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ANSYS Fluent Tutorial Guide 2021 R1
ANSYS Fluent Tutorial Guide 2021 R1
ANSYS Fluent Tutorial Guide 2021 R1
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Tutorial Guide
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Tutorial Guide
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List of Figures
1.1. Manifold Geometry for Flow Modeling .................................................................................................... 2
1.2. Mass Flow Rate History ......................................................................................................................... 30
1.3. Residuals .............................................................................................................................................. 30
1.4. Pathlines Through the Manifold ............................................................................................................. 32
1.5. Scene Containing the Mesh and Pathlines Throughout the Manifold ...................................................... 36
1.6. Contours of Velocity Magnitude at the Outlet ........................................................................................ 39
1.7. Contours of Temperature at the mid-plane ............................................................................................ 42
1.8. Contours of Temperature on the Exhaust Manifold ................................................................................. 44
2.1. Manifold Geometry for Flow Modeling .................................................................................................. 46
2.2. Mesh Display of the Exhaust Manifold ................................................................................................... 49
2.3. Graphics Window with Default Lighting ................................................................................................ 51
2.4. Display with Additional Lighting: - Headlight Off .................................................................................... 52
2.5. Display with Additional Lighting ........................................................................................................... 53
2.6. Filled Contours of Temperature on the Mid-Plane-x and the Outlet ......................................................... 59
2.7. Filled Contours of Temperature for the Surface of the Manifold .............................................................. 60
2.8. Velocity Vectors in the Mid-Plane of the Manifold ................................................................................... 62
2.9. Velocity Vectors mid-plane in the z-direction ......................................................................................... 64
2.10. Filled Temperature Contours on the mid-plane-x, clip-z-inner and outlet-plane Surfaces ....................... 66
2.11. Filled Temperature Contours on the Mid-Plane, Inner-Clip, and Outlet-Plane Surfaces ........................... 68
2.12. Temperature Contours and Velocity Vectors Scene ............................................................................... 71
2.13. Exploded Scene Display of Temperature, Velocity, and Pathlines ........................................................... 74
2.14. Temperature Along a Solid Portion of the Manifold .............................................................................. 80
2.15. A Display with Annotation ................................................................................................................... 81
3.1. Catalytic Converter Geometry for Flow Modeling ................................................................................... 86
3.2. The Imported CAD Geometry for the Catalytic Converter ....................................................................... 90
3.3. Mesh for the Catalytic Converter Geometry in Fluent (Solver Mode) ..................................................... 105
3.4. Mass Flow Rate History ........................................................................................................................ 119
3.5. Velocity Vectors Through the Interior ................................................................................................... 127
3.6. Contours of Static Pressure Through the Interior .................................................................................. 129
3.7. Contours of Velocity Magnitude on the z=185, z=230, z=280, z=330, and z=375 Surfaces ...................... 131
4.1. Problem Specification ......................................................................................................................... 135
4.2. The Imported CAD Geometry for the Wing .......................................................................................... 139
4.3. The Entire Mesh .................................................................................................................................. 150
4.4. Magnified View of the Mesh Around the Wing ..................................................................................... 151
4.5. Contour Plot of y+ Distribution ............................................................................................................ 165
4.6. Contour Plot of Pressure ...................................................................................................................... 167
4.7. Improved Contour Plot of Pressure ...................................................................................................... 169
4.8. Contour Plot of Mach Number ............................................................................................................. 171
4.9. Contour Plot of x Component of Velocity ............................................................................................. 173
4.10. Plot of Velocity Vectors Downstream of the Shock .............................................................................. 175
4.11. XY Plot of x Wall Shear Stress ............................................................................................................. 177
5.1. Problem Specification ......................................................................................................................... 181
5.2. Convergence History of the Mass-Weighted Average Temperature ....................................................... 217
5.3. Residuals ............................................................................................................................................ 218
5.4. Predicted Velocity Distribution after the Initial Calculation ................................................................... 222
5.5. Predicted Temperature Distribution after the Initial Calculation ............................................................ 224
5.6. Velocity Vectors Colored by Velocity Magnitude ................................................................................... 226
5.7. Resized Velocity Vectors ...................................................................................................................... 227
5.8. Magnified View of Resized Velocity Vectors .......................................................................................... 228
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5.9. Outlet Temperature Profile for the Initial Solution ................................................................................ 231
5.10. Contours of the Dynamic Head Custom Field Function ....................................................................... 233
5.11. Cells Marked for Adaption ................................................................................................................. 237
5.12. Alternative Display of Cells Marked for Adaption ................................................................................ 239
5.13. The Adapted Mesh ............................................................................................................................ 241
5.14. The Complete Residual History .......................................................................................................... 242
5.15. Convergence History of Mass-Weighted Average Temperature ........................................................... 242
5.16. Filled Contours of Temperature Using the Adapted Mesh ................................................................... 243
5.17. Outlet Temperature Profile for the Adapted Coupled Solver Solution .................................................. 244
5.18. Outlet Temperature Profiles for the Two Solutions .............................................................................. 247
6.1. Exhaust System Geometry for Flow Modeling ...................................................................................... 250
6.2. Manifold CAD Geometry for Flow Modeling ......................................................................................... 253
6.3. Residuals ............................................................................................................................................ 283
6.4. Mass Balance History ........................................................................................................................... 283
6.5. Pathlines Through the Manifold ........................................................................................................... 285
6.6. Contours of Velocity Magnitude Through the Manifold ........................................................................ 287
6.7. Scene Containing the Mesh and Contours Throughout the Manifold .................................................... 290
7.1. Problem Specification ......................................................................................................................... 292
7.2. The Imported CAD Geometry for the Capsule ...................................................................................... 295
7.3. View of the Mesh Around the Capsule ................................................................................................. 307
8.1. Problem Specification ......................................................................................................................... 336
8.2. 2D Nozzle Mesh Display with Mirroring ............................................................................................... 339
8.3. Mass Flow Rate History ........................................................................................................................ 357
8.4. 2D Nozzle Mesh after Adaption ........................................................................................................... 359
8.5. Contours of Static Pressure (Steady Flow) ............................................................................................. 361
8.6. Velocity Vectors Showing Recirculation (Steady Flow) .......................................................................... 363
8.7. Mass Flow Rate History (Transient Flow) .............................................................................................. 369
8.8. Pressure Contours at t=0.017136 s ....................................................................................................... 373
8.9. Mach Number Contours at t=0.017136 s .............................................................................................. 375
8.10. Pressure Contours at t=0.017993 s ..................................................................................................... 378
8.11. Pressure Contours at t=0.019135 s ..................................................................................................... 378
8.12. Mach Number Contours at t=0.017993 s ............................................................................................ 379
8.13. Mach Number Contours at t=0.019135 s ............................................................................................ 379
8.14. Velocity Vectors at t=0.018849 s ......................................................................................................... 382
9.1. Case Geometry ................................................................................................................................... 384
9.2. Convergence History of the Pump Head ............................................................................................. 393
9.3. Contours of Velocity Magnitude at the Outlet ...................................................................................... 394
9.4. Contours of Static Pressure on the Walls ............................................................................................... 395
9.5. Contours of Static Pressure .................................................................................................................. 396
10.1. Case Geometry ................................................................................................................................. 398
10.2. Pressure Ratio ................................................................................................................................... 420
10.3. Outlet Mass Flow Rate ....................................................................................................................... 420
10.4. Efficiency .......................................................................................................................................... 421
10.5. Contours of Velocity Magnitiue .......................................................................................................... 423
10.6. Contours of Static Pressure ................................................................................................................ 424
10.7. Contours of Static Temperature ......................................................................................................... 425
10.8. Pressure Ratio ................................................................................................................................... 434
10.9. Outlet Mass Flow Rate ....................................................................................................................... 434
10.10. Efficiency ........................................................................................................................................ 435
10.11. Contours of Entropy ........................................................................................................................ 436
10.12. Contours of Velocity Magnitiue ........................................................................................................ 438
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26.16. Internal Short Circuit Region Marked for Patching ............................................................................ 993
26.17. The Vector Plots of Current at the Positive Current Collectors ............................................................ 997
26.18. The Vector Plots of Current at the Negative Current Collectors .......................................................... 998
26.19. Contour Plot of Temperature ........................................................................................................... 999
27.1. Schematic of the Battery Pack Problem ............................................................................................ 1004
27.2. Model Options ................................................................................................................................ 1007
27.3. Conductive Zones ........................................................................................................................... 1009
27.4. Electric Contacts ............................................................................................................................. 1010
27.5. Residual History of the Simulation ................................................................................................... 1021
27.6. Surface Report Plot of Discharge Curve at 200W .............................................................................. 1021
27.7. Volume Report Plot of Maximum Temperature in the Domain .......................................................... 1022
27.8. Vector Plot of Current Density .......................................................................................................... 1025
27.9. Contour Plot of Temperature ........................................................................................................... 1027
27.10. Ohmic Heat Generation Rate ......................................................................................................... 1029
27.11. Total Heat Generation Rate ............................................................................................................ 1031
28.1. NACA0012 Structured C-Mesh Overview and Close-Up .................................................................... 1034
28.2. Scaled Residuals .............................................................................................................................. 1039
28.3. Convergence of Lift and Drag Coefficients of the Clean Airfoil .......................................................... 1040
28.4. The Residual Values ......................................................................................................................... 1040
28.5. Convective Heat Flux over the Clean NACA0012 Airfoil ..................................................................... 1041
28.6. Scaled Residuals .............................................................................................................................. 1044
28.7. Convergence of Lift and Drag Coefficients of the Rough Airfoil ......................................................... 1045
28.8. The Residual Values ......................................................................................................................... 1046
28.9. Convective Heat Flux Over the Rough NACA0012 Airfoil ................................................................... 1046
28.10. Convergence of Residuals: Momentum, LWC and Average Residuals ............................................... 1049
28.11. Convergence of Total Beta and Change in Total Beta Curves ........................................................... 1050
28.12. Collection Efficiency of Monodispersed Droplets over a NACA0012 ................................................ 1051
28.13. LWC of Monodispersed Droplets Around a NACA0012 .................................................................... 1052
28.14. Collection Efficiency of Droplets with Langmuir-D Distribution over a NACA0012 ........................... 1054
28.15. LWC of Droplets with Langmuir-D Distribution Around a NACA0012 ............................................... 1055
28.16. LWC of a Langmuir D Droplet Cloud over a NACA0012 at an AoA of 4 Degrees, Showing the Shadow
Zone (Blue Region) ................................................................................................................................. 1058
28.17. Collection Efficiency of a Langmuir D Droplet Cloud on the Surface of the Airfoil at an AoA of 4 De-
grees ...................................................................................................................................................... 1058
28.18. Collection Efficiency of a Langmuir D Droplet Cloud on the Surface of the Airfoil at an AoA of 4 De-
grees ...................................................................................................................................................... 1060
28.19. Collection Efficiency on the Surface of the Airfoil at an AoA of 4 Degrees, Langmuir D Droplet Solu-
tions ....................................................................................................................................................... 1062
28.20. Collection Efficiency on the Surface, Langmuir D vs. Monodisperse ................................................. 1064
28.21. LWC Distribution and Shadow Zones for 44.4 Micron Droplets (Left) and 6.2 Micron Droplets
(Right) .................................................................................................................................................... 1065
28.22. Mass Conservation Table Printed in the Log File of Fluent Icing ....................................................... 1067
28.23. Ice View in Viewmerical Showing Shaded + Wireframe, -25 °C ......................................................... 1068
28.24. Ice View in Viewmerical Showing Metallic + Smooth, , -7.5 °C .......................................................... 1069
28.25. Ice Shapes at -25, -10, and -7.5 C ..................................................................................................... 1070
28.26. Film Height Variation over the Ice at -25, -10, and -7.5 C .................................................................. 1072
28.27. Ice View with CFD-Post, Ice Cover ................................................................................................... 1075
28.28. Ice View in CFD-Post, Ice Cover with Display Mesh .......................................................................... 1076
28.29. Ice View in CFD-Post, Instantaneous Ice Growth over Ice Cover Surface ........................................... 1077
28.30. 2D-Plot in CFD-Post, Clean Wall Surface and Ice Cover Surface ........................................................ 1078
28.31. 2D-Plot in CFD-Post, Water Film Distribution ................................................................................... 1079
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List of Tables
1. Mini Flow Chart Symbol Descriptions ..................................................................................................... xxiv
3.1. Values for the Principle Direction Vectors ............................................................................................. 111
3.2. Values for the Viscous and Inertial Resistance ....................................................................................... 112
12.1. Meaning of Values ............................................................................................................................. 515
16.1. Selected Species ............................................................................................................................... 632
16.2. Selected Site and Solid Species .......................................................................................................... 635
16.3. Reaction Parameters ......................................................................................................................... 636
16.4. Properties of Species ......................................................................................................................... 639
16.5. Properties of Species ......................................................................................................................... 640
18.1. Ink Chamber Dimensions .................................................................................................................. 724
28.1. Simulation Flight Conditions ........................................................................................................... 1035
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Using This Manual
This preface is divided into the following sections:
1. What’s In This Manual
2. How To Use This Manual
3.Typographical Conventions Used In This Manual
You may want to refer to other tutorials for instructions on using specific features, such as custom
field functions, mesh scaling, and so on, even if the problem solved in the tutorial is not of particular
interest to you.
You may want to refer to other tutorials for instructions on using specific features, such as custom
field functions, mesh scaling, and so on, even if the problem solved in the tutorial is not of particular
interest to you.
• Different type styles are used to indicate graphical user interface items and text interface items. For
example:
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Using This Manual
• The text interface type style is also used when illustrating exactly what appears on the screen to
distinguish it from the narrative text. In this context, user inputs are typically shown in boldface. For
example,
solve/initialize/set-fmg-initialization
• Mini flow charts are used to guide you through the ribbon or the tree, leading you to a specific option,
dialog box, or task page. The following tables list the meaning of each symbol in the mini flow charts.
For example,
indicates selecting the Setting Up Domain ribbon tab, clicking Transform (in the Mesh group box)
and selecting Translate..., as indicated in the figure below:
And
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Typographical Conventions Used In This Manual
indicates expanding the Setup and Models branches, right-clicking Viscous, and selecting Realizable
k-epsilon from the Model sub-menu, as shown in the following figure:
And
In this manual, mini flow charts usually accompany a description of a dialog box or command, or a
screen illustration showing how to use the dialog box or command. They show you how to quickly
access a command or dialog box without having to search the surrounding material.
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Using This Manual
• In-text references to File ribbon tab selections can be indicated using a "/". For example
File/Write/Case... indicates clicking the File ribbon tab and selecting Case... from the Write submenu
(which opens the Select File dialog box).
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Chapter 1: Fluid Flow in an Exhaust Manifold
This tutorial is divided into the following sections:
1.1. Introduction
1.2. Prerequisites
1.3. Problem Description
1.4. Setup and Solution
1.5. Postprocessing
1.6. Summary
1.1. Introduction
Licensing Capability:
This tutorial illustrates the setup and solution of a three-dimensional turbulent fluid flow and heat
transfer problem in a manifold. The manifold configuration is encountered in the automotive industry.
It is often important to predict the flow field and temperature field in the area of the mixing region in
order to properly design the junction.
• Calculate a solution.
Related video that demonstrates steps for setting up, solving, and postprocessing the solution results
for a turbulent flow within a manifold:
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Fluid Flow in an Exhaust Manifold
1.2. Prerequisites
This tutorial is written with the assumption that you have completed the introductory tutorials found
in this manual and that you are familiar with the ANSYS Fluent outline view and ribbon structure. Some
steps in the setup and solution procedure will not be shown explicitly.
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Setup and Solution
1.4.1. Preparation
To prepare for running this tutorial:
The SpaceClaim CAD file manifold.scdoc can be found in the folder. In addition, the mani-
fold.pmdb file is available for use on the Linux platform.
4. Select Meshing in the top-left selection list to start Fluent in Meshing Mode.
6. Set Meshing Processes and Solver Processes to 4 under Parallel (Local Machine).
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Fluid Flow in an Exhaust Manifold
Each task is designated with an icon indicating its state (for example, as complete, incom-
plete, etc. All tasks are initially incomplete and you proceed through the workflow com-
pleting all tasks. Additional tasks are also available for the workflow.
d. For File Name, enter the path and file name for the CAD geometry that you want to import
(manifold.scdoc).
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Setup and Solution
Note:
The workflow only supports *.scdoc (SpaceClaim), Workbench (.agdb), and the
intermediary *.pmdb file formats.
This will update the task, display the geometry in the graphics window, and allow you to proceed
onto the next task in the workflow.
Note:
Alternatively, you can use the ... button next to File Name to locate the CAD geo-
metry file, after which, the Import Geometry task automatically updates, displaying
the geometry in the graphics window, and the workflow automatically progresses
to the next task.
Throughout the workflow, you are able to return to a task and change its settings using either the
Edit button, or the Revert and Edit button.
a. In the Add Local Sizing task, you are prompted as to whether or not you would like to add
local sizing controls to the faceted geometry.
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Fluid Flow in an Exhaust Manifold
b. For the purposes of this tutorial, you can keep the default setting of no.
c. Click Update to complete this task and proceed to the next task in the workflow.
a. In the Generate the Surface Mesh task, you can set various properties of the surface mesh
for the faceted geometry.
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Setup and Solution
b. For the purposes of this tutorial, you can keep the default settings.
Note:
The red boxes displayed on the geometry in the graphics window are a graphical
representation of size settings. These boxes change size as the values change, and
they can be hidden by using the Clear Preview button.
c. Click Generate the Surface Mesh to complete this task and proceed to the next task in the
workflow.
When you select the Describe Geometry task, you are prompted with questions relating to the
nature of the imported geometry.
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Fluid Flow in an Exhaust Manifold
a. Since a fluid region is extracted from the solid model and capping surfaces are added,
the default settings are appropriate.
b. Click Describe Geometry to complete this task and proceed to the next task in the
workflow.
Select the Enclose Fluid Regions (Capping) task where you can cover or cap any openings in
your geometry in order to later extract the enclosed fluid region.
