1. Download SimFlow
SimFlow is a general purpose CFD Software
To follow this tutorial, you will need SimFlow free version, you may download it via the following link:
Download SimFlow
2. Create Case
Open SimFlow and create a new case named cylinder_cooling
Go to New panel
Provide name cylinder_cooling
Click Create Case

3. Create Geometry - Cylinder
We need to create a cylindrical boundary for the domain. For this purpose, we will create a cylindrical geometry for later use in the meshing process.
Go to Geometry panel
Select Create Cylinder
4 Define origin, length, and radius of the cylinder accordingly
Origin \({\sf [m]}\)00-0.25
Length \({\sf [m]}\)0.5
Radius \({\sf [m]}\)0.05

4. Geometry - Cylinder
After creating a cylindrical boundary, it will appear in the 3D panel.
Click Fit View to zoom the geometry

5. Meshing Properties - Cylinder
Go to Hex Meshing panel
Click cylinder_1
Select Mesh Geometry
Select Create Boundary Layer Mesh

6. Base Mesh - Geometry and Mesh
We will define the base mesh now.
Go to the Base tab
Chose Plate Mesh Type
Define base mesh minimum and maximum extend
Min \({\sf [m]}\)-1-0.4
Max \({\sf [m]}\)10.4Define division along each axis
Division200 80

7. Base Mesh - Boundaries
Define boundary names accordingly
X- inlet
X+ outletDefine the following boundary types accordingly
Y- wall
Y+ wall

8. Material Point - Fluid
Now we will define material point outside the cylinder geometry.
Go to Point tab
Set location of the material point
Material Point00.20

9. Meshing - Fluid Region
Go to Mesh tab
Start the meshing process with Mesh button

10. Mesh - Fluid Region
After a few minutes of meshing the following mesh should appear.
Click Fit View to zoom the geometry
Click View XY to orient view plane

11. Create Sub-Region - Fluid
After creating the mesh, we have to make a sub-region - fluid.
Go to Mesh panel
Press Options button
Select Make sub-region option
Enter name fluid for the sub-region
Click OK button

12. Material Point - Solid
Now we will define material point for sub-region - solid.
Go to Hex Meshing panel
Go to Point tab
Set location of the material point
Material Point000

13. Meshing - Solid Region
Everything is set up now for the meshing of the solid region
Go to Mesh tab
Start the meshing process with Mesh button

14. Mesh - Solid Region
After a few minutes of meshing the following mesh should appear.
Click Fit View to zoom the geometry

15. Create Sub-Region - Solid
After creating the mesh, we have to make a sub-region - solid.
Go to Mesh panel
Press Options button
Select Make sub-region option
Enter name solid for the sub-region
Click OK button

16. Create Region Interface
Two mesh regions are not coupled until you create a region interface. It will be further used to define which information is exchanged between regions.
Select Solid type for solid region
Make sure you have selected wall type for cylinder_1
Hold CTRL key and select cylinder_1 in fluid and cylinder_1 in solid
Click Create Region Interface icon

17. Select Solver - CHT Multi Region
Go to Setup panel
Select Transient filter
Select Heat Transfer model filter
Pick CHT Multi Region
Select solver

18. Thermophysical Properties - Fluid (I)
We will define now the thermodynamic properties of fluid material.
Go to Thermo panel
Select fluid region
Select Constant Density
Click Material Database button

19. Thermophysical Properties - Fluid (II)
Select water material
Click Apply

20. Thermophysical Properties - Solid (I)
We will define now the thermodynamic properties of solid material.
Select solid region
Select Constant Density
Click Material Database button

21. Thermophysical Properties - Solid (II)
Select steel material
Click Apply

22. Solution - Solvers
Go to Solution panel
Go to the Pimple tab
Increase the number of Correctors to 2

23. Operating Conditions
Go to Operating Conditions panel
Define gravitational acceleration
g \({\sf [m/s^2]}\)0-9.810

24. Boundary Conditions - Inlet (Flow)
Go to Boundary Conditions panel
Select inlet
Change character to velocity inlet
Define inlet velocity
Reference Value \({\sf [m/s]}\)0.1

25. Boundary Conditions - Inlet (Thermal)
Go to Thermal boundary conditions tab
Set the following parameters accordingly
TypeFixed Value
Value \({\sf [K]}\)300

26. Initial Conditions
Go to Initial Conditions panel
Select solid region
Set temperature T to 400

27. Run -Time Control
Go to Run panel
Set Simulation Time [s] to 200
Change Time Stepping to Automatic
Set initial and maximum time step accordingly
Initial \(\Delta t\) \({\sf [s]}\)0.2
Max \(\Delta t\) \({\sf [s]}\)0.2

28. Run - Output
Switch to Output panel
Set Write Control Interval [s] to 5

29. Run - CPU
To speed up the calculation process increase the number of CPUs basing on your PC capability. The free version allows you to use only 2 processors in parallel mode. To get the full version, you can use the contact form to Request 30-day Trial
Estimated computation time for 2 processors: 3 minutes
Switch to CPU tab
Use parallel mode
Increase the Number of processors
Click Run Simulation button

30. Residuals

31. Start Postprocessing with ParaView
Go to Postprocessing panel
Run ParaView

32. ParaView - Load Results
Now we are loading results into the ParaView.
Select cylinder_cooling.foam
Click Apply to load results into ParaView
After loading results they will be shown in the 3D graphic window

33. ParaView - Change Background
We can change the coloring scheme in ParaView to have nicer colors.
Click Load a Color Palette
Select White Background

34. ParaView - Choose Preset (I)
Click Edit Color Map from the menu placed on the left side, if the panel is not already shown.

35. ParaView - Choose Preset (II)
Select Choose Preset from the Color Map Editor placed by default on the right side of the ParaView
Search rainbow
Choose Blue to Red Rainbow preset.
Apply changes
Close Choose Preset window
Set Number of Table Values to 20
Click Save current color map settings values as default for all arrays

36. ParaView - Display Temperature Contour (I)
Select contour coloring variable to T
Click Last Frame
Click Rescale to Data Range
Click First Frame
Click Play

37. ParaView - Display Temperature Contour (II)
After applying changes the contour will be shown in the 3D window.

38. ParaView - Display Temperature Contour (III)
Click First Frame
Click Rescale to Custom Data Range
Set maximum value
Max305Click Rescale
Click Play

39. ParaView - Results
