore, when you generate the mesh this
component should be consistently specified with the comps selector for the W/o boundary layer
(fixed or float) in the Boundary selection subpanel.
14. Specify the Boundary Layer options as shown in the following image.
The first three fields are set in the BL parameters subpanel and cannot be changed here. All layers
will have the same thickness except in area affected by the distributed thickness "loading" and also
mesh smoothing operations such as hyperbolic smoothing at corners.
Specify a Minimum Tetrahedral Core / Boundary Layer thickness ratio value of 2.0. This
means that in areas where there is not enough room to grow the nominal BL (5 layers starting with a
thickness of 0.5 and increasing with a grow rate of 1.2), the boundary layers’ thickness will be
reduced so that the tetrahedral core thickness is approximately at least 2.0 times the total boundary
layer thickness, except for mesh smoothing operations such as hyperbolic smoothing at corners and
convex/concave areas.
The last option, Bound Layer thickness at corners, is a coefficient that controls the hyperbolic
growth where walls make an angle. The smaller this value is, the thinner the total BL thickness is in
such areas; values less than 1 produce thinner layers and values greater than 1 produce thicker
layers.
Now you are ready to generate the Distributed BL Thickness loading. Make sure that none of the
elements specified in the boundary collectors are masked. If they are masked an error message will

indicate that there is a discrepancy between the total number of elements in the components that you
specified and the number of tria3/quad4 elements found (displayed). If you have masked elements, you
can use mask (F5), and press unmask all.
15. Click Generate Distributed BL Thickness Ratio.
If the model already contains boundary layer thickness ratios, then a pop-up message box will ask you if
you want to keep such loads or if you want to clear/discard them. Most of the time you will want to clear
the existing boundary layer thickness ratios; press Yes. In some special cases you may want to keep
them, if more than one loading value is specified for a node, the minimum value is used when generating
the mesh.
16. After a few seconds you will see a pop-up message indicating the number of Distributed Boundary Layer
Thickness Values included in collector ^CFD_BL_Thickness.
17. Click Close in the Generate Boundary Layer distributed thickness values window.
Step 4: Generate the boundary layer and tetrahedral core mesh

1. In the CFD Tetra Mesh panel, click the Tetramesh parameters subpanel.
2. Set the switch for the tetrahedral mesh generation algorithm to Optimize mesh quality.
3. Ensure the tetrahedral grow rate is switch to interpolate.
4. Click mesh to generate the mesh. If collectors CFD_boundary_layer and CFD_Tetramesh_core are
present, you will be asked if you want to delete the elements in those collectors. Almost always you
select Yes.
When this task is finished two collectors are created: CFD_boundary_layer and
CFD_Tetramesh_core.

Step 5: Mask elements to inspect the boundary layers’ thickness on thinner areas
1. Select the xz Left Plane View icon .

2. Access the Mask panel by using the shortcut key F5.
3. Select elements to be masked by pressing SHIFT and the left mouse button, then move the cursor so
that the rubber band covers the upper half of the model.
4. Click mask.
5. Click the xy Top Plane View icon
6. Zoom in into the area where the bounding surfaces come close together. The following image illustrates
how BL interference has been avoided by reducing the BL thickness.
7. Click return to close the Mask panel.

Step 6: Arrange volume and surface components before exporting the mesh for
CFD solvers
First you need to put in the same component all the elements that represent a single fluid and/or solid
domain. In this case you have a single fluid domain, therefore you proceed as follows:
1. Rename the CFD_Tetramesh_core component. Typically, select a name “fluid*,” for example,
fluid. In the Model Browser, select CFD_Tetramesh_core, right-click, select Rename, and then
type the new name, fluid.
2. Click BCs > Organize.

3. Click elems >> by collector and select the collector CFD_boundary_layer.
4. In the dest component field, select fluid.

5. Click move and then click return.
Now you have all the volume elements in component fluid. The surface mesh of this component is
typically different from the surface mesh that was used to define the boundary of the domain. For this
reason, and to have consistent surface zones to impose boundary conditions in most CFD solvers, you
are going to create new boundary components that will be used when exporting the mesh for the CFD
solver of your choice. To accomplish this you first extract the surface mesh of component fluid. You do
this by generating the surface elements.
6. Click BCs > Faces.
7. Select the component fluid, and click find faces. All boundary faces are placed in the component
^faces.
8. Create new, empty components to place the elements from ^faces so that when these components are
later exported, they can be used to set a boundary condition in your CFD solver. In the Model Browser,

right-click on Component, and then select Create.
9. Enter the name as wall_exterior. Leave Card image as none, and click Create.
10. Create 3 more empty components with the names wall_cylinder, inlet_annulus, and outlets3.
11. Move the elements from component ^faces into the newly created components. This is done for clarity;
however, most of the time you create one fewer component and you rename ^faces which retains the
remaining elements after you move elements to the newly created surface components. Organize the
components by using the Organize panel. Select BCs > Organize.
12. Set dest component to wall_exterior, then pick one element on the exterior wall surface in the ^faces
component.
13. Click the elems switch and select by face.
This will recursively select all the elements attached to the picked element as long as the adjacent
elements are within a break angle less or equal to the value specified in the feature angle field (
Preferences > Geometry Options > Mesh subpanel).
The surface mesh in ^faces is such that the zones that you want to organize/move make an angle close
to 90 degrees and their boundaries, therefore this is a very easy job to do with a default feature angle of
20 or 30 degrees.

16. Having selected all the elements that should go to component wall_exterior, click move.
17. Now set the dest component to outlets3 and pick at least one element on each one of the three
separate outlets as shown in the following image.
18. Click the elems switch and select by face.
19. Having the elements on the three outlets selected, press move and those elements are moved to
component outlets3.
20. Set dest component to inlet_annulus and pick one element as shown in the following image.
21. Right-click the elems switch and select by face.
22. Having all the elements on the inlet annulus selected, press move and those elements are moved to
component inlet_annulus.
Now that all the remaining elements in component ^faces are the elements that you want to move to
component wall_cylinder.
23. Set dest component to wall_cylinder.
24. Click on elems and in the panel area and select by collector.
25. Select the component ^faces.
26. Click move and then click return.
The elements are moved to component wall_cylinder as shown in the following image.

As mentioned previously, more often than not it is easier to rename/recolor component ^faces.
Step 7: Exporting the mesh

1. Verify that only the components that you want to export are displayed. All other components should NOT
be displayed, as illustrated in the following image of the Model Browser.
2. Click the Export Solver Deck icon to open the Export tab. Select the CFD file format of your
choice (such as Acusolve, CFD++, CFX, CGNS, Fluent, or StarCD) to export the grid or mesh.
Note: solvers like Acusolve and FLUENT have certain requirements when the domain contains different
fluids and/or solids. This is described in other sections of the Engineering Solutions Help system.
Summary
Engineering Solutions allowed you to generate high-quality boundary layer meshes on parts where the
clearance or separation of the bounding surfaces is not enough to accommodate the user specified nominal
boundary layer thickness. To accomplish this you first used the CFD utility Generate Distributed BL
Thickness Ratio to generate load collector ^CFD_BL_Thickness. This load collector is then used when you
enable distributed thickness. As shown in the cross-sectional images, the mesh is very smooth, free of
collisions, and is of excellent quality.

2-D Boundary Layer Mesh generation in domains bounded by edges

Generate 2-D boundary layer type meshes with an arbitrary number of layers and thickness
distribution in domains defined by edges.
Generate 2-D boundary layer type meshes in areas where the clearance or separation of bounding
edges is not enough to accommodate the user specified nominal boundary layer thickness / number
or layers.
Exercise

1. Click File > Open.
2. Navigate to the directory <installation_directory>\tutorials\es\cfd and select the

manifold_inner_cylinder_2d.hm file.
3. Click Open to load the file containing the edges.
4. Inspect the edges elements that will be used to generate the volume mesh.
The boundary mesh should only consist of PLOTEL (elem type) elements. You want to generate
boundary layers on all the edges contained in the collectors called wall and inner wall.
Step 2: Check that all the elements in collectors wall, inner wall, inlet, and outlets
define a closed loop. (This step is for information only; it is optional for this tutorial)
Usually, this step is not necessary because the collectors containing edge elements (PLOTEL) are extracted
from 2-D surface meshes that naturally have free edges forming “closed” loops. However, there is a possibility

that there may be duplicate nodes, and for this reason it is advisable to perform the following test:
1. Click BCs > Check > Edge.

2. Click comps.
3. Select the collectors wall, inner_wall, Inlet, and Outlet.
4. Click select.
5. You need to ensure that the tolerance value is smaller than the minimum element length. To do this, first
find the minimum element length.
Click Mesh > Check > Elements > Check Elements.

6. Select the radio button 1-d.
7. Click the top length button.
A message indicates the minimum element length is 3.09, therefore you can safely use a tolerance of 3.
8. Click return to close out of the current panel.
9. In the Edge panel, enter 3.0 in the tolerance = field and then click Preview Equiv. A message
indicating that “0 nodes were found” will appear on the status bar.
Step 3: Generate a 2-D BL Mesh

1. Click Mesh > Surface Mesh 2D > 2D Mesh with BL.
2. Click the 2D Native BL (planar) tab.

3. Set the default values to be assigned when adding collectors:
1st Layer Thickness = 0.5
Growth Rate = 1.1 (This non-dimensional factor controls the change in layer thickness from one
layer to the next)
Bound Type = Wall (Will generate a boundary layer mesh)
Number of boundary layers = 6 (value must be >= 0, as a zero value leads to no boundary layers
even when Wall type is specified)
4. Uncheck the Retain node seeding on edge w/o BL option.
5. Click Add collector.
6. In the selector panel, click comps.
7. Select all four components.
8. Click select.
9. Click proceed.
10. In the 2D Boundary Layer Mesh window, all the selected components will be displayed in the
Component list as shown following:

11. Default values of boundary layer mesh (1st Layer Thickness, Growth Rate, and Bound Type) will be
assigned to each component. To remove one or more components from the group, select those
components from the list and press Remove.
12. In the 2D Boundary Layer Mesh window, set the Bound Type value for components Inlet and Outlet
as In/Outlet.
The objective is to not generate boundary layers along the Inlet and Outlet components.
Note: those elements may be remeshed based on the adjacent elements’ size.
13. Click Generate 2D BL Mesh to generate the mesh.
When this task is finished, two collectors are automatically created: 2DBLMesh and 2DCoreMesh, as
shown in the following image. Note that the quality of the mesh may not be very good, as described,
following. In the next steps you will change some default parameters to allow boundary node insertion
and movement.

As indicated previously, components with Bound type In/Outlet will be remeshed based on the adjacent
elements’ size. The two following figures illustrate the case where an inlet/outlet is defined with a single
large element, after meshing the element size in this area has been reduced to obtain a smooth element
size transition, leading to and excellent mesh quality.

Step 6: Changing Mesh Quality
Often it may happen that boundary layer elements will have bad quality due to high aspect ratio. Such
elements are created because of the large boundary edge length as shown in the following image.
This problem can be resolved by limiting the maximum perimeter elements’ aspect ratio. The maximum
boundary elements’ aspect ratio can be achieved using two approaches:
By addition of new nodes on the boundary / perimeter.
By node movement on the boundary / perimeter.
1. Activate the Allow boundary node insertion checkbox.

- Refine the boundary edges by insertion of nodes on boundary edges. New node insertion is
controlled by the specified maximum perimeter element aspect ratio.

Or
- Activate the Allow boundary node movement checkbox.
This option is used to move boundary nodes along the original boundary. Boundary node movement is
controlled by the specified maximum perimeter element aspect ratio.
Enter the maximum perimeter element aspect ratio as shown in the following image:
If the model already contains collectors 2DBLMesh and 2DCoreMesh, then a pop-up message will ask
you if you want to delete components 2DBLMesh and 2DCoreMesh before mesh creation or if you want
to add newly created elements to the same collectors. Most of the time you will want to clear the
existing mesh: click Yes. In some special cases you may want to keep them.
When this task is finished, two collectors 2DBLMesh and 2DCoreMesh are updated with new elements
as shown in the following image:
3. You can check the element’s aspect ratio by using the shortcut key F10 and selecting the 2-d page.

When the perimeter has sharp angles as shown in the following image, triangular elements are added to
the boundary mesh to achieve a smoother transition of element sizes, and mesh smoothing also
contributes to increase the mesh quality.

Also note that the automatic mesh generator performs a collision detection and avoids boundary layer
interference by reducing the boundary layer thickness, as shown in the following inset:
Step 7: Use a distributed boundary layer thickness to generate a boundary layer

and core
The boundary layer type mesh generated in this tutorial was generated with uniform thickness. This is OK for
a model like this manifold as long as the total boundary layer thickness does not lead to collision or
interference that can occur when the sum of the BL thickness is close to or larger than the distance
separating opposite walls. When such collision or interference occurs you have the following options:
Decrease the global boundary layer thickness (throughout / for all the BL edges).
Decrease locally the boundary layer thickness (BL edges around critical zones only).
Decrease locally the boundary layer thickness.
1. In the 2D Boundary Layer Mesh window, click Reject to remove the created mesh.
Collectors 2DBLMesh and 2DCoreMesh will be deleted.
2. Click Close to close the pop-up window.

Create new components (empty) to place the PLOTEL elements at critical zone (area where
boundary layer elements may lead to collision).
3. Open the Model Browser.
4. Click BCs > Components > Single.
5. Enter name as wall_critical.
6. Click Create and then Close.
8. Select the boundary edges (PLOTEL) around the area where boundary layer elements may lead to
collision. Refer to the following image for element selection.
9. Set the dest group/dest component switch to dest component = and select the destination collector
as wall_critical.
10. Click move to move the selected PLOTEL elements to the destination collector.