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Setup and Solution
i. In the Name field, assign a name for the capping surface (for example, inlet) to be
assigned to all of the manifold's inlets.
ii. For the Zone Type, keep the default setting of velocity-inlet.
iii. For the Select By field, keep the default setting of label.
iv. In the list of labels, select in1, in2, and in3 for the openings that you want to cover.
For occasions when the list of items is long, you can use the Filter Text option and use
an expression such as in* to show only items starting with "in". Alternatively, you can
use the Use Wildcard option to list and pres-select matching items. See Filtering Lists and
Using Wildcards for more information.
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Fluid Flow in an Exhaust Manifold
v. Click Create Cap(s) to complete this task and proceed to the next task in the workflow.
i. In the Name field, assign a name for the capping surface (for example, outlet) to
be assigned to the manifold's outlet.
iii. For the Select By field, keep the default setting of label.
iv. In the list of labels, select out1 for the outlet that you want to cover.
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Setup and Solution
a. Select the Create Regions task, where you can determine the number of fluid regions that
need to be extracted. ANSYS Fluent attempts to determine the number of fluid regions to
extract automatically.
b. For the Estimated Number of Fluid Regions, keep the default selection of 1.
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Fluid Flow in an Exhaust Manifold
a. Select the Update Regions task, where you can review the names and types of the various
regions that have been generated from your imported geometry, and change them as needed.
Aside from fluid regions and solid regions, you can also have voids within your geometry that are
designated as dead regions. As you can see, there are four dead regions that correspond to the
four bolt holes near the outlet, a solid region and a fluid region.
Once the regions have been updated, the fluid region is displayed by default in the graphics window.
You can use the Draw Regions button to display other options, such as drawing just the solid region,
just the dead regions, or all regions.
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Setup and Solution
a. Select the Add Boundary Layers task, where you can set properties of the boundary layer
mesh.
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Fluid Flow in an Exhaust Manifold
a. Select the Generate the Volume Mesh task, where you can set properties of the volume mesh.
b. Keep the default settings, and click Generate the Volume Mesh.
ANSYS Fluent will apply your settings and proceed to generate a volume mesh for the manifold
geometry. Once complete, the mesh is displayed in the graphics window and a clipping plane is
automatically inserted with a layer of cells drawn so that you can quickly see the details of the
volume mesh.
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Setup and Solution
Mesh → Check
Now that a high-quality mesh has been generated using ANSYS Fluent in meshing mode, you can
now switch to solver mode to complete the set up of the simulation.
We have just checked the mesh, so select Yes when prompted to switch to solution mode.
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Fluid Flow in an Exhaust Manifold
Physics → Solver
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Setup and Solution
1.4.5. Models
1. Set up your models for the CFD simulation using the Models group box of the Physics ribbon
tab.
Note:
You can also use the Models task page, which can be accessed from the tree by ex-
panding Setup and double-clicking the Models tree item.
You will use the default settings for the k-ω SST turbulence model, so you can enable it directly from
the tree by right-clicking the Viscous node and choosing SST k-omega from the context menu.
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Fluid Flow in an Exhaust Manifold
1.4.6. Materials
Change the default material of Aluminum to cast iron.
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Setup and Solution
The properties of air for the fluid zone and cast-iron for the solid zone will be used.
b. In the Turbulence group box, select Intensity and Hydraulic Diameter from the Specification
Method drop-down list.
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Fluid Flow in an Exhaust Manifold
2. Apply the same conditions to the other inlets (inlet1, and inlet2).
a. Select inlet from the Boundary Conditions node of the Outline View, right-click and select
Copy from the context menu.
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Setup and Solution
c. Click Copy, click OK in the confirmation prompt, and close the Copy Conditions dialog box.
b. In the Turbulence group box, select Intensity and Hydraulic Diameter from the Specification
Method drop-down list.
c. Retain the default value of 10% for the Backflow Turbulent Intensity.
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Fluid Flow in an Exhaust Manifold
5. Apply the same conditions to the other walls (in1, in2, in3, and out1).
a. Select solid_up:1:69 from the Boundary Conditions node of the Outline View, right-click
and select Copy from the context menu.
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Setup and Solution
b. Select in1, in2, in3, and out1 from the To Boundary Zones list.
c. Click Copy, click OK in the confirmation prompt, and close the Copy Conditions dialog box.
1.4.9. Solution
1. Specify the discretization schemes.
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Fluid Flow in an Exhaust Manifold
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Setup and Solution
Note:
You can also access the Surface Report Definition dialog box by right-clicking Report
Definitions in the tree (under Solution) and selecting New/Surface Report/Facet
Maximum... from the menu that opens.
b. Enable Report File, Report Plot, and Print to Console in the Create group box.
During a solution run, ANSYS Fluent will write solution convergence data in a report file, plot the
solution convergence history in a graphics window, and print the value of the report definition to
the console.
c. Select Velocity... and Velocity Magnitude from the Field Variable drop-down lists.
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Fluid Flow in an Exhaust Manifold
e. Click OK to save the surface report definition and close the Surface Report Definition dialog
box.
The new surface report definition point-vel will appear under the Solution/Report Definitions
tree item. ANSYS Fluent also automatically creates the following items:
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Setup and Solution
c. Select in1, in2, in3, as well as inlet, inlet1, inlet2 from the Boundaries selection list.
d. Enable Report File, Report Plot, and Print to Console in the Create group box.
e. Click OK to save the surface report definition and close the Flux Report Definition dialog
box.
The new surface report definition mass-in will appear under the Solution/Report Definitions
tree item. ANSYS Fluent also automatically creates the following items:
4. Monitor the total mass flow rate through the entire domain.
Perform the same procedure as described above, naming the report mass-tot, and selecting all
boundaries.
Use expressions to create a report definition for the mass balance using existing report definitions.
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Fluid Flow in an Exhaust Manifold
b. Select mass-tot from the Report Definitions drop-down list on the right.
d. Select mass-in from the Report Definitions drop-down list on the right.
e. Enable Report File, Report Plot, and Print to Console in the Create group box.
6. Initialize the flow field using the Initialization group box of the Solution ribbon tab.
Solution → Initialization
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Setup and Solution
b. Click Initialize.
8. Start the calculation by adjusting the time scale factor to 5 and requesting 100 iterations in the
Solution ribbon tab (Run Calculation group box).
As the solution progresses, the mass flow rate graph flattens out, as seen in Figure 1.2: Mass Flow
Rate History (p. 30).
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Fluid Flow in an Exhaust Manifold
d. Similarly, the residuals history will be plotted in the Scaled Residuals tab in the graphics
window (Figure 1.3: Residuals (p. 30)).
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Postprocessing
1.5. Postprocessing
1. Display path lines highlighting the flow field (Figure 1.4: Pathlines Through the Manifold (p. 32)).
b. Select Particle Variables... and Time from the Color by drop-down lists.
e. Select inlet, inlet1, and inlet2 from the Release from Surfaces list.
The new pathlines-1 definition appears under the Results/Graphics/Pathlines tree branch. To edit
your surface definition, right-click it and select Edit... from the menu that opens.
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Postprocessing
a. Create Surface 1
ii. Select Mesh... and X-Coordinate from the Clip to Values of drop-down lists.
v. Keep the Min value at its minimum setting, and adjust the Max value to be at its halfway
point.
The new clip-x-coordinate definition appears under the Results/Surfaces tree branch. To edit
your surface definition, right-click it and select Edit... from the menu that opens.
b. Create Surface 2
ii. Select Mesh... and Z-Coordinate from the Clip to Values of drop-down lists.
v. Keep the Min value at its minimum setting, and adjust the Max value to be at -44.0 .
The new clip-z-coordinate definition appears under the Results/Surfaces tree branch. To edit
your surface definition, right-click it and select Edit... from the menu that opens.
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i. Click New Object and select Mesh to open the Mesh Display dialog box.
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Postprocessing
iv. Click Save/Display and close the Mesh Display dialog box.
The new mesh-1 definition appears under the Results/Graphics/Mesh tree branch. The new
object also appears in the Scene dialog box.
e. Click Save & Display and close the Scene dialog box.
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Fluid Flow in an Exhaust Manifold
Figure 1.5: Scene Containing the Mesh and Pathlines Throughout the Manifold
4. Create and define contours of velocity magnitude at the outlet along with the mesh.
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Postprocessing
b. Select Velocity... and Velocity Magnitude from the Contours of drop-down lists.
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Fluid Flow in an Exhaust Manifold
In the Mesh Display dialog box, deselect all surfaces, select the out1 surface, click Display and
close the dialog.
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Postprocessing
b. Select Mesh... and Z-Coordinate from the Surface of Constant drop-down lists.
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Fluid Flow in an Exhaust Manifold
d. Click Compute.
The Min and Max fields display the Z extents of the domain.
b. Select Temperature... and Static Temperature from the Contours of drop-down lists.
c. Select inlet, inlet1, inlet2, mid-plane-z, outlet, and out1 from the Surfaces list.
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Postprocessing
In the Mesh Display dialog box, deselect all surfaces, select the clip-z-coordinate surface, click
Display and close the dialog.
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Fluid Flow in an Exhaust Manifold
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Postprocessing
b. Select Temperature... and Static Temperature from the Contours of drop-down lists.
Click to deselect all surfaces. Click and select Surface Type under Group By to list the
surfaces by type, as shown above.
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Fluid Flow in an Exhaust Manifold
You will use these case and data files in Fluent Postprocessing : Exhaust Manifold (p. 45).
1.6. Summary
In this tutorial, you learned how to import a CAD geometry, generate a volume mesh, and set up, solve,
and postprocess a CFD problem involving air flow and heat transfer through a manifold all within a
single ANSYS Fluent interface.
Related video that demonstrates steps for setting up, solving, and postprocessing the solution results
for a turbulent flow within a manifold:
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Chapter 2: Fluent Postprocessing : Exhaust Manifold
This tutorial is divided into the following sections:
2.1. Introduction
2.2. Prerequisites
2.3. Problem Description
2.4. Setup and Solution
2.5. Summary
2.1. Introduction
Licensing Capability:
This tutorial demonstrates the postprocessing capabilities of Fluent using a 3D model of an exhaust
manifold with high temperature flows passing through. The flow through the manifold is turbulent and
involves conjugate heat transfer.
The heat transfer involves conduction in the manifold and conduction and convection in the exhaust
fluid. The physics of conjugate heat transfer such as this are common in many engineering applications,
including the design of vehicle engines.
In this tutorial, you will read the case and data files that you created in performing the "Fluid Flow in
an Exhaust Manifold" tutorial and perform a number of postprocessing exercises.
• Create animations.
• Create a scene.
• Display pathlines.
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Fluent Postprocessing : Exhaust Manifold
2.2. Prerequisites
This tutorial is written with the assumption that you have completed the Fluid Flow in an Exhaust
Manifold (p. 1) tutorial found in this manual and that you are familiar with the ANSYS Fluent tree and
ribbon structure. Some steps in the setup and solution procedure will not be shown explicitly.
As shown in the figure, air at 10 m/s is pushed through each inlet at a gas temperature of 900 K. The
outlet has a static pressure of 0 Pa.
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Setup and Solution
2.4.1. Preparation
To prepare for running this tutorial:
1. Navigate to the working directory where you completed the "Fluid Flow in an Exhaust Manifold"
tutorial.
3. Select Solution in the top-left selection list to start Fluent in Solution Mode.
When you select the case file, Fluent will read the data file automatically.
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Fluent Postprocessing : Exhaust Manifold
a. Select the Edges option and retain the default Faces option in the Options group box.
b. Deselect all surfaces an then select all the wall surfaces by selecting the Wall surface type.
Click to deselect all surfaces. Click and select Surface Type under Group By to list the
surfaces by type, as shown above.
c. Click the Colors... button to open the Mesh Colors dialog box.
ii. Click Reset Colors to reset the mesh colors to the default settings and close the Mesh
Colors dialog box.
d. Click Display.
Use the left mouse button to rotate the view. Use the middle mouse button to adjust the magnification
until you obtain an enlarged display of the exhaust manifold, as shown in Figure 2.2: Mesh Display of
the Exhaust Manifold (p. 49).
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Setup and Solution
Extra:
You can click the right mouse button on one of the mesh boundaries displayed in the
graphics window and its surface group, ID, and name will be displayed in the console.
This feature is especially useful when you have several zones of the same type and you
want to distinguish between them.
The default light settings add a white light at the position (1, 1, 1). The default light is defined in the
Lights dialog box by the Light ID 0 with Direction vectors (X, Y, Z) as (1, 1, 1).
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Fluent Postprocessing : Exhaust Manifold
a. Make sure that the Light On option is enabled in the Lighting Attributes group box.
b. Retain the selection of Automatic from the Lighting Method drop-down list.
Flat is the most basic lighting whereas Gouraud gives better color gradation. Note that Gouraud
rounds off corners, and so should be used with caution on highly angular geometries.
Shading will be added to the surface mesh display (Figure 2.3: Graphics Window with Default
Lighting (p. 51)).
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Setup and Solution
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You can also open the Lights dialog box by clicking the Lights... button in the Display Options dialog
box.
a. Set Light ID to 1.
c. Enter -1, 1, and 1 for X, Y, and Z respectively in the Direction group box.
d. Retain the selections of Automatic in the Lighting Method and Headlight On drop-down
lists.
e. Click Apply.
The Headlight On option provides constant lighting effect from a light source directly in front of
the model, in the direction of the view. You can turn off the headlight by selecting Off in the
Headlight On drop-down list (the results of this action are shown in Figure 2.4: Display with Addi-
tional Lighting: - Headlight Off (p. 52)).
f. Similarly, add a second light (Light ID= 2 with Light On enabled) with a Direction of (-1, 1,
-1). Click Apply.
The result will be more softly shaded display (Figure 2.5: Display with Additional Lighting (p. 53)).
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Setup and Solution
Extra:
You can use the left mouse button to rotate the ball in the Active Lights window to gain
a perspective view on the relative locations of the lights that are currently active, and see
the shading effect on the ball at the center.
You can also change the color of one or more of the lights by selecting the color from the
Color drop-down list or by moving the Red, Green, and Blue sliders.
You can define additional surfaces for viewing the results, such as a plane in Cartesian space. In this exercise,
you will create a plane cutting through the middle of the manifold, and at the outlet. You can use these
surfaces to display the temperature and velocity fields.
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Fluent Postprocessing : Exhaust Manifold
Tip:
When you are creating multiple postprocessing surfaces, it can be helpful to group
surfaces by type for viewing in lists (Click and select Surface Type under Group
By). All iso-surfaces will be grouped together.
b. Select Mesh... and Y-Coordinate from the Surface of Constant drop-down lists.
c. Click Compute.
The Min and Max fields display the Y extents of the domain.
e. Click Create.
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Setup and Solution
b. Select Mesh... and X-Coordinate from the Surface of Constant drop-down lists.
c. Click Compute.
The Min and Max fields display the Y extents of the domain.
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Fluent Postprocessing : Exhaust Manifold
b. Select Mesh... and Z-Coordinate from the Clip to Values of drop-down lists.
c. Select solid_up:1:69:673 from the Clip Surface list. Note the number may be different due
to mesh generation
d. Click Compute.
e. Enter -44 for the Min value and leave the Max value at its maximum.
The new clip-z-inner definition appears under the Results/Surfaces tree branch. To edit your
surface definition, right-click it and select Edit... from the menu that opens.
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Setup and Solution
b. Click and select Surface Type under Group By (if surfaces are not already grouped by
type).
c. Select mid-plane-x and outlet-plane (under Iso-Surface in the Surfaces selection list.)
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Fluent Postprocessing : Exhaust Manifold
In the Mesh Display dialog box, deselect all surfaces and select the clip-x-coordinate surface.
h. Rotate and adjust the magnification of the view using the left and middle mouse buttons, re-
spectively, to obtain the view as shown in Figure 2.6: Filled Contours of Temperature on the
Mid-Plane-x and the Outlet (p. 59).
Tip:
If the model disappears from the graphics window at any time, or if you are having
difficulty manipulating it with the mouse, do one of the following:
• Open the Views dialog box by right-clicking Graphics in the tree (under
Results) and selecting Views... from the menu that opens, and then use
the Default button to reset the view. You could also click Camera... in this
dialog box to open the Camera Parameters dialog box, where you could
select orthographic from the Projection drop-down list to reduce the
likelihood of zooming through the geometry.
The inlet streams don't mix in the manifold as shown by the inlet streams not mixing together.
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Setup and Solution
Figure 2.6: Filled Contours of Temperature on the Mid-Plane-x and the Outlet
In Figure 2.6: Filled Contours of Temperature on the Mid-Plane-x and the Outlet (p. 59), the high tem-
peratures in the exhaust stream drastically increase the temperature of the cast iron manifold. You
can also display other quantities such as velocity magnitude or pressure using the Contours dialog
box.
2. Display filled contours of temperature for the surface of the manifold(Figure 2.7: Filled Contours
of Temperature for the Surface of the Manifold (p. 60)).
d. The surface of the manifold heats up to over 700 K from from an initial temperature of 300 K (Fig-
ure 2.7: Filled Contours of Temperature for the Surface of the Manifold (p. 60)).
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Fluent Postprocessing : Exhaust Manifold
Figure 2.7: Filled Contours of Temperature for the Surface of the Manifold
Tip:
You can increase/decrease the size of the colormap by dragging the corners of the box
that appears when you hover over the colormap.
1. Display velocity vectors on the mid-plane through the manifold (Figure 2.8: Velocity Vectors in the
Mid-Plane of the Manifold (p. 62)).
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Setup and Solution
b. Confirm that Velocity is selected under Vectors of and that Color by is set to Velocity... and
Velocity Magnitude.
c. Ensure Global Range, Auto Range, and Auto Scale are the only enabled Options.
e. Click to deselect all surfaces from the Surfaces selection list and then select mid-plane-
x.
2. Rotate and adjust the magnification of the view to match (Figure 2.8: Velocity Vectors in the Mid-
Plane of the Manifold (p. 62)).
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3. Plot velocity vectors along the mid z-direction plane manifold coloured by temperature (Fig-
ure 2.9: Velocity Vectors mid-plane in the z-direction (p. 64)).
b. Enable Draw Mesh in the Options group box to open the Mesh Display dialog box.
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Setup and Solution
i. Ensure that Faces is enabled and that Edges is disabled in the Options group box.
ii. Deselect all surfaces and select clip-z-coordinate from the Surfaces selection list.
iii. Click the Colors... button to open the Mesh Colors dialog box.
