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Perform Multiphysics Analyses

    Log Files for Multiphysics Analyses

    The main issue during a multiphysics analysis is whether the model is converging or not, and how easily it is converging. Once the iterations begin, monitoring this text will help the analyst decide if the analysis needs to be stopped to change some parameters.

    The columns in convergence history are as follows (see Figures 1 and 2). The transient and steady coupled analysis log files are similar but slightly different.

    • Intv No. or Intv: the time step interval corresponds to the input between two rows of the load curve spreadsheet (or between the initial value and the first row in the case of steady coupled).
    • Step No. or Step: the step number within the step interval, from 1 to the number of Steps entered in the load curve.
    • Time: the time corresponding to the time step.
    • Percent: the percent of the analysis that is completed once the current time step converges.
    • DT: the current time step size. If the analysis is having difficulty converging, it may reduce the time step by half.
    • Iter. No. or Iter: the iteration number for the current time step. If the iteration reaches the Max Iterations specified under the load curve, then one of two possibilities will be used:
      1. If the Enforce specified Max Iter option is activated (checked) on the Coupled Analysis Parameters dialog, then the analysis will stop.
      2. If the Enforce specified Max Iter option is not activated (unchecked) on the Coupled Analysis Parameters dialog, then the analysis will proceed with the results calculated on the last iteration. Although the residual values have not met the convergence tolerance, they may be small enough to be acceptable. Check the norm values.
    • Euc. Norm Vel.: The error norm between two iterations based on the calculated fluid velocity. If the norm is smaller than the Velp Tol specified on the Coupled Analysis Parameters load curve, then the velocities have converged. Whether the time step converges or not depends on the setting of the Convergence determined by pull-down on the Advanced tab of the Coupled Analysis Parameters.
    • Euc. Norm Temp.: The error norm between two iterations based on the calculated temperature. If the norm is smaller than the Temp Tol specified on the load curve, then the temperatures have converged. Whether the time step converges or not depends on the setting of the Convergence determined by pull-down on the Advanced tab of the Coupled Analysis Parameters.

    01 For Buoyancy Force ::             LC No. =    2                      Total No. of Intvs =    3

    02 ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    03 Current           No.                 Load       Turbulent     Max. No.    Convergence     Tolerance

    04 Intv No.       Steps          Multiplier            Model            Iters         (Temp.)            (Vel.)

    05       1                   1          1.00e-002                 off              500        1.00e-003         1.00e-003

    06 ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    07 Intv No.    Step No.    Iter. No.            Euc. Norm (Vel.)             Euc. Norm (Temp.)

    08       1             1                1                             Rlx =  0.200        Rlx =  0.200  

    09       1             1                2                             1.224e-002          2.633e-002

    10       1             1                3                             1.411e-002          2.093e-002

    11       1             1                4                             1.542e-002          1.656e-002

    12       1             1                5                             1.578e-002          1.304e-002

    {text removed for brevity}

    13       1             1                22                           1.253e-003          4.412e-004

    14       1             1                23                           1.125e-003          3.893e-004

    15       1             1                24                           1.020e-003          3.449e-004

    16       1             1                25                           9.316e-004          3.068e-004

    17 >> Current elapsed time =              1.333 minutes

    18

    19 For Buoyancy Force ::   LC No. =    2          Total No. of Intvs =    3

    20 ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    21 Current      No.           Load     Turbulent      Max. No.     Convergence    Tolerance

    22 Intv No.  Steps     Multiplier         Model       Iters              (Temp.)          (Vel.)

    23       2          1        1.00e-001               off         500              1.00e-003      1.00e-003

    24 ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    25 Intv No.  Step No.  Iter. No.  Euc. Norm (Vel.)   Euc. Norm (Temp.)

    26       2            1              1            Rlx =  0.200        Rlx =  0.200  

    27       2            1              2            2.876e-001          2.165e-002

    Figure 1: Sample Text From Steady Log File

    (see the .LFC file in the design scenario folder)

    Line numbers were added to help with the following description.

    With the previous explanation in mind, the sample log file in Figure 1 can be interpreted as follows:

    • In time interval 1 (lines 01 through 17), the one time step used was able to converge after 25 iterations (line 16). The temperatures were decreasing from the start and reached the tolerance (shown in the header, line 05) sometime before iteration 22 (line 13). The velocity norm increased slightly (lines 09 through 12) before they started to converge and required more iterations to converge than the temperature.
    • The analysis then proceeds to the next time interval (header information in lines 19 through 25, iterations start in line 26).