11. Click Mesh > Surface Mesh 2D > 2D Mesh with BL.
12. In the 2D Native BL (planar) tab, click Add collector.
13. In the panel area, click comps.
14. Select the component wall_critical.
15. Click select.
16. Click proceed.
The component wall_critical has been added to the component list.
17. Set 1st First Layer Thickness of component wall_critical to 0.4.
When this task is finished, two collectors are automatically created: 2DBLMesh and 2DCoreMesh.
19. Now you can zoom in around component wall_critical and notice how boundary layer interference has
been avoided by reducing the total boundary layer thickness as shown in the following image:

Summary
In this tutorial you generated 2-D meshes with boundary layers on a complex cross section. You obtained a
high quality mesh by allowing boundary node insertion and movement. Engineering Solutions automatically
cuts back the number of layers when boundary layer collision occurs, thus producing a consistent mesh
even in narrow areas. In narrow passages you can also reduce the total boundary layer thickness by starting
with a smaller first layer thickness and/or a smaller growth rate.

In this tutorial you will generate a wind tunnel type mesh for external CFD analysis. The mesh consists of a
Cartesian hexa-mesh for the far field, and a hybrid grid (tetras with boundary layers) in the vicinity of the
object.
The tutorial includes the following steps:
Setting the user profile
Opening the model file to be used
Using the wind tunnel functionality
Surface meshing
Volume meshing using the CFD Tetramesh panel
Organizing the model and preparation for CFD export
Export for Fluent
Exercise

1. From the menu bar, select Preferences, then User Profiles.
2. For Application, select Engineering Solutions and click the CFD radio button.
3. Click OK.
1. From the toolbar, click the Open Model icon .

2. Select the airplane.hm file from the directory <install_directory>\tutorials\es\cfd.
3. Click Open to load the file.

Step 3: Use the Wind Tunnel Mesh tool
1. Click Mesh > Volume Mesh 3D > Wind Tunnel.
The Wind-Tunnel tab opens, displaying instructions for using this tool.
2. Enter values for your model as shown in the following image:
3. Click Generate.
A pop-up message will display the estimated number of hexahedral elements that will be created with
the specified minimum hex cell size.
4. Click Yes on the pop-up message.
The Wind Tunnel Mesh tool generates hexa, pyramids and shell elements and groups them into several
collectors.

You may need to rotate the model to obtain this view .
Step 4: Generate a shell mesh on the airplane

1. In the Model Browser, expand Component, right-click plane, and select Isolate.
2. Click Mesh > Surface Mesh 2D > Automesh.
This automatically loads the surface deviation subpanel.

3. With surfs selected in the toggle, hold SHIFT and drag a box around the entire visible airplane geometry.
You may need to resize the display first.

4. For element size =, enter 10.
5. For growth rate = , enter 1.2.
6. For min elem size =, enter 2.
7. For max deviation =, enter 0.1.
8. For max feature angle =, enter 15.
9. Set mesh type: to trias.

10. Ensure toggles are set to elems to surf comp and first order.
11. Click mesh.

A message on the status bar indicates the number of elements created.
Step 5: Mesh the box sym component with an element size of 20

1. In the Model Browser, show the elements and geometry for box_sym.
2. In the Automesh panel, click the size and bias subpanel.
3. With the surfs toggle active, click any visible part of the box to select it.
4. For element size =, enter 20 and set the mesh type to trias.
5. For map:, activate the checkboxes for size and skew.
6. Click mesh.
The component is meshed. A message on the status bar indicates the number of elements created.
7. Click return twice to return to the main menu.

Step 6: Equivalence nodes in box_sym
1. In the Model Browser, right-click on the component symp and select Show.
3. Click the yellow comps button and select the components box_sym and symp.
4. For tolerance =, enter 0.1.
5. Click preview equiv.
A message in the status bar indicates the number of nodes found.

6. Click equivalence.
The nodes are equivalenced.

Step 7: Create new component box_ground

2. In the Name: field, enter box_ground.
3. Click Color and select magenta.

4. Click Create.
The new collector has now been created.

5. Close the dialog.
Step 8: Generate a surface and a tria mesh on the bottom of the box
1. In the Model Browser, turn off the element display for symp and turn on the display for ground.
2. Click Mesh > Surface Mesh 2D > Surface/Mesh > Spline.
3. Set the selector toggle to nodes.
4. Click the nodes selector to open the extended entity selection menu and pick by path.
5. Set the second toggle to surface only.
6. Pick the nodes by path on the perimeter of the box bottom, as in the following image:
7. Click create.
8. Click return.

10. Select the size and bias subpanel, ensure the selector is set to surfs and the element size field is set
to 20.
11. In the graphics area, click the box_ground surface.
12. Click mesh.
A message on the status bar will indicate the number of elements created.
13. Click return twice to return to the main menu.
Step 9: Equivalence nodes to achieve a closed volume


2. Click the yellow comps button and select the components plane, box_sym, ground,
trias_hexas_pyras, and box_ground.
3. Set the tolerance field to 0.1.
4. Click preview equiv.

5. Click equivalence.
6. Click return.
7. In the Model Browser, turn off the display of ground, and turn on the element display of
trias_hexas_pyras.
8. Return to the Edges panel.

9. Hold SHIFT and drag a box around all the visible components to select them all.
A message on the status bar indicates that no edges were found.

11. Select the components again and click preview equiv.
A message on the status bar indicates that 0 nodes were found. This ensures that the volume is
enclosed, which is necessary for the following tetra meshing step.
12. Click return.
Step 10: Mesh the closed volume

1. Click Mesh > Volume Mesh 3D > CFD tetramesh.
2. Under the With boundary layer (fixed) header, click the comps selector and select the component

plane.
3. Under the W/o boundary layer (fixed) header, click the comps selector and select the components
box_sym, box_ground, and trias_hexas_pyras.
4. Click to the BL Parameters subpanel,
5. For number of layers=, enter 3.
6. For first layer thickness=, enter 0.7.
7. On the Tetramesh Parameters subpanel, set the toggle to interpolate.

8. Click mesh.
The mesh may take a few minutes. When the mesh is complete, a message in the status bar will
indicate the number of nodes and elements created.
Note that two new components, CFD_tetramesh_core and CFD_boundary_layer, appear in the Model
Browser.
9. Click return.
Step 11: Inspect the mesh

1. Click Mesh > Check > Hidden Lines. In the panel, deactivate the clip boundary elements checkbox.
2. Click show plot and then check and then uncheck the xy plane, yz plane and xz plane checkboxes
to display the model in different views.

3. Rotate and inspect the mesh from the side of the model.
4. Click and hold one of the corners of the model. While keeping the mouse button down, drag the corner of
the model forth and back to sweep the cutting plane.
5. Click return.
Step 12: Organize faces

1. In the Model Browser, turn off the display for plane, box_sym, trias_hexas_pyras, and box_ground
so that only CFD_tetramesh_core and CFD_boundary_layer are visible.
3. Hold SHIFT and drag a box around the visible components to select them.
4. Click find faces.
Note that a new component named ^faces appears in the Model Browser.
5. Click return.

6. In the Model Browser, turn off the display of the elements of CFD_tetramesh_core and
CFD_boundary_layer.

8. Click elems and select on plane.
9. Pick three nodes on the ^faces component, on the face that intersects the airplane model.
A good way to determine which area to select is to isolate the display of the box_sym geometry. This
will show you the face to focus on. Turn the display of the ^faces component back on, and select your
three nodes.
10. Click select entities.
11. Click dest component = and select symp.
12. Click move.
13. Click elems >> on plane.
14. Pick three nodes on the bottom of the ^faces component.
A good way to determine which area to select is to isolate the display of the box_ground geometry.
This will show you the face to focus on. Turn the display of the ^faces component back on, and select
your three nodes.

15. Click select entities.
16. Click dest component = and select ground.
17. Click move.
Step 13: Delete collectors

1. In the Model Browser, right-click the component ^faces, and select Delete.
2. In the pop-up dialog, click Yes to confirm the deletion.
3. In the Model Browser, turn on the display of CFD_tetramesh_core and CFD_boundary layer.
4. Press the CTRL key and select edges_xz and edges_xy in the Model Browser.
5. Right-click and select Delete.
6. In the pop-up dialog, click Yes to confirm the deletion.
7. In the same way, also delete trias_hexas_pyras, box_sym and box_ground.
Step 14: Organize components


2. Click elems and select by collector.
3. Select CFD_tetramesh_core and CFD boundary_layer.

4. Click select.
5. Click dest component = and select fluid_hex.
6. Click move.
When the move is complete, nothing should be visible in the graphic area.
7. Click return.
Step 15: Use the Model Browser to rename and delete components
1. In the Model Browser, display elements for fluid_hex.
2. Right-click fluid_hex in the Model Browser and select Rename.
3. Enter the new name as fluid.
4. Select CFD_tetramesh_core and CFDboundary_layer and delete them using the process described in
Step 14.
5. Right-click Component and select Show to show all remaining components in the graphic area.
Step 16: Export the file as .cas.
1. Select Export Solver Deck .

2. Ensure that CFD is selected for the File Type, and pick fluent for the Solver Type.
3. Use the File field to navigate to the destination folder and enter the name wind_tunnel_mesh.
4. Click Export.
A pop-up dialog appears. After reading the dialog, click Yes.

5. In the pop-up dialog that appears, you are asked whether to reuse the setup from an existing Fluent file.
Since you just generated the grid and don’t have a set up file (*.cas), click No.
It may take a few minutes for the file to be created.

6. When the file creation is complete, a pop-up window appears. Click OK.

In this tutorial you will learn how to generate a hexcore mesh with a boundary layer. Included are the
following steps:
Tria surface meshing
Boundary layer generation
Generation of the hexcore mesh, pyramid elements and the tetra mesh
Preparation of the model for the export
Exercise

1. From the menu bar, select Preferences, then User Profiles.
2. For Application, select Engineering Solutions and click the CFD radio button.
3. Click OK.
2. Select the ujoint_cfd.hm file from the directory <install_directory>\tutorials\es\cfd.

Step 3: Generate a mesh on the surface
1. In the Model Browser, expand Component, right-click on it and select Show.
3. Click the size and bias subpanel.
4. Set the element size = field to 5.0.
5. Click the mesh type toggle to trias.

6. Ensure that both the size and skew checkboxes are activated.
8. Click the yellow surfs button and selected all.
9. Click mesh.

10. Click return twice to close the panels.
Step 4: Mesh the hex-core

1. Click Mesh > Volume Mesh 3D > Hex-core.

2. Enter the parameters as shown in the image below:
3. Checking the box for Generate exterior tetrahedral mesh and Boundary Layer makes the bottom

part of the tab editable. Enter the Number of layers as 3, the First layer thickness as 0.4 and the
Growth rate as 1.2.
4. Under the header With boundary layer, click the Components button and select the component wall.
5. Under the header W/o boundary layer, click the Components button and select inflow and outflow.
6. Click Generate just above the Report area. After the meshing finishes, a message appears stating that
additional components have been created.
7. Check the Model Browser to see all the new components created.
8. Press F5 to open the Mask panel. While holding the shift key down, draw a box around roughly half of
the model, and click mask. This will display the inside of the model.

Step 6: Prepare the model for export

1. In the Model Browser, right-click on Component and select Create.
2. Enter the name as fluid and click Create.
3. Right-click on Component again select Show to remove the masking effect.

4. From the View menu, select the Mask Browser.
5. Display only the volume elements by clicking on the "1" in the row for 3D elements, as shown below:

6. Click Mesh > Organize.

7. Click elems and select displayed.
8. Click dest component = and select the fluid component.

9. Click move, and then click return.
10. In the Mask Browser, set only the 2D elements to display.
11. Click Mesh > Delete > Elements. Click the yellow elems button and select displayed.
12. Click delete entity. This deletes all 2D elements from the model.
13. While still in the Delete panel, click the toggle and switch from elems to comps. Click comps and
select the components that are now unused:
CFD_boundary_layer
hexcore
pyramids
faces_pyra_hex
tetras_exterior
14. Click delete entity and click return.
15. In the Model Browser, right-click on Component and select Show to display the remaining
components. Only volume elements are now available in the model.
16. Click BC > Faces.
17. Click the comps button and select the fluid component.
18. Enter the tolerance as 0.010 and select find faces. Click return to close the panel.

20. Click elems and select the elements on the inlet.
21. Click dest component = and select the inflow component. Click move.
22. Click elems again and select the elements on the outlet.
23. Click dest component = and select the outflow component. Click move.
24. Click elems again, select by collector and select ^faces.
25. In the dest component = field, select wall and click move. This will move the remaining elements in
the ^faces component into the wall component.
26. In the Model Browser, delete the ^faces component.
27. Display all the components and export the model to the CFD solver of your choice.

CFD-1600: Using Distributed Thickness for Varying Boundary Layer
Thickness
In this tutorial you will learn how to
Generate a structured quad surface mesh
Adjust the boundary layer thickness manually
Generate a hybrid grid (tetramesh with boundary layer)
Export the model for a CFD solver of your choice
Exercise

1. From the menu bar, select Preferences > User Profiles.
3. Select the CFD radio button.
4. Click OK.
2. Select the wing.hm file from the directory <install_directory>\tutorials\es\cfd.

4. In the Model Browser, click on Component and expand the folder, then right-click on box and select
Hide.
5. Right-click on plane and select Show.
Step 3: Generate a mesh on the surface

2. Click the size and bias subpanel.

3. Set the element size = field to 5.0.
4. Click the mesh type toggle to quads only.

5. Ensure that both the size and skew checkboxes are activated.
7. Click the yellow surfs button. In the graphics area, draw a box around the wing to select the entire
image.
8. Click mesh.
Step 4: Adjust the node seeding on each edge to get a structured quad mesh
1. While in the density subpanel, change the elem density = field to 17.
2. Click the edge button just above the elem density field and graphically select both left-hand edges of
the wing.
The entire edge is selected.

