7.6.1 Profile Specification Types

The following is a list of the five types of profiles that can be read into ANSYS FLUENT, as well as information about the interpolation method employed by ANSYS FLUENT for each type.

• Point profiles are specified by an unordered set of $n$ points: $(x_i,y_i,v_i)$ for 2D problems or $(x_i,y_i,z_i,v_i)$ for 3D problems, where $1 \leq i \leq n$. Profiles written using the Write Profile dialog box and profiles of experimental data in random order are examples of point profiles.

  ANSYS FLUENT will interpolate the point cloud to obtain values at the boundary faces. The default interpolation method for the unstructured point data is zeroth order. In other words, for each cell face at the boundary, the solver uses the value from the profile file located closest to the cell. Therefore, to get an accurate specification of an inlet profile using the default interpolation method, your profile file should contain a sufficiently high point density. For information about other available interpolation methods for point profiles, see Section  7.6.3.

• Line profiles are specified for 2D problems by an ordered set of $n$ points: $(x_i,y_i,v_i)$, where $1 \leq i \leq n$. Zeroth-order interpolation is performed between the points. An example of a line profile is a profile of data obtained from an external program that calculates a boundary-layer profile.

• Mesh profiles are specified for 3D problems by an $m$ by $n$ mesh of points: $(x_{ij},y_{ij},$ $z_{ij},v_{ij})$, where $1 \leq i \leq m$ and $1 \leq j \leq n$. Zeroth-order interpolation is performed between the points. Examples of mesh profiles are profiles of data from a structured mesh solution and experimental data in a regular array.

• Radial profiles are specified for 2D and 3D problems by an ordered set of $n$ points: $(r_i,v_i)$, where $1 \leq i \leq n$. The data in a radial profile are a function of radius only. Linear interpolation is performed between the points, which must be sorted in ascending order of the $r$ field. The axis for the cylindrical coordinate system is determined as follows:
  • For 2D problems, it is the $z$-direction vector through (0,0).

  • For 2D axisymmetric problems, it is the $x$-direction vector through (0,0).

  • For 3D problems involving a swirling fan, it is the fan axis defined in the Fan dialog box (unless you are using local cylindrical coordinates at the boundary, as described below).

  • For 3D problems without a swirling fan, it is the rotation axis of the adjacent fluid zone, as defined in the Fluid dialog box (unless you are using local cylindrical coordinates at the boundary, as described below).

  • For 3D problems in which you are using local cylindrical coordinates to specify conditions at the boundary, it is the axis of the specified local coordinate system.

• Axial profiles are specified for 3D problems by an ordered set of $n$ points: $(z_i,v_i)$, where $1 \leq i \leq n$. The data in an axial profile are a function of the axial direction. Linear interpolation is performed between the points, which must be sorted in ascending order of the $z$ field.