Running a Parametric Study and Analysis in SOLIDWORKS to Create a Flow Simulation Project

SolidProfessor - Sam Sanchez | September 26, 2016 | Comment

In the scenario tab of the parametric study, we can easily adjust the study options to specify the finishing conditions, define the calculations before running the study and create a Flow Simulation project based on the results we obtain.

The scenario tab, located within the “Goal Optimization” mode, contains many of the same calculation options as it does in “What if?” mode, such as adding a computer to the project and the summary table rows and options.

 

goaloptimization

 

But in our example, we can see that instead of having multiple design points, there is only one column of data and we can’t adjust any values using the summary table, like we can in “What if?” mode.

If we want to adjust any data in the scenario tab, we have to specify the study options.

 

studyoptions

 

In the maximum number of calculations input box, we can define the maximum number of calculations or design points the study will calculate. Keep in mind that if the number of calculations is too low, Flow may not have enough design points to find a solution that is close enough to the target value.

For our example, we’ll set the maximum number of iterations to 10. We’ll leave the rest of the options set to their defaults.

Once we’ve defined the study options, we can click “Run” to start the study. After the study has finished running, a dialogue box appears letting us know whether or not the results have converged. We can also see a summary of the data in the parametric study pane.

 

converged

 

At this point, we can export the results as an excel file, just like in “What if?” mode, by clicking the “Export to Excel” icon.

 

excel

 

We can also create a new study from any of the design points, or go back and specify different minimum and maximum diameter values, run the study again, and see if we can optimize the design even further.

The results for our example are satisfactory, so we’ll click the green checkmark to exit the study manager.

Using the built-in Flow simulation capabilities, SOLIDWORKS has optimized the indicator board in our example to the ideal dimension within the parameters we’ve specified. This is how easy it is to solve complex Flow Simulation studies using the integrated technologies within the SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation software.

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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.