3. Rotate the model and repeat Step 2 for the other end.

To get a structured quad mesh adjust the number of nodes on the edges in such a w ay so that tw o opposite edges have the
same number of nodes.
See the image below :
4. Click the edge button next to adjust: and select the edge as shown in the image below:

5. Now adjust the node seeding on the two remaining edges (leading edge and training edge) to 47 to get a
uniform quad mesh
6. Click mesh.
Step 5: Define the region for a thinner BL thickness

2. Enter the name of the new component as BL_thin and click Create and then Close.

4. With the elems button highlighted, draw a box around a portion of the elements on the wing.
5. Click the dest component button and select the component BL_thin.
Step 6: Mesh the surface of the box

1. In the Model Browser, turn on the display of the box component, and then click F on the keyboard to fit
the model into the graphics region.
2. Click Mesh > Surface Mesh > Automesh.
3. With the surfs button highlighted, select the six surfaces of the box.
4. Set the element size field to 30, and change the mesh type toggle to trias.
5. Click mesh.
Step 7: Volume meshing

1. Click Mesh > Volume Mesh 3D > CFD Tetramesh.
2. Click on the Boundary selection subpanel. Under the heading With boundary layer (fixed), click the
comps button and select the plane and BL_thin components.
3. Under the heading W/o boundary layer (float), click the comps button and select the box
components.
4. Click on the BL parameters subpanel.
5. In the number of layers field, enter 4.

6. In the first layer thickness field, enter 0.3
7. Click the green Manual button to open the Distributed BL Thickness dialog.
Note: In the dialog, you can select nodes or components, and define a scaling factor for the boundary
layer thickness at this location. For example, a scaling factor of 0.5 will reduce the BL thickness
in this region to one half of the original BL thickness.
8. In the dialog, click the Components radio button.
9. Click Select Components and select the component BL_thin.

10. Click proceed.
11. In the Thickness Ratio field, enter 0.1.
12. Click Assign, and then click Close.
Note: For all of the nodes in the selected component BL_thin, the boundary layer thickness will be
reduced to 1/10 of its initial size. A smooth thickness transition will be used.
The defined scaling factor is now stored in the load collector ^CFD_BL_Thickness, as shown in the
Model Browser.

13. In the Model Browser, right-click on the box component and select Hide. Right-click on the load
collector ^CFD_BL_Thickness and select Show. Check the value of the scaling factor to make sure it
is correct and if it's attached to the correct component.
14. Click on the Tetramesh parameters subpanel. Click the Standard toggle to Interpolate for the
tetrameshing growth algorithm behavior.
15. Click mesh. Two new components are generated containing the boundary layer elements and tetra
elements.

16. To check the result, mask parts of the mesh and compare the thickness of the boundary layer for the
plane component with the thickness of the BL_thin component. You can do this in the Distance panel.
You will see that the thickness ratio is 1/10, as expected.
Due to smoothing algorithms for the boundary layer, the thickness ratios can differ from the user-defined
values, for some use cases.
Step 8: Prepare the model for export

1. In the Model Browser, right-click on Components and click Show to display all components.
2. Click BCs > Components > Single. Enter the new name as fluid.
3. Repeat Step 2 to create more collectors, with the names inflow, outflow, wall_wing and wall_slip.
4. Click on the Mask tab, click on the 1 in the row 3D elements to display only volume elements.
6. Click on the elems button and select displayed.
7. Click the dest component button and select the component fluid.
9. In the Mask tab, click on the 1 in the row 2D elements to display only shell elements.

10. Click Mesh > Delete > Elements.
11. Click on the elems button and select displayed.
12. Click delete entity and then click return.

13. In the Model Browser, right-click on fluids and select Make Current, and then right-click on it again
and select Show.
15. Click the comps button and select the fluid component. Click find faces and then click return to close
the panel.
16. A new component named ^faces is created and displayed in the Model Browser. Right-click on it and
select Isolate.

18. Select the elements lying on the inflow boundary, and move them to the inflow component. Repeat this
step selecting the elements on the outflow boundary, and moving them to the outflow component.

Inflow boundary selected for the inflow component
19. Move the shell elements from the four other sides to the component wall_slip.
20. Move the shells on the wing profile to the wall_wing component. Click return to close the panel.
21. The collector ^faces should now be empty and can be deleted by right-clicking on it in the Model
Browser.
22. Delete the other empty components - plane, box, BL_thin, CFD_boundary_layer and
CFD_tetramesh_core.
Step 9: Export the model

1. Right-click on Components in the Model Browser and select Show.
2. Click on the Export Solver Deck icon and export the model for the CFD solver of your choice.

Crash
The following tutorials are available for the Crash - LS-DYNA user profile:
CRASH-1000: Defining LS-DYNA Model and Load Data, Controls and Output
CRASH-1100: Using Curves, Beams, Rigid Bodies, Joints and Loads in DYNA
CRASH-1200: Model Importing, Airbags, Exporting Displayed,and Contacts using DYNA
CRASH-1300: Rigid Wall, Model Data, Constraints and Output Using DYNA
The following tutorials are available for the Crash - RADIOSS user profile:

CRASH-1000: Defining LS-DYNA Model and Load Data, Controls,
and Output
View DYNA keywords in the Engineering Solutions - Crash – LS-DYNA user profile as they will
appear in the exported DYNA input file
Understand part, material, and section creation and element organization
Create sets
Create velocities
Create nodal single point constraints
Create contacts
Define output and termination
Export models to LS-DYNA formatted input files
Exercises
This tutorial contains the following exercises:
Exercise 1: Define Model Data for the Head and A-Pillar Impact Analysis
Exercise 2: Define Boundary Conditions and Loads for the Head and A-Pillar Impact Analysis
Exercise 3: Define Termination and Output for the Head and A-Pillar Impact Analysis
Section 1: Define Model Data
Relation of *PART, *ELEMENT, *MAT, and *SECTION to Each Other
*ELEMENT EID PID
*PART PID SID MID
*SECTION SID
*MAT MID
A *PART shares attributes such as section properties (*SECTION) and a material model (*MAT). A group of
elements (*ELEMENT) sharing common attributes generally share a common part ID (PID). The figure below
shows how the keywords *PART, *ELEMENT, *MAT and *SECTION relate to each other. A unique PID
assigns a material ID (MID) and a section ID (SID) to an element.

The figure below shows how the keywords *ELEMENT, *PART, *SECTION, and *MAT are organized.
*ELEMENT EID PID Elements are organized into a component

collector
*PART PID SID MID Component collector’s card image
*SECTION SID Property collector with a property card image.

Assign a property to a *PART by pointing to the
property collector in the component collector’s
card image.
*MAT MID Material collector with a material card image.

Assign the material to the *PART by associating
the material collector to the component
collector.
Component, property and material collectors are created and edited from the Collectors panel.
View DYNA Keywords in Engineering Solutions
An Engineering Solutions card image allows you to view the image of keywords and data lines for defined
DYNA entities as interpreted by the loaded template. The keywords and data lines appear in the exported
DYNA input file as you see them in the card images. Additionally, for some card images, you can define and
edit various parameters and data items for the corresponding DYNA keyword.
Card images can be viewed using the Card Editor panel which can be access from the Card Editor icon in
the toolbar, or from the right-click context menus in the Model Browser and Solver Browser.
Create *MAT
In Engineering Solutions, a *MAT is a material collector with a card image. To relate it to a *PART, the
material collector is associated to a component collector. A material collector can be created from the
Model Browser, Solver Browser or by selecting the Model menu and choosing Material > Create.
Update a Component’s Material
Update any component with any material from the Component Collectors panel, update subpanel.
Material Table Utility
This utility allows you to do the following:
View a list of all existing materials in the model and attributes for them.
Create, edit, merge and check for duplicate materials.
This utility is located in the the Model menu.
Create *SECTION
In Engineering Solutions, *SECTION is a property collector with a card image. This is created in the
Property Collectors panel, create subpanel.

Exercise 1: Define Model Data for the Head and A-Pillar Impact
Analysis
The purpose for this exercise is to help you become familiar with defining LS-DYNA materials, sections and
parts using Engineering solutions – Crash - LSDYNA.
This exercise comprises of setting up the model data for an LS-DYNA analysis of a hybrid III dummy head
impacting an A-pillar. The head and A-pillar model is depicted below.
Head and A-pillar model
This exercise contains the following tasks.
Define the material *MAT_ELASTIC for the A-pillar part and head part.
Define *SECTION_SHELL for the A-pillar.
Define *SECTION_SOLID for the head.
Define *PART for the A-pillar and the head.
Step 1: Load the Crash - LS-DYNA user profile

1. From the startup menu, choose Engineering Solutions > Crash - HyperMesh.
2. Select the LsDyna profile in Crash and click OK.
Step 2: Retrieve the model file
1. From the toolbar, click the Open Model icon and browse to the file head_start.hm.
2. Click Open.
The model loads into the graphics area.
Step 3: Define the material *MAT_ELASTIC for the A-pillar and head
1. Right-click in the Model Browser and pick Create > Material.
The Create material dialog appears.
2. For Name, enter elastic.
3. For Card image, select MATL1.

4. Click Card edit material upon creation to activate the option.
5. Click Create to create the material and edit its card image.
6. Click the [Rho] field and enter 1.2 E-6 for the density.
7. For Young’s modulus [E], specify 210.
8. For Poisson’s ratio [Nu], specify 0.26.
9. Click return to exit the panel.

Step 4: Define property (*SECTION_SHELL) with a thickness of 3.5 mm for the A-
pillar
1. Right click in the Model Browser and pick Create > Property.
The Create property dialog appears.

2. For Name, enter section3.5.
3. In the Type field, select SURFACE.

4. For Card image, select SectShll.
5. Click Card edit property upon creation to activate the option.
6. Click Create to create the property and edit the card.
7. For T1, enter 3.5.
Step 5: Define *SECTION_SOLID for the head

1. Right click in the Model Browser and pick Create > Property.
2. For the Name field, type solid.
3. In the Type field, select VOLUME.

4. For Card image, select SectSld.
5. Click Card edit property upon creation to deactivate the option.
6. Click Create to create the property.
Step 6: Define *PART for the A-pillar

MAT_ELASTIC is the material collector named "elastic". *SECTION_SHELL is the property collector named
"section3.5".
1. Right click on the pillar component in the Model Browser and pick Edit.
2. For Card image, select Part.
3. Click the Material tab.
4. Click the Assign material option to activate it.
5. For Name, select elastic.
6. Click the Property tab.
7. Click Assign property to activate the option.
8. For Name, select section3.5.

9. Click Update.
Step 7: Define *PART for the head

*MAT_ELASTIC is the material collector named "elastic". *SECTION_SOLID is the property collector named
"solid".
1. Right click on the component head in the Model Browser and pick Edit.
2. For Card image, select Part.

3. Click the Material tab.
4. Click the Assign material option to activate it.
5. For Name, select elastic.
6. Click the Property tab.
7. Click the Assign property option to activate it.
8. For Name, select solid.
9. Click Update to update the component.
The exercise is complete. Save your work to as an .HM file.
Section 2: Define Boundary Conditions and Loads
*SET
With the exception of *SET_SEGMENT, all *SET types are created from the Entity Sets panel, from clicking
Tools > Create > Sets. Graphically view a set’s contents with the review function in the Entity Sets panel.
*SET_SEGMENT is created from the Contactsurfs panel and is discussed in this chapter.
Exercise 2: Define Boundary Conditions and Loads for the

Head and A-Pillar Impact Analysis
The purpose for this exercise is to help you start becoming familiar with defining LS-DYNA boundary
conditions, loads and contacts using Engineering Solutions.
This exercise comprises of setting up the boundary conditions and loads data for an LS-DYNA analysis of a
hybrid III dummy head impacting an A-pillar. The head and A-pillar model is depicted below.

This exercise contains the following three tasks.
Define velocity on all nodes of the head with *INITIAL_VELOCITY
Constrain the pillar’s end nodes in all six degrees of freedom with *BOUNDARY_SPC_NODE
Define a contact between the head and A-pillar with *CONTACT_AUTOMATIC_SURFACE_TO_SUR

FACE
Step 1: Make sure the LS-DYNA user profile is still loaded

1. From the menu bar, click Preferences > User Profiles.
2. Select Engineering solutions, Crash - LsDyna.
Step 2: Retrieve the model file head_2.hm

1. Retrieve the model file, head_2.hm.
2. Take a few moments to observe the model using various visual options available (rotation, zooming, etc.).
Step 3: Create a node set containing all the nodes in the head component
1. Click Model > Sets > Nodes > Create.
2. For Name, enter Vel_Nodes.

3. For Card image, select Node.
4. With the nodes selector active, click nodes >> by collector and select the component head.
5. Click create to create the set.
Step 4: Define the initial velocity

1. Click BCs > Initial Velocity > Node Set > Create.
2. For loadcol name, enter init_vel.
3. Click create/edit to create the load collector and edit its card image.
4. In the node set ID [NSID] field, select the entity set Vel_Nodes.
5. For the initial velocity in the global x-direction, VX field, specify 5.
6. Click return.
7. Stay in the Load Collector panel for the next step.
Step 5: Create a load collector for the constraints to be created

1. In the Load Collector panel, in the Name field, enter SPC.
2. For creation method, select none.

3. Click create to create the load collector.
Step 6: Create constraints on the pillar’s end nodes

1. Click BCs > Constraints > Nodes > Create.
2. Leave the entity selector set to nodes.
3. Click nodes >> by sets and select the pre-defined entity set nodes for SPC.
Notice the nodes at the pillar’s ends are highlighted.

4. Leave all six degrees of freedom, dof1 thru dof6, active.
5. Leave the load type as BoundSPC.
6. Click create to create the constraints.
Step 7: Define a *SET_SEGMENT for the slave entities, the A-pillar elements

1. Click Model > Segments > Segment > Create.
2. For name, type pillar_slave.
3. Optionally select a color for the contactsurf.

4. With the elems selector active, click elems >> by collector and then select the pillar component.
5. Click create to create the contactsurf.
6. Review the contactsurf to make sure its pyramids are pointing out of the pillar.
7. Stay in this panel for the next step.
Step 8: Define a *SET_SEGMENT for the master entities, the head elements
1. Select the solid faces subpanel.
2. For name, type headmaster.
3. For Card image, select setSegment.

