force monitoring and file format
 

Hello

I am trying to analyse the force on a pipe bend.

I have got the file written by Fluent. The problem is the data inside can not be imported into Matlab.

The file can be open by text editors but the data columns in the file are not separated.

Could somebody please let me know how to separate the data into different columes?

Thanks a lot!

Lawrence

Are you looking at unsteady or steady-state force data?...
How did you write out the data file?...

Thanks for replying.

I have been looking at a unsteady problem using Fluent 12.1. I used Solve>monitors>drag. Then the data were written out. As I set the monitor using 'per zone' and there were three zones, the data file had 4 columns which included the flow time (the 1st column), and then 3 columns of drag coefficient for each zone. The problem I got is that it is difficult to split each column off for plotting in Matlab.

Lawrence

Does the data file contain a space between columns?...
i.e. time data1 data2 data3 ... etc?..
If so, then you could try to import the data into an excel spreadsheet by specifying space as a delimiter.

Thanks.

Yes, there is a space between the columns. Could you please elaborate the steps how to 'import the data into an excel spreadsheet by specifying space as a delimiter'?

Lawrence

Open your excel application from start.
Then open your data file as a text file from excel program i.e. open -> file
A text import wizard will guide through the steps.
if the columns are not aligned, selected delimited otherwise select fixed.
A preview of your data file will be visible on the wizard.
Next panel choices are tab,semicolon,comma,space, and other for delimiters. Choose space.
Next panel defines data type. Select general if you have mixed characters and numbers.

Yes! You are right. Thank you very much, Robert.

I have managed to import the data to Excel with your method.

Lawrence.