CASCADExpert

Table of Contents Chapter 1. Introduction .................................................................................... 2 Chapter 2. Installing CASCADExpert ................................................................... 2 System requirements ....................................................................................... 2 Installing from the CD [verify] ........................................................................... 2 Uninstalling CFA............................................................................................... 2 Chapter 3. Getting started ................................................................................ 3 Creating a new project ..................................................................................... 3 The geometry .................................................................................................. 3 The inflow angle .............................................................................................. 4 The results ...................................................................................................... 5 Chapter 4. Generating or loading a geometry ...................................................... 6 Generating a geometry ..................................................................................... 6 Loading an existing geometry ............................................................................ 7 Viewing geometry elements .............................................................................. 9 Chapter 5. Computing ...................................................................................... 9 Changing the inflow angle ................................................................................. 9 Convergence analysis ......................................................................................10 Chapter 6. Analyzing the results .......................................................................10 Data displayed on screen .................................................................................10 Analyzing streamlines ......................................................................................11 Pressure coefficient .........................................................................................12 Average velocity components ...........................................................................14 Velocity colour map .........................................................................................14 Pressure colour map ........................................................................................14 Streamline velocity .........................................................................................14 Chapter 7. Customizing the display settings .......................................................14 Toolbar ..........................................................................................................14 Status bar ......................................................................................................15 Zoom ............................................................................................................15 Chapter 8. Resources ......................................................................................15 Chapter 9. Feedback .......................................................................................15

Chapter 1.

Introduction

CASCADExpert is an interactive software for cascade hydrodynamics. This version is solving the incompressible, inviscid irrotational flow for a given cascade geometry. A carefully selected pre- and post-processing procedures are selected, in order to provide both flexibility in describing the problem and efficient quantitative and qualitative flow analysis. CASCADExpert uses a finite element solver for the streamfunction boundary value problem, with robust and efficient implementation of periodic conditions as well as of Kutta-Joukovski condition. Thanks to the FEM formulation, the numerical differentiation of the solution is completely avoided in the processing step. Accurate velocity computation in the post-processing step is achived using the Superconvergent Patch Recovery method. The system of equation is solved using a Bi-Conjugate Gradient Method, which provides the required robustness and accuracy with minimum computing time. CASCADExpert has been used and tested for more than three years in both research and education activities. It provides an user-friendly environment for both design and analysis problems, and it is an excellent tool for teaching cascade hydrodynamics topics. CASCADExpert is an evolving software. The present platform is currently expanded to solve viscous problems using a robust fully-coupled viscous-inviscid algorithm, as well as to include energetic and cavitational optimization strategies. For Q3D turbomachinery computations, a variable thickness streamsurface is being implemented.

Chapter 2.

Installing CASCADExpert

System requirements
Software requirements CFA requires one of the following operating systems to be installed: Windows 2000 Professional or Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 Hardware requirements PC with a 400 MHz or faster processor Minimum 256 MB RAM, recommended 512 MB RAM HDD space: 10 MB for the application, up to 15 MB for data CD-ROM or DVD drive Super VGA (800x600) or higher resolution monitor recommended Keyboard and Microsoft Mouse, or compatible pointing device

Installing from the CD [verify]

Insert the CASCADExpert CD into your CD-ROM drive. The CD should autoplay. If it does not autoplay, navigate to the drive representing your CD unit (for example E:). Double-click E:\setup.exe and then follow the instructions on the screen.

Uninstalling CFA
You can uninstall the application by navigating to the Add/Remove Programs utility: Click on Start, Settings, Control Panel, Add/Remove

Programs. Select Change/Remove for the CFA application and then follow the instructions on the screen

Chapter 3.

Getting started

After you have installed the application you are ready to start using it. When the application starts, you will have a new project already set up. If you want to start over, you can create a new project at any time. Next steps: Creating a new project The geometry The inflow angle The results

Creating a new project

To create a new project, on the main menu, select File, New. You will see a window similar to the one below.