5. With the elems selector active, click elems >> by collector and then select the head component.
6. Leave the toggle set to nodes on face.
7. Click the yellow nodes selector to make it active.
8. Select three nodes belonging to the same face of a solid element.
9. For the break angle, leave it set to 30.
11. Review the contactsurf to make sure its pyramids are pointing out of the head.
Step 9: Create SurfaceToSurface contact interface between pillar and head

1. Click BCs > Contact > Surf to Surf > Create.
2. For Name, type contact.
3. Leave Type set to SurfaceToSurface.

4. Click create to create the group.
5. Stay in the Interfaces panel for the next step.
Step 10: Add the slave and master contactsurfs to the group
1. Select the add subpanel.

2. For the master type, select csurfs.
3. Click the contactsurfs selector and select the headmaster contactsurf.

4. Click update in the master: line, to the right of the yellow contactsurfs selector.
5. For the slave type select csurfs.
6. Click the contactsurfs selector in the slave: line and select pillar_slave.
7. Click update in the slave: line.
Step 11: Edit the group’s card image to define the AUTOMATIC option
1. Select the card image subpanel.
2. Click edit to edit the group’s card image.
3. Under Options, click the toggle to select Automatic.
4. Click return to go back to the Interfaces panel.
Step 12: Review the group’s master and slave surfaces

2. For name, select contact.
3. Click review.
4. Notice the master and slave entities are temporarily displayed blue and red, respectively.
The exercise is complete. Save your work to a HyperMesh file.
Exercise 3: Define Termination and Output for the Head and A-

Pillar Impact Analysis
The purpose for this exercise is to help you become familiar with defining LS-DYNA control data and output
requests using Engineering Solutions.
This exercise comprises of defining the termination and output for an LS-DYNA analysis of a hybrid III
dummy head impacting an A-pillar. The head and A-pillar model is shown in the image below.

This exercise contains the following four tasks.
Specify the time at which LS-DYNA is to stop the analysis with *CONTROL_TERMINATION
Specify ASCII output with *DATABASE_(Option) cards
Specify the output of d3plot files with *DATABASE_BINARY_D3PLOT
Export the model to an LS-DYNA 971 formatted input file
Step 1: Make sure the Crash - LS-DYNA user profile is still loaded
Step 2: Retrieve the model file head_3.hm
Step 3: Specify the time at which you want LS-DYNA to stop the analysis with
*CONTROL_TERMINATION
1. Click Model > Control Cards to open the Control Cards panel.
2. Click next to scroll through the list.
3. Select CONTROL_TERMINATION.
A card image pops up.

4. For the termination time of the analysis, ENDTIM, specify 2.5.

5. Click return to go back to the Control Cards panel.
Step 4: Specify frequency for animation file output

1. Click Output > Database_Binary > D3PLOT.
2. For the interval between outputs in the D3PLOT file, [DT] field, specify 0.1.
Step 5: Specify frequency for ASCII of time history file output

1. Click Output > Database_Extent > Binary.
2. For the GLSTAT file, [GLSTAT] field, specify 0.1.
This specifies the output of global data at every 0.1 ms.

3. For the MATSUM file, [MATSUM] field, specify 0.1.
This specifies the output of material energies every 0.1 ms.

4. For the SPCFORC file, [SPCFORC] field, specify 0.1.
This specifies the output of SPC reaction forces every 0.1 ms.
Step 6: Export the model as an Ls-Dyna keyword file

1. Click File > Export > Solver Deck to open the Export tab.
2. Make sure Ls-Dyna is selected as the File type and the appropriate template is selected.
3. Enter the file name as head_complete.key.
4. Click Export.
Step 7 (Optional): Submit the LS-DYNA input file to LS-DYNA 971

1. From the desktop’s Start menu, open the LS-DYNA Manager program.
2. From the solvers menu, select Start LS-DYNA analysis.
3. Load the file head_complete.key.
4. Click OK to start the analysis.
Step 8 (Optional): Post-process the LS-DYNA results using HyperView

The exercise is complete. Save your work to an .HM file.
Go to HyperMesh Tutorials

CRASH-1100: Using Curves, Beams, Rigid Bodies Joints, and Loads
in LS-DYNA
In this tutorial, you will learn how to:
Create XY curves to define non-linear materials
Define beam elements
Create constrained nodal rigid bodies
Create joints
Define *DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID
Define *LOAD_BODY
Define *BOUNDARY_PRESCRIBED_MOTION_NODE
Use the Component Table tool to review the model’s data
Tools
The following tools are covered in this tutorial:
DYNA Tools
Component Table
Curve Editor
The Component Table is part of the Model menu. With this tool, you can view a summary of the model’s
parts as well as create and edit parts. Below is a list of the tool's functionality.
Create a list of displayed or all parts and view them in the graphics area
Display parts with same section or material
Rename and renumber parts, sections and materials
Update thickness
Create new parts
Assign sections and materials to parts
Export table to file with comma separated format
In the Component Table window, place the cursor over each button to see an explanation of each button.
Below is a sample image of the Component Table.

The Curve Editor can be accessed by clicking Model > Function > Create Curve from the menu bar.
The Curve Editor is a pop-up window that allows you to view and modify graphed curves in a more intuitive
and holistic way than the individual xy plots panels provide.
Below is a list of the tool’s functionality.
Change curve attributes
Change graph attributes
Display curves in the graph area
Create a new curve
Delete a new curve
Rename a curve
Below is a sample image of the Curve Editor.

Exercises
This tutorial contains the following exercises:
Exercise 1: Define Model Data for Seat Impact Analysis
Exercise 2: Define Boundary Conditions and Loads for the Seat Impact Analysis
Exercise 1: Define Model Data for the Seat Impact Analysis

This exercise will help you continue to become familiar with defining LS-DYNA model data using Engineering
Solutions.
This exercise is comprised of defining and reviewing model data for an LS-DYNA analysis of a vehicle seat
impacting a rigid block. The seat and block model is shown in the image below.

Seat and block model
Step 1: Load the LS-DYNA user profile

1. From the startup menu, choose Engineering Solutions > Crash - HyperMesh.
2. Select the LsDyna profile in Crash and click OK.

1. Browse to the file seat_start.hm.
2. Take a few moments to observe the model using various visual options available in HyperMesh (rotation,
zooming, etc.).
Step 3: Create an xy plot

1. Click Model > Functions > Create > Plot.
2. For plot=, enter seat_mat.
3. Verify the plot type is set to standard.

4. Leave the like = field empty.
When an existing plot is selected, the new plot adopts its attributes.
5. Click create plot.
6. Click return.

Step 4: Input data from a file to create two stress-strain curves
1. Click Model > Functions > Create > Read Curves.
2. For plot =, leave it set to seat_mat.
3. Click browse... and locate the file named seat_mat_data.txt.
4. Click input to input the file.
5. Notice two curves are created and are named 0.001 strain rate for steel (curve1) and 0.004 strain rate
for steel (curve2).
6. Click return.
Step 5: Create a table

1. From the Model menu, click Table > Create.
2. Enter Steel_flow_stress_data as a name for the table.
3. In the card image, in the [ArrayCount] field, specify 2.
This is the number of strain rate values to be specified.

4. For the strain rate VALUE(1) field, specify 0.001.
5. For the strain rate VALUE(2) field, specify 0.004.
6. Click on CurveId(1) and select curve1.

7. Click on CurveId(2) and select curve2.
Step 6: Create the non-linear material (*MAT_PIECEWISE_LINEAR_PLASTICITY)

1. Click View > Browsers > HyperMesh > Solver to open the Solver Browser.
2. Right-click anywhere in the Solver Browser and click Create > *MAT > MAT (1-50) > 24-
*MAT_PIECEWISE_LINEAR_PLASTICITY.
3. For Name: type steel.
4. Set Type = Elastic-Plastic.

5. Set Card image = MAT_24 and click OK.
6. For density [Rho] field, specify 7.8 E-6.
7. For Young’s Modulus [E] field, specify 200.
8. For Poisson’s ratio [NU] field, specify 0.3.

9. For yield stress [SIGY] field, specify 0.25.
10. For the *DEFINE_TABLE id [LCSS] field, select curve3 (id=5).
11. Click return to close the card image.
Step 7: Update the base_frame and back_frame components with the new non-
linear material
1. Click Model > Component Table.
2. From the Table menu, click Editable.
3. Select the components base_frame by clicking on its row to highlight it.
4. For Assign Values:, select Material name.
5. For HM-Mats:, select steel.
6. Click Set and click Yes to confirm.
7. Repeat steps 3 - 6 for the component back_frame.
8. Close the Component Table.
Steps 8-10: Create a beam element to complete the seat’s

back_frame connection to the side_frame on the left side
Step 8: Restore a pre-defined view
1. On the toolbar, click the User Views icon.
A dialog pops up.
2. Click restore1 to see the beam view.
Step 9: Set the current component to beams

1. In the Model Browser, right-click on the beams component and select Make Current to set the beam
component as the current collector.
Step 10: Create the beam

1. Click Mesh > Create > 1D Elements > Bars to open the panel.
2. Click the leftmost switch and select node.
A direction node is selected later to define the beam’s section orientation.

3. Click the Node A selector to make it active.
4. Select the center node of the left nodal rigid body for Node A.
Node B is active now.

5. Select the center node of the right nodal rigid body for Node B.
6. Select any non-center node of one of the nodal rigid bodies for the direction node.
Notice the beam is created.
Step 11: Display node IDs for ease of following the next steps
1. Click on the numbers icon to open the Numbers panel.

2. Change the entity selector set to nodes.
3. Click nodes and select by id. Enter 425-427, 431 and press Enter.
4. Activate the display checkbox, and click on to display the IDs.

5. Click return.
Step 12: Set the current component to welding

1. In the Model Browser, right-click on the welding component and select Make Current to set the
welding component as the current collector.
Step 13: Create the rigid connection between nodes

(*CONSTRAINED_NODAL_RIGID_BODY)
1. Click Connections > Nodal Rigid Body > Create.
2. Set nodes 2-n to multiple nodes.

3. Select the beam’s free end for node1.
4. Select nodes 425, 426, 427 and 431 for nodes 2-n.
5. Leave the attach nodes as set option active.
6. Click create to create the nodal rigid body.
7. Click return.
A *CONSTRAINED_JOINT_STIFFNESS is not created; it is not needed for this joint to work.
Step 14: Display node IDs for ease of following the next steps

1. Click on the numbers icon to open the Numbers panel.
2. Leave the entity selector set to nodes.

3. Click nodes and select by id. Type 1635, 1636 and press Enter.
4. Activate the display checkbox, and click on to display the IDs.

5. Click return.
6. From the toolbar, click the Wireframe Elements (Skin Only) icon to change to standard graphics
mode.
Step 15: Activate coincident picking

1. Click Preferences > Graphics.
2. Activate coincident picking.
3. Click return.
Step 16: Set the current component to joint

1. In the Model Browser, right-click on the joint component and select Make Current to set it as the
current collector.
Step 17: Create a revolute joint between two nodal rigid bodies
(*CONSTRAINED_JOINT_REVOLUTE)
The rigid bodies must share a common edge along which to define the joint. This edge, however, must not
have the nodes merged together. The two rigid bodies will rotate relative to each other along the axis defined
by the common edge.
1. Click Connections > Joints > Element > Create.
2. Set the joint type to revolute.
node1 is active.
3. Click on node 1635.
Notice the coincident picking mechanism displays two nodes – 1635 and 1633.
4. Move the mouse to node 1635 in the coincident picking display and click on it to select it for node 1 in
rigid body A.
node2 is now active.

5. Click on node 1635 again to see the coincident picking mechanism and select node 1633 for node 2 in
rigid body B.

6. Click on node 1636.
Two coincident nodes are displayed – 1636 and 1634

7. Select node 1636 for node 3 in rigid body A.

8. Select node 1634 for node 4 in rigid body B.
9. Click create to create the joint.
10. Click return.
Steps 18-20: Define *DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID to set up the moving

seat as rigid until the time of impact with the block, to reduce
computation time
Step 18: Create an entity set that contains the components base_frame,
back_frame, and cover
1. Click Model > Sets > Part > Create.
2. For name =, enter set_part_seat.
3. For card image, select Part
Notice the entity selector is set to comps.

4. Click the yellow comps button and select the base_frame, back_frame and cover components.
6. Click return.
Step 19: Define *DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID to switch the deformable seat to rigid at

the beginning of the analysis
1. Right click in the Solver Browser and pick Create > *DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID >
*DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID.
2. For Name:, enter dtor and click OK to create the card.
3. Click the part set ID, [PSID] button twice and select set_part_seat.
4. Click the master rigid body, [MRB], button twice and select back_frame.
5. Click return.
Step 20: Create *DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID_AUTOMATIC to switch the rigid seat to

deformable when contact between the seat and block is detected

1. Right click in the Solver Browser and pick Create > *DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID >
*DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID_AUTOMATIC.
2. For Name:, type dtor_automatic and click OK to create the card.
3. For the unique set number for this automatic switch set, [SWSET], enter 1.
4. For the activation switch code [CODE] select 0.
The switch will take place at [TIME1].
5. For [TIME1] enter 175.
The switch will not take place before this time.