C. Select light-blue from the Colors selection list and close the Mesh Colors dialog box.
iv. Click Display and close the Mesh Display dialog box.
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h. Rotate the view and increase the magnification to obtain the view as shown in Figure 2.9: Ve-
locity Vectors mid-plane in the z-direction (p. 64).
You will display the surface temperature distribution on the inner part of the manifold along with the
temperatures of the outlet flow and mid-plane flow. You will also create the key frames and view the
transition between the key frames, dynamically, using the animation feature.
1. Display filled contours of surface temperature on the mid-plane, inner-clip, and outlet-plane.
(Figure 2.10: Filled Temperature Contours on the mid-plane-x, clip-z-inner and outlet-plane Sur-
faces (p. 66)).
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Setup and Solution
b. Retain the selection of Temperature... and Static Temperature from the Contours of drop-
down lists.
d. Select clip-z-inner, mid-plane-x, and outlet-plane from the Surfaces selection list.
f. Reorient the display as needed to obtain the view shown in Figure 2.10: Filled Temperature
Contours on the mid-plane-x, clip-z-inner and outlet-plane Surfaces (p. 66).
Figure 2.10: Filled Temperature Contours on the mid-plane-x, clip-z-inner and outlet-plane Sur-
faces (p. 66) shows the high temperature exhaust heating the walls of the manifold.
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Fluent Postprocessing : Exhaust Manifold
Figure 2.10: Filled Temperature Contours on the mid-plane-x, clip-z-inner and outlet-plane
Surfaces
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Setup and Solution
You will use the current display (Figure 2.10: Filled Temperature Contours on the mid-plane-x, clip-z-
inner and outlet-plane Surfaces (p. 66)) as the starting view for the animation (Frame = ).
a. Click Add in the Key Frames group box to create the first frame for your animation.
The magnified view will be the one-hundredth key frame of the animation, with intermediate displays
(2 through 99) to be filled in during the animation.
e. Rotate the view and adjust the magnification so that the backside of the manifold is visible
from an angle (Figure 2.11: Filled Temperature Contours on the Mid-Plane, Inner-Clip, and
Outlet-Plane Surfaces (p. 68)).
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Fluent Postprocessing : Exhaust Manifold
Figure 2.11: Filled Temperature Contours on the Mid-Plane, Inner-Clip, and Outlet-Plane
Surfaces
Note:
You can check the display view of any of your saved key frames by selecting it in
the Keys list.
3. View the scene animation by clicking the play button ( ) in the Playback group box.
While effective animation is best conducted on high-end graphics workstations, you can view scene
animations on any workstation. If the graphics display speed is slow, the animation playback will take
some time and will appear choppy, with the redrawing very obvious. On fast graphics workstations,
the animation will appear smooth and continuous and will provide an excellent visualization of the
display from a variety of spatial orientations. On many machines, you can improve the smoothness
of the animation by enabling the Double Buffering option in the Display Options dialog box.
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Setup and Solution
To produce a slower animation, increase the number of frames between the key frames. The more
sparsely you place your key frames, the more transition frames Fluent creates between the key frames
and therefore stretching out your animation.
Note:
You can also make use of animation tools of Fluent for transient cases as demonstrated
in Modeling Transient Compressible Flow (p. 335).
Extra:
You can change the Playback Mode if you want to auto repeat or auto reverse the
animation. When you are in either of these modes, you can click the stop button ( )
to stop the continuous animation.
a. Edit contour-temperature to use the clip-z-inner and outlet-plane as the display surface.
Click Save/Display.
b. Edit velocity-vector to use the mid-plane-z as the display surface and reduce the Scale to 1.
Click Save & Display.
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Fluent Postprocessing : Exhaust Manifold
f. In the Scene dialog box, set the Transparency for contour-temperature to 30.
g. Click Save & Display to create the scene and display it in the graphics window, and close the
Scene dialog box.
h. Drag the velocity vector colormap to the left of the graphics window and drag the temperature
colormap to the bottom of the graphics window and modify the orientation and zoom of the
scene to match Figure 2.12: Temperature Contours and Velocity Vectors Scene (p. 71).
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Setup and Solution
a. Edit velocity-vector to use the clip-z-inner as the display surface and reduce the Scale to 1.
Click Save & Display.
d. Click Save & Display and close the Scene dialog box.
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b. Click Display... in the Geometry Attributes group box and disable the Nodes option.
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Setup and Solution
g. In the Scene Description dialog box, deselect all names and select velocity_vector.
h. Click Transform..., and in the Transformations dialog box, enter 100 for Z under the Translate
heading.
i. Click Apply and close both the Transformations dialog box and the Scene Description dialog
box.
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Click the Close Tab button ( ) to clear the graphics window (located on the upper right-hand
side of the graphics window tab).
2. Generate contours of temperature and sweep them through the domain along the X axis.
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Setup and Solution
a. Change X to be 0 and Z to be 1.
b. Click Compute.
c. Retain the default value of -0.1018232 m for Initial Value in the Animation group box.
Warning:
The units for the initial and final values are in meters, regardless of the length
units being used in the model. Here, the initial and final values are set to the
Min Value and Max Value, to generate an animation through the entire do-
main.
f. Select Contours from the Display Type selection list to open the Contours dialog box.
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ii. Select Temperature... and Static Temperature from the Contours of drop-down lists.
iii. Deselect all surfaces and select clip-x-coordinate from the Surfaces drop-down list.
You will see the temperature contour plot displayed at 200 successive streamwise planes. Fluent will
automatically interpolate the contoured data on the streamwise planes between the specified end
points. Especially on high-end graphics workstations, this can be an effective way to study how a flow
variable changes throughout the domain.
Note:
You can also make use of animation tools of Fluent for transient cases as demonstrated
in Modeling Transient Compressible Flow (p. 335).
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Setup and Solution
d. Enter the coordinates of the rake using a starting coordinate of (-145, -105, -44) and an
ending coordinate of (-120, -105, -44) in the End Points group box.
These coordinates define a line through a solid portion of the manifold located slightly above the
outlet.
2. Plot the temperature distribution along the rake through a solid region. (Figure 2.14: Temperature
Along a Solid Portion of the Manifold (p. 80)).
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c. Select Temperature... and Static Temperature from the Y Axis Function drop-down lists.
This will plot temperature vs. the X coordinate along the selected rake (rake-solid).
e. Click the Axes... button to open the Axes - Solution XY Plot dialog box.
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Setup and Solution
v. Click Apply and close the Axes - Solution XY Plot dialog box.
The temperature distribution (Figure 2.14: Temperature Along a Solid Portion of the Manifold (p. 80))
shows that the solid portion of the manifold saw similar temperatures through the thickness.
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1. Enter the text describing the plot (for example, Temperature in a Solid Portion of
the Manifold) in the Annotation Text field.
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Setup and Solution
2. Select 20 from the Size drop-down list in the Font Specification group box.
3. Click Add.
A Working dialog box will appear telling you to select the desired location of the text using the mouse-
probe button.
4. Click the right mouse button in the graphics window where you want the text to appear, and you
will see the text displayed at the selected location (Figure 2.15: A Display with Annotation (p. 81)).
Extra:
If you want to move the text to a new location on the screen, select the text in the
Names selection list, click Delete Text, and click Add once again, defining a new pos-
ition with the mouse.
Note:
Depending on the size of the graphics window and the picture file format you choose,
the font size of the annotation text you see on the screen may be different from the
font size in a picture file of that graphics window. The annotation text font size is ab-
solute, while the rest of the items in the graphics window are scaled to the proportions
of the picture file.
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Click the Save Picture icon- in the toolbar to open the Save Picture dialog box.
3. Click the Save... button to open the Select File dialog box.
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Summary
will use the volume integral reports to determine the mass of the air in the manifold and the maximum
temperature of the manifold.
3. Click Compute to calculate the total mass of the air in the manifold.
5. Select Temperature... and Static Temperature from the Field Variable drop-down lists.
7. Repeat the previous operation to determine the minimum temperature in the solid_up cell zone.
The maximum and minimum temperatures are an important characteristic of exhaust manifold design.
2.5. Summary
This tutorial demonstrated the use of many of the extensive postprocessing features available in Fluent.
For more information on these and related features, see reporting alphanumeric data and displaying
graphics in the Fluent User's Guide.
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Chapter 3: Modeling Flow Through Porous Media
This tutorial is divided into the following sections:
3.1. Introduction
3.2. Prerequisites
3.3. Problem Description
3.4. Setup and Solution
3.5. Summary
3.1. Introduction
Licensing Capability:
Many industrial applications such as filters, catalyst beds, and packing, involve modeling the flow through
porous media. This tutorial illustrates how to set up and solve a problem involving gas flow through
porous media.
The industrial problem solved here involves gas flow through a catalytic converter. Catalytic converters
are commonly used to purify emissions from gasoline and diesel engines by converting environmentally
hazardous exhaust emissions to acceptable substances. Examples of such emissions include carbon
monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and unburned hydrocarbon fuels. These exhaust gas emissions
are forced through a substrate, which is a ceramic structure coated with a metal catalyst such as platinum
or palladium.
The nature of the exhaust gas flow is a very important factor in determining the performance of the
catalytic converter. Of particular importance is the pressure gradient and velocity distribution through
the substrate. Hence, CFD analysis is useful for designing efficient catalytic converters. By modeling the
exhaust gas flow, the pressure drop and the uniformity of flow through the substrate can be determined.
In this tutorial, ANSYS Fluent is used to model the flow of nitrogen gas through a catalytic converter
geometry, so that the flow field structure may be analyzed.
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• Calculate a solution for gas flow through the catalytic converter using the pressure-based solver.
For more information about using the guided workflows, see Working With Fluent Guided Workflows
in the Fluent User's Guide.
3.2. Prerequisites
This tutorial is written with the assumption that you have completed the introductory tutorials found
in this manual and that you are familiar with the ANSYS Fluent outline view and ribbon structure. Some
steps in the setup and solution procedure will not be shown explicitly.
While the flow in the inlet and outlet sections is turbulent, the flow through the substrates is laminar
and is characterized by inertial and viscous loss coefficients along the inlet axis. The substrates are im-
permeable in other directions. This characteristic is modeled using loss coefficients that are three orders
of magnitude higher than in the main flow direction.
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Setup and Solution
3.4.1. Preparation
To prepare for running this tutorial:
The SpaceClaim CAD file catalytic_converter.scdoc can be found in the folder. In addition,
the catalytic_converter.pmdb file is available for use on the Linux platform.
4. Select Meshing in the top-left selection list to start Fluent in Meshing Mode.
6. Set Meshing Processes and Solver Processes to 4 under Parallel (Local Machine).
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Each task is designated with an icon indicating its state (for example, as complete, incom-
plete, etc. For more information, see Understanding Task States in the Fluent User's Guide).
All tasks are initially incomplete and you proceed through the workflow completing all
tasks. Additional tasks are also available for the workflow. For more information, see
Customizing Workflows in the Fluent User's Guide.
d. For File Name, enter the path and file name for the CAD geometry that you want to import
(catalytic_converter.scdoc).
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Setup and Solution
Note:
The workflow only supports *.scdoc (SpaceClaim) and the intermediary *.pmdb
file formats.
This will update the task, display the geometry in the graphics window (Figure 3.2: The Imported
CAD Geometry for the Catalytic Converter (p. 90)), and allow you to proceed onto the next task in
the workflow.
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Figure 3.2: The Imported CAD Geometry for the Catalytic Converter
Note:
Alternatively, you can use the ... button next to File Name to locate the CAD geo-
metry file, after which, the Import Geometry task automatically updates, displaying
the geometry in the graphics window, and the workflow automatically progresses
to the next task.
Throughout the workflow, you are able to return to a task and change its settings using either the
Edit button, or the Revert and Edit button. For more information, see Editing Tasks in the Fluent
User's Guide.
a. In the Add Local Sizing task, you are prompted as to whether or not you would like to add
local sizing controls to the faceted geometry.
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Setup and Solution
In this tutorial, we will add local sizing in and around the sensor, since that is an area where we
require a more refined mesh. Later, we will apply settings for a coarser surface mesh elsewhere.
g. Select the faces in and around the sensor in the list, specifically, sensing_element-65-
solid, sensor_innertube-67-solid, and sensor_protectiontube-66-solid1.
For occasions when the list of items is long, you can use the Filter Text option and use an expression
such as in* to show only items starting with "in". Alternatively, you can use the Use Wildcard
option to list and pres-select matching items. See Filtering Lists and Using Wildcards for more in-
formation.
Select the Use Wildcard option and enter sens* in the text field to filter out the other labels
and automatically select the desired labels.
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h. Click Add Local Sizing to complete this task and proceed to the next task in the workflow.
a. In the Generate the Surface Mesh task, you can set various properties of the surface mesh
for the faceted geometry.
Note:
The red boxes displayed on the geometry in the graphics window are a graphical
representation of size settings. These boxes change size as the values change, and
they can be hidden by using the Clear Preview button.
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Setup and Solution
f. Click Generate the Surface Mesh to complete this task and proceed to the next task in the
workflow.
When you select the Describe Geometry task, you are prompted with questions relating to the
nature of the imported geometry.
a. Select The geometry consists of both fluid and solid regions and/or voids option under
Geometry Type, since this model contains both fluid and solids, and potential voids.
b. Select Yes for the Will you cap openings and extract fluid regions? prompt, since we
plan on adding capping surfaces and extracting a fluid.
c. Select Yes for the Change all fluid-fluid boundary types from 'wall' to 'internal'?
prompt, since we are modeling flow through the entire geometry, and any interior wall
boundaries between potential fluid regions should be interior boundaries to allow the
flow to pass.
Remember that there are two regions within the catalytic converter that will ultimately represent
porous regions.- surrounded by other non-porous fluid regions For now, we will consider all
of these internal regions as fluid regions and change them accordingly in the ANSYS Fluent
solver.
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e. Click Describe Geometry to complete this task and proceed to the next task in the
workflow.
Select the Enclose Fluid Regions (Capping) task, where you can cover, or cap, any openings in
your geometry in order to later extract the enclosed fluid region.
i. Enter inlet for the Name of the capping surface to be assigned to the manifold's
inlet.
ii. For the Zone Type, keep the default setting of velocity-inlet.
iii. In the list of labels, select in1 for the opening that you want to cover (or right-click
the surface of the inlet in the graphics window).
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Setup and Solution
iv. Click Create Cap(s) to complete this task and proceed to the next task in the workflow.
Once completed, this particular task will return you to a fresh task in order to assign
additional capping surfaces, if necessary. We will proceed to assign a cap for the re-
maining opening and assign it to be an outlet.
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i. Enter outlet for the Name of the capping surface to be assigned to the manifold's
outlet.
iii. In the list of labels, select out1 for the outlet that you want to cover (or right-click the
surface of the inlet in the graphics window).
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Setup and Solution
a. Select the Update Boundaries task, where you can inspect the mesh boundaries and confirm
and change any designated boundaries accordingly. ANSYS Fluent attempts to determine the
correct arrangement of boundaries automatically.
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b. All the proposed boundaries are correct, so click Update Boundaries. and proceed to the next
task.
a. Select the Create Regions task, where you can determine the number of fluid regions that
need to be extracted. ANSYS Fluent attempts to determine the number of fluid regions to
extract automatically.
We anticipate that there will be fluid regions located at the inlet, the outlet, and the fluid region
between the substrates.
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Setup and Solution
a. Select the Update Regions task, where you can review and change the tabulated names and
types of the various regions that have been generated from your imported geometry, and
change them as needed.
We can see that the three fluid regions are defined, however, the two regions of the individual
substrates are identified as solid regions. We can change their designations here in this task, and
provide them with useful names.
b. Change the two substrate solid regions to be fluid regions, and rename them, in the table.
i. Under Region Name, locate the honeycomb.solid1 region, double-click and rename
the region to fluid:substrate:1.
ii. For that specific region, under Region Type, select fluid from the drop-down menu.
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Setup and Solution
a. Select the Add Boundary Layers task, where you can set properties of the boundary layer
mesh.
For the Add Boundary Layers task, ensure yes is selected at the prompt as to whether or not
you want to define boundary layer settings. In this task, you can define specific details for
capturing the boundary layer in and around your geometry.
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a. Select the Generate the Volume Mesh task, where you can set properties of the volume mesh
itself.
b. Keep the default settings, and click Generate the Volume Mesh.
ANSYS Fluent will apply your settings and proceed to generate a volume mesh for the manifold
geometry. Once complete, the mesh is displayed in the graphics window and a clipping plane is
automatically inserted with a layer of cells drawn so that you can quickly see the details of the
volume mesh.
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Setup and Solution
Mesh → Check
Now that a high-quality mesh has been generated using ANSYS Fluent in meshing mode, you can
now switch to solver mode to complete the set up of the simulation.
We have just checked the mesh, so select Yes when prompted to switch to solution mode.
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Rotate the view and zoom in to get the display shown in Figure 3.3: Mesh for the Catalytic Converter
Geometry in Fluent (Solver Mode) (p. 105).
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Setup and Solution
Figure 3.3: Mesh for the Catalytic Converter Geometry in Fluent (Solver Mode)
Physics → Solver
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3.4.5. Models
1. Allow temperatures to be considered in the calculations by enabling the energy model.
You can enable the calculation of temperatures directly from the tree by right-clicking the Energy
node and choosing On from the context menu.
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Setup and Solution
You will use the default settings for the k-ω SST turbulence model, so you can enable it directly from
the tree by right-clicking the Viscous node and choosing SST k-omega from the context menu.
3.4.6. Materials
Add nitrogen to the list of fluid materials by copying it from the Fluent Database of materials.
a. Click the Fluent Database... button to open the Fluent Database Materials dialog box.
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ii. Click Copy to copy the information for nitrogen to your list of fluid materials.
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Setup and Solution
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2. Perform the same operation for the other fluid zones (fluid:1 and fluid:3).
3. Set the cell zone conditions for the first substrate (fluid:substrate:1).
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Setup and Solution
c. Enable Laminar Zone to solve the flow in the porous zone without turbulence.
i. Make sure that the principal direction vectors are set as shown in Table 3.1: Values for the
Principle Direction Vectors (p. 111).
