Tutorial 3: Shape optimisation of an FSAE car airbox

RBF Morph for FLUENT

Current Release: V1.5
Last updated March 2014
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Introduction .......................................................................................................................................3
2. Prerequisites .....................................................................................................................................3
3. Problem description ...........................................................................................................................3
4. First solution exploration....................................................................................................................4
4.1 Preparation .................................................................................................................................4
4.2 Exploring the first existing solution set-up ...................................................................................5
4.3 Executing and previewing the solution ......................................................................................14
5. Second solution exploration.............................................................................................................18
6. DOE study .......................................................................................................................................18
6.1 Preparation ...............................................................................................................................19
6.2 Set-up of a multi-morph DOE case ...........................................................................................19
6.3 Previewing the combination ......................................................................................................20
7. Summary .........................................................................................................................................21
8. References ......................................................................................................................................21

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1. Introduction
This RBF-Morph tutorial is termed "Shape optimisation of an FSAE car airbox" and has the scope to
provide the user with the guidelines for setting up and executing an optimisation study of the surfaces of
a car aibox.
This tutorial demonstrates how to do the following:
 load solution data gained through a previous analysis;
 inspect the solution;
 set up a DOE morphing analysis.

2. Prerequisites
Requirements for working this tutorial:
1. you are working in the directory where the tutorial problem resides;
2. you have just started the Fluent-GUI application;
3. you have done and adequately understood the previous tutorials.

3. Problem description
This tutorial is very useful to acquire the knowledge on how setting up a shape optimisation analysis by
means of RBF-Morph. The surface mesh of the case study (FSAE car airbox) is shown in Figure 1. The
model is courtesy of the Mechanical Engineering Department of the University of Rome "Tor Vergata" [R
1].

Figure 1: Surface mesh of the airbox

In particular, the main object of the analysis concerns the divergent duct. Such a shape need to be finely
optimised for mass balancing and losses by acting on the curvature of lateral walls. Two preloaded
solutions are explored showing source points arrangements. In both cases, an external cylinder-shaped
moving encap is used to reshape the radius of the lateral wall. The action on the duct is limited using a
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domain encap and fixing all points on the remaining surfaces. The action of one modifier is previewed.
Finally the set-up of DOE file used for running the optimisation study is shown by previewing the action
of combined modifications.

4. First solution exploration

4.1 Preparation
After starting Fluent from the directory containing the tutorial files:
 read the test case tut_03_airbox.msh.gz;
 open the RBF Morph GUI via the menu Define -> RBF-Morph;
 load the library by clicking on Enable RBF Model.
Once the library is completely loaded, the panel illustrated in Figure 2 appears.

Figure 2: Config panel

To load the first previously achieved solution, press the Select button and select the raccordo1.rbf file in
the Select File window as shown in Figure 3, press OK button in the Select File window, and click on
the Read button in the Config panel as depicted in Figure 4.

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Figure 3: Solution selection by means of the Select File window

Figure 4: Config panel

4.2 Exploring the first existing solution set-up

To acquire an overview of the solution set-up, go through the Encaps, Surfs, and Points panels. You
will realize that three encaps and two surfs set have been generated. In particular, relating to Encaps
panel, there are three Encaps (1 domain, 1 moving, and 1 selection) and two Surfs entities (both sets
refer to one surface only which is assigned a null rigid displacement to). No Points entities have been
set up.
Focusing the attention on Encaps entities, it is needed to highlight that:
1. the moving encap, namely a cylinder (see Figure 5), generated prescribing Point 1 and Point 2
and Radius parameters (see Figure 6 and the left), has been set up to define source points that
induce through their displacement the model morphing (see Figure 6 and the right);

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2. the domain encap, namely the box illustrated in Figure 7 and defined by coordinates as reported
in Figure 8, in order to limit in space the morphing action consequent to the moving encap
translation;
3. the selection encap, namely the box illustrated in Figure 9 and defined by coordinates as
reported in Figure 10 (be careful to the option Outside), in order to limit the condition imposed to
the Surfs item 1.

Figure 5: Moving encap

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Figure 6: Set-up of the moving encap

Figure 7: Domain encap

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Figure 8: Set-up of the domain encap

Figure 9: Selection encap

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Figure 10: Selection encap set-up

Focusing the attention on Surfs entities, it is needed to highlight that:
1. the surface set 1 imposes a null rigid displacement to the surface named wall (see Figure 11)
with the limitation due to the corresponding selection encap previously described;
2. the surface set 2 assigns a null rigid displacement (see Figure 12) to the surface named boxout
(see Figure 13).

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Figure 11: Set-up of the surface set number 1

Figure 12: Set-up of the surface set number 2

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Figure 13: Visualization of the surface support for surfs item number 2
To visualize all encaps, select the Encaps panel, press the Finalize button and then the Display button.
What reported in Figure 14 should appear on the screen. Clicking on the Preview button, the cylinder
moves toward the duct (see Figure 15).

Figure 14: Visualization of the encaps

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Figure 15: Preview of the encaps after morphing

To preview the position of source points before and after morphing, press in sequence the DispPts (see
Figure 16) and PrevPts (see Figure 17) buttons.