6. Activate R2D_Flag in the menu area.
On export, the number of rigid parts to be switched to deformable is written to the R2D field (card 2, field
6). This number is based on the number of parts in the entity set you select next.
7. Move the scroll bar on the left side of the card image down to see [PSIDR2D].
8. Click the [PSIDR2D] button twice and select set_part_seat.
9. Click return.
Steps 21-25: Review the model’s component data using the Model
Browser, Solver Browser or Component Table tool
Using the Model Browser approach:
Step 23: Display only parts with a particular material (Ex: steel)
1. In the Model Browser, click on the Material View icon .
2. Highlight the material steel, then right click on it and choose isolate to see only components that have
the selected material assigned.
3. To review several materials, click on the isolate icon then select a material and scroll through the
material using the arrow keys in the model browser. The corresponding parts are automatically isolated
in the view.
4. Follow the above steps to select components using the By Properties option.
Step 24: Display all components
1. In the Model Browser, click on the Material View icon .
Step 25: Rename a part

1. In the Model Browser, click on the Component View icon .
2. Select the part to rename and right click on it. Choose rename from the extended menu options and the
becomes editable to enter a new name.
Notice the part's new name in the Solver and Model Browser.
Step 26: Renumber a part ID

1. In the Model Browser, right-click on the Part ID field.
2. Enter a number that does not conflict with the existing part IDs.
3. Click Yes to confirm.
Using the Solver Browser approach:
1. Expand the Materials folder to see all available materials in the model.
2. Right-click on the material Steel and select Isolate from the menu.
3. Complete steps 1 and 2 to select components based on properties using the *section folder.
1. In the Solver Browser, click on the Material View icon .
1. In the Solver Browser, click on the Component View icon .
2. Select the part to rename and right click on it. Choose rename from the extended menu options and the
becomes editable to enter a new name.

1. In the Model Browser, right-click on the Part ID field.
2. Enter a number that does not conflict with the existing part IDs.

Using the Component Table approach:
1. Click Tools > Component Table.
2. From the Display menu, click By Material.
3. Select material steel and click proceed.
Notice that the GUI and the Component Table show only those components with material steel
assigned. All other components get turned off.
5. Follow the above steps to select components using the By Properties and By thickness option.

1. From the Display menu, click All.
2. Notice now that the GUI shows all components of the model.

1. From the Table menu, click Editable to make the table editable. (All columns with a white background
can be edited. Ex: Part name, Part id, Thickness etc.)
2. Click on any part name field to edit it.

1. Click on the Part Id field.
2. Type a number that does not conflict with the existing part IDs.
Step 27: Review the model’s data using the Solver Browser
The created solver entities are listed in the corresponding folder in Solver Browser. Each entity has the
following options Show, Hide, Isolate, and Review to help user navigate through the model
1. Select dtor in the *DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID folder
2. Right-click and choose Isolate to show only the entities that are referred in this keyword.

3. Right click and choose Review to highlight the entities.
4. Select the folder *BOUNDARY, right-click and select Show. The entities on which the loads in the folder
are defined are displayed, as well as the load handles.
The exercise is complete. Save your work to an .HM file.
Exercise 2: Define Boundary Conditions and Loads for the

Seat Impact Analysis
This exercise will help you continue to become familiar with defining LS-DYNA boundary conditions and
loads using Engineering Solutions.
In this exercise, you will define boundary conditions and load data for an LS-DYNA analysis of a vehicle seat
impacting a rigid block. The seat and block model is shown in the image below.
Seat and block model
This exercise contains the following three tasks.
Define gravity acting in the negative z-direction with *LOAD_BODY_Z
Define the seat’s acceleration with *BOUNDARY_PRESCRIBED_MOTION_NODE
Export the model to an LS-DYNA 971 formatted input file and submit it to LS-DYNA
Step 1: Make sure the LS-DYNA user profile is still loaded

1. Click Preferences > User Profiles, or click the User Profiles icon.
2. Select Engineering Solutions > Crash > LsDyna.

1. Retrieve the model file, seat_2.hm.
2. Take a few moments to observe the model using various visual options available (rotation, zooming, etc.).
Step 3: Define gravity acting in the negative z-direction with *LOAD_BODY_Z

1. Click BCs > Gravity > Create > Parts.
2. For Name:, enter gravity.
3. Click on the Z direction checkbox.

4. Click on the load curve LCID field twice and select the curve named gravity curve.
5. For the load curve scale factor [SF], specify 0.001.
6. Click return.
Steps 4-5: Define the acceleration for the seat
Step 4: Create a load collector for the acceleration loads to be created

1. Right click in the Model Browser and pick Create > Load Collector.
2. For Name:, type accel.
3. For Card image:, select none.
4. Optionally, select a Color for the load collector.
5. Click create to create the load collector.
6. Click return.
Step 5: Create acceleration loads on nodes

1. Click BCs > Imposed acceleration > Node > Create.
2. With the nodes selector active, select nodes and select by sets.
3. Select the pre-defined entity set accel_nodes.
4. Click on Curve and select the curve acceleration curve.
This is predefined curve that defines acceleration as a function of time.

5. For magnitude, specify 0.001.
This is the scale factor the Curve Y axis values; the curve specified in the previous step for the

acceleration loads.
6. For the direction selector, select x-axis.
This is the x-translational degree of freedom.

7. For the magnitude% =, specify 1.0E+7.
This is the scale factor for the graphical representation of the acceleration loads. It does not affect the
actual acceleration value.
8. Click create to create the acceleration loads.

9. Click return.
Step 6: Export the model to an LS-DYNA 971 formatted input file

1. Click File > Export > Solver Deck.
2. Make sure the template field shows Ls-Dyna.
3. Enter the File name: as seat_complete.key.
4. Click Export.

1. From the Start menu on your desktop, open the LS-DYNA Manager program.
3. Load the file seat_complete.key.
Step 8 (Optional): View the results in HyperView

The exercise is complete. Save your work as an .HM file.

CRASH-1200: Model Importing, Airbags, Exporting Displayed, and
Contacts using DYNA
Define *AIRBAG_WANG_NEFSKE for the airbag mesh geometry
Define an initial velocity of 3 mm/ms in the negative x-direction for the head with
*INITIAL_VELOCITY_GENERATION
Define a contact between the airbag and head with

*CONTACT_AUTOMATIC_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE
Define *CONTACT_AIRBAG_SINGLE_SURFACE for the airbag
Define a contact between the plate and the airbag with *CONTACT_NODES_TO_SURFACE
Import a DYNA model
Warning and Error Messages
On import of a DYNA model, any warning and error messages are written to a file named dynakey.msg or
dynaseq.msg, depending on the FE input translator used. This file is created in the same folder from which
Engineering Solutions is started.
Unsupported Cards
On import, the few DYNA cards not supported by Engineering Solutions are written to the unsupp_cards
panel. This panel can be accessed from the menu bar by clicking Setup > Control Cards. The unsupported
cards are exported with the remaining model.
Care should be taken if an unsupported card points to an entity in Engineering Solutions. An example of this
is an unsupported material referenced by a *PART. Unsupported cards are stored as text and pointers are
not considered.
LSTC Dummy Files
You can read LSTC Hybrid III dummy files into Engineering Solutions by first converting the tree file to FTSS/
ARUP tree file format.
Include Files
*INCLUDE is supported. From the menu bar, click File > Import. Use the options to merge, preserve or
skip include files. When include files are read, the IDs of non-existing entities are maintained and these
IDs are not used for new entities.
Export Displayed
From the Export tab, you can select the Displayed option to export only displayed nodes and elements.
Only model data associated to the displayed nodes and elements are exported. This model data includes
materials and their associated curves, properties, portions of contacts, and output requests.
Create and Review Contacts

The table below describes how all slave and master set types are created and specified in contacts.
Slave and master set type DYNA card Panel used to create Equivalent type
card in Interfaces
panel, add
subpanel
EQ. 0: set segment id *SET_SEGMENT set_segment csurfs

(contactsurfs) or …
Interfaces, add subpanel entity
EQ. 1: shell element set id *SET_SHELL_Option Entity Sets or… sets
EQ. 2: part set id *SET_PART_LIST Entity Sets or… sets
Interfaces, add subpanel comps
EQ. 3: part id *PART Collectors comps
* EQ. 4: node set id *SET_NODE_Option Entity Sets or… sets
* EQ. 5: include all Interfaces, add subpanel all
* EQ. 6: part set id for *SET_PART_LIST Interfaces, add subpanel sets

exempted parts and then card image
sub-panel
* For slave surface only
Add subpanel
While the Interfaces panel, add subpanel has several master and slave types - comps, sets, entity, etc. -
to choose from in order to specify the DYNA master or slave set for a *CONTACT, only the valid master and
slave types are selectable for the particular contact you are creating.
When the master or slave type is set to comps and only one component is selected, the DYNA type is 3,
part ID, and *PART is created. When multiple components are selected, the DYNA type is 2, part set ID, and
*SET_PART_LIST is created.
When the master or slave type is set to sets, only those sets valid for the particular contact you are
creating are selectable. For example, for *CONTACT_NODES_TO_SURFACE, only a list of node sets is
available for slave; you will not see a list of other set types, like element or part sets.
Review Contacts

You can review contacts with the review button in the Interfaces, add subpanel.
Exercise: Define Airbag, Velocity, and Contacts for the Airbag

Analysis
This exercise will help you become familiar with defining LS-DYNA airbags using Engineering Solutions. It
will also help you continue to learn how to define LS-DYNA loads and contacts using Engineering Solutions.
In this exercise, you will define an airbag, velocity, and contacts for an LS-DYNA analysis of a head
impacting an inflating airbag. The head and airbag model is shown in the image below.
Head and airbag model

1. From the startup menu, click Engineering Solutions > Crash - HyperMesh.
2. Select LsDyna.
Step 2: Import the LS-DYNA model

1. From the menu bar, File > Import > Solver Deck.
2. In the File: field, browse to the file airbag_start.key.
3. Click Import.

Steps 3-5: Define *AIRBAG_WANG_NEFSKE for the airbag mesh
geometry
Step 3: Create a set of parts containing the AirbagFront and AirbagRear

components
1. Click Model > Set > Part > Create.
2. For name =, type airbag_set.
3. For card image, select Part.

4. Click on comps and select the components AirbagFront and AirbagRear.
Step 4: Define the airbag (*AIRBAG_WANG_NEFSKE)

1. Click Safety > Airbag > Create.
2. For Name:, type airbag.
3. Set the card image field to airbag.

4. With the set selector active, select the entity set airbag_set.
The parts in this set define the airbag’s geometry.

5. Click create to create the card.
6. Click edit to edit card image of the control volume.
7. Enter the following data in the card image.
Field Value Parameter description
CV 1023. 0 Heat capacity at constant volume
CP 1320. 0 Heat capacity at constant pressure
T 780. 0 Temperature of input gas
LCMT c ur v e i d 1 Load curve specifying input mass flow rate
C23 1. 0 Vent orifice coefficient
LCA23 c ur v e i d 2 Load curve defining vent orifice area as a function of

pressure

CP23 1. 0 Orifice coefficient for leakage
PE 1. 0E- 4 Ambient pressure
RO 1. 0E- 9 Ambient density
GC 1. 0 Gravitational conversion constant
8. Click return twice to close the card image and then close the panel.
Step 5: Define an initial velocity of 3 mm/ms in the negative x-direction for the head
with *INITIAL_VELOCITY_GENERATION
1. Click BCs > Initial Velocity > Node set > Create.
2. For Name:, type velocity and click Create/edit to edit the card image.
3. Under Option, switch the toggle to Generation.

4. Under STYP, switch the toggle to select Part ID for the set type.
5. Click the PID button twice to select the Head component.
6. For velocity in the X direction VX field, specify –3.
Steps 6-12: Define a contact between the airbag and head
Step 6: Create a group with the card image SurfaceToSurface

The following steps explain contact creation using the menu bar.
1. Click BCs > Contact > Surf to Surf > Create.

2. For Name: type Airbag_Head and click Create to create the card.
Step 7: Specify the head to be the master surface with surface type 3, part ID
2. Set the master surface type to comps.
3. Click comps and select the Head component.
4. Click update for the master selection.
5. Stay in the add subpanel for the next step.

Step 8: Specify all of the airbag to be the slave surface with surface type 2, part set
ID
1. Set the slave surface type to sets.
2. Click sets and select the pre-defined entity set airbag_set.
This set contains the AirbagFront and AirbagRear components.
3. Click update in the slave line to update the slave selection.

Step 9: View the master and slave entities and set the option to automatic
1. Click review.
2. Notice the master and slave entities are temporarily displayed blue and red, respectively. All other
entities are temporarily displayed grey.
3. Click on the Card image subpanel and click edit.
4. Set the Option toggle to Automatic.
Step 10: Define contact between surfaces of the airbag

The following steps explain contact creation using the Solver Browser.
1. Right click in the Solver Browser and pick Create > *CONTACT > CONTACT (A-O) >
*CONTACT_AIRBAG_SINGLE_SURFACE.
2. For Name, type airbag and click OK to create the card.
Step 11: Define all of the airbag to be the slave surface with slave set type 2, part
set ID
2. Set the slave: surface type to sets.
3. Click sets and select the pre-defined entity set airbag_set.
4. Click update to update the slave selection.

Step 12: View the slave entities
1. Click review.
2. Notice the slave entities are temporarily displayed red. All other entities are temporarily displayed grey.
Steps 13- 16: Define a contact between the plate and the airbag with
*CONTACT_NODES_TO_SURFACE
Step 13: Create *CONTACT_NODES_TO_SURFACE card

1. Click BCs > Contact > Node to Surf > Create.
2. For Name:, type Airbag_Plate and click Create to create the card.
Step 14: Specify the AirbagRear_master contactsurf for the contact’s master
surface
2. Set the master surface type to csurfs.
3. Click edit to open the Contact Surface panel.
4. For name=, type AirbagRear_master.
5. For card image =, select setSegment.

7. With the elems selector active, click elems >> by collector.
8. Select the AirbagRear component.

Notice the contactsurf’s pyramids point into the airbag. They should point out. In the next step you will
reverse their direction.
10. Select the adjust normals subpanel.
11. With the contactsurf active, select AirbagRear_master.
12. Toggle from by elems to all elems.
13. Click reverse normals.
14. Click return to exit the panel and return to the Interface panel.
15. Click update to update the master selection.

Step 15: Define the plate to be the contact’s slave surface

1. Set the slave surface type to entity.
2. Click nodes and select by collector.
3. Select the RigidPlate component.
4. Click add to add the slave selection.

Step 16: View the master and slave entities

1. Click review.
2. Notice the master and slave entities are temporarily displayed blue and red, respectively. All other
entities are temporarily displayed grey.
3. Click return to go back to the main menu.
1. Click on Export and select the icon Export Solver Deck .

