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Thermal Solver
Contains thermal solver related guides, such as the TMG reference manual, thermal API guide, and error message list.
Thermal solver API guide
Allows you to create or add functionality to enhance the thermal solver capabilities.
Plugin functions in expressions
Thermal solver method definitions
GetFanningFrictionFactor
Returns the Fanning friction factor for the ducts with a defined cross section.

Thermal Solver
Contains thermal solver related guides, such as the TMG reference manual, thermal API guide, and error message list.
- Thermal solver guides
  Maya HTT's thermal solver is included in Simcenter 3D and in Simcenter Femap. This page contains links to thermal solver guides, which help you understand how the thermal solver works.
- Thermal solver theory
  Describes the theory and methods of the thermal solver.
- Thermal solver API guide
  Allows you to create or add functionality to enhance the thermal solver capabilities.
  - Introduction
  - Supported compilers
  - User written subroutines
    This section describes two types of user-written subroutines.
  - Plugin functions in expressions
    - Workflow for using a plugin function
    - API methods for plugin function
      You use the predefined API methods to define your plugin function. API methods are divided into methods supported by Simcenter 3D and methods supported by the thermal solver.
    - Simcenter 3D method definitions
    - Thermal solver method definitions
      - GetArea
        Retrieves the area of a solid face element, if this function is called for a solid element. Retrieves the area of the solid faces thermally connected to a 1D duct element, if this function is called for a 1D duct element.
      - GetAreaBC
        Returns a true or false value that indicates whether the retrieve operation is successful. When the operation is successful, the function returns the area of the whole element selection to which the thermal streams, thermal voids, or thermal convecting zones boundary condition is applied.
      - GetBCName
        Returns a true or false value that indicates whether the retrieval operation is successful. When the operation is successful, the function puts the name of the boundary condition associated with the current expression call in the string argument.
      - GetConditionSequenceValue
        Retrieves the condition sequence parameter value evaluated at the specified time.
      - GetConvectOverlapArea
        Returns a true or false value that indicates whether the retrieve operation is successful. When the operation is successful, the function returns the overlap area between the primary and secondary selection elements in a convective coupling.
      - GetDistance
        Returns the distance along the duct with a defined cross section from the duct inlet in specified boundary conditions.
      - GetFanningFrictionFactor
        Returns the Fanning friction factor for the ducts with a defined cross section.
      - GetFlowRotationForStationaryStructure
        Returns the fluid rotational speed value for the fluid adjacent to the stationary component of a non-rotating selection, when the thermal solver considers the flow rotation for the stationary structures. Otherwise, it returns the wall rotation speed value.
      - GetFluidMaterialName
        Returns the fluid material name defined in the specified boundary condition.
      - GetFluidTemperatureOfType
        Returns the total, absolute, adiabatic, relative, or static temperatures at the element centroid to which the thermal streams, thermal voids, or thermal convecting zones boundary condition is applied.
      - GetFluidTemperatureOnDuctCentroid
        Returns the fluid temperature on the duct centroid in the specified thermal stream or convection coupling boundary condition.
      - GetGeneric
        Returns a true or false value depending on whether the operation to retrieve the generic properties with the provided external index is successful. When the operation is successful, the function returns the number of generic entities present in the model and generic properties for the provided external generic index.
      - GetGenericIndex
        Returns a true or false value depending on whether the retrieval operation is successful. When the operation is successful, the function returns the number of generic entities and the external label for the given internal generic entity label.
      - GetGlobalCount
        Returns a true or false value that indicates whether the retrieval operation is successful. When the operation is successful, the function stores and interrogates the global iteration count used in a solution, such as the iteration count or number of overall solver time steps in a transient run.
      - GetGlobalRotationalAxis
        Returns a true or false value depending whether a global rotational axis or global cyclic axis is present in the model. When it is present in the model, the function returns, in cartesian coordinates, a global rotational CSYS defined by three axes: Radial, THETA, and Axial.
      - GetHydraulicDiameter
        Returns the hydraulic diameter of the duct with a defined cross section in the specified boundary condition, which can be used to compute custom heat transfer correlations.