ANSYS Fluent automatically calculates the third (Z direction) vector based on your inputs for
the first two vectors. The direction vectors determine which axis the viscous and inertial resistance
coefficients act upon.
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ii. For the viscous and inertial resistance directions, enter the values in Table 3.2: Values for
the Viscous and Inertial Resistance (p. 112) Viscous Resistance and Inertial Resistance.
Direction-1 and Direction-2 are set to arbitrary large numbers. These values are several orders
of magnitude greater than that of the Direction-3 flow and will make any radial flow insignific-
ant.
Scroll down to access the fields that are not initially visible.
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Setup and Solution
b. In the Turbulence group box, select Intensity and Hydraulic Diameter from the Specification
Method drop-down list.
e. Click the Thermal tab and enter 800 K for the Temperature of the incoming fluid.
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b. In the Turbulence group box, select Intensity and Hydraulic Diameter from the Specification
Method drop-down list.
e. Click the Thermal tab and enter 800 K for the Backflow Total Temperature of the outgoing
fluid.
3.4.9. Solution
1. Specify the discretization schemes.
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Setup and Solution
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b. In the Create group box, enable Report File, Report Plot and Print to Console.
d. Click OK to save the surface report definition settings and close the Surface Report Definition
dialog box.
Solution → Initialization
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Setup and Solution
Warning:
b. Click Options... to open the Solution Initialization task page, which provides access to further
settings.
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a. Select inlet from the Compute from drop-down list in the Solution Initialization task
page.
c. Click Initialize.
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Setup and Solution
The mass flow rate graph flattens out, as seen in Figure 3.4: Mass Flow Rate History (p. 119). Since
the mass flow rate has stabilized after 150 iterations, the solution can be said to have reached
convergence.
3.4.10. Postprocessing
1. Display the wall surfaces.
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a. Deselect all items in the Surfaces selection list, and make sure that only Wall category of
surfaces is selected.
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Setup and Solution
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b. Click the Display... button in the Geometry Attributes group box to open the Display
Properties dialog box.
i. Disable Edges, Perimeter Edges, and Nodes in the Visibility group box.
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Setup and Solution
ii. Make sure that the Red, Green, and Blue sliders are set to the maximum position (that is,
255).
iv. Click Apply and close the Display Properties dialog box.
d. Click Create.
5. Create cross-sectional planes at locations throughout the domain: in the inlet prior to the first
substrate, within the first substrate, in the fluid zone between the substrates, within the second
substrate, and just after the second substrate in the outlet.
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d. Click Create.
e. Repeat these steps for the remaining surfaces at z=230, z=280, z=330, and z=375, and close
the Plane Surface dialog box.
6. Display velocity vectors on the y=-425 surface (Figure 3.5: Velocity Vectors Through the Interi-
or (p. 127)).
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Setup and Solution
c. Enable Draw Mesh in the Options group box to open the Mesh Display dialog box.
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ii. Click Display and close the Mesh Display dialog box.
g. Repeat the procedure in step 3 to set the transparency for the wall surfaces.
h. Rotate the view and adjust the magnification to get the display shown in Figure 3.5: Velocity
Vectors Through the Interior (p. 127).
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Setup and Solution
The flow pattern shows that the flow enters the catalytic converter as a jet, with recirculation on
either side of the jet. As it passes through the porous substrates, it decelerates and straightens out,
and exhibits a more uniform velocity distribution. This allows the metal catalyst present in the
substrates to be more effective.
7. Display filled contours of static pressure on the interior plane (Figure 3.6: Contours of Static Pressure
Through the Interior (p. 129)).
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b. Make sure that Filled, Node Values, and Boundary Values are enabled in the Options group
box.
d. Make sure that Pressure... and Static Pressure are selected from the Contours of drop-down
lists.
The pressure changes rapidly in the middle section, where the fluid velocity changes as it passes through
the porous substrates. The pressure drop can be high, due to the inertial and viscous resistance of the
porous media.
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Setup and Solution
8. Display filled contours of the velocity magnitude on the z=185, z=230, z=280, z=330, and z=375
surfaces (Figure 3.7: Contours of Velocity Magnitude on the z=185, z=230, z=280, z=330, and z=375
Surfaces (p. 131)).
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b. Make sure that Filled, Node Values, and Boundary Values are enabled in the Options group
box.
e. Select Velocity... and Velocity Magnitude from the Contours of drop-down lists.
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Summary
f. Select z=185, z=230, z=280, z=330, and z=375 in the Surfaces selection list, and deselect all
others.
Figure 3.7: Contours of Velocity Magnitude on the z=185, z=230, z=280, z=330, and z=375
Surfaces
The velocity profile becomes more uniform as the fluid passes through the porous media. The velocity
is higher at the center (the area in red) just before the nitrogen enters the substrates and then decreases
as it passes through and exits the second substrate. The area in green, which corresponds to a moderate
velocity, increases in extent.
3.5. Summary
In this tutorial, you learned how to set up and solve a problem involving gas flow through porous media
in ANSYS Fluent. You also learned how to perform appropriate postprocessing. Flow non-uniformities
were easily identified through images of velocity vectors and pressure contours.
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Chapter 4: Modeling External Compressible Flow
This tutorial is divided into the following sections:
4.1. Introduction
4.2. Prerequisites
4.3. Problem Description
4.4. Setup and Solution
4.5. Summary
4.1. Introduction
Licensing Capability:
The purpose of this tutorial is to compute the turbulent flow past a transonic wing at a nonzero angle
of attack. You will use the k-ω SST turbulence model.
• Model compressible flow (using the ideal gas law for density).
• Calculate a solution using the pressure-based coupled solver with the pseudo transient option.
Related video that demonstrates steps for setting up, solving, and postprocessing the solution results
for a turbulent flow within a manifold:
4.2. Prerequisites
This tutorial is written with the assumption that you have completed the introductory tutorials found
in this manual and that you are familiar with the ANSYS Fluent outline view and ribbon structure. Some
steps in the setup and solution procedure will not be shown explicitly.
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Setup and Solution
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4.4.1. Preparation
4.4.2. Meshing Workflow
4.4.3. Mesh
4.4.4. Solver
4.4.5. Models
4.4.6. Materials
4.4.7. Boundary Conditions
4.4.8. Operating Conditions
4.4.9. Reference Values
4.4.10. Solution
4.4.11. Postprocessing
4.4.1. Preparation
To prepare for running this tutorial:
4. Select Meshing in the top-left selection list to start Fluent in Meshing Mode.
6. Set Meshing Processes and Solver Processes to 4 under Parallel (Local Machine).
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Setup and Solution
Each task is designated with an icon indicating its state (for example, as complete, incom-
plete, etc. For more information, see Understanding Task States in the Fluent User's Guide).
All tasks are initially incomplete and you proceed through the workflow completing all
tasks. Additional tasks are also available for the workflow. For more information, see
Customizing Workflows in the Fluent User's Guide.
c. For File Name, enter the path and file name for the CAD geometry that you want to import
(wing.scdoc).
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Note:
The workflow only supports *.scdoc (SpaceClaim), Workbench (.agdb), and the
intermediary *.pmdb file formats.
This will update the task, display the geometry in the graphics window (Figure 3.2: The Imported
CAD Geometry for the Catalytic Converter (p. 90)), and allow you to proceed onto the next task in
the workflow.
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Setup and Solution
The wing geometry has been encased in a half-spherical, half-cylindrical volume with 25m of space
in all directions.
Note:
Alternatively, you can use the ... button next to File Name to locate the CAD geo-
metry file, after which, the Import Geometry task automatically updates, displaying
the geometry in the graphics window, and the workflow automatically progresses
to the next task.
Throughout the workflow, you are able to return to a task and change its settings using either the
Edit button, or the Revert and Edit button.
a. In the Add Local Sizing task, you are prompted as to whether or not you would like to add
local sizing controls to the faceted geometry.
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In this tutorial, we will add local sizing around the wing and a region past the trailing edge, since
they are areas where we require a more refined mesh. Later, we will apply settings for a coarser
surface mesh elsewhere.
b. Click Add Local Sizing task, you are prompted as to whether or not you would like to add
local sizing controls to the faceted geometry.
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Setup and Solution
You can now see the wing task in the workflow, which can be selected to change its settings. The
Add Local Sizing task can still be used to add more local sizing controls to the geometry.
You can now see the wing task in the workflow, which can be selected to change its settings. The
Add Local Sizing task can still be used to add more local sizing controls to the geometry.
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v. Click Add Local Sizing to complete this task and proceed to the next task in the workflow.
a. In the Generate the Surface Mesh task, you can set various properties of the surface mesh
for the faceted geometry.
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Setup and Solution
Note:
The red boxes displayed on the geometry in the graphics window are a graphical
representation of size settings. These boxes change size as the values change, and
they can be hidden by using the Clear Preview button.
d. Click Generate the Surface Mesh to complete this task and proceed to the next task in the
workflow.
When you select the Describe Geometry task, you are prompted with questions relating to the
nature of the imported geometry.
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a. Select The geometry consists of only fluid regions with no voids option under Geo-
metry Type, since this model contains only the fluid region.
c. Click Describe Geometry to complete this task and proceed to the next task in the
workflow.
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Setup and Solution
a. Select the Update Boundaries task, where you can inspect the mesh boundaries and confirm
and change any designated boundaries accordingly. ANSYS Fluent attempts to determine the
correct arrangement of boundaries automatically.
b. All the proposed boundaries are correct, so click Update Boundaries. and proceed to the next
task.
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a. Select the Update Regions task, where you can review and change the tabulated names and
types of the various regions that have been generated from your imported geometry, and
change them as needed.
We can see that the only defined region is the fluid region.
b. The proposed region type is correct, so click Update Regions to update your settings.
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Setup and Solution
a. Select the Add Boundary Layers task, where you can set properties of the boundary layer
mesh.
For the Add Boundary Layers task, ensure yes is selected at the prompt as to whether or not
you want to define boundary layer settings. In this task, you can define specific details for
capturing the boundary layer in and around your geometry.
Many boundary layers are desired to model a well resolved flow near the wall.
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a. Select the Generate the Volume Mesh task, where you can set properties of the volume mesh
itself.
d. Enable Advanced Options to expose additional options that are required for this task.
ANSYS Fluent will apply your settings and proceed to generate a volume mesh for the wing geo-
metry.. The mesh is displayed in the graphics window and a clipping plane is automatically inserted
with a layer of cells drawn so that you can quickly see the details of the volume mesh.
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Setup and Solution
Mesh → Check
Now that a mesh has been generated using ANSYS Fluent in meshing mode, you can now switch
to solver mode to complete the set up of the simulation. Note that to obtain more accurate
solutions a higher quality mesh should be used.
We have just checked the mesh, so select Yes when prompted to switch to solution mode.
4.4.3. Mesh
1. Examine the mesh (Figure 4.3: The Entire Mesh (p. 150) and Figure 4.4: Magnified View of the Mesh
Around the Wing (p. 151)).
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To examine the cells of the mesh around the wing, display the mesh with edges enabled and the
far-field boundary disabled.
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Setup and Solution
e. Zoom in on the region around the wing, as shown in Figure 4.4: Magnified View of the Mesh
Around the Wing (p. 151).
The cells near the surface have a relativlely higher resolution and high aspect ratios, to account for
the flow around the wing.
Extra:
You can use the right mouse button to probe for mesh information in the graphics
window. If you click the right mouse button on any node in the mesh, information will
be displayed in the ANSYS Fluent console about the associated zone, including the
name of the zone. This feature is especially useful when you have several zones of the
same type and you want to distinguish between them quickly.
4.4.4. Solver
1. Set the solver settings.
Setup → General
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The pressure-based solver with the Coupled option for the pressure-velocity coupling is a good
alternative to density-based solvers of ANSYS Fluent when dealing with applications involving high-
speed aerodynamics with shocks. Selection of the coupled algorithm is made in the Solution
Methods task page in the Solution step.
4.4.5. Models
1. Select the k-ω SST turbulence model.
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Setup and Solution
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4.4.6. Materials
The default Fluid Material is air, which is the working fluid in this problem. The default settings need to
be modified to account for compressibility and variations of the thermophysical properties with temperature.
b. Select sutherland from the Viscosity drop-down list to open the Sutherland Law dialog box.
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Setup and Solution
i. Retain the default selection of Three Coefficient Method in the Methods list.
The Sutherland law for viscosity is well suited for high-speed compressible flows.
While Density and Viscosity have been made temperature-dependent, Cp (Specific Heat) and Thermal
Conductivity have been left constant. For high-speed compressible flows, thermal dependency of the
physical properties is generally recommended. For simplicity, Thermal Conductivity and Cp (Specific
Heat) are assumed to be constant in this tutorial.
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Setup and Solution
Note:
The gauge pressure in ANSYS Fluent is always relative to the operating pressure,
which is defined in a separate input (see below).
c. Enter 0.998574 and 0.053382 for the X-Component of Flow Direction and Z-Component
of Flow Direction, respectively.
These values are determined by the 3.06° angle of attack: cos 3.06° 0.998574 and sin 3.06° 0.053382
d. Retain Turbulent Viscosity Ratio from the Specification Method drop-down list in the Tur-
bulence group box.
e. Retain the default value of 5% for Turbulent Intensity and 10 for Turbulent Viscosity Ratio.
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Setup and Solution
The Operating Conditions dialog box can also be accessed from the Cell Zone Conditions task page.
The operating pressure should be set to a meaningful mean value in order to avoid round-off errors.
The absolute pressure must be greater than zero for compressible flows. If you want to specify
boundary conditions in terms of absolute pressure, you can make the operating pressure zero.
For information about setting the operating pressure, see the Fluent User's Guide.
The reference values are used to non-dimensionalize physical quantities used for postprocessing. The
dimensionless pressure coefficient will be used in future steps.
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ANSYS Fluent will update the Reference Values based on the boundary conditions at the far-field
boundary.
4.4.10. Solution
1. Set the solution parameters.
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a. Ensure that Plot is enabled in the Options group box and click OK to close the Residual
Monitors dialog box.
Solution → Initialization
a. Retain the default selection of Hybrid Initialization from the Initialization Methods group
box.
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Setup and Solution
The Timescale Factor allows you to further manipulate the computed Time Step calculated by ANSYS
Fluent. Larger time steps can lead to faster convergence. However, if the time step is too large it
can lead to solution instability.
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c. Click Calculate.
4.4.11. Postprocessing
1. Plot the distribution on the wing (Figure 4.5: Contour Plot of y+ Distribution (p. 165)).
c. Select Turbulence... and Wall Yplus from the Contours of drop-down lists.
d. Select wing_bottom, wing_edge, and wing_top from the Surfaces selection list.
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Setup and Solution
Note:
The values of are dependent on the resolution of the mesh and the Reynolds number
of the flow, and are defined only in wall-adjacent cells. The value of in the wall-ad-
jacent cells dictates how wall shear stress is calculated.
For this tutorial, the relatively coarse mesh was prepared with a target max value of
~100, as indicated in Figure 4.5: Contour Plot of y+ Distribution (p. 165).
2. Plot the pressure distribution on the wing (Figure 4.6: Contour Plot of Pressure (p. 167) and Fig-
ure 4.7: Improved Contour Plot of Pressure (p. 169)).
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c. Select Pressure... and Static Pressure from the Contours of drop-down lists.
e. Click Save/Display.
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Setup and Solution
f. To improve the visibility of the contour, click Colormap Options... to open the Colormap
dialog box.
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i. Select bgr-pink from the Currently Defined drop-down list in the Colormap
group box.
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Setup and Solution
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This value corresponds to the y-coordinate at around the shock region near the tip of the wing.
Alternatively, you can click Select with Mouse to select a point from the graphics window.
4. Plot the Mach number distribution on the wing near the shock region (Figure 4.8: Contour Plot of
Mach Number (p. 171)).
c. Select Velocity... and Mach Number from the Contours of drop-down list.
f. Zoom in on the region around the wing, as shown in Figure 4.8: Contour Plot of Mach Num-
ber (p. 171).
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Setup and Solution
Note the discontinuity, in this case a shock, on the upper surface of the wing in Figure 4.8: Contour
Plot of Mach Number (p. 171) at about x/c 0.20.
5. Display filled contours of the component of velocity (Figure 4.9: Contour Plot of x Component
of Velocity (p. 173)).
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Note the flow reversal downstream of the shock in Figure 4.9: Contour Plot of x Component of Velo-
city (p. 173).
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Setup and Solution
6. Plot velocity vectors (Figure 4.10: Plot of Velocity Vectors Downstream of the Shock (p. 175)).
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f. Zoom in on the flow above the upper surface at a point downstream of the shock, as shown
in Figure 4.10: Plot of Velocity Vectors Downstream of the Shock (p. 175).
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Setup and Solution
Flow reversal is clearly visible in Figure 4.10: Plot of Velocity Vectors Downstream of the Shock (p. 175).
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b. Select Mesh... and Y-Coordinate from the Surface of Constant drop-down lists.
This value corresponds to the y-coordinate at the shock region near the tip of the wing.
e. Click Create.
8. Plot the component of wall shear stress on the wing near the shock region (Figure 4.11: XY Plot
of x Wall Shear Stress (p. 177)).
b. Select Wall Fluxes... and X-Wall Shear Stress from the Y Axis Function drop-down lists.
As shown in Figure 4.11: XY Plot of x Wall Shear Stress (p. 177), the large, adverse pressure gradient in-
duced by the shock causes the boundary layer to separate. The point of separation is where the wall
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Summary
shear stress vanishes. Flow reversal is indicated here by negative values of the x component of the wall
shear stress.
4.5. Summary
This tutorial demonstrated how to set up and solve an external aerodynamics problem using poly-
hexcore meshing, the pressure-based coupled solver with pseudo transient under-relaxation and the
k-ω SST turbulence model.
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Chapter 5: Fluid Flow and Heat Transfer in a Mixing
Elbow
This tutorial is divided into the following sections:
5.1. Introduction
5.2. Prerequisites
5.3. Problem Description
5.4. Setup and Solution
5.5. Summary
5.1. Introduction
This tutorial illustrates the setup and solution of a three-dimensional turbulent fluid flow and heat
transfer problem in a mixing elbow. The mixing elbow configuration is encountered in piping systems
in power plants and process industries. It is often important to predict the flow field and temperature
field in the area of the mixing region in order to properly design the junction.