2. Set Template to Keyword971.
3. Click the Select file icon to select the path and enter the file name as airbag_complete.key.
4. Under Export options, set Export: to All.

5. Click Export.

1. From the Start menu, open the LS-DYNA Manager program.
3. Load the file airbag_complete.key.

The exercise is complete. Save your work to a .HM file.

CRASH-1300: Rigid Wall, Model Data, Constraints, and Output using
DYNA
Create *PART_INERTIA for the component vehicle mass to partially take into account the inertia
properties and mass of the missing parts.
Create velocity on all nodes but the barrier nodes with *DEFINE_BOX and *INITIAL_VELOCITY.
Make the closest row of nodes of the crash boxes a part of the vehicle mass rigid body with
*CONSTRAINED_EXTRA_NODES.
Create a contact between the crash boxes, the bumper and the barrier with
*CONTACT_AUTOMATIC_GENERAL.
Specify the output of resultant forces for a plane on the left interior and exterior crash boxes with
*DATABASE_CROSS_SECTION_PLANE.
Create a stationary rigid wall to constrain further movement of the barrier after impact with
*RIGIDWALL_PLANAR_FINITE.
Specify some nodes to be output to the ASCII NODOUT file with *DATABASE_HISTORY_NODE.
*PART_INERTIA
The INERTIA option allows inertial properties and initial conditions to be defined rather than calculated from
the finite element mesh. This applies to rigid bodies only.
When importing a DYNA model into Engineering Solutions, the *PART_INERTIA IRCS parameter value is
changed from 0 to 1. (The inertia components are changed from global to local axis.) This allows inertia
components to be automatically updated when *PART_INERTIA elements are translated or rotated. When
selecting *PART_INERTIA elements to translate or rotate, select elements by comp. This selection method
ensures the inertia properties are automatically updated.
*CONSTRAINED_EXTRA_NODES
This card defines extra nodes to be part of a rigid body.
*DATABASE_CROSS_SECTION_(Option)
*DATABASE_CROSS_SECTION_(Option) defines a cross section for resultant forces written to the ASCII
SECFORC file. The options are PLANE and SET.
For the PLANE option, a cutting plane must be defined. For best results, the plane should cleanly pass
through the middle of the elements, distributing them equally on either side.
The SET option requires the equivalent of the automatically generated input via the cutting plane to be
identified manually and defined in sets. All nodes in the cross-section and their related elements contributing
to the cross-sectional force resultants should be defined in sets.
*DATABASE_CROSS_SECTION_SET and *DATABASE_CROSS_SECTION_PLANE are created from the

Solver Browser. Like the Interfaces panel, anything created from the Rigid Walls panel is a HyperMesh
group. Thus, to rename, renumber or delete a *DATABASE_CROSS_SECTION card, select groups from the

Rename, Renumber or Delete panel.
*RIGIDWALL
A *RIGIDWALL provides a method for treating contact between a rigid surface and nodal points of a
deformable body.
Exercise: Set Up the Bumper Model for Impact Analysis

This exercise will help you become familiar with defining LS-DYNA rigid walls using Engineering Solutions,
Crash - LsDyna user profile. It will also help you continue to learn how to define LS-DYNA model data,
constraints, and output.
In this exercise, you will define model data, loads, constraints, a rigid wall, and output for an LS-DYNA
analysis of a bumper in a 40% frontal offset crash. The bumper model is shown in the image below.
Bumper model

1. Engineering Solutions > Crash - HyperMesh.
2. Select LsDyna.
Step 2: Import the LS-DYNA model bumper_start.key

1. Click File > Import > Solver Deck.
2. In the File: field, browse to the file bumper_start.key.
3. Click Import.
Step 3: Define *PART_INERTIA for the vehicle mass component to partially take
into account the inertia properties and mass of the missing parts
1. Right click on vehicle mass in the Model Browser and click Card Edit.
2. Click the switch under Options and select Inertia.
3. For the center of mass coordinates XC enter 700.
4. In the YC field, enter 0.
5. In the ZC field, enter 170.
6. For translational mass TM, specify 800.
7. For the components of the inertia tensor, specify the following:
IXX IXY IXZ IYY IYZ IZZ
1.5E+07 -5.0E+03 -8.0E+06 5.0E+07 -900 6.0E+07
8. For the initial translational velocity along the X-axis, VTX, specify -10.
Step 4: Create a box that contains all nodes but the barrier nodes
1. Click Model > Box > Create .
2. In the name= field, type box velocity.
3. Optionally select a color.

4. Toggle lower bound from corner node to x=, y=, z=.
5. Specify the lower and upper bounds as follows:
lower bound upper bound
X= -530 200
Y= -800 800
Z= 0 300

6. Click create to create the box.
Step 5: Create initial velocity on all nodes but the barrier nodes
1. Click BCs > Initial Velocity > Node Set > Create.
2. For Name, type velocity and click Create/edit to create the card.
3. For the initial velocity in the global X direction, VX, specify –10.
4. Click on the BOXID field and select the box velocity created in Step 4.
Note: You can also create velocity boundary condition on a set of nodes by clicking the load collector
icon in the tool bar and picking Initialvel as the card image.
Step 6: Review the closest nodes which are in the pre-defined node set named
Constrain Vehicle
1. In the Solver Browser, right-click on Constrain Vehicle and select Review.
Notice the set’s nodes are highlighted.

2. Right click on Constrain Vehicle again and select Reset review to return to normal display mode.
Step 7: Create *CONSTRAINED_EXTRA_NODES_SET

1. Click Connections > Extra node > Create.
2. In the Name field, enter ExtraNodes.
3. Click Create/edit to create the card and open the card image panel.
4. Click the part id (PID) field to activate it, and then select it again. Select the vehicle mass component.
This is the rigid body to which the nodes will be added. The ID is automatically entered into the card.
Stay in the Interfaces panel for the next step.
Step 8: Define the nodes in the Constrain Vehicle set to be a part of the vehicle
mass rigid body
2. Make sure name= is set to ExtraNodes.
3. Set the slave type to sets.

4. Click on sets and select the Constrain Vehicle set.
5. Click select.
Note: You can also create an extra node set on a set of nodes in the Solver Browser by right clicking
and selecting Create > Constrained_Extra_node.
Step 9: View the extra nodes that are a part of the vehicle mass rigid body
1. Click review.
Notice the extra nodes are temporarily displayed red while the PID (vehicle mass) is temporarily
displayed blue. All other entities are temporarily displayed grey.
Step 10: Create general contact

1. Click Bcs > Contact > General > Create .
2. For name, type impact.
3. Click Create/edit to create the card.

Note: You can also create *CONTACT_AUTOMATIC_GENERAL by right-clicking in the Solver Browser
and selecting Create > *CONTACT (A-O) > AutomaticGeneral.
Step 11: Define the slave parts

2. Make sure name= is set to impact.
3. Set the slave type to sets.

4. Click on edit.
The entity sets panel opens, where you can create the set.
5. For name=, type Exempt Parts.
6. Make sure the card image field is set to Part.

7. With the comps selector active, select the vehicle mass component.
Notice you are back in the Interface panel.

11. Select the card image subpanel.
12. Click edit to edit the group.
13. Activate the option ExemptSlvPartSet.
14. Notice the slave surface type SSTYPE value changes from 2 (part set ID) to 6 (part set ID for exempted
parts). This implies all entities except the entities in the set are defined as slave for the contact.
15. For the static coefficient, FS, specify 0.15.
Step 12: Define a section by creating *DATABASE_CROSS_SECTION_PLANE

1. Click Output > Section > Create.
2. In the Name field, type Xsection_Plane.
3. Click Create to create the part.

4. Stay in the same panel for the next step.
Note: You can also create *DATABASE_CROSS_SECTION_PLANE from the Solver Browser by right-
clicking and selecting Create > *DATABASE_CROSS_SECTION_PLANE.
Step 13: Define the location and size of the section’s plane
In this sub-panel, the plane’s origin (the tail of the normal vector) is defined by a base node. Create a node
from the create nodes panel by following steps 1 - 4 below and then select it for the base node.
1. Press the F8 key to enter the Create Nodes panel.
2. Select the XYZ subpanel.

3. For x=, y= and z=, enter the values –320, -500 and 100, respectively.
4. Click create to create the node.
Notice the node is created and is displayed.

5. Click return to go back to the geom subpanel of the Rigid Walls panel.
6. With the base node selector active, graphically select the node just created.
7. Switch normal vector to x-axis.
This defines the wall’s normal vector.

8. Leave shape set to plane.
9. Toggle from infinite to finite.

10. Toggle from corners to dist/axis.
11. Switch local x axis: to y-axis.
This defines the edge vector L.

12. For len x= and len y=, specify 100 and 200, respectively.
Doing this defines the extent of the section. The values are the length of the edges a and b in the L and
M directions, respectively.
13. Click update to update the group.
Step 14: Specify the parts for the selection

2. Set the slave type to comps.
3. With the comps selector active, select the components interior crashbox and exterior crashbox
Note: During export, a set is created from the selected comps and is attached to the section definition in
its card image.
Step 15: View the entities

1. Click review. Notice the slave entities are displayed red while the section wall is displayed blue. All
other entities are temporarily displayed grey.
Step 16: Create a box containing the nodes making up the barrier and bumper’s
left side
These nodes will be slave to the rigid wall.
1. Click Model > Box > Create.
2. In the name= field, type half model.


X= -600 -460
Y= -800 0
Z= 0 400

Step 17: Define a planar rigid wall

1. Click BCs > Rigid wall > Planar > Create.
2. In the Name field, type wall.
3. Click Create.
4. Stay in the Rigid Walls panel for the next step.
Note: You can also create *RIGIDWALL_PLANAR_FINITE by right-clicking in the Solver Browser and
selecting Create > *RIGIDWALL_PLANAR_FINITE.
Step 18: Define the location and size of the rigid wall
In this sub-panel, the rigid wall’s origin (the tail of the normal vector) is defined by a base node. Create a node
from the create nodes panel by following steps 1-4 below and then select it for the base node.
1. Make sure name=, is set to wall.
2. Press the F8 key to enter the Create Nodes panel.
3. Select the XYZ subpanel.
5. Click create. Notice the node is created and is displayed.

6. Click return to go back to the Rigid Walls panel, geom subpanel.
7. With the base node selector active, select the node that was created in step 4.
8. Switch normal vector: set to x-axis.
9. Leave shape: set to plane.
10. Toggle from infinite to finite.
11. Toggle from corners to dist/axis.
12. Select y-axis for local x axis.
13. For len x= and len y=, specify 615 and 250, respectively.

These values define the extent of the wall. They are the length of the edges l and m, respectively.
15. Stay in the Rigid Walls panel for the next step.
Step 19: Edit the card image for the rigid wall to specify the nodes in the
*DEFINE_BOX half model as slave to the rigid wall
1. Select the card subpanel.
3. Click the BOXID field twice and select the box half model.
4. In the field FRIC, specify 1.0 for the friction coefficient.
5. Click return to go back to the Rigid Walls panel.

Step 20: Specify some nodes to study during post-processing

1. Click Output > Node > Create.
2. In the name field, type nodeth.
3. Set the entity selector to nodes.

4. Select a few nodes of interest from the graphics area.
5. Click create to create the output block.
1. Click File > Export > Solver Deck to open the Export tab.
2. Make sure the File Type: field is set to LsDyna.
3. Save the file as Bumper_complete.key.
4. Click Export.

1. From the Start menu, open the LS-DYNA Manager program.
3. Load the file bumper_complete.key.

The exercise is complete. Save your work to a .HM file.

For this tutorial it is recommended to complete the introductory tutorial Pre-Processing for Pipes Impact
Using RADIOSS Block - RD-3520 for basic concepts on the Engineering Solutions RADIOSS interface.
In this tutorial you will learn how to set up a RADIOSS input deck for analysis of the impact of a bumper
against a barrier behind a rigidwall. The modeling steps that are covered are:
Associating /PART, with /MAT and /PROP
Converting node-to-node connections (/RBODY) into a mesh-less welding formulation (/INTER/

TYPE2 with /SPRING) using connectors
Defining the contact for the elements in the bumper with an /INTER/TYPE7 card
Defining the interaction between bumper and barrier with an /INTER/TYPE7 card
Defining the interaction between barrier and rigid wall with the /RWALL/PLANE and /BOX cards
Specify the output of resultant forces for a plane on the left interior and exterior crash boxes with /
SECT
Creating a /TH/NODE card to output time history for nodes
The units used in the model are millisecond, millimeter and kilogram (ms, mm, kg), and the tutorial is based
on RADIOSS Block 100
Exercise:
The model used consists of a simplified bumper model (see image below):
Bumper model
Step 1: Load the Engineering solutions - RADIOSS (BLOCK) user profile

1. Launch Engineering solutions > Crash (HyperMesh) from the Start menu.

2. Alternatively, you click Preferences > User Profiles or click on the icon in tool bar .
3. Select Crash and Radioss and click OK.
Step 2: Load the model file
1. From the toolbar, click the Open Model icon and browse to select the bumper.hm file from the
directory <install_directory>\tutorials\es\crash. Click Open.
Step 3: Define vehicle mass component to partially take into account the inertia
properties and mass of the missing parts of the vehicle
1. Right click in the Model Browser and select Create > Component.
2. For Name, enter Vehicle mass and click Create.
3. Click Geometry > Create > Nodes > XYZ.

4. In the X field enter 700.
5. In the Y field, enter 0.
6. In the Z field, enter 170.
7. Click create to create the node.

9. Click Connections > Rigid Body > Create.
10. Click the selector arrow next to the nodes 2-n: button and choose sets.
11. Click the yellow nodes button next to primary node and select the node created in step seven above.
12. Click on sets and select the Constrain Vehicle set.
13. With all the DOF’s checked, click create to create the rigid body.
Note: A spider will be drawn connecting the created node to the edge nodes of the structure modeled.

