Ansys Fluent
Fluid Simulation Software

Ansys Fluent is a general-purpose computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software used to model fluid flow, heat and mass transfer, chemical reactions, and more. Fluent offers a modern, user-friendly interface that streamlines the CFD process from pre- to post-processing within a single window workflow. Fluent is known for its advanced physics modeling capabilities, which include turbulence modeling, single and multiphase flows, combustion, battery modeling, fluid-structure interaction, and much more.

Also known for its efficient HPC scaling, large models can easily be solved in Fluent on multiple processors on either CPU or GPU. Multiple solver options are available, including pressure-based and density-based CPU solvers to cover low-speed to hypersonic flows and a pressure-based native GPU solver.

To install Ansys Fluent, first, you will have to download the Fluids package from the Download Center in the Ansys Customer Portal. Once the Fluids package is downloaded, you can follow the steps below.

1. Open the Ansys Installation Launcher and select Install Ansys Products. Read and accept the clickwrap to continue.
2. Click the right arrow button to accept the default values throughout the installation.
3. Paste your hostname in the Hostname box on the Enter License Server Specification step and click Next.
4. When selecting the products to install, check the Fluid Dynamics box and Ansys Geometry Interface box.
5. Continue to click Next until the products are installed, and finally, click Exit to close the installer.

If you need more help downloading the License Manager or other Ansys products, please reference these videos from the Ansys How To Videos YouTube channel.

Installing Ansys License Manager on Windows
Installing Ansys 2022 Releases on Windows Platforms

Data can be exported after a Fluent calculation by selecting File - Export - Solution Data. Fluent allows users to export data to Mechanical APDL input, ASCII, ACS, CDAT, CGNS, CFF, EnSight Case Gold, and many other formats. To export data during a transient calculation, you will have to set up the case file so that the solution and particle history data are exported as the calculation progresses. This can be done by creating an automatic export definition using the Calculations Activities Task Page. Click the Create button under Automatic Export and select Solution Data Export, then select the file type, cell zones, surfaces, and quantities you would like to export.

Current customers can download Ansys Fluent from the Download Center in the Ansys Customer Portal. For those who are not current customers but are interested in trying Fluent, Ansys offers a free 30-day trial of Fluent upon request that comes with a CAD model and step-by-step pdf and mp4 tutorial. If you are a student, you can download our free student software and use it along with our free courses, support community, and a wealth of student-focused tutorials. 

Ansys offers a variety of options for users of all skill levels to learn how to use Ansys Fluent. If you are interested in enhancing your simulation and general physics knowledge of fluids, Ansys offers Ansys Innovation Courses, which are free courses that will teach you the underlying physics in a problem and how Fluent is used to help solve this problem  https://courses.ansys.com/index.php/fluids/

For introductory product-specific step-by-step tutorials, new feature videos, and general tips & tricks, we have the Ansys How to Videos on YouTube  

Finally, the Ansys Learning Hub provides you with all the training resources needed to learn Ansys Fluent from the ground up. The Learning Hub has self-paced video courses, CAD models, best practice guides, demo videos, and learning rooms for questions and discussions to learn from the Ansys experts. 

Ansys Fluent has two guided workflows to mesh a CAD model, the watertight geometry workflow and the fault-tolerant meshing workflow. Both workflows accelerate meshing by organizing the process into a user-friendly, task-based workflow that offers relevant choices and options but also has the flexibility to be customized. The watertight geometry workflow is for watertight CAD geometries that do not require much clean-up and modifications. The fault-tolerant meshing workflow is for more complicated non-water-tight CAD geometries that may require some clean-up and modifications (defects such as overlaps, intersections, holes, duplicates, etc.).