• Set material properties and boundary conditions for a turbulent forced-convection problem.
• Visually examine the flow and temperature fields using the postprocessing tools available in ANSYS
Fluent.
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• Change the solver method to coupled in order to increase the convergence speed.
• Adapt the mesh based on the temperature gradient to further improve the prediction of the temper-
ature field.
5.2. Prerequisites
This tutorial assumes that you have little or no experience with ANSYS Fluent, and so each step will be
explicitly described.
Note:
Since the geometry of the mixing elbow is symmetric, only half of the elbow must be modeled
in ANSYS Fluent.
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Setup and Solution
The following sections describe the setup and solution steps for running this tutorial in serial:
5.4.1. Preparation
5.4.2. Launching ANSYS Fluent
5.4.3. Meshing Workflow
5.4.4. Setting Up Domain
5.4.5. Setting Up Physics
5.4.6. Solving
5.4.7. Displaying the Preliminary Solution
5.4.8. Adapting the Mesh
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5.4.1. Preparation
1. Download the introduction.zip file here.
3. The SpaceClaim CAD file elbow.scdoc can be found in the folder. In addition, the elbow.pmdb
file is available for use on the Linux platform.
Note:
ANSYS Fluent tutorials are prepared using ANSYS Fluent on a Windows system. The screen
shots and graphic images in the tutorials may be slightly different than the appearance
on your system, depending on the operating system and/or graphics card.
Fluent Launcher allows you to decide which version of ANSYS Fluent you will use, based on your
geometry and on your processing capabilities.
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Setup and Solution
Note:
3. Set the working folder to the one created when you unzipped introduction.zip.
b. Enter the path to your working folder for Working Directory by double-clicking the text box
and typing.
Alternatively, you can click the browse button ( ) next to the Working Directory text box
and browse to the directory, using the Browse For Folder dialog box.
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Setup and Solution
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Each task is designated with an icon indicating its state (for example, as complete, incom-
plete, etc. All tasks are initially incomplete and you proceed through the workflow com-
pleting all tasks. Additional tasks are also available for the workflow.
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Setup and Solution
c. For File Name, enter the path and file name for the CAD geometry that you want to import
(elbow.scdoc).
Note:
The workflow only supports *.scdoc (SpaceClaim), Workbench (.agdb), and the
intermediary *.pmdb file formats.
This will update the task, display the geometry in the graphics window, and allow you to proceed
onto the next task in the workflow.
Note:
Alternatively, you can use the ... button next to File Name to locate the CAD geo-
metry file, after which, the Import Geometry task automatically updates, displaying
the geometry in the graphics window, and the workflow automatically progresses
to the next task.
Throughout the workflow, you are able to return to a task and change its settings using either the
Edit button, or the Revert and Edit button.
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a. In the Add Local Sizing task, you are prompted as to whether or not you would like to add
local sizing controls to the faceted geometry.
b. For the purposes of this tutorial, you can keep the default setting of no.
c. Click Update to complete this task and proceed to the next task in the workflow.
a. In the Generate the Surface Mesh task, you can set various properties of the surface mesh
for the faceted geometry.
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Setup and Solution
Note:
The red boxes displayed on the geometry in the graphics window are a graphical
representation of size settings. These boxes change size as the values change, and
they can be hidden by using the Clear Preview button.
c. Click Generate the Surface Mesh to complete this task and proceed to the next task in the
workflow.
When you select the Describe Geometry task, you are prompted with questions relating to the
nature of the imported geometry.
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a. Since the geometry defined the fluid region. Select The geometry consists of only fluid
regions with no voids for Geometry Type.
b. Click Describe Geometry to complete this task and proceed to the next task in the
workflow.
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Setup and Solution
b. For the wall-inlet boundary, change the Boundary Type field to wall.
c. Click Update Boundaries to complete this task and proceed to the next task in the workflow.
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a. Select the Update Regions task, where you can review the names and types of the various
regions that have been generated from your imported geometry, and change them as needed.
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Setup and Solution
a. Select the Add Boundary Layers task, where you can set properties of the boundary layer
mesh.
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a. Select the Generate the Volume Mesh task, where you can set properties of the volume mesh.
ANSYS Fluent will apply your settings and proceed to generate a volume mesh for the manifold
geometry. Once complete, the mesh is displayed in the graphics window and a clipping plane is
automatically inserted with a layer of cells drawn so that you can quickly see the details of the
volume mesh.
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Setup and Solution
Mesh → Check
Now that a high-quality mesh has been generated using ANSYS Fluent in meshing mode, you can
now switch to solver mode to complete the set up of the simulation.
We have just checked the mesh, so select Yes when prompted to switch to solution mode.
ANSYS Fluent will report the results of the mesh check in the console.
Domain Extents:
x-coordinate: min (m) = -2.000000e-01, max (m) = 2.000000e-01
y-coordinate: min (m) = -2.250000e-01, max (m) = 2.000000e-01
z-coordinate: min (m) = 0.000000e+00, max (m) = 4.992264e-02
Volume statistics:
minimum volume (m3): 1.725403e-10
maximum volume (m3): 5.887684e-07
total volume (m3): 2.500657e-03
Face area statistics:
minimum face area (m2): 3.116238e-08
maximum face area (m2): 7.873458e-05
Checking mesh....................................
Done.
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The mesh check will list the minimum and maximum x, y, and z values from the mesh in the default
SI unit of meters. It will also report a number of other mesh features that are checked. Any errors
in the mesh will be reported at this time. Ensure that the minimum volume is not negative, since
ANSYS Fluent cannot begin a calculation when this is the case.
Note:
The minimum and maximum values may vary slightly when running on different plat-
forms.
a. Select in from the View Length Unit In drop-down list to set inches as the working unit for
length.
b. Confirm that the domain extents are as shown in the previous dialog box.
The working unit for length has now been set to inches.
Note:
Because the default SI units will be used for everything except length, there is no need
to change any other units in this problem. The choice of inches for the unit of length
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Setup and Solution
has been made by the actions you have just taken. If you want a different working unit
for length, other than inches (for example, millimeters), click Units... in the Domain
ribbon tab (Mesh group box) and make the appropriate change in the Set Units dialog
box.
1. In the Solver group box of the Physics ribbon tab, retain the default selection of the steady
pressure-based solver.
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2. Set up your models for the CFD simulation using the Models group box of the Physics ribbon
tab.
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Setup and Solution
Note:
You can also use the Models task page, which can be accessed from the tree by ex-
panding Setup and double-clicking the Models tree item.
Note:
You can also double-click the Setup/Models/Energy tree item and enable the energy
equation in the Energy dialog box.
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ii. Retain the default selection of SST in the k-omega Model group box.
iii. Click OK to accept all the other default settings and close the Viscous Model dialog box.
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Setup and Solution
Note that the Viscous... label in the ribbon is displayed in blue to indicate that the Viscous
model is enabled. Also Energy and Viscous appear as enabled under the Setup/Models
tree branch.
Note:
While the ribbon is the primary tool for setting up and solving your problem,
the tree is a dynamic representation of your case. The models, materials, condi-
tions, and other settings that you have specified in your problem will appear in
the tree. Many of the frequently used ribbon items are also available via the
right-click functionality of the tree.
3. Set up the materials for the CFD simulation using the Materials group box of the Physics ribbon
tab.
Create a new material called water using the Create/Edit Materials dialog box.
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c. Select water-liquid (h2o < l >) from the Fluent Fluid Materials selection list and click Copy,
then close the Fluent Database Materials dialog box.
d. Ensure that there are now two materials (water-liquid and air) defined locally by examining
the Fluent Fluid Materials drop-down list.
Both the materials will also be listed under Fluid in the Materials task page and under the Mater-
ials tree branch.
4. Set up the cell zone conditions for the fluid zone (fluid) using the Zones group box of the Physics
ribbon tab.
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b. Double-click fluid in the Zone list to open the Fluid dialog box.
Note:
You can also double-click the Setup/Cell Zone Conditions/fluid tree item in order
to open the corresponding dialog box.
5. Set up the boundary conditions for the inlets, outlet, and walls for your CFD analysis using the
Zones group box of the Physics ribbon tab.
This opens the Boundary Conditions task page where the boundaries defined in your simula-
tion are displayed in the Zone selection list.
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Setup and Solution
Note:
To display boundary zones grouped by zone type (as shown previously), click the
Toggle Tree View button ( ) in the upper right corner of the Boundary Condi-
tions task page and select Zone Type under Group By.
Here the zones have names that were previously given during the meshing process. It is good
practice to give boundaries meaningful names in a meshing application to help when you set
up the model. You can also change boundary names in Fluent by simply editing the boundary
and making revisions in the Zone Name text box.
Tip:
If you are unsure of which inlet zone corresponds to the cold inlet, you can
probe the mesh display using the right mouse button or the probe toolbar
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ii. Retain the default selection of Magnitude, Normal to Boundary from the Velocity Spe-
cification Method drop-down list.
iv. In the Turbulence group box, select Intensity and Hydraulic Diameter from the Specific-
ation Method drop-down list.
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Setup and Solution
ix. Click Apply and close the Velocity Inlet dialog box.
Note:
You can also access the Velocity Inlet dialog box by double-clicking the
Setup/Boundary Conditions/cold-inlet tree item.
c. In a similar manner, set the boundary conditions at the hot inlet (hot-inlet), using the values
in the following table:
Setting Value
Velocity Specification Method Magnitude, Normal to Boundary
Velocity Magnitude 1.2 [m/s]
Specification Method Intensity and Hydraulic Diameter
Turbulent Intensity 5 [%]
Hydraulic Diameter 1 [inch]
Temperature 313.15 [K]
d. Double-click outlet in the Zone selection list and set the boundary conditions at the outlet,
as shown in the following figure.
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Note:
• You do not need to set a backflow temperature in this case (in the Thermal tab)
because the material properties are not functions of temperature. If they were,
a flow-weighted average of the inlet conditions would be a good starting value.
• ANSYS Fluent will use the backflow conditions only if the fluid is flowing into the
computational domain through the outlet. Since backflow might occur at some
point during the solution procedure, you should set reasonable backflow condi-
tions to prevent convergence from being adversely affected.
e. For the wall of the elbow (wall-elbow) and the wall of the hot inlet (wall-inlet), retain the
default value of 0 W/m2 for Heat Flux in the Thermal tab.
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Setup and Solution
5.4.6. Solving
In the steps that follow, you will set up and run the calculation using the Solution ribbon tab.
Note:
You can also use the task pages listed under the Solution tree branch to perform solution-
related activities.
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Setup and Solution
Note:
You can also access the Residual Monitors dialog box by double-clicking the
Solution/Monitors/Residual tree item.
c. Retain the default value of 0.001 for the Absolute Criteria of continuity.
Note:
By default, the residuals of all of the equations solved for the physical models enabled
for your case will be monitored and checked by ANSYS Fluent as a means to determine
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the convergence of the solution. It is a good practice to also create and plot a surface
report definition that can help evaluate whether the solution is truly converged. You
will do this in the next step.
Note:
You can also access the Surface Report Definition dialog box by right-clicking Report
Definitions in the tree (under Solution) and selecting New/Surface Report/Mass-
Weighted Average... from the menu that opens.
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Setup and Solution
b. Enable Report File, Report Plot, and Print to Console in the Create group box.
During a solution run, ANSYS Fluent will write solution convergence data in a report file, plot the
solution convergence history in a graphics window, and print the value of the report definition to
the console.
This setting instructs ANSYS Fluent to update the plot of the surface report, write data to a file, and
print data in the console after every 3 iterations during the solution.
d. Select Temperature... and Static Temperature from the Field Variable drop-down lists.
f. Click OK to save the surface report definition and close the Surface Report Definition dialog
box.
The new surface report definition outlet-temp-avg will appear under the Solution/Report
Definitions tree item. ANSYS Fluent also automatically creates the following items:
4. Examine the report file settings of the created report definition (outlet-temp-avg-rfile).
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The Edit Report File dialog box is automatically populated with data from the outlet-temp-avg
report definition.
If you had created multiple report definitions, the additional ones would be listed under Available
Report Definitions , and you could use the Add>> and <<Remove buttons to manage which
were written in this particular report definition file.
b. (optional) Edit the name and location of the resulting file as necessary using the File Name
field or Browse... button.
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Setup and Solution
g. Enable Print.
i. Click OK to save the convergence condition settings and close the Convergence Conditions
dialog box.
These settings will cause Fluent to consider the solution converged when the surface report definition
value for each of the previous 15 iterations is within 0.001% of the current value. Convergence of the
values will be checked every 3 iterations. The first 20 iterations will be ignored, allowing for any initial
solution dynamics to settle out. Note that the value printed to the console is the deviation between
the current and previous iteration values only.
6. Initialize the flow field using the Initialization group box of the Solution ribbon tab.
Solution → Initialization
b. Click Initialize.
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a. (optional) Indicate the folder in which you would like the file to be saved.
By default, the file will be saved in the folder from which you read in elbow.msh (that is, the
introduction folder). You can indicate a different folder by browsing to it or by creating a new
folder.
c. Ensure that the default Write Binary Files option is enabled, so that a binary file will be written.
d. Click OK to save the case file and close the Select File dialog box.
8. Start the calculation by requesting 150 iterations in the Solution ribbon tab (Run Calculation
group box).
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Setup and Solution
b. Click Calculate.
Note:
By starting the calculation, you are also starting to save the surface report data at
the rate specified in the Surface Report Definition dialog box. If a file already exists
in your working directory with the name you specified in the Edit Report File dialog
box, then a Question dialog box will open, asking if you would like to append the
new data to the existing file. Click No in the Question dialog box, and then click
OK in the Warning dialog box that follows to overwrite the existing file.
As the calculation progresses, the surface report history will be plotted in the outlet-temp-
avg-rplot tab in the graphics window (Figure 5.2: Convergence History of the Mass-Weighted
Average Temperature (p. 217)).
Similarly, the residuals history will be plotted in the Scaled Residuals tab in the graphics
window (Figure 5.3: Residuals (p. 218)).
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Note:
You can monitor the two convergence plots simultaneously by right-clicking a tab
in the graphics window and selecting SubWindow View from the menu that opens.
To return to a tabbed graphics window view, right-click a graphics window title
area and select Tabbed View.
Since the residual values vary slightly by platform, the plot that appears on your screen may
not be exactly the same as the one shown here.
The solution will be stopped by ANSYS Fluent when any of the following occur:
• the surface report definition converges to within the tolerance specified in the Conver-
gence Conditions dialog box
• the residual monitors converge to within the tolerances specified in the Residual
Monitors dialog box
• the number of iterations you requested in the Run Calculation task page has been
reached
In this case, the solution is stopped when the convergence criterion on outlet temperature is
satisfied. The exact number of iterations for convergence will vary, depending on the platform
being used. An Information dialog box will open to alert you that the calculation is complete.
Click OK in the Information dialog box to proceed.
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Setup and Solution
9. Examine the plots for convergence (Figure 5.2: Convergence History of the Mass-Weighted Average
Temperature (p. 217) and Figure 5.3: Residuals (p. 218)).
Note:
There are no universal metrics for judging convergence. Residual definitions that are
useful for one class of problem are sometimes misleading for other classes of problems.
Therefore it is a good idea to judge convergence not only by examining residual levels,
but also by monitoring relevant integrated quantities and checking for mass and energy
balances.
The solution has converged when the Convergence Criterion for each variable has
been reached. The default criterion is that each residual will be reduced to a value
of less than 10–3, except the energy residual, for which the default criterion is 10–6.
Sometimes the residuals may not fall below the convergence criterion set in the case
setup. However, monitoring the representative flow variables through iterations may
show that the residuals have stagnated and do not change with further iterations.
This could also be considered as convergence.
• The overall mass, momentum, energy, and scalar balances are obtained.
You can examine the overall mass, momentum, energy and scalar balances in the
Flux Reports dialog box. The net imbalance should be less than 0.2 % of the net
flux through the domain when the solution has converged. In the next step you will
check to see if the mass balance indicates convergence.
10. Examine the mass flux report for convergence using the Results ribbon tab.
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a. Ensure that Mass Flow Rate is selected from the Options list.
b. Select cold-inlet, hot-inlet, and outlet from the Boundaries selection list.
c. Click Compute.
The individual and net results of the computation will be displayed in the Results and Net Results
boxes, respectively, in the Flux Reports dialog box, as well as in the console.
The sum of the flux for the inlets should be very close to the sum of the flux for the outlets. The net
results show that the imbalance in this case is well below the 0.2% criterion suggested previously.
In later steps of this tutorial you will save additional case and data files with different suffixes.
1. Display filled contours of velocity magnitude on the symmetry plane (Figure 5.4: Predicted Velocity
Distribution after the Initial Calculation (p. 222)).
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Setup and Solution
c. Ensure that Node Values and Boundary Values are enabled in the Options group box.
e. Select Velocity... and Velocity Magnitude from the Contours of drop-down lists.
g. Click Save/Display to display the contours in the active graphics window. Clicking the blue
z-axis arrow in the axis triad will orient the view with the z-axis, and clicking the Fit to Window
icon ( ) will cause the object to fit exactly and be centered in the window.
Note:
If you cannot see the velocity contour display, select the appropriate tab in the
graphics window.
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View → Display
Extra:
When you probe a point in the displayed domain with the right mouse button or the
probe tool, the level of the corresponding contour is highlighted in the colormap in
the graphics window, and is also reported in the console.
2. Create and display a definition for temperature contours on the symmetry plane (Figure 5.5: Pre-
dicted Temperature Distribution after the Initial Calculation (p. 224)).
You can create contour definitions and save them for later use.
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Setup and Solution
b. Select Temperature... and Static Temperature from the Contours of drop-down lists.
The new contour-temp definition appears under the Results/Graphics/Contours tree branch.
To edit your contour definition, right-click it and select Edit... from the menu that opens.
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3. Display velocity vectors on the symmetry plane (Figure 5.8: Magnified View of Resized Velocity
Vectors (p. 228)).
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The Auto Scale option is enabled by default in the Options group box. This scaling sometimes
creates vectors that are too small or too large in the majority of the domain. You can improve
the clarity by adjusting the Scale and Skip settings, thereby changing the size and number
of the vectors when they are displayed.
f. Set Skip to 2.
