udf for adsorption coefficient
 

I need to define my own adsorption coefficient of solid quartz as a function of x due to some chemical change. Shall I define it as a thread or cell or something else? This is my first time to use udf ever and C program since 15 years ago. Could you gurus check my code for me? thanks! Here's my C code:

/************************************************** *******************
UDF for specifying a x-axis-dependent absorption property
************************************************** ********************/
#include "udf.h"
DEFINE_PROPERTY(absorption_coefficient, thread, index)
{
real abs_lam;
real x;
if (0 < x < 0.2)
abs_lam = 0.1111;
else if (0.2 < x < 0.4)
abs_lam = 0.2222;
else if (0.4 < x < 0.6)
abs_lam = 0.3333;
else if (0.6 < x < 0.8)
abs_lam = 0.4444;
else
abs_lam = 0.5555;
return abs_lam;
}

Hello Beibei,

1) if x should hold the position in x-direction of a given cell you must retrieve the coordinates of its centroid by using the macro C_CENTROID(pos,c,t) where pos is a vector with components (x,y,z). To get x use pos[0].
2) the correct syntax for DEFINE_PROPERTY is DEFINE_PROPERTY(name,c,t), no index in it!

Have a look at the udf-manuel, surely there is an example which is close to your specific application.

cheers

Thank you for help! I revised my code as:
/************************************************** *******************
UDF for specifying a x-axis-dependent absorption property
************************************************** ********************/
#include"udf.h"
DEFINE_PROPERTY(absorption_coefficient, c, t)
{
real abs_coeff;
real pos;
C_CENTROID(pos[0],c,t);
if (0 <= pos[0] < 0.2)
abs_coeff = 0.1111;
elseif (0.2 <= pos[0] < 0.4)
abs_coeff = 0.2222;
elseif (0.4 <= pos[0] < 0.6)
abs_coeff = 0.3333;
elseif (0.6 <= pos[0] < 0.8)
abs_coeff = 0.4444;
else
abs_coeff = 0.5555;
return abs_coeff;
}

But it still didn't work. FLUENT gave me the error message of "line9: subscription expression is not an array or pointer: float". This pointer stuff is killing me. I never really understand the concept.
Could someone help me? Thanks a lot!

beibei, that's really basic C-stuff which you should try to understand as soon as possible if you need to use udf's.
However, as already stated pos is a vector, so you need to deslare it as one:

real pos[ND_ND]; (ND_ND is a fluent macro returning the right dimension automatically for 2d/3D)

then get the Cell-Center_coordinates into it:

C_CENTROID(pos,c,t);

The rest should be o.k.

cheers

Thanks! I revised my code as:

/************************************************** *******************
UDF for specifying a x-axis-dependent absorption property
************************************************** ********************/
#include"udf.h"
DEFINE_PROPERTY(absorption_coefficient, c, t)
{
real abs_coeff;
real x[ND_ND];
C_CENTROID(x,c,t);
if (0 <= x[0] < 0.2)
abs_coeff = 0.1111;
elseif (0.2 <= x[1] < 0.4)
abs_coeff = 0.2222;
elseif (0.4 <= x[2] < 0.6)
abs_coeff = 0.3333;
elseif (0.6 <= x[4] < 0.8)
abs_coeff = 0.4444;
else
abs_coeff = 0.5555;
return abs_coeff;
}

It could interprete to FLUENT. The problem is that after iteration, I checked the adsorption coefficient. It didn't look like a function of x position. Could you see the cause in my code? Thanks!

yes i see the reason and you should be able to find the error too. I guess you do not really intend to solve a 5-D problem which would at least give some physical meaning to x[4] !

cheers

I revised my code as below and FLUENT didn't seem to render it even though it could interprete. I changed the x-position dependent to a constant jsut by replacing the if-command to a constant to see if fluent can exert, and it didn't. What could it be wrong? Couldn't fluent render udf on a surface? Please help! Thanks!

Here's my code:

#include"udf.h"
DEFINE_PROPERTY(absorption_coefficient, c, t)
{
real abs_coeff;
real x[ND_ND];
C_CENTROID(x,c,t);
if (x[0] > 0 && x[0] < 0.2)
abs_coeff = 593.9187;
elseif (x[0] > 0 && x[0] < 0.2)
abs_coeff = 197.6521;
elseif (x[0] > 0 && x[0] < 0.2)
abs_coeff = 177.0521;
elseif (x[0] > 0 && x[0] < 0.2)
abs_coeff = 140.5854;
else
abs_coeff = 140.5854;
Message("Abs coefficient for this cell %e = %e", x[0],abs_coeff);
return abs_coeff;
}