    01 For Buoyancy Force ::                                        Total No. of Intvs =    3

    02 ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    03 Current          No.              Load      Turbulent     Max. No.     Convergence    Tolerance

    04 Intv No.     Steps        Multiplier           Model            Iters             (Temp.)         (Vel.)

    05       1                1          1.00e-002              off               500           1.00e-003      1.00e-003

    06 ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    07                                                    Euc. Norm    Euc. Norm

    08 Intv     Step         Time           Percent           DT             Iter        Vel.              Temp.

    09    1           1      1.000e+000        33.33         1.000e+000       1       Rlx = 0.20     Rlx = 0.80

    10    1           1      1.000e+000        33.33         1.000e+000       2       7.071e-001   2.618e+000

    11    1           1      1.000e+000        33.33         1.000e+000       3       2.382e-001   5.237e-001

    12    1           1      1.000e+000        33.33         1.000e+000       4       1.033e-001   1.047e-001

    13    1          1       1.000e+000        33.33         1.000e+000       5       4.922e-002   2.095e-002

    14    1          1       1.000e+000        33.33         1.000e+000       6       2.487e-002   4.189e-003

    15    1          1       1.000e+000        33.33         1.000e+000       7       1.315e-002   8.379e-004

    16    1          1       1.000e+000        33.33         1.000e+000       8       7.191e-003   1.676e-004

    17    1          1       1.000e+000        33.33         1.000e+000       9       4.023e-003   3.352e-005

    18    1          1       1.000e+000        33.33         1.000e+000     10       2.284e-003   6.703e-006

    19    1          1       1.000e+000        33.33         1.000e+000      11      1.308e-003   1.341e-006

    20    1          1       1.000e+000        33.33         1.000e+000      12      8.335e-004   2.681e-007

    21 >> Current elapsed time =       0.167 minutes

    22

    23 For Buoyancy Force ::                                                      Total No. of Intvs =    3

    24 ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    25 Current          No.            Load     Turbulent    Max. No.     Convergence  Tolerance

    26 Intv No.     Steps      Multiplier          Model          Iters           (Temp.)     (Vel.)

    27          2             1        1.00e-001              off            500          1.00e-003  1.00e-003

    28 ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    29                                                                               Euc. Norm    Euc. Norm

    30 Intv  Step         Time          Percent         DT           Iter         Vel.          Temp.

    31    2     1       2.000e+000       66.67      1.000e+000       1      Rlx = 0.20     Rlx = 0.60

    32    2     1       2.000e+000       66.67      1.000e+000       2      3.938e-001   4.280e+000

    33    2     1       2.000e+000       66.67      1.000e+000      3       2.109e-001   1.373e+000

    Figure 2: Sample Text From Transient Log File

    (see .LFT file in the design scenario folder)

    Line numbers were added to help with the following description.

    With the above explanation in mind, the sample log file in Figure 2 can be interpreted as follows:

    • In time interval 1 (lines 01 through 21), the one time step used was able to converge after 12 iterations (line 20). The temperatures were decreasing from the start and reached the tolerance (shown in the header, line 05) after 7 iterations (line 15). The velocity norm decreased more slowly but acceptably.
    • The analysis then proceeds to the next time interval (header information in lines 24 through 28, iterations start in line 31).

    Common Error Messages:

    TipSince the multiphysics analysis runs the heat transfer and fluid flow processors, see the pages Performing A Thermal Analysis: Common Thermal Analysis Error Messages and Performing A Fluid Flow Analysis for the warning and error messages that are given by those processors. The messages listed below appear in the multiphysics log file.

    Analysis Runs, but no text appears in the statistics window or only a few header lines appear

    Cause 1: For a transient analysis, MPICH is not registered. (Another indication of this problem is that the Task Manager does not show ssap11LD as a running process.)

    Action 1: Run mpiexec.exe ¬register, where mpiexec.exe is located in the MPICH2\bin folder where the MPICH software was installed. Your are prompted for the username and password. This action can be done with the Windows Start: Run command, or from a command window set to the bin folder.

    Cause 2: An error occurred in either the heat transfer calculation or the fluid flow calculation which halted the analysis.

    Action 2: Use the Stop button to stop the analysis and then close the Analysis window, if necessary. Then use the Report environment to view the log and summary files from the heat transfer and fluid flow analyses.

    Unable to run mpiexec.

    Cause: Transient Coupled Fluid Flow and Thermal uses MPICH2 to pass information between the fluid flow processor and the thermal processor. This free software needs to be installed before running the analysis.

    Action: Install the MPICH2 software. Refer to the page Installation Guide: Windows Installation: MPICH on Windows for instructions.