[b.simpson]

Hi,

I have a model of a building which has open windows on each side. Inside I have several sources of CO2. What I need to do is predict the air velocity and total concentration of CO2 passing through the windows, both in and out of the building. Ideally I would like the field values for every cell within a plane along the centre of the windows.

I am using openFOAM v8 running buoyantSimpleFoam.

Does anyone know the best method for achieving this?

I have tried including a surfaces file in my controlDict where i tried to create a separate cuttingPlane for each window. But this resulted in the output files containing data for every cell along the x or y plane depending on the window location.

Kind regards,
Ben

/*--------------------------------*- C++ -*----------------------------------*\
| =========                 |                                                 |
| \\      /  F ield         | OpenFOAM: The Open Source CFD Toolbox           |
|  \\    /   O peration     | Version:  v1812                                 |
|   \\  /    A nd           | Web:      www.OpenFOAM.com                      |
|    \\/     M anipulation  |                                                 |
\*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*/

surfaces
{
    type            surfaces;
    libs            ("libsampling.so");
    writeControl    writeTime;

    surfaceFormat   raw;
    fields          (U T CO2);

    interpolationScheme cell;

    surfaces
    (
        Window1
        {
            type            cuttingPlane;
            planeType       pointAndNormal;
            pointAndNormalDict
            {
                point   (1.35 0.175 0.7);
                normal  (1 0 2);
            }
            interpolate     true;
        }
		Window2
        {
            type            cuttingPlane;
            planeType       pointAndNormal;
            pointAndNormalDict
            {
                point   (4.35 0.175 0.7);
                normal  (1 0 2);
            }
            interpolate     true;
        }
		Window3
        {
            type            cuttingPlane;
            planeType       pointAndNormal;
            pointAndNormalDict
            {
                point   (7.35 0.175 0.7);
                normal  (1 0 2);
            }
            interpolate     true;
        }
		Window4
        {
            type            cuttingPlane;
            planeType       pointAndNormal;
            pointAndNormalDict
            {
                point   (10.35 0.175 0.7);
                normal  (1 0 2);
            }
            interpolate     true;
        }
		Window5
        {
            type            cuttingPlane;
            planeType       pointAndNormal;
            pointAndNormalDict
            {
                point   (13.35 0.175 0.7);
                normal  (1 0 2);
            }
            interpolate     true;
        }
		Window6
        {
            type            cuttingPlane;
            planeType       pointAndNormal;
            pointAndNormalDict
            {
                point   (1.35 15.525 0.7);
                normal  (1 0 2);
            }
            interpolate     true;
        }
		Window7
        {
            type            cuttingPlane;
            planeType       pointAndNormal;
            pointAndNormalDict
            {
                point   (4.35 15.525 0.7);
                normal  (1 0 2);
            }
            interpolate     true;
        }
		Window8
        {
            type            cuttingPlane;
            planeType       pointAndNormal;
            pointAndNormalDict
            {
                point   (7.35 15.525 0.7);
                normal  (1 0 2);
            }
            interpolate     true;
        }
		Window9
        {
            type            cuttingPlane;
            planeType       pointAndNormal;
            pointAndNormalDict
            {
                point   (10.35 15.525 0.7);
                normal  (1 0 2);
            }
            interpolate     true;
        }
		Window10
        {
            type            cuttingPlane;
            planeType       pointAndNormal;
            pointAndNormalDict
            {
                point   (13.35 15.525 0.7);
                normal  (1 0 2);
            }
            interpolate     true;
        }
		Window11
        {
            type            cuttingPlane;
            planeType       pointAndNormal;
            pointAndNormalDict
            {
                point   (0.175 1.35 0.7);
                normal  (0 1 2);
            }
            interpolate     true;
        }
		Window12
        {
            type            cuttingPlane;
            planeType       pointAndNormal;
            pointAndNormalDict
            {
                point   (0.175 4.35 0.7);
                normal  (0 1 2);
            }
            interpolate     true;
        }
		Window13
        {
            type            cuttingPlane;
            planeType       pointAndNormal;
            pointAndNormalDict
            {
                point   (0.175 7.35 0.7);
                normal  (0 1 2);
            }
            interpolate     true;
        }
		Window14
        {
            type            cuttingPlane;
            planeType       pointAndNormal;
            pointAndNormalDict
            {
                point   (0.175 10.35 0.7);
                normal  (0 1 2);
            }
            interpolate     true;
        }
		Window15
        {
            type            cuttingPlane;
            planeType       pointAndNormal;
            pointAndNormalDict
            {
                point   (0.175 13.35 0.7);
                normal  (0 1 2);
            }
            interpolate     true;
        }
		Window16
        {
            type            cuttingPlane;
            planeType       pointAndNormal;
            pointAndNormalDict
            {
                point   (15.525 1.35 0.7);
                normal  (0 1 2);
            }
            interpolate     true;
        }
		Window17
        {
            type            cuttingPlane;
            planeType       pointAndNormal;
            pointAndNormalDict
            {
                point   (15.525 4.35 0.7);
                normal  (0 1 2);
            }
            interpolate     true;
        }
		Window18
        {
            type            cuttingPlane;
            planeType       pointAndNormal;
            pointAndNormalDict
            {
                point   (15.525 7.35 0.7);
                normal  (0 1 2);
            }
            interpolate     true;
        }
		Window19
        {
            type            cuttingPlane;
            planeType       pointAndNormal;
            pointAndNormalDict
            {
                point   (15.525 10.35 0.7);
                normal  (0 1 2);
            }
            interpolate     true;
        }
		Window20
        {
            type            cuttingPlane;
            planeType       pointAndNormal;
            pointAndNormalDict
            {
                point   (15.525 13.35 0.7);
                normal  (0 1 2);
            }
            interpolate     true;
        }
		
    );
}


// ************************************************************************* //

[b.simpson]

To better explain the issue see the image attached.

As you can see the cuttingPlane is currently extending across the entire x and y axis. What I need is the plane to be located and the same size as the windows.

It may be that the cuttingPlane isn't designed to do what I want but I am assuming that there must be a way of getting the same data as the cuttingPlane but just for the cells in the centre of the windows.

Kind regards,
Ben

[JNSN]

Hi Ben,


I have not tested, but maybe you can create faceZones for each window with topoSet, and then use these zones as input.


Best,
Jan

[b.simpson]

Hi Jan,

Thank you for your reply.

Previously I have tried to set up faceZones within the windows and then use them as the inputs. Unfortunately I was unable to get it working in a satisfactory way.

I am sure it can be fixed this way, but I have instead found a solution by keeping the set up as it is, where by the surface provides the field values for all cells along the cuttingPlane. Then I have created a python script to strip out the cells that are within the windows based on their location.

Regards,
Ben