Next steps: The geometry The inflow angle The results

The geometry
Once the new project has been created you need to specify the cascade geometry. that defines the problem. From the main menu, select Geometry, Generate....

A wizard will show up (as seen above on the right) letting you choose the method for defining the hydrofoil shape. The first choice is to pick-up a NACA foil. You will be successively asked for the NACA foil name, number of points used for discretizing the hydrofoil (200 is a reasonable choice), stagger angle and spacing. With these data CASCADExpert generates the computational domain and its mesh. For example,

In the lower right corner fo your window you will find information on mesh size (number of nodes, number of elements). The number of nodes +1 is the size of the linear system of equations to be solved. The additional equation comes from the Kutta-Jukowski condition that sets the circulation. For more information For more information, please read Chapter 4, Generating or loading a geometry Next steps: The inflow angle The results

The inflow angle

The only flow parameter for this problem setup in the inflow angle. From Compute Input Flow Angle you will get and dialog box for providing the inflow angle value. Once the value is validated, CASCADExpert builds the linear system of equations and solves for the nodal values of the streamfunction, as well as for the flow deflection angle.

For more information For more information, please read Chapter 5, Computing Next step: The results

The results
After the system of equations is solved, the main numerical results are displayed in the left side of your window (see below). For example, you get the outflow angle (the main parameter that quantifies the flow deflection), as well as the circulation around the hydrofoil and the corresponding axial and tangential force coefficients.

Besides these global quantitative parameters, one can examine the qualitative aspect of the streamlines (above right), in order to see the location of the leading edge stagnation and the degree the flow is distorted. The number of streamlines is always odd since at least the stagnation streamline and the streamlines defining the periodic strip are displayed. Moreover, as seen in the Analyze panel, several other flow quantities can be examined. Among them, the most important one is the pressure coefficient distribution on the hydrofoil.

The pressure coefficient definition can be chosen with respect to various reference velocity/pressure values (inlet, outlet, etc.) and the values are displayed in a plotting window, where numerical values are also available for quantitative assessment. If necessary, experimental data can be added on the plot in order to assess the accuracy and the validity of the inviscid flow model.

Chapter 4.

Generating or loading a geometry

Generating a geometry
A key step in designing the hydrofoil shape is the ability of generating a large variety of suitable streamlined body shapes. CASCADEexpert provides several robust and efficient procedures to construct the hydrofoil with the precision specified by the used (number of points on the hydrofoil surface). One possibility is to use analytically defined hydrofoils, like the well-known NACA family. The Hydrofoil Shape Wizard will guide you through the four steps of specifying the geometry and the mesh refinement, as shown below. Clicking the Finish button in the last panel completes the geometry and mesh generation.

The results can be examined from the geometry panel

where the Display Foil, Display Domain, and Display Mesh buttons are now active.

Loading an existing geometry

In many cases the hydrofoil geometry is available as a set of points on the pressure side and suction side, and the curve defining the solid boundary must be constructed from this information. First, we must load the point coordinates from a file. One format is provided by the UIUC Airfoil Data Base http://www.aae.uiuc.edu/m-selig/ads.html, which contains more than 1500 airfoil shapes.

The Hydrofoil Shape Wizard will once again guide you through the geometry generation process, as shown above. Once UIUC Data Base is selected, a file panel becomes available to choose one foil file. After loading, the wizard displays the airfoil name and the number of points available in the file. At this point the user must choose among four reconstruction methods. The first one is None, meaning that exactly the points from the file will be used for domain generation and mesh refinement. The next two are spline interpolations. The spline for sharp trailing edge allows different tangent slopes at the trailing edge from suction and pressure sides, respectively. The round trailing edge option uses a periodic spline in order to represent foils like the one below.

This low pressure gas turbine blade is provided as an example in the last wizard option.

