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Convergence
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LINKBAcK
July 6, 2011, 07:54

Centurion2011
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THrEAD TOOLS

DISpLAY MODES

Convergence

#1

I see all kind of mistakes on these forums when dealing with convergence, so I will
give brief review of methods...
At convergence, the following should be satisfied:
All discrete conservation equations (momentum, energy, etc.) are obeyed in
all cells to a specified tolerance OR the solution no longer changes with
subsequent iterations.
Overall mass, momentum, energy, and scalar balances are achieved.
Monitoring convergence using residual history:
Generally, a decrease in residuals by three orders of magnitude indicates at
least qualitative convergence. At this point, the major flow features should be
established.
Scaled energy residual should decrease to 10-6 (for the pressure-based
solver).
Scaled species residual may need to decrease to 10-5 to achieve species
balance.
Monitoring quantitative convergence:
Monitor other relevant key variables/physical quantities for a confirmation.
Ensure that overall mass/heat/species conservation is satisfied.
In addition to residuals, you can also monitor lift, drag and moment coefficients.
Relevant variables or functions (e.g. surface integrals) at a boundary or any defined
surface.
In addition to monitoring residual and variable histories, you should also check for
overall heat and mass balances.
The net flux imbalance (shown in the GUI as Net Results) should be less than 1%
of the smallest flux through the domain boundary
If solution monitors indicate that the solution is converged, but the solution is still
changing or has a large mass/heat imbalance, this clearly indicates the solution is
not yet converged.
In this case, you need to:

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Convergence -- CFD Online Discussion Forums

Reduce values of Convergence Criterion or disable Check Convergence in the

Residual Monitors panel.
Continue iterations until the solution converges.
Selecting None under Convergence Criterion disables convergence checking for all
equations.
Numerical instabilities can arise with an ill-posed problem, poor-quality mesh
and/or inappropriate solver settings.
Exhibited as increasing (diverging) or stuck residuals.
Diverging residuals imply increasing imbalance in conservation equations.
Unconverged results are very misleading!
Troubleshooting
Ensure that the problem is well-posed.
Compute an initial solution using a first-order discretization scheme.
For the pressure-based solver, decrease underrelaxation factors for equations
having convergence problems.
For the density-based solver, reduce the Courant number.
Remesh or refine cells which have large aspect ratio or large skewness.
Remember that you cannot improve cell skewness by using mesh adaption!
Under-relaxation factor, a, is included to stabilize the iterative process for the
pressure-based solver
Use default under-relaxation factors to start a calculation.
Decreasing under-relaxation for momentum often aids convergence.
Default settings are suitable for a wide range of problems, you can reduce the
values when necessary.
Appropriate settings are best learned from experience!
For the density-based solver, under-relaxation factors for equations outside the
coupled set are modified as in the pressure-based solver.
A transient term is included in the density-based solver even for steady state
problems.
The Courant number defines the time step size.
For density-based explicit solver:
Stability constraints impose a maximum limit on the Courant number.
Cannot be greater than 2(default value is 1).
Reduce the Courant number when having difficulty converging.
For density-based implicit solver:
The Courant number is not limited by stability constraints.
Default value is 5.
Convergence can be accelerated by:
Supplying better initial conditions
Starting from a previous solution (using file/interpolation when necessary)
Gradually increasing under-relaxation factors or Courant number
Excessively high values can lead to solution instability convergence problems
You should always save case and data files before continuing iterations
Controlling MultiGrid solver settings (not generally recommended)

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Convergence -- CFD Online Discussion Forums

