Averaging field over a spatial direction

fs82 · August 7, 2009, 09:14

Hello,

I searched the forum but I didn't found a solution for my problem. I have a 3d cylinder case, with periodic boundaries in spanwise direction. For postprocessing, in detail for comparing my solution to a certain paper, I need some mean-velocity profiles of the wake. I use the sample utility to get horizontal lines (y-coordinate) at different downstream positions (x-coordinate), this works fine. But I want to average, or collapse the mean velocity field in spanwise direction (periodic z-coordinate) first, before I extract the profiles. Is there a tool available which averages a field for a given spatial direction? I have read something about patchAverage, but I dont want to average a patch. After averaging it would be great to use sample for getting the profiles. So may be somebody experienced the same problem and found a solution?

thx,
fabian

sega · August 7, 2009, 12:20

When you are talking about a "3d cylinder case" and a "wake" you are doing an external flow simulation, right?

fs82 · August 10, 2009, 03:36

Yes it is a 3d case with a flow around a cylinder.

sega · August 10, 2009, 03:42

Ok. I was asking because I haven't heard of averaging in external flow simulations so far. All I have dealt with was the averaging in internal channel flows.

So you are using a turbulent solver? Aren't some of them producing mean flow fields?!

fs82 · August 10, 2009, 04:01

The channel is similar to what I'am looking for. The postChannel averages over both periodic spatial directions in a channel case. But now I want to average not over two spatial directions, but just over one spatial direction. So I need a utility which averages a given field, e.g. UMean over z. I thought about rewriting the postChannel tool, but the amount of work to do this is for this one comparison a little bit to much. So my hope was, that anybody has done this allready.
I'am using the oodles solver and I allready have the UMean und UPrimeToMean fields. But I need the UMean field averaged in z direction, to get UMean(y) at different x locations in the wake of my cylinder :-D

cfdmarkus · August 10, 2009, 04:55

Hi Fabian,

have a look at this thread:

http://www.cfd-online.com/Forums/ope...tml#post221235

Markus

fs82 · August 10, 2009, 07:46

Yeah this looks good, but I get a Segmantation fault. I think the Problem is my geometry, in detail the cylinder. Do you have tried averaging with a similar case?

cfdmarkus · August 10, 2009, 08:00

Hi

I haven't had the time to test the tool yet, but I would hope that it works for all geometries. It probably does not work for unstructured grids.

I am actually quite interested in your findings since I am doing a two tandem cylinder case at the moment and I was going to use this tool as well.

Maybe you can try using it on the channelOodles tutorial case that comes with OF.

Let me know if you get it to work!
Markus

fs82 · August 11, 2009, 05:15

Hi Markus,

is tested the tool yesterday and it didn't work. It has a problem with my geomtry. The routine which extracts the mesh points along a straight line normal to the wall produces strange id values for the mesh points. I allready asked Frederic, the author of the tool, with this problem. He is very busy at the moment, but is working on the problem.

fs82 · August 11, 2009, 10:20

Allright, after spending 2 days of work for this problem I decided to use Tecplot for calculating the average. The only usable way to get averaged profiles in z direction for my case is: use sample utility to extract the desired profile at different z positions, import the raw-files into tecplot and average over the zones. This is time-consuming but works.

cfdmarkus · August 12, 2009, 11:44

thanks for the update.
I also tested the tool and I get exactly the same error as you did.
I haven't had the time to look into the code in more detail but I guess, I will do this at some point and see whether I can modify it.

Markus

August 7, 2009, 09:14	Averaging field over a spatial direction	#1
fs82 Senior Member Dr. Fabian Schlegel Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Dresden, Germany Posts: 222 Rep Power: 18	Hello, I searched the forum but I didn't found a solution for my problem. I have a 3d cylinder case, with periodic boundaries in spanwise direction. For postprocessing, in detail for comparing my solution to a certain paper, I need some mean-velocity profiles of the wake. I use the sample utility to get horizontal lines (y-coordinate) at different downstream positions (x-coordinate), this works fine. But I want to average, or collapse the mean velocity field in spanwise direction (periodic z-coordinate) first, before I extract the profiles. Is there a tool available which averages a field for a given spatial direction? I have read something about patchAverage, but I dont want to average a patch. After averaging it would be great to use sample for getting the profiles. So may be somebody experienced the same problem and found a solution? thx, fabian

August 7, 2009, 12:20		#2
sega Senior Member Sebastian Gatzka Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Frankfurt, Germany Posts: 729 Rep Power: 20	When you are talking about a "3d cylinder case" and a "wake" you are doing an external flow simulation, right? __________________ Schrödingers wife: "What did you do to the cat? It's half dead!"

