Define Rotational Motion

Use Rotation tool to define mesh rotation on solid bodies or surfaces.

  1. From the Motion ribbon, click the Rotation tool.


    Figure 1.
  2. Select surfaces and/or solids.
    Use the guide bar selectors to filter which entity type you can select.
  3. Click Axis on the guide bar.
  4. Left-click to position the axis of rotation in the modeling window.
    Tip: Use snap points to position the axis on existing points, lines, surface centers, and so on.
  5. Use the options in the microdialog to further align the axis.
    • Click to flip the rotation direction.
    • Click X, Y, or Z to align to the global axes.
    • Click to position the axis using the Vector tool. Once the position is defined, press Esc to return to the current tool.
    • Click to enter axis and rotation center coordinates.
  6. In the microdialog, select a motion definition type then define the motion.
    Option Description
    Constant Define a constant velocity.
    Time Varying
    1. Click .
    2. In the dialog, define a basis for motion variation, a motion input, and a data interpolation type.
    3. Use the table and the plot area to create a data set.
    4. Exit the dialog.
    Sinusoidal
    1. Click .
    2. In the dialog, define a motion input.
    3. Enter values for frequency, phase, and amplitude.
    4. Exit the dialog.
    Hybrid This option allows you to start with an MRF and then enable mesh motion after a certain amount of time steps.
    Before defining hybrid motion here, you should:
    1. In the Flow ribbon, Physics tool, set time marching to Transient and define a time step size
    2. In the Motion ribbon, Settings tool, set the mesh motion type to Specified or Arbitrary.
    Now, returning to the Rotation tool:
    1. Click .
    2. In the dialog, define the required speed (radian/sec).
    3. Select time/time step as the specification method and add rows to define the MRF fraction at each time step.

      An MRF fraction of 1 means rotation is simulated completely by the MRF. An MRF fraction of 0.4 means: 40% MRF and 60% Mesh motion. A 0 MRF fraction means rotation is simulated by sliding mesh motion.

    4. Click to automatically populate suitable time increments based on the MRF fraction.
    5. Exit the dialog.
  7. From the guide bar, execute the command in the following ways:
    • Click to confirm your selection and remain in the tool.

      This allows you to continue creating instances and helps you visualize and edit instances with the legend.

    • Click to confirm your selection and exit the tool.