Particle simulation with moving wall interaction

This example sets up and solves a simulation of particles interacting with a rotating L-shape tube wall.

Perform imports and create a project

Perform the required imports and create an empty project.

import os.path
import tempfile

import ansys.rocky.core as pyrocky
from ansys.rocky.core import examples

# Create a temp directory to save the project.
project_dir = tempfile.mkdtemp(prefix="pyrocky_")

# Launch Rocky and open a project.
rocky = pyrocky.launch_rocky()
project = rocky.api.CreateProject()
project.SaveProject(os.path.join(project_dir, "rocky-testing.rocky"))

Configure the study

study = project.GetStudy()

# Download the STL file that was imported into Rocky to represent a wall.
file_name = "Lshape_tube.stl"
file_path = examples.download_file(project_dir, file_name, "pyrocky/geometries")
wall = study.ImportWall(file_path)[0]

# Create a particle with the default shape (sphere) and size distribution (single
# distribution with a sieve size of 0.1 m).
particle = study.CreateParticle()

# Create a circular surface to used as the inlet.
circular_surface = study.CreateCircularSurface()
circular_surface.SetMaxRadius(0.8, unit="m")

# Create a rectangular surface to use as the outlet.
rectangular_surface = study.CreateRectangularSurface()
rectangular_surface.SetLength(3, unit="m")
rectangular_surface.SetWidth(3, unit="m")
rectangular_surface.SetCenter((5, -7.5, 0), unit="m")

# Set the inlet and outlet.
particle_inlet = study.CreateParticleInlet(circular_surface, particle)
input_property_list = particle_inlet.GetInputPropertiesList()
input_property_list[0].SetMassFlowRate(1000)
outlet = study.CreateOutlet(rectangular_surface)

# Set the motion rotation over the Y axis and apply it on the wall and the
# rectagular surface used as the outlet.
motion_frame_source = study.GetMotionFrameSource()
motion_frame = motion_frame_source.NewFrame()
motion_frame.AddRotationMotion(angular_velocity=((0.0, 0.5, 0.0), "rad/s"))
motion_frame.ApplyTo(rectangular_surface)
motion_frame.ApplyTo(wall)

# The domain settings define the domain limits where the particles are enabled to be
# computed in the simulation.
domain = study.GetDomainSettings()
domain.DisableUseBoundaryLimits()
domain.SetCoordinateLimitsMaxValues((10, 1, 10), unit="m")

Download successful. File path:
C:\Users\ansys\AppData\Local\Temp\pyrocky_ikf2q0fy\Lshape_tube.stl

Set up the solver and run the simulation

solver = study.GetSolver()
solver.SetSimulationDuration(5, unit="s")
study.StartSimulation()

True

Postprocess

Obtain the in and out mass flows of the particles.

particles = study.GetParticles()

times, mass_flow_in = particles.GetNumpyCurve("Particles Mass Flow In", unit="t/h")
times, mass_flow_out = particles.GetNumpyCurve("Particles Mass Flow Out", unit="t/h")

# Obtain the maximum and minimum velocities of the particles at each time step.
import numpy as np

simulation_times = study.GetTimeSet()
velocity_gf = particles.GetGridFunction("Velocity : Translational : Absolute")
velocity_max = np.array(
    [velocity_gf.GetMax(unit="m/s", time_step=i) for i in range(len(simulation_times))]
)
velocity_min = np.array(
    [velocity_gf.GetMin(unit="m/s", time_step=i) for i in range(len(simulation_times))]
)

Plot curves

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

fig, (ax1, ax2) = plt.subplots(2, 1)

ax1.plot(times, mass_flow_in, "b", label="Mass Flow In")
ax1.plot(times, mass_flow_out, "r", label="Mass Flow Out")
ax1.set_xlabel("Time [s]")
ax1.set_ylabel("Mass Flow [t/h]")
ax1.legend(loc="upper left")

ax2.plot(simulation_times, velocity_max, "b", label="Max Velocity")
ax2.plot(simulation_times, velocity_min, "r", label="Min Velocity")
ax2.set_xlabel("Time [s]")
ax2.set_ylabel("Velocity [m/s]")
ax2.legend(loc="upper left")

plt.draw()

rocky.close()