August 10, 2009, 03:42		#4
sega Senior Member Sebastian Gatzka Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Frankfurt, Germany Posts: 729 Rep Power: 20	Ok. I was asking because I haven't heard of averaging in external flow simulations so far. All I have dealt with was the averaging in internal channel flows. So you are using a turbulent solver? Aren't some of them producing mean flow fields?! __________________ Schrödingers wife: "What did you do to the cat? It's half dead!"

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August 10, 2009, 03:36		#3
fs82 Senior Member Dr. Fabian Schlegel Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Dresden, Germany Posts: 222 Rep Power: 18	Yes it is a 3d case with a flow around a cylinder.

August 10, 2009, 04:01		#5
fs82 Senior Member Dr. Fabian Schlegel Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Dresden, Germany Posts: 222 Rep Power: 18	The channel is similar to what I'am looking for. The postChannel averages over both periodic spatial directions in a channel case. But now I want to average not over two spatial directions, but just over one spatial direction. So I need a utility which averages a given field, e.g. UMean over z. I thought about rewriting the postChannel tool, but the amount of work to do this is for this one comparison a little bit to much. So my hope was, that anybody has done this allready. I'am using the oodles solver and I allready have the UMean und UPrimeToMean fields. But I need the UMean field averaged in z direction, to get UMean(y) at different x locations in the wake of my cylinder :-D

August 10, 2009, 04:55		#6
cfdmarkus Member Markus Weinmann Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Stuttgart, Germany Posts: 77 Rep Power: 17	Hi Fabian, have a look at this thread: http://www.cfd-online.com/Forums/ope...tml#post221235 Markus

August 10, 2009, 07:46		#7
fs82 Senior Member Dr. Fabian Schlegel Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Dresden, Germany Posts: 222 Rep Power: 18	Yeah this looks good, but I get a Segmantation fault. I think the Problem is my geometry, in detail the cylinder. Do you have tried averaging with a similar case?

August 10, 2009, 08:00		#8
cfdmarkus Member Markus Weinmann Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Stuttgart, Germany Posts: 77 Rep Power: 17	Hi I haven't had the time to test the tool yet, but I would hope that it works for all geometries. It probably does not work for unstructured grids. I am actually quite interested in your findings since I am doing a two tandem cylinder case at the moment and I was going to use this tool as well. Maybe you can try using it on the channelOodles tutorial case that comes with OF. Let me know if you get it to work! Markus

August 11, 2009, 05:15		#9
fs82 Senior Member Dr. Fabian Schlegel Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Dresden, Germany Posts: 222 Rep Power: 18	Hi Markus, is tested the tool yesterday and it didn't work. It has a problem with my geomtry. The routine which extracts the mesh points along a straight line normal to the wall produces strange id values for the mesh points. I allready asked Frederic, the author of the tool, with this problem. He is very busy at the moment, but is working on the problem.

August 11, 2009, 10:20		#10
fs82 Senior Member Dr. Fabian Schlegel Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Dresden, Germany Posts: 222 Rep Power: 18	Allright, after spending 2 days of work for this problem I decided to use Tecplot for calculating the average. The only usable way to get averaged profiles in z direction for my case is: use sample utility to extract the desired profile at different z positions, import the raw-files into tecplot and average over the zones. This is time-consuming but works.

August 12, 2009, 11:44		#11
cfdmarkus Member Markus Weinmann Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Stuttgart, Germany Posts: 77 Rep Power: 17	thanks for the update. I also tested the tool and I get exactly the same error as you did. I haven't had the time to look into the code in more detail but I guess, I will do this at some point and see whether I can modify it. Markus