      - GetIterationCount
        Returns a true or false value whether the retrieve operation is successful. When the operation is successful, the function returns the current iteration count during a solve. For steady-state runs it returns the iteration number, for transient runs it returns the current non-linear iteration at the current time.
      - GetLength
        Returns the length of a stream or an immersed duct.
      - GetLocalRotationalAxis
        Returns a true or false value depending whether a local rotational axis or global cyclic axis is present in the model. When it is present in the model, the function returns in Cartesian coordinates, the local rotational CSYS defined by the origin and by axes: radial, theta, and axial.
      - GetMetallicProtectiveLayerNode
        Returns a true or false value indicating whether the function is applied to the protective layer's boundary conditions and finite element method is used as the calculation method or not. When the operation is successful, the function returns the node ID argument the underlying metallic node ID that exists beneath the protective layer node.
      - GetNumInstances
        Returns a true or false value that indicates whether the retrieval operation is successful.
      - GetParam
        Returns a true or false value whether the retrieve operation is successful. When the operation is successful, the function returns the run-time parameters for the model.
      - GetRotationType
        Returns a true or false value that indicates whether the retrieval operation is successful. When the operation is successful, the function puts the rotation type of the boundary condition associated with the current expression call in the argument.
      - GetSecondaryElemId
        Returns a true or false value that indicates whether the retrieval operation is successful. When the operation is successful, the function puts the ID of the secondary element of the conductance in the current expression call context in the argument.
      - GetSecondaryMaterial
        Returns an additional fluid material.
      - GetSolidMaterialName
        Returns the solid material name defined in the specified boundary condition.
      - GetStreamInletCoordinates
        Returns the inlet global Cartesian coordinates of the specified thermal stream.
      - GetStreamOutletCoordinates
        Returns the outlet global Cartesian coordinates of the specified thermal stream.
      - GetSwirlVelocity
        Returns the swirls velocity value for convective boundary conditions.
      - GetTempFromEnth
        Returns a true or false value whether the retrieve operation is successful. When the operation is successful, the function returns the materials' enthalpy for a given temperature and pressure.
      - GetThermalQuantity
        Returns a true or false value that indicates whether the retrieve operation is successful. When the operation is successful, the function returns intermediate values during the run.
      - GetTMGFieldValue
        Returns a true or false value depending whether the retrieve operation of condition sequence parameter defined by name is successful. When the operation is successful, the function returns the condition sequence parameter evaluated at the current time.
      - GetTMGFunction
        Takes a name of a function or functionality as argument and returns a void pointer that is then cast to a function pointer of a given access method.
      - GetUnitSystem
        Returns the unit system of the solution. You can call this function on the initializing level.
      - GetUpstreamFluidMassFlowRate
        Returns a true or false value that indicates whether an upstream duct element is found. When an upstream element is found, the function returns the mass fluid rate of the upstream duct element.
      - GetUpstreamFluidTemp
        Returns a true or false value that indicates whether an upstream duct element is found. When an upstream element is found, the function returns the fluid temperature of the upstream duct element.
      - StoreThermalQuantity
        Returns a true or false value that indicates whether the storing operation is successful. When the operation is successful, the function saves the intermediate values that are retrieved with the GetThermalQuantity method during the run.

GetFanningFrictionFactor

Returns the Fanning friction factor for the ducts with a defined cross section.

The Fanning friction factor is defined as the ratio of the shear stress at the wall of a pipe to the dynamic pressure of the fluid:

where τ_w is the shear stress at the wall, ρ is the fluid density, and v is the fluid velocity. The Fanning factor is related to the Darcy friction factor as follows:

Calling convention:

bool GetFanningFrictionFactor(double* val)

Note:

To access this method, you must use the GetTMGFunction method and include the AdditionalFunctions.h file located in the [installation_path]\tmg\include\maya\expeval_utils folder in the beginning of your source file.


Argument	Data type	Description
val	double*	The Fanning friction factor value for the duct element.

For the example, see the GetAreaBC method.