Simcenter STAR-CCM+ Automotive Aerodynamics Workflow is an add-on to Simcenter STAR-CCM+ that guides you through performing vehicular wind tunnel simulations.
Based on best practices, Automotive Aerodynamics Workflow automates the preparation, meshing, running, and post-processing of vehicular wind tunnel simulations. It takes CAD files and Excel spreadsheet data as inputs and uses them to determine the geometry and settings for Simcenter STAR-CCM+. The output comprises a PowerPoint file, images, and .csv files.
Part Selection for the Surface Scalar Descriptions does not work from 2021.1
For Surface scalar Descriptions, viewing scalar and/or vector fields on interfaces (such as the heat exchanger inlet or fan inlet/outlet) worked correctly until 2019.3. When the name of the desired interface was added to the Part Selection in the Excel table, both the parent boundary and the interface were selected. In 2021.1, with the same post-processing setup, only the parent boundary was selected. This is a regression that occurred after 2019.3 and has now been fixed.

Simcenter STAR-CCM+ Cycle Average Workflow (hereinafter, Cycle Average Workflow) combines and averages boundary conditions over one motion cycle for use in Simcenter STAR-CCM+ solid thermal simulations that have time steps much greater than the duration of one cycle.
The following sources of heat transfer are accounted for:
- Convection heat transfer boundary conditions provided from external sources, such as es-ICE.
- Bulk convection source direct inputs
- Sliding contact conduction between moving parts of the solid conduction model.
- Friction heat sources associated with the sliding contact. A standard engine CHT model:
- Includes solid parts (such as cylinder head, valves, seats, guides, block, and gasket) and fluid regions (coolant and oil)
- Has heat transfer boundary conditions applied on combustion boundaries
- Does not account for moving valves and piston Cycle Average Workflow accounts for piston and valve sliding contact heat transfer and computes the composite heat transfer. Cycle Average Workflow combines the work done by individual analyses to accurately predict metal temperatures for engine thermal simulations:
- Heat transfer between parts in sliding contact is integrated over motion and averaged over one cycle. The mixing of boundary conditions is achieved by summing and averaging discrete boundary grid imprints over one motion cycle. The imprint-motion relationship is established at the beginning of the simulation.
- The time steps are much longer than one engine cycle.
- The simulation uses the standard CHT mesh. Cycle Average Workflow accounts for the piston and valve motions without moving mesh in Simcenter STAR-CCM+.
- The physics is described in an ASCII input file. The Cycle Average Workflow Input file describes the physics of the sliding contact and convection boundary condition. It includes:
. Sliding solid contact heat transfer and friction definitions.
. Motion definitions, convection definitions, and boundary lists.
. Field Function definitions.
. String substitutions for expanding definitions with lists of replacement substrings.
The relationship between Cycle Average Workflow and Simcenter STAR-CCM+ is illustrated below


Simcenter STAR-CCM+ Hull Performance Workflow (hereinafter, Hull Performance Workflow) is an add-on to Simcenter STAR-CCM+ that provides a dedicated user interface to guide you through simulations of ship hull motion in calm water. Hull Performance Workflow is designed for analyses of displacement hulls with no appendages.
Hull Performance Workflow helps you set up and run a hull performance simulation. In Hull Performance Workflow, you create a testing matrix for your simulation that consists of a range of hull speeds. The process runs through the entire range of hull speeds whereby each subsequent simulation uses the previous simulation results as its initial condition. On completion, Hull Performance Workflow provides a PowerPoint report that contains marine-specific graphs and images of the results for each hull speed. You do not require a detailed knowledge of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) in order to use the tool. However, you still have access to the full functionality of Simcenter STAR-CCM+ if you want to modify your model or move to simulating more complex scenarios.
The Hull Performance Workflow user interface consists of several panels that you work through sequentially in setting up a simulation. In the background, the tool defines the models and parameters that are required for the analysis in the Simcenter STAR-CCM+ simulation tree.

