[mesh manipulation] Fluent mesh for MRF simulations in OpenFOAM

esma · July 2, 2023, 06:14

Hi,

I'm actually confused with how to make the imported mesh from ANSYS Fluent prepared for a simple MRF simulation that is a tank and an impeller as shown attached. As far as I understand the procedure of importing mesh from fluent is not as simple as running fluent3DMeshToFoam. If someone has been through this could you please help me with the procedure on how to prepare a mesh imported from fluent for a multi-reference-frame simulation? Is there any guide online?

thanks a lot

esma · July 10, 2023, 17:57

As a feedback to my own question, yes there appears to be no direct transfer of fluent mesh for MRF application in OF (as far as I searched). So after I generated my geometries in the SpaceClaim I saved them as .STL files and inserted them in the constant/triSurface folder and run the OpenFOAM meshing procedure
1- surfaceFeatureExtract
2-blockMesh
3-snappyHexMesh -overwrite

The guideline videos from Jozsef Nagy and one from the Engineering talk youtube channels were very helpful:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtN256WJ-5I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZWHoTpqAOE&t=1114s

sebastian0310 · August 10, 2023, 13:06

hello esma, I have a problem similar to yours, I have tried to follow the procedure that you recommend in the feedback that you did but I have problems with the "surfaceFeatureExtract". Could you help me?.

@ss · September 13, 2023, 03:03

hello sir
I am working on FSI problem in OpenFOAM. I have some doubts.....
can we extract mesh from icem cfd to openFoam in case of overset mesh ....actually previously I was using morphing mesh for my simulation but now I have to use multi-cylinder in VIV case For this I have to use overset mesh in place of morphing mesh. for morphing mesh, i used icem cfd for meshin and then used fluentMeshtoFoam commond to uoload in OpenFOAM. but I don't know about the case for overset mesh. can anyone help my regarding this . One more think can we use simulation for very less spacing in the case of overset mesh.

Thank you

esma · September 14, 2023, 04:29

Hi, sorry didn't notice your message earlier. If your problem still persists, do you want to elaborate on what error or problem you faced with surfaceFeatureExtract? Just note you'd need to create .stl of the boundary surfaces not the volume. i.e. in my case for the tank wall, in spaceClaim I selected wall boundary ctrl+c/ ctr+v to egnerate surface, then exported that surface as .stl file etc.

bene_ · May 8, 2025, 02:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by @ss

hello sir
I am working on FSI problem in OpenFOAM. I have some doubts.....
can we extract mesh from icem cfd to openFoam in case of overset mesh ....actually previously I was using morphing mesh for my simulation but now I have to use multi-cylinder in VIV case For this I have to use overset mesh in place of morphing mesh. for morphing mesh, i used icem cfd for meshin and then used fluentMeshtoFoam commond to uoload in OpenFOAM. but I don't know about the case for overset mesh. can anyone help my regarding this . One more think can we use simulation for very less spacing in the case of overset mesh.

Thank you

Have you found a solution for the overset meshes imported from ICEM? I'm having the same problem. Thank you very much!

@ss · May 8, 2025, 02:57

no.. not yet

bene_ · June 11, 2025, 10:58

I found a solution: I found a YouTube tutorial explaining how to proceed. I successfully managed to do so.

It's not explained in the tutorial, but when you're in ICEM, you should save the output mesh as if you were using Fluent. To convert it to OpenFOAM, you need to use the fluent3DMeshToFoam command.

There is a playlist of videos about overset meshes in OpenFOAM on the channel.

I hope it will be useful!

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July 10, 2023, 17:57		#2
esma Member Join Date: May 2016 Posts: 40 Rep Power: 11	As a feedback to my own question, yes there appears to be no direct transfer of fluent mesh for MRF application in OF (as far as I searched). So after I generated my geometries in the SpaceClaim I saved them as .STL files and inserted them in the constant/triSurface folder and run the OpenFOAM meshing procedure 1- surfaceFeatureExtract 2-blockMesh 3-snappyHexMesh -overwrite The guideline videos from Jozsef Nagy and one from the Engineering talk youtube channels were very helpful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtN256WJ-5I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZWHoTpqAOE&t=1114s

August 10, 2023, 13:06		#3
sebastian0310 New Member Sebastián Agudelo Join Date: Feb 2021 Posts: 7 Rep Power: 6	hello esma, I have a problem similar to yours, I have tried to follow the procedure that you recommend in the feedback that you did but I have problems with the "surfaceFeatureExtract". Could you help me?.

September 13, 2023, 03:03		#4
@ss New Member shristi Join Date: Jun 2023 Posts: 27 Rep Power: 4	hello sir I am working on FSI problem in OpenFOAM. I have some doubts..... can we extract mesh from icem cfd to openFoam in case of overset mesh ....actually previously I was using morphing mesh for my simulation but now I have to use multi-cylinder in VIV case For this I have to use overset mesh in place of morphing mesh. for morphing mesh, i used icem cfd for meshin and then used fluentMeshtoFoam commond to uoload in OpenFOAM. but I don't know about the case for overset mesh. can anyone help my regarding this . One more think can we use simulation for very less spacing in the case of overset mesh. Thank you

September 14, 2023, 04:29		#5
esma Member Join Date: May 2016 Posts: 40 Rep Power: 11	Hi, sorry didn't notice your message earlier. If your problem still persists, do you want to elaborate on what error or problem you faced with surfaceFeatureExtract? Just note you'd need to create .stl of the boundary surfaces not the volume. i.e. in my case for the tank wall, in spaceClaim I selected wall boundary ctrl+c/ ctr+v to egnerate surface, then exported that surface as .stl file etc.

May 8, 2025, 02:57		#7
@ss New Member shristi Join Date: Jun 2023 Posts: 27 Rep Power: 4	no.. not yet

June 11, 2025, 10:58		#8
bene_ New Member Giacomo Join Date: Feb 2023 Posts: 7 Rep Power: 4	I found a solution: I found a YouTube tutorial explaining how to proceed. I successfully managed to do so. It's not explained in the tutorial, but when you're in ICEM, you should save the output mesh as if you were using Fluent. To convert it to OpenFOAM, you need to use the fluent3DMeshToFoam command. There is a playlist of videos about overset meshes in OpenFOAM on the channel. I hope it will be useful!