Another format available for point coordinate file is the one compatible with TECPLOT data file, which can be easily understood by saving a hydrofoil from FileSaveFoil menu and examining the ASCII file structure.

Viewing geometry elements

After going through the geometry generation procedure, the user can examine the hydrofoil shape (to make sure the input is correct and accurate), as well as the computational domain shape and the unstructured triangulation.

Chapter 5.

Computing

In order to compute the flow, the user must specify the inlet flow angle. The CASCADExpert convention is that the flow angle is measured with respect to the cascade front line. The actual computation does not require any input from the user.

Changing the inflow angle

For the same cascade geometry, one can analyze the flow field for several values of the inflow angle, without reconstructing the hydrofoil and the computational domain. By simply going to ComputeInput Flow Angle, the dialog box below will allow the introduction of a new value.

Convergence analysis
In various stages of the CASCADExpert development, having a control of the iterative solution procedure convergence is quite useful. This is how we have determined that the Bi-Conjugate Gradient Method is the best suited approach for our problem. The convergence behaviour can be visualized from ComputeDisplay Convergence, which will produce a plot like this one:

Chapter 6.

Analyzing the results

Data displayed on screen

Once a problem is solved, the upper-left side panel shows the main data concerning the problem definition and global results.

Analyzing streamlines
Up to 19 streamlines can be displayed for a periodic strip. Note that in comparison with the computational domain, the streamline picture was reconstructed in order to show an intuitive picture of the flow field. From AnalyzeStreamlines the user is prompted to the dialog box where the number of streamlines must be specified.

The stagnation streamline is normal to the solid surface at the stagnation point, as proved theoretically for the irrotational flow (for example the picture below)

Pressure coefficient
The pressure coefficient is the dimensionless representation of the pressure distribution on the hydrofoil. Several pressure distribution definitions are available, in order to accommodate the user needs. The last one allows for an arbitrary pressure coefficient

distribution consistent with the Bernoulli theorem either in absolute or relative flow.

The plotting window will show both the c p versus the dimensionless chordline abscissa distribution, as well as the numerical values for a quantitative evaluation.

By clicking the right mouse button on the plotting window, the user can set the plot appearance according to the options below.

Average velocity components

This feature is aimed at providing a robust and accurate procedure for velocity components averaging in the front-line direction. The corresponding Q2D cascade model provides the cascade loading as well as the blade blockage coefficient for later use in a Q3D turbomachinery analysis/design procedure. This feature will be available in the next release.

Velocity colour map

Velocity components and velocity magnitude can be examined qualitatively using a color map. This feature proved very useful for educational purposes, as it clearly shows the regions with strong flow acceleration or deceleration. This feature will be available in the next release.

Pressure colour map

Pressure in the computational domain can be examined qualitatively using a color map. This feature proved very useful for educational purposes, as it clearly shows the regions with minimum pressure values, where cavitation can occur. This feature will be available in the next release.

Streamline velocity

Chapter 7.

Customizing the display settings

Below are a few features that can help you optimize your experience with the CFA product:

Toolbar
Select or deselect this option if you want the toolbar to be seen or not. This is how the toolbar looks:

Options on the toolbars are: create new project save the project data print show the foil

show the domain show the mesh show residual information show streamlines show the pressure coefficient distribution display the qualitative representation of the velocity display the quantitative representation of the velocity show contextual help show the help index

Status bar
The status bar displays contextual information. For example, after generating a geometry, the status bar will display the number of nodes and the number of elements for the mesh.

Zoom
Zoom in our out into the graphical display on the main screen.

Chapter 8.

Resources

For additional resources on this subject please read the following articles (available for public download): www.vitalsoft.ro/cfa/exampledoc.pdf

Chapter 9.

Feedback

Please send your feedback about the product at: office@vitalsoft.ro Regarding scientific issues, please send your comments to: Romeo Susan-Resiga Resiga@mh.mec.utt.ro