Simcenter STAR-CCM+ Mixing Vessel Workflow (hereinafter, "Mixing Vessel Workflow") is a stirred vessel mixing tool which provides a simplified and integrated approach to modeling chemical mixing-from set-up to the final solution. The tool is available as a plugin for Simcenter STAR-CCM+.
Mixing occurs due to random distribution of two or more separate components. Effective and efficient mixing is important in many industries. For example:
- Petroleum: blending miscible additives to fuels
- Brewing: dispersing gas in brew kettles during fermentation
- Ceramics: maintaining clay in suspension
- Water treatment: rapid mixing of chemicals
Average velocities of fluids have a significant impact on mixing time, which is the time required for the components to be mixed to a 95% uniformity. Increasing the agitation of components by inducing motion using impellers in a mixing vessel can reduce the mixing time. However, the optimum level of agitation depends on the application.
Mixing Vessel Workflow allows you to model mixing scenarios which aim to reduce the mixing time that is taken to:
- disperse a suspended solid or gas in a liquid
- blend two or more liquids
- settle a suspended solid (make a suspended solid fall out of suspension)
Currently, Mixing Vessel Workflow cannot model mixing scenarios in which the mixing components take part in chemical reactions or physical changes of state.
Mixing Vessel Workflow uses an automated set-up process which guides you quickly and interactively through the input options that are available at each stage of the mixing simulation workflow. Mixing Vessel Workflow also automatically performs post processing. You can use the tool with no prior experience in CFD.
Using Mixing Vessel Workflow, you can explore various stirred vessel mixing setups at pilot plant level before deciding on the most appropriate setup for the specific materials and conditions that you are modeling. Defining an effective mixing setup is essential to save time and lower the proportion of wasted materials. Preventing unnecessary waste has significant financial benefits.
The tool workflow consists of a pipeline of stages that are integrated into the tool. However, Mixing Vessel Workflow also provides the flexibility to modify designs at any stage. The ease of modifying simulations allows you to explore a wide number of different setups and experiment with different geometries, meshes, and physics scenarios. Modifying a simulation is quicker, simpler, and avoids the cost of adapting the design of a real mixing vessel.
The following stages are included in the tool workflow:


Simcenter STAR-CCM+ Turbo Aerodynamics Workflow (hereinafter, Turbo Aerodynamics Workflow) is an addon to Simcenter STAR-CCM+ that guides you through simulations of turbines.
The Turbo Aerodynamics Workflow helps you quickly create a fully specified simulation file that is ready to run for a turbine aerodynamic performance evaluation.

To use the Turbo Aerodynamics Workflow, you must first describe your turbo-machinery blade geometry using the Turbo Aerodynamics Workflow JSON file format. This file format is fully referenced in the Turbo Aerodynamics Workflow Turbine Data Format Guide. Within the Turbo Aerodynamics Workflow download, you are provided with the Turbo Aerodynamics Workflow plugin, a turbine tool template simulation file, and an example of a Turbo Aerodynamics Workflow JSON file which include an example turbine.
Once the plugin is installed, you open the turbine tool template simulation file in Simcenter STAR-CCM+. The turbine tool template simulation file contains pre-defined settings for the mesh, physics, and post-processing scenes. After modifying the boundary conditions and machine speed settings in the template simulation file, you run the Turbo Aerodynamics Workflow. This workflow requests the location of the JSON file that contains your turbine geometry data. On completion, the workflow writes a simulation file that contains a full mesh specification and solver setup for your turbine simulation
After running the simulation, you can use the pre-defined post-processing Descriptions and scenes to evaluate the results.

Simcenter STAR-CCM+is a complete multiphysics solution for the simulation of products and designs operating under real-world conditions. Uniquely, Simcenter STAR-CCM+ brings automated design exploration and optimization to the simulation toolkit of every engineer, allowing you to efficiently explore the entire design space instead of focusing on single point design scenarios.
Spaceflight is facing a massive revival, hypersonic flights are about to experience a renaissance in civil aviation, more down to earth applications like home appliances need to continue to get more eco-friendly, medical devices like heart valves have the potential to save the life of millions and the everlasting engineering challenge of getting the heat out of all things hot remains a billion-dollar challenge across all industries.
And while all these applications have the potential to change human lives for the better they come along with an ever-increasing engineering complexity.
The key to cope with this complexity is the uncompromising implementation of a digital twin and simulation technology. And yet simulation can only bring value if it models that complexity and if at the same time engineers can do simulations quickly enough to influence design. Hence, to keep the competitive edge, companies need to equip their simulation engineers with CFD software that delivers high-fidelity physics models, smart simulation techniques and fast meshing technologies.
WHAT'S NEW Simcenter STAR CCM+ 2022.1
Siemens PLM Softwarea business unit of the Siemens Digital Factory Division, is a leading global provider of software solutions to drive the digital transformation of industry, creating new opportunities for manufacturers to realize innovation. With headquarters in Plano, Texas, and over 140,000 customers worldwide, Siemens PLM Software works with companies of all sizes to transform the way ideas come to life, the way products are realized, and the way products and assets in operation are used and understood.