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Clicking the Fit to Window icon, , will cause the object to fit exactly and be centered in
the window.
4. Create a line at the centerline of the outlet. For this task, you will use the Surface group box of
the Results tab.
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Setup and Solution
b. Select Mesh... and Z-Coordinate from the Surface of Constant drop-down lists.
The range of values in the z-direction is displayed in the Min and Max fields.
f. Click Create.
The new line surface representing the intersection of the plane z=0 and the surface outlet
is created, and its name z=0_outlet appears in the From Surface selection list.
Note:
• After the line surface z=0_outlet is created, a new entry will automatically be
generated for New Surface Name, in case you would like to create another sur-
face.
5. Display and save an XY plot of the temperature profile across the centerline of the outlet for the
initial solution (Figure 5.9: Outlet Temperature Profile for the Initial Solution (p. 231)).
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b. Select Temperature... and Static Temperature from the Y Axis Function drop-down lists.
c. Select the z=0_outlet surface you just created from the Surfaces selection list.
d. Click Save/Plot.
The button that was originally labeled Save/Plot will change to Write....
f. Click Write....
ii. Click OK to save the temperature data and close the Select File dialog box.
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Setup and Solution
a. Select Density... and Density from the Field Functions drop-down lists, and click the Select
button to add density to the Definition field.
b. Click the X button to add the multiplication symbol to the Definition field.
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c. Select Velocity... and Velocity Magnitude from the Field Functions drop-down lists, and
click the Select button to add |V| to the Definition field.
d. Click y^x to raise the last entry in the Definition field to a power, and click 2 for the power.
e. Click the / button to add the division symbol to the Definition field, and then click 2.
g. Click Define and close the Custom Field Function Calculator dialog box.
The dynamic-head tree item will appear under the Parameters & Customization/Custom
Field Functions tree branch.
7. Display filled contours of the custom field function (Figure 5.10: Contours of the Dynamic Head
Custom Field Function (p. 233)).
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Setup and Solution
c. Select Custom Field Functions... and dynamic-head from the Contours of drop-down lists.
Tip:
Note:
You may need to change the view by zooming out after the last vector display, if you
have not already done so.
8. Save the settings for the custom field function by writing the case and data files (elbow1.cas.h5
and elbow1.dat.h5).
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Note:
When you write the case and data file at the same time, it does not matter whether
you specify the file name with a .cas or .dat extension, as both will be saved.
b. Click OK to save the files and close the Select File dialog box.
1. Define Cell Registers to Adapt the mesh in the regions of high temperature gradient.
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c. Select Temperature... and Static Temperature from the Curvature of drop-down list.
d. Click Compute.
ANSYS Fluent will update the Min and Max values to show the minimum and maximum temper-
ature gradient.
e. Enter a value of 0.0015 for the Cells having value more than.
A general rule is to use about 10% of the maximum gradient when setting the value for refinement.
f. Click Save and close the Field Variable Register daialog box.
2. Setup mesh adaption using the Cell Registers. For this task, you will use the Adapt group box
in the Domain ribbon tab.
a. Select the previously defined curvature_0 cell register from the Refinement Criterion drop-
down lists.
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Setup and Solution
ANSYS Fluent will not coarsen beyond the original mesh for a 3D mesh. Hence, it is not necessary
to select the Coarsening Criterion in this instance.
b. Click Adapt.
c. Click Display.
ANSYS Fluent will display the cells marked for adaption in the graphics window (Figure 5.11: Cells
Marked for Adaption (p. 237)).
Extra
You can change the way ANSYS Fluent displays cells marked for adaption (Figure 5.12: Al-
ternative Display of Cells Marked for Adaption (p. 239)) by performing the following steps:
i. Click Display Options... in the Adaption Controls dialog box to open the Display
Options - Adaption dialog box.
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iii. Ensure that only the Edges option is enabled in the Options group box.
v. Select all of the items except z=0_outlet from the Surfaces selection list.
vi. Click Display and close the Mesh Display dialog box.
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Setup and Solution
ix. Rotate the view and zoom in to get the display shown in Figure 5.12: Alternative
Display of Cells Marked for Adaption (p. 239).
x. After viewing the marked cells, rotate the view back and zoom out again.
3. Display the adapted mesh (Figure 5.13: The Adapted Mesh (p. 241)).
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c. Deselect all of the highlighted items from the Surfaces selection list except for symmetry-
xyplane.
Tip:
To deselect all surfaces, click the Deselect All Shown button ( ) at the top of
the Surfaces selection list. Then select the desired surface from the Surfaces selec-
tion list.
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The solution will converge as shown in Figure 5.14: The Complete Residual History (p. 242) and Fig-
ure 5.15: Convergence History of Mass-Weighted Average Temperature (p. 242).
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5. Save the case and data files for the Coupled solver solution with an adapted mesh (el-
bow2.cas.h5 and elbow2.dat.h5).
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Setup and Solution
b. Click OK to save the files and close the Select File dialog box.
The files elbow2.cas.h5 and elbow2.dat.h5 will be saved in your default folder.
6. Display the temperature distribution (using node values) on the revised mesh using the temper-
ature contours definition that you created earlier (Figure 5.16: Filled Contours of Temperature Using
the Adapted Mesh (p. 243)).
Right-click the Results/Graphics/Contours/contour-temp tree item and select Display from the
menu that opens.
7. Display and save an XY plot of the temperature profile across the centerline of the outlet for the
adapted solution (Figure 5.17: Outlet Temperature Profile for the Adapted Coupled Solver Solu-
tion (p. 244)).
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Figure 5.17: Outlet Temperature Profile for the Adapted Coupled Solver Solution
The button that was originally labeled Save/Plot will change to Write....
c. Click Write....
8. Display the outlet temperature profiles for both solutions on a single plot (Figure 5.18: Outlet
Temperature Profiles for the Two Solutions (p. 247)).
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Setup and Solution
b. Click the Load File... button to open the Select File dialog box.
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Each of these files will be listed with their folder path in the bottom list to indicate that they
have been selected.
Tip:
If you select a file by mistake, simply click the file in the bottom list and
then click Remove.
ii. Click OK to save the files and close the Select File dialog box.
c. Select the folder path ending in outlet_temp1.xy from the Curve Information selection list
(Curves group box).
The item in the Legend Entries list for outlet_temp1.xy will be changed to Before Adaption. This
legend entry will be displayed in the upper-left corner of the XY plot generated in a later step.
f. In a similar manner, change the legend entry for the folder path ending in outlet_temp2.xy
to be Adapted Mesh.
g. Click Plot and close the Plot Data Sources dialog box.
Figure 5.18: Outlet Temperature Profiles for the Two Solutions (p. 247) shows the two temperature profiles
at the centerline of the outlet. It is apparent by comparing both the shape of the profiles and the pre-
dicted outer wall temperature that the solution is highly dependent on the mesh and solution options.
Specifically, further mesh adaption should be used in order to obtain a solution that is independent
of the mesh.
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Summary
5.5. Summary
A comparison of the convergence speed for the SIMPLE and Coupled pressure-velocity coupling schemes
indicates that the latter converges much faster. With more complex meshes, the difference in speed
between the two schemes can be significant.
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Chapter 6: Exhaust System: Fault-tolerant Meshing
This tutorial is divided into the following sections:
6.1. Introduction
6.2. Prerequisites
6.3. Problem Description
6.4. Setup and Solution
6.5. Summary
6.1. Introduction
This tutorial illustrates the setup and solution of a three-dimensional turbulent fluid flow in a manifold
exhaust system. The manifold configuration is encountered in the automotive industry. It is often im-
portant to predict the flow field in the area of the mixing region in order to properly design the junction.
You will use the Fault-tolerant Meshing guided workflow, which unlike the watertight workflow used
in Fluid Flow in an Exhaust Manifold (p. 1), is appropriate for geometries with imperfections, such as
gaps and leakages.
– Define leakages
• Calculate a solution.
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Related video that demonstrates steps for setting up, solving, and postprocessing the solution results
for a turbulent flow within a manifold:
6.2. Prerequisites
This tutorial is written with the assumption that you have completed the introductory tutorials found
in this manual and that you are familiar with the ANSYS Fluent outline view and ribbon structure. Some
steps in the setup and solution procedure will not be shown explicitly.
A small pipe is placed in the main portion of the manifold where edge extraction will be considered.
There is also a known small leakage included that will be addressed in the meshing portion of the tu-
torial to demonstrate the automatic leakage detection aspects of the meshing workflow.
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Setup and Solution
6.4.1. Preparation
To prepare for running this tutorial:
4. Select Meshing in the top-left selection list to start Fluent in Meshing Mode.
6. Set Meshing Processes and Solver Processes to 4 under Parallel (Local Machine).
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Each task is designated with an icon indicating its state (for example, as complete, incom-
plete, etc. All tasks are initially incomplete and you proceed through the workflow com-
pleting all tasks. Additional tasks are also available for the workflow.
b. For CAD File, enter the path and file name for the CAD geometry that you want to import
(exhaust_system.fmd).
Using the Custom option allows you load the CAD objects, and selectively pick and choose
which parts you want to include in your CFD simulation as meshing objects. Selecting the One
per part option would load the CAD geometry and automatically create meshing objects for
every part.
This will load the CAD file's content into the CAD Model tree below.
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Setup and Solution
Note:
Items in the model trees that are checked indicate an object that is displayed
in the graphics window. Using the check boxes is not the same as selecting a
object in the tree to perform a particular operation.
iv. In the CAD Model tree, select the first part (main), hold the Shift button and select the
last part (object1), thereby selecting all of the parts.
You can also select the parts you require in the graphics window.
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v. Holding down the left mouse button, drag the collection of parts and drop them onto the
Meshing Model tree.
The parts in the CAD Model tree will become grayed out and will appear in the Meshing
Model tree. If you make a mistake, you can right-click the appropriate node in the Meshing
Model tree, and select the Restore to Cad Model option from the context menu, and the parts
will be restored to the CAD Model tree.
Note:
You can also select objects in the graphics window and add them to the tree.
Make sure that you select the check box for the top-level node in the Meshing Model tree to
view all of the parts of the meshing model in the graphics window.
vi. Select the top-level node in the Meshing Model tree and expand the Advanced Object
Settings list below the trees.
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Setup and Solution
Here, you can set specific properties on certain parts in the Meshing Model tree, such as
setting feature extraction angles and refaceting.
viii.Click the Copy Settings to Child Objects button. This will apply your setting to all child
parts underneath the selected parent node in the tree.
This will update the task, create meshing objects with the designated properties based on the se-
lected portions of the CAD model. This will also display the geometry in the graphics window, and
allow you to proceed onto the next task in the workflow.
Throughout the workflow, you are able to return to a task and change its settings using either the
Edit button, or the Revert and Edit button.
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a. In the Describe Geometry and Flow task, you are prompted for more information about the
geometry and flow.
b. Select Internal flow through the object for the Flow Type.
c. Enable Advanced Options to expose additional options that are required for this task.
Many workflow tasks have advanced options that you may want to inspect before updating a task.
d. Select Yes for the Does your geometry require feature extraction? prompt.
This particular geometry has a few areas that will require special feature extraction treatment.
e. Click Describe Geometry and Flow to complete this task and proceed to the next task in the
workflow.
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Setup and Solution
Select the Enclose Fluid Regions (Capping) task, where you can cover, or cap, any openings in
your geometry in order to later extract the enclosed fluid region.
i. In the Name field, enter inlet-1 for the name of the capping surface to be applied
to one of the manifold's inlets.
iv. In the list of zones, select inlet.1 as the opening that you want to cover.
For occasions when the list of items is long, you can use the Filter Text option and use
an expression such as in* to show only items starting with "in". Alternatively, you can
use the Use Wildcard option to list and pres-select matching items. See Filtering Lists and
Using Wildcards for more information.
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v. Click Create Cap(s) to complete this task and proceed to the next task in the workflow.
Once completed, this particular task will return you to a fresh task in order to assign
additional capping surfaces, if necessary. We will proceed to assign a cap for the re-
maining openings.
b. Repeat the previous steps, creating a cap called inlet-2 for the inlet.2 zone, and another
cap called inlet-3 for the inlet zone.
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Setup and Solution
Alternatively, you could also have selected all three inlet zones and created a single cap for all
three inlets.
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i. In the Name field, enter outlet-1 for the name of the capping surface to be applied
to the manifold's outlet.
iv. In the list of zones, select outlet for the outlet that you want to cover.
In the Extract Edge Features task, you can set various properties for the extraction of features
in your geometry.
In this tutorial, we will create a single extraction object to capture the features between the smaller
pipe and the main manifold.
Create a feature extraction object based on intersection loops between the smaller pipe and the
main manifold.
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ii. Select Intersection Loops for the Extraction Method Using field.
This will localize the feature extraction to the intersection of the small pipe (flow_pipe)
with the main manifold (main).
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v. Click Extract Edge Features to complete this task and proceed to the next task in the
workflow.
6. Identify regions.
In the Identify Regions task, you can choose the various regions that you want to use in your
simulation.
In this tutorial, we will identify the internal fluid region as well as the external (void) region outside of
the geometry. The external void region will be useful in identifying any potential leakages from within
the fluid region to the outer domain.
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Setup and Solution
i. For the Would you like to identify any fluid or void region(s)? prompt, keep the
default setting of yes.
iii. Keep the default Define Location Using setting as Centroid of Objects.
Once completed, this particular task will return you to a fresh task in order to identify ad-
ditional regions, if necessary. We will proceed to identify a void region.
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iii. Keep the default Define Location Using setting as Centroid of Objects.
This will ensure that the void region is located properly based on the centroid of the selected
objects.
vi. Click Identify Region to complete this task and proceed to the next task in the
workflow.
In the Define Leakage Threshold task, you can choose to define a threshold for when leakages
within your geometry can be identified and automatically patched.
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Setup and Solution
In the case of this tutorial, we know there is a potential leakage (a small opening in the main
manifold in the neck of the outlet) that we want to define a threshold.
e. Keep the default value of 6.4 mm for the Maximum Leakage Size.
This will display a cut plane through the domain that you can adjust using the Leakage Plane
controls. Use the Location slider and the Orientation fields to identify any potential leakages with
the current settings.
Rotate the display and examine the mesh. Note that there are no leakages present.
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i. Click Define Leakage Threshold to complete this task and proceed to the next task in the
workflow.
a. In the Update Region Settings task, you can review and revise a table of settings for the
defined regions.
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Setup and Solution
b. For the Displayed Regions field, select Identified Regions, as a means of simplifying the
listing to only show previously identified regions.
c. For fluid-region-1, change the Volume Fill setting from hexcore to tet, since, for internal
flow, we are interested only in using tetrahedral cells.
To change the setting in the table, double-click the cell to expose the drop-down menu options.
This is done since we do not want to consider the void region, however, we want to use the Leakage
Size threshold of 6.4 mm to detect any leakages from the fluid region into the void region when
that threshold is exceeded.
e. Click Update Regions to complete this task and proceed to the next task in the workflow.
In the Choose Mesh Control Options task, you can determine how much control you want when
generating the mesh: either through size controls; and/or through boundary layer settings.
For the purposes of this tutorial, you can keep the default settings in this task.
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a. For the Add Local Sizing task, keep the default size controls (default-curvature
and default-proximity) already populated with useful default settings.
a. In the Generate the Surface Mesh task, you can customize how the surface mesh is created.
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Setup and Solution
b. Click Generate the Surface Mesh to complete this task and proceed to the next task in the
workflow.
ANSYS Fluent will apply your settings (calculate size fields, closing leakages, remeshing surfaces,
calculating regions, etc.) and proceed to generate a surface mesh for the manifold geometry. You
can visualize the surface mesh by selecting the Draw Mesh button at the bottom of the task, and
adjusting the clipping plane controls accordingly.
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a. Select the Update Boundaries task, where you can inspect the mesh boundaries and confirm
and change any designated boundaries accordingly. ANSYS Fluent attempts to determine the
correct arrangement of boundaries automatically.
b. All the proposed boundaries are correct, so click Update Boundaries. and proceed to the next
task.
For the Add Boundary Layers task, select yes at the prompt as to whether or not you want to
define boundary layer settings. In this task, you can define specific details for capturing the
boundary layer in and around your geometry.
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Setup and Solution
These default settings create a continuous boundary layer along the walls of the fluid region.
ii. Click Add Boundary Layers to complete this task and proceed to the next task in the workflow.
a. In the Generate the Volume Mesh task, you can customize how the volume mesh is created,
primarily defining the final skewness for the volume mesh.
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b. Select the Enable Region Settings to view and edit volume fill settings, prior to actually
generating the fluid volume mesh.
c. Click Generate the Volume Mesh to complete this task and proceed to the next task in the
workflow.
ANSYS Fluent will apply your settings and proceed to generate a volume mesh for the manifold
geometry. Once complete, the mesh is displayed in the graphics window and a clipping plane is
automatically inserted with a layer of cells drawn so that you can quickly see the details of the
volume mesh.
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Setup and Solution
Mesh → Check
Now that a high-quality mesh has been generated using ANSYS Fluent in meshing mode, you can
now switch to solver mode to complete the set up of the simulation.
We have just checked the mesh, so select Yes when prompted to switch to solution mode.
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Physics → Solver
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6.4.5. Models
1. Set up your models for the CFD simulation using the Models group box of the Physics ribbon
tab.
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Note:
You can also use the Models task page, which can be accessed from the tree by ex-
panding Setup and double-clicking the Models tree item.
You will use the default settings for the k-ω SST turbulence model, so you can enable it directly from
the tree by right-clicking the Viscous node and choosing SST k-omega from the context menu.
6.4.6. Materials
Ordinarily, you would set up the materials for the CFD simulation using the Materials group box of
the Physics ribbon tab.
In this tutorial, we will keep the default assignment of air for the fluid zone.
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Setup and Solution
2. Apply the same conditions for the other velocity inlet boundaries (inlet-2, and inlet-3).
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6.4.9. Solution
1. Specify the discretization schemes.
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c. Select inlet-1, inlet-2, and inlet-3, from the Boundaries selection list.
d. Enable Report Plot and Print to Console in the Create group box.
e. Click OK to save the surface report definition and close the Flux Report Definition dialog
box.
