Automation and optimisation

[domjax]

Hi all,

I am a new user to Rhinoceros but have a relative amount of experience with python. I have a project in which I have to optimise a 3D geometry in order to reduce the drag.

I have been advised to use Rhino and have thought I could write a script for the geometry and then run a seperate python program optimise it with a cfd tool (fluent?) ? I do not know if this is possible and would idealy like to have some kind of automated or at least semi automated process.

Any ideas and help will be very much appreciated.

Dominic

[Martin]

Hi Dominic,

I did something similar with a structural analysis software.

Your problem doesn't sound like a "trivial" problem.

What I did (not in Python, but in C#) was to import the .Net interop libraries of the other software and "remote control" its behaviour out of Rhino.

Basically
- Get the Geometry data in Rhino.
- Reformat the Geometry data and automatically create a CFD Model
- Automatically add load cases, either staticly, and later dynamically.
- Start the Calculation in the other software.
- Get the Result and make sure to somehow save the results and importantly, the identifier of the geometry in the other software so you know which data in Rhino matches which data in the CFD.
- Either process the Result directly or save the information as UserText into the Rhino objects.
-Itterate that process with evaluating the results and adapting the Input. (That could be an automatic process or manual)

Rhino can do all that, the question is: how good is the CFD Software you are using - how open is its Interface.

Let me know if that helps.
Martin

[domjax]

Hi Martin, first of all thank you very much for your help,

I am currently trying to get to grips with Rhino so will keep your suggestions in mind.

The CFD software I will be using is probably Fluent, although if there are better open source alternatives I could work with them.

Thanks again, Dominic

[Martin]

Hi Dominic,

I haven't worked with CFD yet. As I was googleing the topic I came accros openfoam - But I have no clue about the quality of it.

Ansys is known to be very good - and very expensive.

-Martin