Default settings provide a robust Multigrid setup and typically do not need to
be changed.
A converged solution is not necessarily a correct one!
Always inspect and evaluate the solution by using available data, physical
principles and so on.
Use the second-order upwind discretization scheme for final results.
Ensure that solution is grid-independent:
Use adaption to modify the grid or create additional meshes for the gridindependence study
If flow features do not seem reasonable:
Reconsider physical models and boundary conditions
Examine mesh quality and possibly remesh the problem
Reconsider the choice of the boundaries location (or the domain): inadequate
choice of domain (especially the outlet boundary) can significantly impact
solution accuracy
Numerical errors are associated with calculation of cell gradients and cell face
interpolations.
Ways to contain the numerical errors:
Use higher-order discretization schemes (second-order upwind, MUSCL)
Attempt to align grid with the flow to minimize the false diffusion
Refine the mesh
Sufficient mesh density is necessary to resolve salient features of flow
Interpolation errors decrease with decreasing cell size
Minimize variations in cell size in non-uniform meshes
Truncation error is minimized in a uniform mesh
FLUENT provides capability to adapt mesh based on cell size variation
Minimize cell skewness and aspect ratio
In general, avoid aspect ratios higher than 5:1 (but higher ratios are allowed
in boundary layers)
Optimal quad/hex cells have bounded angles of 90 degrees
Optimal tri/tet cells are equilateral
A grid-independent solution exists when the solution does not change when the
mesh is refined.
Below is a systematic procedure for obtaining a grid-independent solution:
Generate a new, finer mesh.
Return to the meshing application and manually adjust the mesh.
OR Use the solution-based adaption capability in FLUENT.
VERY IMPORTANT: Save the case and data files first.
Create adaption register(s) and adapt the mesh. Data from the original mesh
is interpolated onto the finer mesh. FLUENT offers dynamic mesh adaption
which automatically changes the mesh according to user-defined criteria.
Continue calculations until convergence.
Compare the results obtained on the different meshes.
Repeat the procedure if necessary.
To use a different mesh on a single problem, use the TUI commands file/write-bc
and file/read-bc to facilitate the setup of a new problem.
Better initialization can be obtained via interpolation from existing case/data by
using solution data interpolation
A web-based training module is available to train users in replication of case setup

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Convergence -- CFD Online Discussion Forums

and solution data interpolation.

Summary:
Solution procedure for both the pressure-based and density-based solvers is
identical.
Calculate until you get a converged solution
Obtain a second-order solution (recommended)
Refine the mesh and recalculate until a grid-independent solution is obtained.
All solvers provide tools for judging and improving convergence and ensuring
stability.
All solvers provide tools for checking and improving accuracy.
Solution accuracy will depend on the appropriateness of the physical models that
you choose and the boundary conditions that you specify.
sorry for lengthy post... sometimes people are lazy when theory is involved...
wyldckat, Far, Julian K. and 32 others like this.

January 13, 2012, 11:18

Chipsgrottel

New Member

Charles de Luzan
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Posts: 11
Rep Power: 5

#2
Quote:

Originally Posted by Centurion2011

A web-based training module is available to train users in replication of
case setup and solution data interpolation.
Hello, and thanks for this long post actually.
But what is this web-based training module you are talking about please?
Thank you in advance.
ymanoj4 likes this.

January 18, 2012, 02:31

Centurion2011
Member

Join Date: Jul 2011

Posts: 39
Rep Power: 7

#3

There are training modules for Ansys, very useful. You can find them all over.
for example: http://avaxhome.ws/software/software..._training.html
Chipsgrottel likes this.

January 19, 2012, 11:53

http://www.cfd-online.com/Forums/fluent/90281-convergence.html[7/16/2013 9:32:03 AM]

#4

Convergence -- CFD Online Discussion Forums

Chipsgrottel

New Member

Charles de Luzan
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Posts: 11
Rep Power: 5

Thank you very much!

I will spend some time on this.

January 19, 2012, 11:58

Far

Super Moderator

Sijal Ahmed Memon

(turboenginner@gmail.com)
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Islamabad Pakistan
Posts: 3,263
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Rep Power: 32

Good post

#5

Make it blog and also ask Jola to add this in Fluent Section.
sajid likes this.
__________________
Best Regards
Far
tutorial on hexa meshing of hemishpere+cylinder
http://goo.gl/69B4U
tutorial on hybrid meshing in ICEM CFD http://goo.gl/JmeCa
Web page http://goo.gl/Q1RF5

February 14, 2012, 09:16

sheikh nasir
Member

Join Date: Jan 2012

Posts: 58
Rep Power: 3

train moving in tunnel help

#6

hello
i am working on train moving in tunnel. i am getting floating error:invalid number.
can any one help me. my email is sheikhnasir39@gmail.com
plz help me
thanks

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