Figure 16: Preview of source points before morphing

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Figure 17: Preview of source points after morphing

To visualize all surface sets, select the Surfs panel, and press the Finalize button. To preview the
position of source points defined in the Surfs panel before and after morphing, press in sequence the
DispPts (see Figure 18) and PrevPts (see Figure 19) buttons.

Figure 18: : Preview of the source points of defined in the Surfs panel before morphing

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Figure 19: Preview of the source points of defined in the Surfs panel after morphing

4.3 Executing and previewing the solution

Once all settings of solution set-up are completed, it is possible to switch to the solution step by selecting
the Solve panel. The panel shown in Figure 20 appears. After pressing the Source Points button, the
buttons Solution, DispPts and PrevPts become active.

Figure 20: Solve panel

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Before executing the solution, carry out a preliminary check by pressing DispPts and PrevPts buttons.
To generate the solution press the Solution button and, read the information reported in the Fluent shell
summarizing solution computing to make sure that no errors are reported.
To gain a detailed preview of the solution, turn on the Preview panel in the Main sidebar and then select
wall surface among the surfaces listed in the Preview Surfaces list.
To include in the visualization the unmorphed corresponding configuration, press the Sync-> button (see
Figure 20), set the Amplification field value to 5, and then press the Preview button.

Figure 21: Preview panel

Figure 22 and Figure 23 and report, for the wall surface, the preview of the morphed configuration with
respect to the baseline one, respectively for an Amplification value of 5 and -5.

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Figure 22: Preview of the morphed model with Amplification 5

Figure 23: Preview of the morphed model with Amplification -5

To perform an animation of the detailed preview of the solution, write in the Sequence field "range -5 5
6" and unselect the surfaces in the Original Surfaces list. The panel should appear as reported in .
Click the Init button and confirm the sequence set-up by clicking on Yes in the Question panel.

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Figure 24: Preview panel set-up

To save the animation frames of the sequence, write tut-03-sequence-1 in the Basename field, click on
the Setup button to open the Save Picture panel shown in Figure 25. In this panel, select PNG in
Format field, Color in Coloring field, and unselect White Background in Options field. Then click on
Apply and Close buttons in sequence.

Figure 25: Save Picture panel

Finally click on the Save button in the Preview panel. Files referring to the frames will be saved in the
working directory and are respectively shown in Figure 26.

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Figure 26: Preview animation sequence

5. Second solution exploration

To explore the second solution do what described in paragraph 4 and using the raccordo2 solution file.

6. DOE study
In this section the usage of DOE panel is explained. This tool is intended as a basic help to set-up a
parametric analysis. It allows to generate and store a DOE table using Full Factorial approach; the DOE
file can be edited so that the user can insert a custom design points distribution. RBF Morph can use the

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DOE file content for preview all the shapes contained in the table; furthermore a folder tree including all
the information for the automation of the DOE run can be generated (see section 2.3.2 of the User
guide).

6.1 Preparation
For this solution it is possible to continue from the previous session, but making sure that the mesh is in
the original configuration and that the configuration is reset by means of the Reset button in the Config
panel. Otherwise a new session can be started and the mesh file must be read again.
If the tutorial have been executed so far, the working directory should now contain the following files:
 raccordo1.rbf;
 raccordo1.sol;
 raccordo2.rbf;
 raccordo2.sol;
 tut-03-airbox.msh.gz.

6.2 Set-up of a multi-morph DOE case

To perform a multi-morph calculation, activate the multi-solution panel by checking the Multi-Sol option
in the Main Sidebar and by selecting DOE as type of execution as depicted in Figure 27.

Figure 27: Multi-solution panel

The existing solutions have now to be enabled by specifying the corresponding names and amplification
values in the proper fields. Then write in the Solution Name and Amplification field write the name of
the solution, namely raccordo1 and raccordo2, and "range -2 2 5". Successively, write "tut-03-DOE" in
the DOE File field and then click on Generate button. In such a manner, the DOE file tut-03-DOE.doe
will be generated in the working directory.

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6.3 Previewing the combination

Generated DOE editable content is:
id raccordo1 raccordo2
1 -2 -2
2 -2 -1
...
removed lines
...
24 2 1
25 2 2

A DOE preview can be enabled directly in the Preview panel using the doe command in the Sequence
field. Note that in this case all explored modifications can be previewed and animated in a single action
without the need to act on the Multi-Sol panel contents.

Figure 28: Preview panel with doe command highlighted.

The first 6 previewed shapes are represented in Figure 29.

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Figure 29: Preview animation sequence

7. Summary
This tutorial demonstrated how creating an optimisation DOE study by means of RBF-Morph. In
particular, how loading an existing solution gained through a previous analysis, inspecting it, and setting
up a DOE morphing analysis utilizing two solutions has been assessed in detail.

8. References
R 1. Biancolini M. E., Abbasciano E., Shape morphing of CFD models: Fluent and RBF Morph
combine for the optimisation of a FSAE Car Airbox, Ingegneria dell'autoveicolo, vol. 64
n.1/2 Jan/Feb 2011.
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