Run the Simulation

Verify that the steps for preparing the model, scenario, and mesh are complete. Then, run the simulation, and view the simulation status plots.

A common method for determining if the simulation converged properly is to verify that the results stabilize as the iterations increase. You can verify the stability of the results by reviewing the simulation status plots. In this example, the stability of the results is particularly important for determining the drag and lift forces.

By default, the simulation runs on your local machine using an embedded license. Depending on your configuration, you might need to run the simulation on a remote machine.

This task shows you how to:

Simulate the Airflow

  1. From the Simulate section of the Assistant, click Model and Scenario Checks .

    This option generates the mesh first, and then it validates the features that you defined using the Assistant, action bar, and tree.

  2. Close the Model and Scenario Checks Status dialog box.
  3. From the Simulate section of the Assistant, click Simulate .
  4. From the License options, select Tokens.
  5. Click OK.
    The Simulation Status window appears, and the simulation iterates until the convergence value falls below the residual thresholds or until it reaches the maximum number of iterations. You can monitor the progress by navigating to the Plots tab and then selecting any of the variables from the Plot Variable options. Once the simulation converges, the Plots window opens with the total number of increments noted.

View the Status Plots

  1. From the Plot Variable options, select Output.2: X-Average Force.

    The X-average force is the force experienced by the portion of the drone inside the fluid domain in the direction of airflow. In other words, this is the drag force on half of the drone.

    The plot indicates that the drag force reaches a stable plateau.

  2. From the Plot Variable options, select Output.2: Z-Average Force.

    The Z-average force is the force experienced by the portion of the drone inside the fluid domain in the direction above and below the drone. In other words, this is the lift force on half of the drone.

    The plot indicates that the lift force reaches a stable plateau.

  3. Observe the residuals in the momentum and turbulence simulation status plots.
    All plots stabilize near the point of convergence, meaning the simulation converged properly.
  4. Close the Simulation Status window.