Computational Fluid Dynamics

(CFD)

BTD3233 / BHA4532
Lab: Post-processing
Post-processing in Ansys Fluent

• After a simulation is completed (solution), we need to perform post-processing of

the solution
• The purpose of post processing is to present the solution in a manner in which
analysis can be performed (qualitatively and quantitatively)

Qualitative Post-Processing Quantitative Post-Processing

• Contours • XY plots • Histograms
• Vectors • Averaged • Fluxes
• Pathlines reports • etc
• etc • Forces

Visual insight into complex flow Get numerical data, identify trends, patterns and
phenomena perform comparison with other data (such as
experimental or analytical data)
Necessary tools are grouped under the Results tab:
Create surfaces in Ansys Fluent
• Post-processing operations such as contours, pathlines etc are performed on
surfaces

Point surface

• Monitor flow field variable at a particular location (like a probe)

Plane surface

• Visualize the solution on a 2D plane

Iso surface

• Display the cells of a model that have certain constant value of the
selected variable
Use “Mesh Display” for better visibility of object

Choose which mesh

you want to display

Double click
Create surfaces in Ansys Fluent

Method 1
Method 2
Results Tab > Surface > Create
Outline View > Surfaces > New
Point surface

Approach 1 Specify the coordinates

Approach 2 Click on the mesh (using mouse probe)

*Right click on the location in the domain

Approach 3 Manually move the point tool in the domain

Click Create and the

point tool point will be created
Plane surface
Approach 1
Specify using axes

Approach 2
Choose a point in the domain and then
define its normal

Approach 3
Select 3 points and Ansys will determine the
corresponding plane
Iso surface *If you want the isosurfacing
to be performed on the entire
domain, do not make any
selection from the From
Surface list
1

This option if you want to

restrict the isosurfacing only
2
3 to certain cell zones

1. Choose the Surface of Constant

2. Click Compute to get the Min and Max values
3. Determine the Iso-values (or use the slider)
4. You can add many surfaces
To display the created surface: To manage created surfaces:
Other types of surfaces:

• Zone surfaces – To display results on a

boundary
• Line and Rake surfaces – To plot solution data
variation along a line
• Quadric surfaces – To display data on a line,
plane, circle, sphere or general quadric surface
which is defined by Quadric equation
• Iso-clip surface – To clip the surface between
iso values and have it span a specific subrange
of a selected scalar quantity
• Other surfaces
Create graphics in Ansys Fluent
Mesh
• Visualize computational mesh Pathlines
• Mesh can be plot along with other post-processing
objects to create powerful visualization to understand • Visualization of paths followed by individual, massless
flow field fluid particles from one point to another
• Useful means of visualizing complex flows involving
Contour recirculation zones, zones of significant turbulence
etc.
• Visualization of the distribution of a chosen variable in
the flow field
• Use color maps to represent the values of the
specified field variable on the selected surfaces

Vector

• Visualize and understand complex flow phenomena

• Example – represent flow around obstacles depicting details of the wake structure
• Vector plots display a vector field using arrows
• The color indicates the vector magnitude
• The direction indicates the vector direction
Mesh

Can save several

mesh displays

Choose surfaces that

you want to display
Mesh Example
Contour

select variable

select which surface

to display the
contour
Vector
Pathlines
Pathlines
Scene

Display multiple plots in the same window

Scene
How to share plots between different projects in Ansys
Approach 1 Approach 2 Approach 3

Drag to another project

Generating plots and reports in Ansys Fluent

The plots group consists of options that help us

extract and plot numerical data from a CFD
simulation
• Plot data in XY plot format
• Draw histogram
• Combine data from multiple sources
• Control solution residual
• Etc