14. Click on the card edit icon in the tool bar, set the selector to elems and select the rigid body created.
Click edit.
15. Fill the mass and inertia information in the card image as in the table below:
Mass J_XX J_XY J_XZ J_YY J_YZ J_ZZ
800 1.5E+07 -5.0E+03 -8.0E+06 5.0E+07 -900 6.0E+07
16. Set ICOG as 4, and ISPHER as 0.
17. Click return until you close all the open panels.
Step 4: Create a node set using a box that contains all nodes but the barrier nodes
1. Click Model > Box > Node > Create.
2. In the name= field, enter box velocity.

4. Toggle lower bound from corner node to x=, y=, z=.
X= -530 710
Y= -800 800

Z= 0 300

Step 5: Create initial velocity on bumper but the barrier

1. Click BCs > Initial Velocity > Translation.
2. In the BCs Manager, enter the name as tran_vel.
3. Set the entity selector to GRNOD (BOX).

4. Click GRNOD (BOX) and pick box velocity.
5. In the BCs Manager, enter the initial velocity components as -10, 0 and 0 for Vx, Vy and Vz fields.
6. Click the Create button.

7. Click Close to close the BCs Manager tab.

Step 6: Define master surface for contact
1. Open the Solver Browser by clicking View > Solver Browser.
2. Right click in the Solver Browser and pick Create > SURF_EXT > PART.
3. For name:, type barrier_surface.

4. Click on comps and select barrier.
5. Click select.
6. Click create.
7. Right click in the Solver Browser and pick Create > SURF > PART.
8. For name:, type bumper_surface.
9. Click on comps and select bumper, exterior crashbox left, exterior crashbox right, interior
crashbox left, and interior crashbox right.
10. Click select.
11. Click create.
12. Right click in the Solver Browser and pick Create > SURF > SURF.
13. For name:, type barrier_bumper_surface.
14. Click on sets and select barrier_surface, and bumper_surface.
15. Click select.
16. Click create.
17. Click return to close the panels.
Step 7: Create self impact contact between parts of the bumper

1. Click BCs > Contact > General > Create.
2. For name:, type impact.
3. Click create to create the card.

5. Make sure name= is set to impact.
6. Set the slave type to comps and select bumper, interior crashbox and exterior crashbox.
8. Set the master type to sets and select barrier_bumper_surface.
10. Click the card edit icon
11. Click groups and select the group impact.
13. For the static coefficient, FRIC, specify 0.15.
14. Set Igap = 2.

15. Click return until you exit all the open panels.
Step 8: Create a system that specifies the location and the cross section plane
normal
1. Click on the Display Numbers icon in the toolbar.

2. Click on the node selector and choose by ID.
3. For the ID’s enter 6227, 6224, 5993.
4. Check the display check box on.

5. Click On.
Note: Node numbers will appear next to the node for selection in further steps
6. Click return.
7. Click Model > Systems > Frame_Move > Create.
8. Select node ID 6224 for origin node.
9. Select node ID 6227 for Z axis.
10. Select node ID 5993 for YZ plane.
11. Click create to create a system.
12. Click the card edit icon on the toolbar.

13. Set the entity selector to systs.
14. Pick the system and click edit.
15. Change the option from Skew to Frame.
16. Click return until you exit all the open panels.
Step 9: Create a set of elements that will contribute to the cross-sectional force
results
1. Click Model > Sets > Shell-4 > Create.
2. In the name= field, type XsectionPlane-elements.
3. With the elements selector active, select two rows of element on either side of the system as shown in
figure below.

Step 10: Define a section

1. Right click in the Solver Browser and pick Create > SECT.
2. In the Name field, type Xsection_Plane.
3. Click OK to create the card.

4. Click on the Normal vector drop down and pick systemid.
5. Select the system defined in the previous step by clicking on the screen.
6. Click update to update the plane geometry.
7. Click on the add subpanel.
8. Change the slaves: entity selector to sets. Click the yellow sets button and select XsectionPlane-
elements.
9. Click update to update the SET.


Step 11: Select the section for time history output
1. Click Output > Section > Create.
2. Enter Section_force as the name.
3. Click on groups and pick Xsection_Plane.

4. Click create.
5. Click edit to go to the card image.

6. Change the option from INTER to SECTION.
Step 12: Create a node set using box containing the nodes making up the barrier
and bumper’s left side
These nodes will be slave to the rigid wall.
1. Click Model > Box > Node > Create.
2. In the name= field, type half model.

X= -600 -460
Y= -800 0
Z= 0 400

Step 13: Define a rigid wall

1. Click BCs > Rigid Wall > Create.
2. In the name: field, type wall.
3. Click create.
Stay in the Rigid Walls panel for the next step.

Step 14: Define the location and size of the rigid wall
In this subpanel, the rigid wall’s origin (the tail of the normal vector) is defined by a base node. Create a node
from the create nodes panel by following steps 1-4 below and then select it for the base node.
1. Press the F8 key to enter the create nodes panel.
2. Select the XYZ subpanel by clicking the icon .
4. Click create.
Notice the node is created and is displayed.

5. Click return to go back to the rigid walls panel, geom subpanel.
6. With the base node selector active, select the node that was created in step 5.
7. Switch normal vector to x-axis.
8. Leave shape: set to infinite plane.
Stay in the Rigid Walls panel for the next step.
Step 15: Edit the card image for the rigid wall to specify the nodes in the GRNOD/
BOX half model as slave to the rigid wall
2. Set the slaves: entity selector to rad_box.
3. Select the Card page and click edit to edit the rigid wall definition.
4. In the Grnod1BOX field, specify the ID of the box half model.
5. In the field FRIC, specify 1.0 for the friction coefficient.
6. Click return to go back to the Rigid Walls panel.

Step 16. Initialize sheet metal components with stamping data
1. Click on the Results Initializer Icon .

2. The Create / Open Process Instance dialog comes up as shown below. In the dialog select the folder
where you will finally export the model in the Folder field.

3. Click on Create/ Open.
4. The Process Manager is displayed in the browser tab area, and the panel opens the Process Manager
, as shown below.
5. Click on Add, followed by Comps and pick the components exterior crashbox left, exterior
crashbox right, interior crashbox left, and interior crashbox right.
6. Click on the Next button.
7. Change the Blank holder force to low for all the components.
8. Click on Initialize.
The Initialization process starts. This process takes few minutes. During this time HM session is
unavailable for editing.
9. Select % thinning for Result Type and All for Components.
10. Click on Review. The components will be contoured with thinning coming from stamping.
11. Click return to come back to the results selection.
12. Similarly repeat the same series of steps for plastic strain to review initial hardening in the component.

13. Click on Next until all stages are complete in the Process Manager.
14. Click on Close to close the Results Initializer.
Note: The results are attached to the model as include files. These include files are in the same
directory as selected in step 2.
Step 17: Create output requests and control cards

1. Click Output > Engine file.
The Radioss Engine File Tool window appears.
2. Enter the values as shown below:

3. Click on the ANIM tab and fill in the options as shown below:

4. Click on the DT tab and fill in the options as shown below:

5. Click Apply and then click Close.
1. Click the Export icon .

2. For File:, click the folder icon and navigate to destination directory where you want to run.
3. Enter the name as bumper_impact and click Save.
4. Click the downward-pointing arrows next to Export options to expand the panel.
5. Click Auto export engine file to export the engine file with the model file.
6. Click on Export to export both model and engine file.

Step 19: Run the solver using RADIOSS Manager
1. Go to Start > Programs > Altair HyperWorks 11.0 > RADIOSS.
2. For Input file, browse to the exercise folder and select the file bumper_impact_0000.rad.
Step 21: Model setup without results initialize

1. Repeat the same process from Step 1 to step 19 except step 16.
2. Save the model as bumper_impact_noresult.
Step 22: Postprocessing in HyperGraph

1. Open HyperGraph from the Startup menu.
2. Click the file open icon and load the model bumper_impactT01 file from the folder where the model
was saved in step 18.
3. Select Section for Type, Sect. for Request and FNZ for component. Click Apply to plot the curve.
The curve describes the force carried by the section defined in step 10 during frontal impact.
4. Click the file open icon and load the model bumper_impact_noresultsT01 file from the folder where
the model was saved in step 18.
5. Select Section for Type, Sect. for Request and FNZ for component. Click Apply to plot the curve.
Absorb Curve 1 is above Curve 2 indicating the higher load carrying capacity of the components when
stamping prestrains are included as in physical impact tests.

The goal of this tutorial is to simulate a frontal pole test with a simplified full car.
Model Description
UNITS: Length (mm), Time (s), Mass (ton), Force (N) and Stress (MPa)
Simulation time: Engine [0 – 0.06]
An initial velocity of 15600 mm/s is applied on the car model to impact a rigid pole of radius 250 mm.
Elasto-plastic Material /MAT/LAW2 (Windshield)
Initial Density [Rho_I] = 2.5x10-9 ton/mm3

Young's Modulus [E] E = 76000 MPa
Poisson’s Ratio [nu] = 0.3
Yield Stress (a) 0

= 192 MPa
Hardening Parameter (b) K = 200 MPa
Hardening Exponent (n) n = 0.32
Elasto-plastic Material /MAT/LAW2 (STEEL)
Initial Density [Rho_I] = 7.9x10-9 ton/mm3

Yield Stress (a) 0

= 200 MPa
Hardening Parameter (b) K = 450 MPa
Hardening Exponent (n) n = 0.5
Maximum Stress [SIG_max] max

= 425 MPa

Elasto-plastic Material /MAT/LAW2 (RUBBER)
Initial Density [Rho_I] = 2x10-9 ton/mm3

Yield Stress (a)

0
= 1e30 MPa
Hardening Exponent (n) n=1
Exercise
Step 1: Load the Engineering Solutions Radioss user profile

1. Launch Engineering solutions > Crash (HyperMesh) from the Start menu.
2. Alternatively, you click Preferences > User Profiles or click on the icon in the toolbar .
3. Select Crash and Radioss and click OK.
Step 2: Load the model file
1. From the toolbar, click the Open .hm file icon and browse to select the model file fullcar.hm
file.
2. Click Open.
Step 3: Create and assign the material for the windshield components
1. In the Model Browser, right-click and select Create > Material.
2. In the Name field, enter windshield.
3. Set the Type field to ELASTO-PLASTIC.
4. Choose M2_PLAS_JOHNS_ZERIL for Card image.
5. Activate the checkbox Card edit material upon creation.
6. Click Create. The card image panel appears.
7. Enter the values as shown in the card image below:

8. Click return.
9. Right-click on COMP-PSHELL3 and select Edit.
The Edit component dialog opens.

10. Click on the Material tab.
11. Check the Assign material box.
12. In the Name field, select windshield.
13. Click Update to update the selected components with the created material.
14. Repeat steps 9 - 14 for component COMP-PSHELL16.
Step 4: Create and assign the material for 1D components

1. In the Model Browser select all components from COMP_PROD8 to COMP_PROD14 and choose Edit
from the context sensitive menu.
A new dialog appears.

2. Go to the Materials tab.
3. Check the Assign material.

4. For name, enter steel,

6. Choose M2_PLAS_JOHNS_ZERIL for card image.
7. Click Create material. The card image panel opens.
8. Enter the following values:

Rho_Initial 7.900e-09
E 210000.00
nu 0.300
a 200.000
b 450.000
n 0.500
SG_max 425.000
9. Click return.
10. Click update to update the selected components with the created material.
Step 5: Assign material steel for other 2D components

1. In the Model Browser, select all components from COMP_PSHELL_1 to COMP_PSHELL_30 except
COMP_PSHELL3, COMP_PSHELL16 and COMP_PSHELL20 to COMP_PSHELL23, COMP-
PSOLID_24 – COMP-PSOLID_26 and choose Assign from the context sensitive menu
2. For the material, select Steel
3. Click on assign to assign the steel material to the selected components.
Step 6: Create and assign the material for the rubber components
1. In the Model Browser select COMP-PSHELL20 to COMP-PSHELL23 and choose Edit from the
context sensitive menu.
A new dialog pops up.
2. Go to the Materials tab.

3. Check Assign material.
4. For name, enter rubber,

6. Choose M2_PLAS_JOHNS_ZERIL for the Card image field.
7. Click Create material. The card image panel appears as shown in the image below.
8. Enter the values as shown in the card image below:

10. Click update to update the selected components with the created material.
Step 7: Create a Rigid Wall

2. For name, enter Ground and click Create.
3. Go to the geom subpanel.

4. For shape, select infinite plane.
5. Click on base node and select any node from the model.
6. Click the edit button and input X = 0, Y = 0, and Z = -1.
7. Click return.
8. Toggle the switch under normal vector and select components.
9. In the Z comp field, define the normal vector Z= 1.
10. Click update.
11. Go to the add subpanel. In the dist field, enter 200 for slave nodes search.
12. Click update and then click return.
Step 8: Create a Cylindrical Rigid Wall to represent pole

2. Enter RW as the name and click create.
3. Go to the geom subpanel.

4. For shape, select cylinder.
5. Click on base node and select any node from the model.
6. Click the edit button and input X = -320, Y = 1250 and Z = 0.
7. Click return.
8. In the radius = field, enter 250. In the length = field, enter 500.

9. Under normal vector, in the Z comp field, define the normal vector Z= -1.
10. Click update.
11. Go to the add subpanel. In the dist field, enter 1500 for slave nodes search.
12. Click update and then click return.
Step 9: Defining Self Contact between the parts of the vehicle

2. Make sure you are in the create subpanel. For name =, enter CAR_CAR.
3. Select a color and click create.

4. Go to the add subpanel to define the master and slave.
5. For the master surface, click the switch to comps.
6. Hide all the 1D and 3D parts in the model using Mask Browser, Model Browser property view, or
Solver Browser and isolating PROP > SHELL.
7. Click on comps >> displayed.
8. For slave nodes, select comps in the drop down menu.
9. Click on comps >> all in the model.
10. Click review to graphically view the entities in the interface.
The master entities of the interface are drawn in blue and the slave entities in red.
11. Go to the card image subpanel and click edit.
12. Enter FRIC as 0.200 and GAPmin as 0.7.
Step 10: Defining Contact between Engine and Radiator

2. Enter the name= as ENGINE_RADIATOR.
3. Optionally select a color and click create.
4. Go to the add subpanel to define the master.
5. For the master surface, click the switch to sets and click edit to go to the Entity Sets panel.
6. For name, enter engine and set the card image to SURF_EXT.
7. Set the entity selector to comps and select comp-psolid_24 (engine).