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Setup and Solution
3. Monitor the total mass flow rate through the entire domain.
Perform the same procedure as described above, naming the report mass-tot, and selecting the
boundaries inlet-1, inlet-2, inlet-3, and outlet-1.
b. Select mass-tot from the Report Definitions drop-down list on the right.
d. Select mass-in from the Report Definitions drop-down list on the right.
e. Enable Report Plot and Print to Console in the Create group box.
5. Initialize the flow field using the Initialization group box of the Solution ribbon tab.
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Solution → Initialization
b. Click Initialize.
7. Start the calculation by requesting 100 iterations in the Solution ribbon tab (Run Calculation
group box).
As the solution progresses, the residuals history will be plotted in the Scaled Residuals tab
in the graphics window (Figure 6.3: Residuals (p. 283)).
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Setup and Solution
c. Similarly, the monitors will be plotted in their respective tabs in the graphics window.
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The net mass imbalance is a small fraction (less than 0.5%) of the total mass flow rate through
the system, which indicates that the solution has converged.
6.4.10. Postprocessing
1. Display path lines highlighting the flow field (Figure 6.5: Pathlines Through the Manifold (p. 285)).
b. Select Particle Variables... and Time from the Color by drop-down lists.
e. Select inlet-1, inlet-2, and inlet-3 from the Release from Surfaces list.
The new pathlines-1 definition appears under the Results/Graphics/Pathlines tree branch. To
edit your surface definition, right-click it and select Edit... from the menu that opens.
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a. Select Mesh... and X-Coordinate from the Surface of Constant drop-down lists.
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d. Click Compute.
e. Use the slider to locate the iso-surface in the middle of the geometry (approximately 380
mm).
The new surf-x-coordinate definition appears under the Results/Surfaces tree branch. To edit
your surface definition, right-click it and select Edit... from the menu that opens.
3. Create and define contours of velocity magnitude throughout the manifold along with the mesh.
b. Select Velocity... and Velocity Magnitude from the Contours of drop-down lists.
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Setup and Solution
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i. Click New Object and select Mesh to open the Mesh Display dialog box.
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Setup and Solution
ii. Select all of the surfaces under the Surfaces list, except the newly created surface.
iii. Click Save/Display and close the Mesh Display dialog box.
The new mesh-1 definition appears under the Results/Graphics/Mesh tree branch. The
new object also appears in the Scene dialog box.
d. In the Scene dialog box, set the Transparency to 90 for the mesh-1 graphical object.
e. Click Save & Display and close the Scene dialog box.
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Figure 6.7: Scene Containing the Mesh and Contours Throughout the Manifold
6.5. Summary
In this tutorial, you learned how to import a faulty CAD geometry, add modifications and enhancements,
generate a volume mesh, and set up, solve, and postprocess a CFD problem involving air flow through
a exhaust system.
Related video that demonstrates steps for setting up, solving, and postprocessing the solution results
for a turbulent flow within a manifold:
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Chapter 7: Modeling Hypersonic Flow
This tutorial is divided into the following sections:
7.1. Introduction
7.2. Prerequisites
7.3. Problem Description
7.4. Setup and Solution
7.5. Summary
7.1. Introduction
The purpose of this tutorial is to compute the flow around a re-entry capsule at hypersonic speed. The
simulated speed, trajectory, and ambient conditions are representative of such a vehicle as it passes
through the earth’s atmosphere at an altitude of approximately 50 [km].
• Model hypersonic flow, using high speed numerics, the two-temperature model for energy, and ap-
propriate models for the properties of air.
7.2. Prerequisites
This tutorial is written with the assumption that you have completed the introductory tutorials found
in this manual and that you are familiar with the ANSYS Fluent outline view and ribbon structure. Some
steps in the setup and solution procedure will not be shown explicitly.
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7.4.1. Preparation
To prepare for running this tutorial:
4. Select Meshing in the top-left selection list to start Fluent in Meshing Mode.
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Setup and Solution
6. Set Meshing Processes and Solver Processes to 4 under Parallel (Local Machine).
Each task is designated with an icon indicating its state (for example, as complete, incom-
plete, etc. For more information, see Understanding Task States in the Fluent User's Guide).
All tasks are initially incomplete and you proceed through the workflow completing all
tasks. Additional tasks are also available for the workflow. For more information, see
Customizing Workflows in the Fluent User's Guide.
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c. For File Name, enter the path and file name for the CAD geometry that you want to import
(CapsuleFlow.scdoc).
Note:
The workflow only supports *.scdoc (SpaceClaim), Workbench (.agdb), and the
intermediary *.pmdb file formats.
This will update the task, display the geometry in the graphics window and allow you to proceed
onto the next task in the workflow.
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Setup and Solution
The capsule geometry has been enclosed in a suitable flow domain, which should provide distinct
regions of inflow and outflow for a range of angles of attack, and avoids having the bow shock
that forms in such flows from contacting the inflow surfaces..
Note:
Alternatively, the ... button next to File Name can be used to locate the CAD geo-
metry file, after which, the Import Geometry task automatically updates, displaying
the geometry in the graphics window, and the workflow automatically progresses
to the next task.
Throughout the workflow, you are able to return to a task and change its settings using either the
Edit button, or the Revert and Edit button.
Local mesh sizing controls are added on the wall surfaces using face sizing, and in the flow volume
around the capsule using Bodies Of Influence (BOIs), in regions of flow of interest. Note that all
the mesh sizes, local and global, are coarser than would be typical for industrial use, in order to
ensure the mesh is not too large for tutorial purposes.
a. In the Add Local Sizing task, add local sizing controls to the faceted geometry by selecting
yes:
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In this tutorial, we will add local sizing around the surfaces of the capsule, since they are areas
where we require a more refined mesh.
In the Add Local Sizing task, you can add more local sizing controls to the faceted geometry.
Two bodies included in the geometry model are used for this purpose: one frustum-shaped
body to refine the flow region around and just downstream in the wake of the capsule, and
a second, toroidal body running along the sharp corner at the outer radius of the capsule.
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Setup and Solution
ii. Retain the default boi_1 for the Name of the size control.
The Add Local Sizing task can still be used to add more local sizing controls to the geometry.
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i. Retain the default boi_2 for the Name of the size control.
v. Click Add Local Sizing to complete this task and proceed to the next task in the workflow.
With the local sizing set as described above, the global surface mesh sizing only defines the largest
elements on other surfaces, farther away from the capsule, on the inflow, outflow, and symmetry
surfaces.
a. In the Generate the Surface Mesh task, you can set various properties of the surface mesh
for the faceted geometry.
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Setup and Solution
Note:
The red boxes displayed on the geometry in the graphics window are a graphical
representation of size settings. These boxes change size as the values change, and
they can be hidden by using the Clear Preview button.
e. Click Generate the Surface Mesh to complete this task and proceed to the next task in the
workflow.
When you select the Describe Geometry task, you are prompted with questions relating to the
nature of the imported geometry.
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a. Select The geometry consists of only fluid regions with no voids option under Geo-
metry Type, since this model contains only the fluid region.
c. Click Describe Geometry to complete this task and proceed to the next task in the
workflow.
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a. Select the Update Boundaries task, where you can inspect the mesh boundaries and confirm
and change any designated boundaries accordingly. ANSYS Fluent attempts to determine the
correct arrangement of boundaries automatically.
e. All the proposed boundaries are correct, click Update Boundaries and proceed to the next
task.
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a. Select the Update Regions task, where you can review and change the tabulated names and
types of the various regions that have been generated from your imported geometry and
change them as needed.
We can see that the only defined region is the fluid region.
b. The proposed region type is correct, so click Update Regions to update your settings.
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a. Select the Add Boundary Layers task, where you can set properties of the boundary layer
mesh.
For the Add Boundary Layers task, ensure yes is selected at the prompt as to define boundary
layer settings. In this task, you can define specific details for capturing the boundary layer in
and around your geometry.
c. Retain the default last_ratio_1 for the Name of the size control.
Many boundary layers are desired to model a well resolved flow near the wall.
With the local sizing set as described above, including bodies of influence, the global volume
mesh sizing only defines the largest elements in the flow domain. In this case, the maximum is
set to be consistent with the specified global surface mesh sizing.
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a. Select the Generate the Volume Mesh task, to set properties of the volume mesh.
ANSYS Fluent will apply your settings and proceed to generate a volume mesh for the wing geo-
metry.. The mesh is displayed in the graphics window and a clipping plane is automatically inserted
with a layer of cells drawn so that you can quickly see the details of the volume mesh.
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Setup and Solution
Mesh → Check
Now that a mesh has been generated using ANSYS Fluent in meshing mode, you can now switch
to solver mode to complete the set up of the simulation. Note that to obtain more accurate
solutions a higher quality mesh should be used.
We have just checked the mesh, so select Yes when prompted to switch to solution mode.
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7.4.3. Mesh
1. To examine the cells of the mesh around the capsule display the mesh with edges and faces en-
abled and the far-field boundary disabled.
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The cells near the surface have a relativlely higher resolution and high aspect ratios, to account for
the flow around the capsule.
7.4.4. Solver
1. Set the solver settings.
Setup → General
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7.4.5. Models
1. Select to solve the Energy Equation and with it the Two-Temperature Model option. In the two-
temperature model, one temperature is representative of the translational and rotational energy
of the air molecules, and the other of their vibrational and electronic energy. Accounting for this
thermal non-equilibrium is important for accurate simulations of hypersonic flows, most importantly
in the predictions of surface heat transfer and temperatures.
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You will use the default settings for the k-ω SST turbulence model, so you can enable it directly from
the tree by right-clicking the Viscous node and choosing SST k-omega from the context menu.
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7.4.6. Materials
The default Fluid Material is air, which is the working fluid in this problem. For hypersonic flows it is im-
portant to account for compressibility and variations of the thermophysical properties with temperature.
This is done automatically when selecting to use the two-temperature model, to ensure that appropriate
properties are used.
Retain the default properties for air that are set automatically in conjunction with the selection
of the Two-temperature Model:
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The Operating Conditions dialog box can also be accessed from the Cell Zone Conditions task page.
For information about setting the operating pressure, see the Fluent User's Guide.
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c. Enter 0.90630778 and -0.42261826 for the X-Component of Flow Direction and Y-
Component of Flow Direction, respectively.
These values are determined by the -25° angle of attack: cos -25°= 0.90630778 and sin -25° = -
0.42261826.
d. Retain Intensity and Viscosity Ratio from the Specification Method drop-down list in the
Turbulence group box.
e. Enter a value of 1% for Turbulent Intensity and 1 for Turbulent Viscosity Ratio.
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d. Retain Intensity and Viscosity Ratio from the Specification Method drop-down list in the
Turbulence group box.
e. Retain the default value of 1% for Turbulent Intensity and 1 for Turbulent Viscosity Ratio.
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7.4.9. Solution
1. Turn on high speed numerics in the TUI.
/solve/set/high-speed-numerics enable y
Enabling adaptive high-speed numerics for all Mach.
Reducing AMG termination criterion for flow (<0.01)
Activating divergence prevention
Activating limiter filter
Activating high-speed numerics
/solve/set/cafsm y 100
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b. Select AUSM (Advection Upstream Splitting Method) from the Flux Type drop-down list.
c. Select Green-Gauss Node Based from the Gradient drop-down list in the Spatial Discretiza-
tion group box.
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d. Select Second Order Upwind for Flow and Two-Temperature Model in the Spatial Discret-
ization group box.
e. Select First Order Upwind for Turbulent Kinetic Energy and Specific Dissipation Rate in
the Spatial Discretization group box.
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4. Create a force report definition to plot and write the drag force on the capsule
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c. Enter 0.9063078 for X and -0.4226183 for Y in the Force Vector group box.
e. In the Create group box, enable Report Plot and Print to Console.
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5. Similarly, create a force report definition for the lift force on the capsule.
c. Enter 0.4226183 for X and 0.9063078 for Y in the Force Vector group box.
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e. In the Create group box, enable Report Plot and Print to Console.
6. Create a flux report definition for the total heat transfer on the capsule
c. In the Create group box, enable Report Plot and Print to Console.
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Setup and Solution
b. Select Scale and Compute Local Scale in the Residual Values group box.
c. Select local scaling from the Reporting Option drop down list.
e. Ensure that Plot is enabled in the Options group box and click OK to close the Residual
Monitors dialog box.
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Solution → Initialization
FMG initialization often facilitates an easier start-up of a calculation, especially for hypersonic flows
in which extremely strong variations and gradients are present, and the initialized solution must
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Setup and Solution
adapt to reflect the given boundary conditions. Use of FMG initialization usually minimizes the
need for users to take other measures at start-up, such as gradually ramping up the CFL (Courant
Friedrichs Lewy) number, thereby reducing the number of iterations for convergence.
ii. Enter the text commands and input responses as shown in the boxes. Accept the default
values by pressing Enter when no input response is given:
solve/initialize/set-fmg-initialization
solve/initialize/fmg-initialization
Enable FMG initialization? [no] yes
Note:
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b. Click Calculate.
11. Save the case and data files (CapsuleFlow.cas.h5 and CapsuleFlow.dat.h5).
7.4.10. Postprocessing
1. Plot the Mach number distribution on the symmetry plane. This is one way to get an overall picture
of the flow field and important flow features, such as the detached bow shock ahead of the capsule,
flow expansion around its outer edge, and the wake behind the capsule.
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c. Select Velocity... and Mach Number from the Contours of drop-down lists.
f. On the Mesh Display dialog box that opens, select capsule from the Surfaces selection
list.
2. Plot the total surface heat flux distribution on the capsule surface. The heat flux distribution on
the surfaces shows which parts of the capsule are predicted to experience the greatest thermal
load and hence would need to be correspondingly protected thermally. Keep in mind that, by
convention, the heat flux out of the flow solution domain is negative, so the largest thermal loads
have a negative sign.
c. Select Wall Fluxes... and Total Surface Heat Flux from the Contours of drop-down lists.
e. Click Save/Display.
f. Change the light orientation to better visulaize the capsule surface. View →
Graphics → Lights...
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j.
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e. Click Define and close the Custom Field Function Calculator dialog box.
c. Select Custom Field Functions... and ttr-over-tve from the Contours of drop-down lists.
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f.
4. Another way to examine the thermal non-equilibrium is to define a line through the shock to the
surface of the capsule, along which to plot the two temperatures. We will define the line to be
approximately along a line representing the stagnation line, parallel to the trajectory of the capsule.
b. Enter the values for x0, x1, y0, y1, z0, and z1 as follows:
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d. Enable Write to File in the Options group box to save the radial velocity profile.
e. Click the Write... button to open the Select File dialog box.
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i. Enter trt-stag-line.xy in the XY File text entry box and click OK.
Be sure to double check the location where the files are being saved to ensure they will be saved
where you intend.
f. Similarly write an xy plot file for the Vibrational-Electronic Temperature along the stagnation-
line named tve-stag-line.xy.
b. Click the Load File... button to open the Select File dialog box.
ii. Click OK to save the files and close the Select File dialog box.
c. Select the folder path ending in trt-stag-line.xy from the Curve Information selection list
(Curves group box).
The item in the Legend Entries list for trt-stag-line.xy will be changed to Translational-Rotational.
This legend entry will be displayed in the upper-left corner of the XY plot generated in a later step.
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Summary
f. In a similar manner, change the legend entry for the folder path ending in tve-stag-line.xy
to be Vibrational-Electronic.
g. Enter Trt & Tve Temperature for the Title and Legend Label.
h. Click Axes... and set the Precision to 2 and close the Axes - Plot Data Sources dialogue box.
i. Click Plot and close the Plot Data Sources dialog box.
7.5. Summary
This tutorial demonstrated how to set up and solve the hypersonic flow around a re-entry capsule as
it passes through the upper atmosphere.
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Chapter 8: Modeling Transient Compressible Flow
This tutorial is divided into the following sections:
8.1. Introduction
8.2. Prerequisites
8.3. Problem Description
8.4. Setup and Solution
8.5. Summary
8.1. Introduction
In this tutorial, ANSYS Fluent’s density-based implicit solver is used to predict the time-dependent flow
through a two-dimensional nozzle. As an initial condition for the transient problem, a steady-state
solution is generated to provide the initial values for the mass flow rate at the nozzle exit.
• Calculate a steady-state solution (using the density-based implicit solver) as an initial condition for a
transient flow prediction.
• Use dynamic mesh adaption for both steady-state and transient flows.
• Calculate a transient solution using the second-order implicit transient formulation and the density-
based implicit solver.
• Create an animation of the transient flow using ANSYS Fluent’s transient solution animation feature.
8.2. Prerequisites
This tutorial is written with the assumption that you have completed the introductory tutorials found
in this manual and that you are familiar with the ANSYS Fluent outline view and ribbon structure. Some
steps in the setup and solution procedure will not be shown explicitly.
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8.4.1. Preparation
To prepare for running this tutorial:
4. Select Solution in the top-left selection list to start Fluent in Solution Mode.
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Setup and Solution
The mesh for the half of the geometry is displayed in the graphics window.
ANSYS Fluent will perform various checks on the mesh and will report the progress in the console. Ensure
that the reported minimum volume is a positive number.
The pressure for this problem is specified in atm, which is not the default unit in ANSYS Fluent. You
must redefine the pressure unit as atm.
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5. Mirror the mesh across the centerline (Figure 8.2: 2D Nozzle Mesh Display with Mirroring (p. 339)).
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8.4.3. Solution
1. Select the solver settings.
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a. Select Density-Based in the General task page (Solver group box, under Type).
The density-based implicit solver is the solver of choice for compressible, transonic flows without
significant regions of low-speed flow. In cases with significant low-speed flow regions, the pressure-
based solver is preferred. Also, for transient cases with traveling shocks, the density-based explicit
solver with explicit time stepping may be the most efficient.
Note:
You will solve for the steady flow through the nozzle initially. In later steps, you will
use these initial results as a starting point for a transient calculation.
8.4.4. Models
1. Enable the energy equation.
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8.4.5. Materials
1. Define the settings for air, the default fluid material.
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a. Select ideal-gas from the Density drop-down list in the Properties group box, so that the
ideal gas law is used to calculate density.
