Simcenter STAR-CCM+ and NX CAD client
Robin VictorSenior Application Specialist
Written in 2020. Menus and defaults may differ in newer releases.
In short
The STAR-NX CAD client links Simcenter STAR-CCM+ and NX both ways: set up and run the simulation inside NX, or transfer the geometry with its CAD parameters and keep it updated. In our pipe example Design Manager changed the NX outlet sizes to give the same mass flow at all three outlets.
Did you know that the STAR-NX CAD client allows to configure a bi-directional link between Simcenter STAR-CCM+ and NX? Such connection can be particularly interesting when you use your parametric CAD model to optimize its fluid dynamic performance. Here I show an optimization of a pipe system using a NX CAD model and Simcenter STAR-CCM+ Design Manager.
The CAD client plugs into your native CAD work package (like NX) and allows you to set up the whole simulation within your NX workspace. STAR-NX initializes a new Simcenter STAR-CCM+ tree in NX where you define the continua, mesh and boundary setting. Once you done defining the model and solver settings, you can build and run the case right from the NX user interface 
. You can define most of the Simcenter STAR-CCM+ settings inside NX.
Alternatively, you can also export and link your CAD geometries from your NX directly into Simcenter STAR-CCM+ by clicking the Transfer Geometry 
button . Along with the geometry data, you will then transfer design data, such as CAD parameters, CAD responses, coordinate systems, and reference planes. This method allows you to set up the simulation in Simcenter STAR-CCM+. Once the connection has been established, you can change the geometry in either NX or STAR and get an instantaneous update in the other program. Have a look at the following videos demonstrating the connection.
What you get is live associativity geometry which updates automatically across platforms. Your Simcenter STAR-CCM+ can run on a Linux cluster and connect remotely to your NX workstation.
This alternative is particularly useful when you previously transferred your geometry from Simcenter STAR-CCM+ Client for NX on Windows to Simcenter STAR-CCM+ on Linux. And if you are most familiar with Simcenter STAR-CCM+s user interface. You connect Simcenter STAR-CCM+ running on the local machine to Simcenter STAR-CCM+ Client for NX running on a remote machine via an SSH connection that you set up in your simulation file.
Vice versa are you able to control and run your simulation from your local NX environment on a remote Linux machine. From Simcenter STAR-CCM+ Client for NX preferences running on Windows you specify the remote connection via SSH and define license options as well as parallel options for STAR-CCM+.
I used the STAR-NX configuration on an example of flow through a pipe system. In this real-life application the water flow is distributed from one inlet to three outlets with different radii and locations. I defined the pipe model in NX. And I used the Transfer Geometry method to transfer my pipe to Simcenter STAR-CCM+, where I set up my continuum, mesh and boundary conditions and run the simulation.
To leverage the coupling capabilities, I set up an optimisation in Design Manager in Simcenter STAR-CCM+ to adjust the outlet opening size such that the mass flow on all outlets is identical. The opening of the outlets are parameters in the CAD model which are accessible in STAR-CCM+ CAD Client node and which are updated once the Design Manager changed their value.
NX is started in batch every time Design Manager updates the parameters to create a new CAD model. The variant is then meshed and calculated automatically.
Once the best solution is selected, the CAD model can be updated in your PLM system with a simple “Update Model and safe the CAD file” click.