9. Click return to go back to the Interface panel.
11. For slave, set the entity selector to comps and select comp-psolid_26 (radiator).
13. Go to the card image subpanel and click edit.
14. Input the values, as shown below.
Step 11: Defining initial velocity

1. From the Utility Menu, start the BCs Manager.
2. For Name, enter 35MPH, set the Select type field to Initial Velocity and set GRNOD to Parts.
3. Click on the parts and select all in the model.
4. Set Vx as 15600.

5. Click Create to create the boundary condition and boundary condition appears in the table.
Step 12: Create Time History Nodes

1. Using either the Model Browser, or the Solver Browser and a virtual collector, isolate the rail parts (
PCOMP-SHELL19) in the graphics area.
2. Click Output > Node > Create.
3. For name =, enter Rail and select nodes on the rail, as shown below.
4. Click create, followed by edit.

5. In the Var: field, enter DEF.
Step 13: Allocate Required Memory

1. From the Model menu, select Control cards
2. Click on MemoryReq.
3. Input NMOTS as 75000.
4. Click return.
Step 14: Create output requests

1. From the Output menu, click Engine File.
The Radioss Engine File Tool window appears.
2. In the GENERAL tab, enter the values, as shown in the following image.
3. Click Apply.

4. In the ANIM tab, enter values as shown in the following image:
5. Click Apply and then click Close.
1. From the toolbar, click the Export icon .
2. For File:, click the folder icon and navigate to destination directory where you want to run.
3. Enter the name as fullcar and click Save.
4. Click the arrows next to Export options to expand the panel.
5. Click Auto export engine file to export the engine file with the model file.
6. Click on Export to export both model and engine file.

Step 16: Run the solver using RADIOSS Manager
1. Click Start > Programs > Altair HyperWorks 11.0 > Radioss.
2. For Input file, browse to the exercise folder and select the file fullcar_0000.rad.


NVH
The following tutorials are available for the NVH user profile:

Step 1: Set the User Profile to RADIOSS Bulk Data
Step 2: Open the taurus.hm model

1. Click File > Open > Model.
2. Browse to <installation_directory>/tutorials/es/nvh/acoustic.hm.
3. Click Open to open the model into session.
Step 3: Hide the seat cushion components

1. Expand the Components folder in the Model Browser.
2. Select Rear_Seat_Cushion, IN-driver seat back cushion, IN-crv seat head rest, IN-driver seat
lower cushion, IN-pass seat lower cushion, and IN-pas seat head rest from the list of components.

3. Right click and select Hide.
Step 4: Preview the mesh

The imported model has been restricted to just those parts that will be used to create the cavity. The seat
cavities have already been built in this model.
1. Click Mesh > Create > Acoustic Cavity Mesh to open the Acoustic Cavity Mesh Generation panel.
2. Click the comps selector for structure to open the component selection panel.
3. Click comps >> displayed to select all components.
4. Click select to complete the selection.
5. Click the comps selector for seats.
6. Click the Last Page ( ) button to go to the last page of components.

7. Select the IN – pass seat back cushion, IN – pas seat head rest and Rear_Seat_Cushion on this
page.
8. Click the Previous Page button and select IN – driver seat back cushion, IN – drv seat head rest, IN
– driver seat lower cushion, and IN – pass seat lower cushion.
9. Click select to complete the selection of the seats.
10. Make sure the seat coupling toggle is set to node to node remesh.
11. Enter 40 for element size=.
12. Enter 100 for gap patch size =.
13. Enter 200 for hole patch size =.
14. Click the create hole elements option to activate it.
15. Click preview to see a preview of the mesh.

Preview of mesh
The mesh appears in the graphics area and the Acoustic Cavity tab opens in the tab area.
Step 5: Review the mesh
1. Right click on AC_Structural.1 in the AcousticCavity tab and click Isolate.

AC_Structural.1 isolated
2. Right click on the other components in the list and click Show.
3. Right click on AC_Structural.1 and click Hide.
4. Click the mesh icon next to each of the seat cavities to see the mesh.
Seats added to the visible components

5. Select each of the seat cavity’s and right click and click Hide.
Step 6: Delete two of the patched holes
1. In the Model Browser, right click on the ^patched_holes component and click Show.
2. Zoom into the area shown in the figure.
3. If necessary, right click on AC_Structural.4 and click Hide.
4. Click the Find icon to open the Find panel.
5. Click the find attached subpanel.

6. Change the attached to: setting to node.
7. Select the node in the center of the patch as shown in the image below.

8. Click find to find the elements attached to the node.
9. Click save found to use the found elements later.
11. Click the Delete icon to open the Delete panel.

12. Set the selector to elems if not already set.
13. Click elems >> retrieve to select the elements saved earlier.
14. Click delete entity to delete the elements.
15. Rotate the model to the view shown below.

16. Repeat 5-15 to delete the elements on the opposite side.
Step 7: Preview the mesh

With the patched holes deleted, the acoustic cavity mesh will be previewed again.
1. Click Reject on the AcousticCavity tab.
2. Click the Isometric View icon to reset the view of the model.
3. Click Mesh > Create > Acoustic Cavity Mesh to open the panel.
4. Click the comps selector for structure to open the component selection panel.
5. Click comps >> displayed to select all components.

7. Click the comps selector for seats.
8. Click the Last Page ( ) button to go to the last page of components.

9. Select the IN – pass seat back cushion, IN – pas seat head rest and Rear_Seat_Cushion on this
page.
10. Click the Previous Page button and select IN – driver seat back cushion, IN – drv seat head rest, IN
– driver seat lower cushion, and IN – pass seat lower cushion.
11. Click select to complete the selection of the seats.
12. Enter 40 for element size=.

13. Enter 100 for gap patch size =.
14. Enter 0 for hole patch size =.
15. Click preview to preview the mesh.
Note that the rear door volumes are now a part of the overall volumes.
Step 8: Create the mesh

1. Select AC_Structural.2 through AC_Structural.10, right click and select Hide.
2. Uncheck the boxes in the Mesh column for AC_Structural 2 through AC_Structural.10.

3. Set the Mesh type option to Hexa-tetrahedra.
4. Set the Response points: to Read from file.

5. Click the … button to browse for the file.
6. Select ACOUSTIC_RESPONSE_PTS.csv and click Open.
7. Click Mesh to create the mesh.
Completed mesh
8. Click Close to close the Acoustic Cavity tab.

Step 9: Rename the components created by the Acoustic Cavity Mesh

1. Open the Components folder in the Model Browser.
2. Right click on AC_Structural.1 and click Rename.
3. Name the component BODY_CAVITY and press Enter.
4. Right click on AC_Seat.1 and click Rename.

5. Name the component DRV_SEAT and press Enter.

7. Name the component REAR_SEAT and press Enter.

9. Name the component PASS_SEAT and press Enter.
Step 10: Create material cards for the cavities

1. Right click in the Model Browser and click Create > Material.
2. Set the Type field to FLUID.
3. Enter BODY_CAVITY into the Name field.
4. Select MAT10 for Card image.

5. Activate the Card edit upon material creation checkbox.
6. Deactivate the Close dialog upon creation checkbox as there are additional materials to create.
7. Click Create to create the material and edit the material card.
8. Click [BULK] and [C] in the card edit panel and leave the default values.
10. With the Create material dialog open, enter SEAT_CAVITY in the Name field.
11. Click Create to create the material.
12. Click [C] and enter 8.8e+4 for the value.
13. Click [BULK] and accept the default value.

14. Click return to complete the card edit.
15. Click Cancel to close the Create material dialog.
Step 11: Create properties for the model

1. Right click in the Model Browser and click Create > Property.
2. Set the Type field to all.
3. Enter BODY_CAVITY into the Name field.
4. Select PSOLID for Card image.

5. Click the Material tab to assign a material to the property.
6. Click the Assign material checkbox to activate it.
7. Click BODY_CAVITY for the Name field.
8. Activate the Card edit upon material creation checkbox.
9. Deactivate the Close dialog upon creation checkbox as there are additional materials to create.
10. Click Create to create the property.

11. Click FCTN to activate the option.
12. Click the FCTN field and select PFLUID.
13. Click return to exit the property card image.
14. Click the Property tab in the Create property dialog.
15. Enter SEAT_CAVITY into the Name field.
16. Click the Material tab to assign a material to the property.
17. Click the Assign material checkbox to activate it.
18. Click SEAT_CAVITY for the Name field.
19. Click Create to create the material and edit the material card.
20. Click FCTN to activate the option.
21. Click the FCTN field and select PFLUID.
22. Click return to complete the card edit.
23. Click Cancel to close the Create property dialog.
Step 12: Assign the properties to the components

1. Expand the Property folder in the Model Browser.
2. Right click on the SEAT_CAVITY property and click Assign.
3. Click elems >> by collector and select the REAR_SEAT, DRV_SEAT, and PASS_SEAT components.
5. Click proceed to complete the assignment.
6. Right click on the BODY_CAVITY component and click Assign.
7. Click elems >> by collector and select BODY_CAVITY.

9. Click proceed to complete the assignment.
Step 13: Renumber the nodes, elements, properties, and materials

1. Click Geometry > Renumber > Nodes to open the Renumber panel.
2. Click nodes >> displayed to select the displayed nodes.
3. Enter 9000000 in the start with field.
4. Click renumber to renumber the nodes.

5. Change the selector to elems.
6. Click elems >> displayed to select the displayed elements.

7. Click renumber to renumber the elements.
8. Change the selector to props.
9. Click props and select BODY_CAVITY and SEAT_CAVITY.
10. Click renumber to renumber the properties.
11. Change the selector to mats.
12. Click mats and select BODY_CAVITY and SEAT_CAVITY.
13. Click renumber to renumber the materials.

1. Click File > Export > Solver Deck.
2. For File Type select RADIOSS.
3. For Template select Bulk data standard format.
4. Browse to a location in the File field and enter acoustic.fem as a name for the model.
5. Expand the Export options.

6. For Export select Displayed from the menu.
7. Activate Write HM comments.

8. Click Export to export the model.
Step 15: Edit the .fem file

The .fem file is edited to remove the begin bulk and enddata cards that will allow it to be added to an include
card at a later date.
1. Open the file acoustic.fem using a text editor.
2. Use CTRL+F to find the begin bulk entry.

3. Delete begin bulk from the file.
4. Find the enddata entry.

5. Delete the enddata entry from the file.
6. Save the acoustic.fem file.
The .fem file is now ready to be added to an include. This completes the tutorial.

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FTP site Address: ftp.altair.com or ftp2.altair.com or http://ftp.altair.com/ftp

Location Telephone e-mail

The following countries have distributors for Altair Engineering:

Altair Engineering Engineering Solution 11.0 Tutorials i

Proprietary Inform ation of Altair Engineering

1. Launch the application.

2. From the Help menu, select Updates.

The HyperWorks Update Information dialog opens. The installation

The tutorial model files are located in

See the full listing of available tutorials:

CFD User Profile Tutorials

Crash User Profile Tutorials

NVH User Profile Tutorials

Altair Engineering Engineering Solutions 11.0 Tutorials 1

Proprietary Inform ation of Altair Engineering

CFD-1000: Creating a Hybrid Grid using the CFD Mesh Panel

CFD-1100: Creating a Hybrid Grid with Varying Boundary Layer Thickness

CFD-1300: Plane 2-D Meshing with Boundary Layers

CFD-1400: Wind Tunnel Mesh

CFD-1500: Hexcore Meshing with Boundary Layer

CFD-1600: Using Distributed Thickness for Varying Boundary Layer Thickness

Altair Engineering Engineering Solutions 11.0 Tutorials 3

Proprietary Inform ation of Altair Engineering

In this tutorial, you will learn to:

Specify / identify boundary regions for CFD simulations

Export a mesh with boundary regions for FLUENT

Import the model into FLUENT

Step 1: Open the model file

1. From the toolbar, click Open Model .

Step 2: Load the CFD user profile

4 Engineering Solutions 11.0 Tutorials Altair Engineering

Proprietary Inform ation of Altair Engineering

Step 4: Create the CFD mesh

Altair Engineering Engineering Solutions 11.0 Tutorials 5

Proprietary Inform ation of Altair Engineering

6. Leave the default Smooth BL option unchanged.

11. Click the Tetramesh parameters subpanel.

6 Engineering Solutions 11.0 Tutorials Altair Engineering

Proprietary Inform ation of Altair Engineering

Following is a snapshot. Observe the excellent mesh quality produced.

This defines the yz plane as the cutting plane.

Altair Engineering Engineering Solutions 11.0 Tutorials 7

Proprietary Inform ation of Altair Engineering

Notice how the elements are displayed completely.

Step 6: Organize the model

8 Engineering Solutions 11.0 Tutorials Altair Engineering

Proprietary Inform ation of Altair Engineering

1. Rename the collector CFD_Tetramesh_core as fluid.

This collector will hold all the 3-D volume elements.

Altair Engineering Engineering Solutions 11.0 Tutorials 9

Proprietary Inform ation of Altair Engineering

Step 8: Create a FLUENT simulation case

10 Engineering Solutions 11.0 Tutorials Altair Engineering

Proprietary Inform ation of Altair Engineering

5. Select Define, then select Boundary Conditions.

Altair Engineering Engineering Solutions 11.0 Tutorials 11

Proprietary Inform ation of Altair Engineering

Use distributed boundary layer thickness ratios on nodes or collectors/components. This is a

First layer thickness = 0.5

BL growth rate= 1.1

12 Engineering Solutions 11.0 Tutorials Altair Engineering

Proprietary Inform ation of Altair Engineering

10. Select the tetrahedral core growth rate switch to Interpolate.