Workflow overview¶
Every ACE3P simulation follows the same five steps regardless of which solver you use.
flowchart LR
A["1. Model<br/>Cubit journal"] --> B["2. Mesh<br/>Cubit, export .gen"]
B --> C["3. Convert<br/>acdtool meshconvert<br/>.gen to .ncdf"]
C --> D["4. Solve<br/>omega3p, s3p, t3p, ..."]
D --> E["5. Post-process<br/>ParaView, acdtool postprocess"]
| Step | Tool | Where | Input | Output |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Build the model | Cubit | Laptop | .jou journal |
.sat ACIS geometry |
| 2. Mesh the model | Cubit | Laptop | .sat, .jou |
.gen Genesis mesh |
| 3. Convert the mesh | acdtool meshconvert |
HPC | .gen |
.ncdf NetCDF mesh |
| 4. Run the solver | omega3p, s3p, ... |
HPC | .ncdf plus <name>.<module> input |
results directory with .mod fields and .out log |
| 5. Post-process | ParaView, acdtool postprocess rf |
Laptop or HPC | .ncdf, .mod, .rfpost |
plots, R/Q, surface fields |
Conventions¶
File naming. The solver input file is named <project>.<module>, for example pillbox.omega3p or coupler.s3p. Post-processing input for acdtool is <project>.rfpost.
Boundary and material IDs. In Cubit, surfaces are grouped into sidesets and volumes into blocks. The sideset number becomes the boundary ReferenceNumber in the ACE3P input, and the block number becomes the material Attribute. Pick a consistent scheme and stick to it. The tutorials use:
| Sideset | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1, 2 | Symmetry planes |
| 3, 4 | Beam pipe ends or additional symmetry planes |
| 6 | Exterior cavity wall |
| 7 and up | Waveguide or coax ports |
Units. ACE3P expects meters. Build in millimeters if that is convenient, then volume all scale 0.001 before export.
Symmetry. Cut the model along symmetry planes to reduce the problem size. A quarter model with two magnetic symmetry planes gives the monopole modes of a cylindrically symmetric cavity. Switching one plane to electric selects dipole modes.
Next¶
- Input file format, the block syntax shared by all solvers
- Geometry and meshing with Cubit, building and meshing a model interactively and by journal
- Mesh preparation, Cubit export rules and acdtool conversion
- Batch jobs, running solvers under Slurm