QUICK-START FOR FLUENT FOR MAE 3241

Open Cygwin
At prompt, type startxwin.bat
After a moment, this will open another window (notice the icon is an X in
the upper left corner of the window). Commands will now be typed in this
window.
At the prompt of the X window, type xhost +
This will allow you to see all the windows needed by Fluent.
Login to olin.fit.edu
ssh Y l tracks_username olin.fit.edu
If you are asked whether you are sure you want to connect, type yes.
Enter your password.
Move to your working directory.
cd directory
At the prompt, type fluent 2d
If you get an error at this point, try the following:
In Windows: START MENU PROGRAMS ACCESSORIES COMMAND
PROMPT
Type IPCONFIG
Record the IP Address
In the X Window type setenv DISPLAY ipaddress:0.0
where ipaddress is the IP Address you just recorded.
Type fluent 2d again. If this doesnt resolve the problem, see me.

From this point on, you will be guided through the menus of Fluent to perform various
tasks. The procedures below will help you set up your first case for zero-angle-of-attack.
From there, repeat the relevant procedures to change the angle of attack and run the
various cases.
FILE READ CASE
Select the naca0007.msh file from your working directory.

GRID CHECK
This verifies your grid. It should produce no errors.
DEFINE MODELS SOLVER
Select Coupled. Use all other default settings.
DEFINE MODELS ENERGY
Turn on the energy equation.
DEFINE MODELS VISCOUS
Select the Spalart-Allmaras model. Use the default settings.

DEFINE MATERIALS
Make sure that air is selected as the default Fluent Fluid Material.
Change the Density option to Ideal Gas.
Change the Viscosity option to Sutherland. Use default settings.
Press Change/Create followed by Close.
DEFINE OPERATING CONDITIONS
Set Pressure to zero. All calculated pressures are now gauged to this pressure.
DEFINE BOUNDARY CONDITIONS
Select the freestream boundary on the left column and pressure-far-field type
on the right column. If it asks you to verify the change, press yes. Press
Set if the pressure far-field window does not appear. Change the values as
follows:
P = 101325 (Gauge Pressure)
M = 0.2
T = 300
X = 1.0
Y = 0.0
Select Turbulent Viscosity Ratio from the drop-down menu next to
Turbulent Specification Method and make sure its value is set to 10.
Note that the X and Y values are used to determine the angle of attack.
X = cos
Y = sin
When you have set the freestream boundary conditions, press OK. Select the
outflow boundary on the left column and the pressure-outlet on the right

column. Verify the change, if necessary. Press Set if the pressure-outlet

window does not open by itself. Set the pressure, temperature, and turbulent
viscosity ratio values as above.
Press OK when done, and exit the Boundary Conditions window.
(If you check, you will see that the wall boundaries are already set to the wall
boundary condition type.)
SOLVE CONTROLS SOLUTION
Modified Turbulent Viscosity Ratio = 0.9
Turbulent Viscosity = 1.0
Solid = 1.0
These values aid in the convergence of your solution.
Courant Number = 5
This value essentially controls the speed at which you will reach a steady
solution.
Under Discretization, set both options to Second Order Upwind.
Press OK to exit.
SOLVE INITIALIZE INITIALIZE
Select freestream from drop-down menu and press Init then Close.
SOLVE MONITORS RESIDUAL
Under Options, change Print to Plot
Change the Convergence Criterion for nut from 0.001 to 1.0e-06.
(nut corresponds to the turbulent viscosity.)
Press OK.
SOLVE MONITORS FORCE
Here you will set options so you can watch the progress of your solution.
Select the Plot option.
Highlight wall-3 and wall-4.
Ensure Drag is selected from the Coefficient drop-down menu.
Plot Window should have a value of 1.
Set X = 1.0, Y = 0.0. (These values should match your velocity components you
set for boundary conditions above.)
Press Apply.
Select Lift as the coefficient.
Select Plot and again highlight wall-3 and wall-4.

Change the Plot Window number to 2.

Reverse your values for X and Y. (Be careful. This may be done for you
automatically.)
Press Apply.
Select Moment as the coefficient.
Again, select Plot and highlight the two walls.
Plot Window = 3
Since you want the moment center to be at the quarter-chord point, enter
X = 0.0508, Y = 0.0
Press Apply and Close.

REPORT REFERENCE VALUES

Select freestream from the dropdown menu.
Change the Area and Length values to 0.2032, which corresponds to your
chord length.
Press OK
SOLVE ITERATE
Set the number of iterations to 100 and press Iterate.
Four windows will open showing you the residuals and the coefficients.
The first 100 iterations are done to start your solution and smooth out any abrupt
changes to the flow field. You will now change the Courant number to speed up
your solution and then iterate to a steady state.
SOLVE CONTROLS SOLUTION
(If the program seems to freeze-up, close the various plot windows first.)
Courant Number = 20
Press OK

SOLVE ITERATE
Set the number of iterations to at least 500. (As you approach the stall AOA, you
will need to increase the number of iterations upwards of 1000.)
Press Iterate.
After your solution has converged

REPORT FORCES
Select Forces option.
Make sure wall-3 and wall-4 are highlighted.
The Force Vector is the direction of the force you are looking for. For example,
is in the same direction as your freestream velocity vector. Lift is normal
to drag.
For the case here, set X and Y as you did for your boundary conditions.
This will give you the drag coefficient.
Press Print.
In the Fluent console window, youll see a bunch of numbers representing the
various factors going into the drag coefficient calculation. Scroll all the way to
the right and record the net total coefficient value. This is your drag
coefficient.
Return the FORCES window. Reverse your values of X and Y. Press Print.
This time, the net total coefficient will represent your lift.
Again, return to FORCES window. Select the Moments option. Again, you
want moments about the quarter-chord, so X = 0.0508 and Y = 0.0. Press
Print. The net total coefficient now is your moment coefficient about the
quarter-chord.
Repeat this process starting with DEFINE BOUNDARY CONDITIONS, changing the
values of the velocity vector in the Boundary Conditions window for each angle of
attack.
When you are done, FILE EXIT. Then type exit in all open Cygwin windows until
they close.