Yung-Yu Chen

Getting Started with SOLVCON

This is a two-hour course to provide an overview of SOLVCON by doing examples contained in SOLVCON. The course contains:

  1. Installation and test (30 min):
    • How to use the developing version of SOLVCON (15 min)
    • How to unpack and use the released version of SOLVCON (10 min)
    • Use of PYTOHNPATH (5 min)
  2. Learn by examples (70 min):
    • Layout of examples (5 min)
    • The simplest example: supersonic flow past a blunt body (15 min)
    • Complex pre- and post-processing: reflection of oblique shock wave (20 min)
    • Alternate physical model: group velocity of Beryl (15 min)
    • Output to parallel VTK format (10 min)
    • Other examples (5 min)
  3. Other resources (10 min):

Installation and Test

Developing Version of SOLVCON

  1. Follow the direction at http://solvcon.net/guide.html for installation.

    • Make sure all the dependencies are met. Use:

      $ python -c "import sys; print sys.version"

      to check the version of your Python (must be 2.6).

  2. Install to your home directory. See http://solvcon.net/guide.html#rebuild-reinstall.

    • Use:

      $ python -c "import solvcon; print solvcon; print solvcon.__version__"

      to check your installation. There must be a + in the version number.

  3. Perform unit tests with the two approaches specified at http://solvcon.net/guide.html#unit-test.

Let $SCSRC be the location of the cloned SOLVCON.

Released Version of SOLVCON

  1. Follow the direction at http://solvcon.net/guide.html to install it in your home directory. This will override the previous installation.
  2. Check SOLVCON version and perform unit test again.

Use PYTHONPATH

What is PYTHONPATH environment variable: http://docs.python.org/tutorial/modules.html#the-module-search-path

Use:

$ PYTHONPATH=$SCSRC python -c "import solvcon; print solvcon"

to demonstrate the effect.

Examples

  1. Examples locate at $SCSRC/examples.

  2. Examples are categorized as:

    • euler/: the Euler equations solver
    • elastic/: the velocity-stress equations solver
    • visout/: visualization and output
    • misc/: miscellaneous

  3. Driver script go in each sub-directory.

  4. Obtain example data by executing:

    scons --get-scdata

    in $SCSRC.

  5. Install ParaView with:

    $ sudo apt-get install paraview

Flow over Cylinder

The simplest example: located at $SCSRC/examples/euler/hbnt/.

Objective:

  1. Understand the concept of “driving script” (programmable input file).
  2. Perform simulation with SOLVCON.

Course:

  1. Run the code:

    $ PYTHONPATH=../../.. ./go run

  2. Simulation results are stored in the sub-directory result/. Use ParaView to load the VTK files.

  3. Code organization:

    • First line: indicating it is a Python script.
    • Second line: indicating encoding of the file.
    • Line 4-18: comments for copyright information.
    • Line 20-27: docstring in the form of string literal.
    • Line 29: module-level import for arrangement decorator.
    • Line 31-99: main body for instantiating the Case object in the form of a Python function/callable; “creation function”.
    • Line 101-112: decorated arrangement (function).
    • Line 114-116: invoking command-line interface of SOLVCON.

  4. Customization goes into the creation function:

    • Specify BC: line 54-59.
    • Feed parameter to Case: line 60-64.

  5. SOLVCON modules to hack:

    • solvcon.boundcond
    • solvcon.case
    • solvcon.solver

Reflection of Oblique Shock

Located at $SCSRC/examples/euler/obrefl/.

Objective:

  • Use the programmability of input file for properties specification.
  • Understand the Hook system for custom post-processing.

Question:

  • Where is the creation function?

Course:

  1. Run and inspect the simulation.
  2. Change the flow properties in line 263-275 and see the difference.
    • Utility code is organized as a class in line 52-164, for calculating shock properties.
  3. How to extend SOLVCON by using Hook, i.e., line 166-244, 318-320.
  4. SOLVCON modules to hack:
    • solvcon.hook
    • solvcon.kerpak.euler

The Velocity-Stress Equation Solver

Located at $SCSRC/examples/elastic/grpv/.

Objective:

  • Change the physical model.
  • Understand the Anchor system for parallel processing.

Questions:

  1. What is the path of the mesh file used in this simulation?
  2. What is the equivalent code of line 123-125 in the previous two examples?

Course:

  1. Run and inspect the simulation.
  2. Note the difference of line 144. It uses a different calculator to the Euler solver.
  3. Line 76-89, 135-142 uses the Anchor system to insert source term.
  4. Line 35-74 calculate the source value.
  5. SOLVCON modules to hack:
    • solvcon.anchor
    • solvcon.kerpak.elastic

Output Control

Located at $SCSRC/examples/visout/pvtk/.

Objective:

  • Parallel run.
  • Specify the variables to output.

Questions:

  1. Guess what problem is it?
  2. Where is the code for sequential VTK output in legacy format?

Course:

  1. Run the simulation in parallel by following the docstring.
  2. Inspect the solution.
  3. Line 90-102 specifies three kinds of quantities:
    • Negative integer for array.
    • Zero for scalar.
    • Positive value for vector.
  4. Try to turn off some of the variables by commenting out.
    • Before rerun the simulation, clean the result/ directory.
  5. SOLVCON sub-package to hack:
    • solvcon.io

Other Examples

  • $SCSRC/examples/euler/impl/: implosion, which takes longer time to finish.
  • $SCSRC/examples/misc/osc/: tell you how to run on OSC.

Resources

© Copyright 2008-2012, Yung-Yu Chen. Created using Sphinx 1.1.3.