Inserting a Porous Region and Running an Analysis in SOLIDWORKS


Before defining the porous medium and running the study, we need to quickly create an engineering goal. To do this, we can right-click on goals and select “Insert Surface Goals.”

 

Goal

 

For the selection, we’ll choose the inlet velocity boundary condition. By choosing the boundary condition, notice that the inlet face is automatically selected for us. We’d like to know the average static pressure on the surface of this face, so we’ll select it and click the green check.

 

InletFace

 

Now we can define the porous medium.

By default, porous media is not shown in the flow study tree. Before we can do anything, we’ll have to show it. To do this, we’ll click the porous media study at the top, and select “Customize tree,” make sure to check the box next to porous media, and it’s now added to the tree.

 

AddedToTheTree

 

Before we define the component as a porous medium, we’ll first make sure it’s disabled – meaning flow will treat it as fluid instead of as a solid body.

To do this, we’ll right click the “Input Data” option in the flow study tree and select “Component control.” We’ll disable the porous cleaner part, leave the rest of the components enabled and click OK.

 

ComponentControl

 

With the part disabled, we’ll right click on porous media in the flow study tree and select “Insert Porous Medium.” For the selection, we’ll choose the part we just disabled and for the porous media settings, we’ll browse for the porous medium we created earlier.

We’ll click the green check and the porous medium is completely defined. Now we can go ahead and run the study.

 

CompletelySomething

 

We’ll right click the study and select “Run.”

We’ll make sure the “Mesh,” “Solve,” and “Load Results” are all checked and click “Run.” When the Solver is finished running, We’ll close it.

Sign up for a free SolidProfessor membership to learn more!

About the Author


Sam Sanchez is an Applications Engineer with SolidProfessor and a CSWP. Sanchez is an alumni of UC San Diego, and in her free time enjoys 3D printing and hanging out with her dog Ruby. You can see more training videos on a wide range of CAD, CAM & BIM topics at www.solidprofessor.com.