Note:
ANSYS Fluent automatically enables the solution of the energy equation when the
ideal gas law is used, in case you did not already enable it manually in the Energy
dialog box.
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Since you have set the operating pressure to zero, you will specify the boundary condition inputs for
pressure in terms of absolute pressures when you define them in the next step. Boundary condition
inputs for pressure should always be relative to the value used for operating pressure.
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Setup and Solution
The inlet static pressure estimate is the mean pressure at the nozzle exit. This value will be used
during the solution initialization phase to provide a guess for the nozzle velocity.
c. Retain Intensity and Viscosity Ratio from the Specification Method drop-down list in the
Turbulence group box.
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b. Retain Intensity and Viscosity Ratio from the Specification Method drop-down list in the
Turbulence group box.
If substantial backflow occurs at the outlet, you may need to adjust the backflow values to levels
close to the actual exit conditions.
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a. Retain the default selection of Least Squares Cell Based from the Gradient drop-down list
in the Spatial Discretization group box.
Note:
The default Courant number for the density-based implicit formulation is 5. For re-
latively simple problems, setting the Courant number to 10, 20, 100, or even higher
value may be suitable and produce fast and stable convergence. However, if you
encounter convergence difficulties at the startup of the simulation of a properly
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set up problem, then you should consider setting the Courant number to its default
value of 5. As the solution progresses, you can start to gradually increase the
Courant number until the final convergence is reached.
b. Enable Show Advanced Options and select none from the Convergence Criterion drop-
down list.
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4. Create the surface report definition for mass flow rate at the flow exit.
c. In the Create group box, enable Report File, Report Plot and Print to Console.
Note:
When Report File is enabled in the Surface Report Definition dialog box, the mass
flow rate history will be written to a file. If you do not enable this option, the history
information will be lost when you exit ANSYS Fluent.
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Solution → Initialization
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b. Click Initialize.
You will enable dynamic adaption so that the solver periodically refines the mesh in the vicinity of the
shocks as the iterations progress. The shocks are identified by their large pressure gradients.
a. Select New and Field Variable... from the Cell Registers drop-down list, so that you can set
up the refinement cell register.
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ii. Select Cells More Than from the Type drop-down list.
The mesh adaption criterion can either be the gradient or the curvature (second gradient). Be-
cause strong shocks occur inside the nozzle, the gradient is used as the adaption criterion.
iv. Select Scale by Global Average from the Scaling Option drop-down list.
v. Select Pressure... and Static Pressure from the Scaled Gradient of drop-down list.
ANSYS Fluent will update the Min and Max values to show the minimum and maximum pressure
gradient.
vii. Enter a value of 0.7 for the Cells having value more than field.
viii.Click Save.
ix. Click Close to close the Field Variable Register dialog box.
b. Select New and Field Variable... from the Cell Registers drop-down list, so that you can set
up the coarsening cell register.
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ii. Select Cells Less Than from the Type drop-down list.
iv. Select Scale by Global Average from the Scaling Option drop-down list.
v. Select Pressure... and Static Pressure from the Curvature of drop-down list.
ANSYS Fluent will update the Min and Max values to show the minimum and maximum pressure
gradient.
vii. Enter a value of 0.3 for the Cells having value less than field.
viii.Click Save.
ix. Click Close to close the Field Variable Register dialog box.
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Setup and Solution
Info: The hanging node adaption method will not be available for 2D cases in a future release
of Fluent. The PUMA 2.5D adaption method can be used instead. To use PUMA 2.5D, convert
the 2D mesh to a 3D mesh with a thickness of one cell layer, and enter the following text
command: mesh/adapt/set/method puma-2.5d
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Note:
When you write the case and data files at the same time, it does not matter whether
you specify the file name with a .cas.h5 or .dat.h5 extension, as both will be
saved.
10. Click OK in the Question dialog box to overwrite the existing file.
11. Review a mesh that resulted from the dynamic adaption performed during the computation.
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b. Ensure that only the Edges option is enabled in the Options group box.
d. Ensure that all of the items are selected from the Surfaces selection list.
The mesh after adaption is displayed in the graphics window (Figure 8.4: 2D Nozzle Mesh after
Adaption (p. 359)).
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f. Zoom in using the middle mouse button to view aspects of your mesh.
Notice that the cells in the regions of high pressure gradients have been refined.
12. Display the steady flow contours of static pressure (Figure 8.5: Contours of Static Pressure (Steady
Flow) (p. 361)).
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Setup and Solution
The steady flow prediction in Figure 8.5: Contours of Static Pressure (Steady Flow) (p. 361) shows the
expected pressure distribution, with low pressure near the nozzle throat.
13. Display the steady-flow velocity vectors (Figure 8.6: Velocity Vectors Showing Recirculation (Steady
Flow) (p. 363)).
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The steady flow prediction shows the expected form, with a peak velocity of approximately 300 m/s
through the nozzle.
You can zoom in on the wall in the expansion region of the nozzle to view the recirculation of the
flow as shown in Figure 8.6: Velocity Vectors Showing Recirculation (Steady Flow) (p. 363) .
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Important:
Although the mass flow rate history indicates that the solution is converged, you should
also check the mass flux throughout the domain to ensure that mass is being conserved.
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c. Click Compute and examine the values displayed in the dialog box.
Important:
The net mass imbalance should be a small fraction (for example, 0.1%) of the
total flux through the system. The imbalance is displayed in the lower right
field under Net Results. If a significant imbalance occurs, you should decrease
your residual tolerances by at least an order of magnitude and continue iterat-
ing.
Setup → General
Select Transient in the General task page (Solver group box, under Time).
2. The pressure at the outlet is defined as a wave-shaped profile, and is described by the following
equation:
(8.1)
where
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Enter the following expression for the outlet pressure as a function of time.
(0.12*sin(2200[Hz]*t)+0.737)*101325.0[Pa]
For the transient case, the mesh adaption will be done every 10 time steps.
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Setup and Solution
a. For Get Data Every, retain the value of 1 and select time-step from the drop-down list.
Because each time step requires 10 iterations, a smoother plot will be generated by plotting at
every time step.
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The selection of the time step is critical for accurate time-dependent flow predictions. Using a time
step of 2.85596 x 10-5 seconds, 100 time steps are required for one pressure cycle. The pressure cycle
begins and ends with the initial pressure at the nozzle exit.
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Setup and Solution
By requesting 600 time steps, you are asking ANSYS Fluent to compute six pressure cycles. The mass
flow rate history is shown in Figure 8.7: Mass Flow Rate History (Transient Flow) (p. 369).
6. Optionally, you can review the effect of dynamic mesh adaption performed during transient flow
computation as you did in steady-state flow case.
7. Save the transient case and data files (noz_uns.cas.h5 and noz_uns.dat.h5).
1. Request the saving of case and data files every 10 time steps.
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c. Retain the default selection of time-step from the Append File Name with drop-down list.
When ANSYS Fluent saves a file, it will append the time step value to the file name prefix (
noz_anim ). The standard extensions ( .cas.h5 and .dat.h5 ) will also be appended. This
will yield file names of the form noz_anim-1-00640.cas.h5 and noz_anim-1-
00640.dat.h5 , where 00640 is the time step number.
Tip:
If you have constraints on disk space, you can restrict the number of files saved by
ANSYS Fluent by enabling the Retain Only the Most Recent Files option and setting
the Maximum Number of Data Files to a nonzero number.
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Setup and Solution
The default value of 1 in the integer number entry box instructs ANSYS Fluent to update the anim-
ation sequence at every time step.
The In Memory option is acceptable for a small 2D case such as this. For larger 2D or 3D cases,
saving animation files with either the Metafile or PPM Image option is preferable, to avoid using
too much of your machine’s memory.
d. Click New Object and select Contours... from the drop-down list to open the associated dialog
box.
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i. Select Pressure... and Static Pressure from the Contours of drop-down lists.
iv. Enter 0.25 atm for Min and 1.25 atm for Max.
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The default value of 1 in the integer number entry box instructs ANSYS Fluent to update the anim-
ation sequence at every time step.
d. Click New Object and select Contours... from the drop-down list to open the associated dialog
box.
i. Select Velocity... and Mach Number from the Contours of drop-down lists.
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By requesting 100 time steps, you will march the solution through an additional 0.0028 seconds, or
roughly one pressure cycle.
With the autosave and animation features active (as defined previously), the case and data files will
be saved approximately every 0.00028 seconds of the solution time; animation files will be saved every
0.000028 seconds of the solution time.
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When the calculation finishes, you will have ten pairs of case and data files and there will be 100 pairs
of contour plots stored in memory. In the next few steps, you will play back the animation sequences
and examine the results at several time steps after reading in pairs of newly saved case and data files.
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Setup and Solution
b. Click the play button (the second from the right in the group of buttons in the Playback group
box).
Examples of pressure contours at s (the 630th time step) and s (the 670th
time step) are shown in Figure 8.10: Pressure Contours at t=0.017993 s (p. 378) and Figure 8.11: Pressure
Contours at t=0.019135 s (p. 378). These contour plots can be shown by selecting frame 30 and 70
in theFrame selector in the Playback dialog box.
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6. In a similar manner to steps 4 and 5, select the appropriate active window and animation sequence
name for the Mach number contours.
Examples of Mach number contours at s and s are shown in Figure 8.12: Mach
Number Contours at t=0.017993 s (p. 379) and Figure 8.13: Mach Number Contours at
t=0.019135 s (p. 379).
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Setup and Solution
Tip:
ANSYS Fluent gives you the option of exporting an animation as an MPEG file or as a
series of files in any of the hardcopy formats available in the Save Picture dialog box
(including TIFF and PostScript).
To save an MPEG file, select MPEG from the Write/Record Format drop-down list in
the Playback dialog box and then click the Write button. The MPEG file will be saved
in your working folder. You can view the MPEG movie using an MPEG player (for ex-
ample, Windows Media Player or another MPEG movie player).
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To save a series of TIFF, PostScript, or other hardcopy files, select Picture Frames in
the Write/Record Format drop-down list in the Playback dialog box. Click the Picture
Options... button to open the Save Picture dialog box and set the appropriate para-
meters for saving the hardcopy files. Click Apply in the Save Picture dialog box to
save your modified settings. Click Save... to select a directory in which to save the files.
In the Playback dialog box, click the Write button. ANSYS Fluent will replay the anim-
ation, saving each frame to a separate file in your working folder.
If you want to view the solution animation in a later ANSYS Fluent session, you can
select Animation Frames as the Write/Record Format and click Write.
Warning:
Because the solution animation was stored in memory, it will be lost if you exit
ANSYS Fluent without saving it in one of the formats described previously. Note
that only the animation-frame format can be read back into the Playback dialog
box for display in a later ANSYS Fluent session.
7. Read the case and data files for the 660th time step (noz_anim–1–00660.cas.h5 and
noz_anim–1–00660.dat.h5) into ANSYS Fluent.
8. Plot vectors at s (the 660th time step) (Figure 8.14: Velocity Vectors at t=0.018849
s (p. 382)).
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Setup and Solution
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The transient flow prediction in Figure 8.14: Velocity Vectors at t=0.018849 s (p. 382) shows the expected
form, with peak velocity of approximately 260 m/s through the nozzle at seconds.
10. In a similar manner to steps 7 and 8, read the case and data files saved for other time steps of
interest and display the vectors.
8.5. Summary
In this tutorial, you modeled the transient flow of air through a nozzle. In doing so, you learned how
to:
• set solution parameters for implicit time-stepping and apply a user-defined transient pressure
profile at the outlet.
• use mesh adaption to refine the mesh in areas with high pressure gradients to better capture
the shocks.
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Chapter 9: Using the Frozen Rotor Method
This tutorial is divided into the following sections:
9.1. Introduction
9.2. Prerequisites
9.3. Problem Description
9.4. Setup and Solution
9.5. Summary
9.6. Further Improvements
9.1. Introduction
In this tutorial, you will setup a general fluid flow simulation to evaluate the performance of a centrifugal
pump with a vaneless volute using the Frozen Rotor method.
9.2. Prerequisites
This tutorial is written with the assumption that you have completed the introductory tutorials found
in this manual and that you are familiar with the ANSYS Fluent outline view and ribbon structure. Some
steps in the setup and solution procedure will not be shown explicitly.
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Setup and Solution
9.4.2. Mesh
9.4.3. Models
9.4.4. Materials
9.4.5. Cell Zone Conditions
9.4.6. Boundary Conditions
9.4.7.Turbo Model
9.4.8. Solution
9.4.9. Postprocessing
9.4.1. Preparation
To prepare for running this tutorial:
4. Select Solution in the top-left selection list to start Fluent in Solution Mode.
9.4.2. Mesh
1. Read the mesh file pump_volute.msh.
As Fluent reads the mesh file, it will report the progress in the console.
9.4.3. Models
1. Enable the - SST turbulence model.
b. Click OK.
Compared to other two-equation models, the - SST turbulence model effectively predicts flow sep-
aration in turbomachinery, allowing for accurate evaluation of pump performance.
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9.4.4. Materials
1. Add water to the list of materials.
a. Click Fluent Database... to open the Fluent Database Materials dialog box.
b. Scroll down and select water-liquid (h2o <l>) from the list of materials.
c. Select Copy.
d. Close the Fluent Database Materials dialog box and the Create/Edit Materials dialog box.
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Setup and Solution
c. Ensure values of (0, 0, 1) for X, Y, and Z in the Rotation-Axis Direction group box.
The impeller will rotate relative to the absolute frame. By default, the correct rotation is set (about
the z-axis).
b. Ensure values of (0, 0, 1) for X, Y, and Z in the Rotation-Axis Direction group box.
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By default, the rotating wall is specified with a velocity of 0 relative to the impeller fluid zone.
The inblock shroud wall is stationary (velocity equal to 0) relative to the absolute reference frame.
The outlet has been automatically set as an inlet by Fluent. You must first change this boundary
condition to a mass flow outlet.
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Setup and Solution
The Frozen Rotor method will be modeled using the No Pitch-Scale (NPS) interface which allows
for connecting a 360-degree interface to another 360-degree interface.
d. Enable the General Turbo Interface option in the Interface Options group box.
e. Select No Pitch-Scale in the Pitch-Change Types group box under General Turbo Interface.
f. Click Create/Edit and close the Create/Edit Turbo Interfaces dialog box.
Fluent will perform various checks on the mesh and will report the progress in the console. Make sure
that the reported minimum volume is a positive number.
Note that if this step is performed before creating the mesh interface, the check will fail because Fluent
will detect that the interface is missing.
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9.4.8. Solution
1. Specify the solution methods.
a. Select Green-Gauss Node Based from the Gradient drop-down list in the Spatial Discretiza-
tion group box.
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Setup and Solution
b. Select Pressure... and Total Pressure from the Field Variable drop-down lists.
This automatically selects all the outlet boundary conditions that have been specified.
d. Click OK to save the surface report definition settings and close the Surface Report Definition
dialog box.
b. Select Pressure... and Total Pressure from the Field Variable drop-down lists.
d. Click OK to save the surface report definition settings and close the Surface Report Definition
dialog box.
b. Select Pressure... and Static Pressure from the Field Variable drop-down lists.
d. Click OK to save the surface report definition settings and close the Surface Report
Definition dialog box.
You can insert the report definitions you previously created using the Report Definitions drop-
down list under Select Operand Field Functions from and clicking Select.
The expression uses 998.2 as the density of water [kg/m^3] and 9.81 as the acceleration of the
fluid due to gravity [m/s^2].
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e. Click OK to save the expression and close the Expression Report Definition dialog box.
Solution → Initialization
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Setup and Solution
c. Click Calculate.
You can monitor the progression of the residuals and the pump head during the run.
9.4.9. Postprocessing
1. Determine the head generated from the pump
a. Select head and p-blade from the Report Definitions selection list.
b. Click Compute.
The head generated by the pump and pressure integral on the blade are printed to the console
and are approximately 20 [m] and 5560 [pascal m^2], respectively.
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b. Ensure that the Filled option is enabled in the Options group box.
d. Select Velocity... and Velocity Magnitude from the Contours of drop-down lists.
e. Deselect all surfaces and select Outlet from the Surfaces selection list.
g. On the Mesh Display dialog box that opens, deselect all surfaces and select the Wall surface
type from the Surfaces selection list.
i. Click Save/Display and close the Contours dialog box. Orient the view as shown in Fig-
ure 9.3: Contours of Velocity Magnitude at the Outlet (p. 394)
b. Ensure that the Filled option is enabled in the Options group box.
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Setup and Solution
e. Ensure Pressure... and Static Pressure are selected from the Contours of drop-down lists.
The increasing pressure in the flow domain can be seen in the contour plot.
b. Ensure that the Filled option is enabled in the Options group box.
d. Ensure Pressure... and Static Pressure are selected from the Contours of drop-down lists.
e. Select blade, impeller-hub and inblock-hub from the Surfaces selection list.
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9.5. Summary
In this tutorial you completed a fluid flow simulation to evaluate the performance of a pump and volute.
You created a custom expression to determine the head generated by the pump. While steady-state
simulation was used to model the pump performance using the frozen rotor method, this simulation
can be converted to a transient rotor stator simulation by following these steps:
• In the impeller cell zone, change the motion from Frame Motion to Mesh Motion by clicking
on Copy to Mesh Motion
You can watch a video of this case being set up, solved, and postprocessed at:
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Chapter 10: Modeling Blade Row Interaction using
Steady-State and Transient Simulations
This tutorial is divided into the following sections:
10.1. Introduction
10.2. Prerequisites
10.3. Problem Description
10.4. Setup and Solution
10.5. Summary
10.1. Introduction
In this tutorial, you will setup a fluid flow simulation to evaluate the performance of a 1.5 stage com-
pressor using a steady state mixing plane suimulaiton and then a transient pitch-scale simulation.
• Set up a mixing plane and pitch scale turbo interface models to simulate flow in a compressor.
10.2. Prerequisites
This tutorial is written with the assumption that you have completed the introductory tutorials found
in this manual and that you are familiar with the ANSYS Fluent outline view and ribbon structure. Some
steps in the setup and solution procedure will not be shown explicitly.
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mixing plane and a transient rotor/stator pitch-scale simulations will be performed to determine the
efficiency of the compressor.
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Setup and Solution
10.4.1. Preparation
To prepare for running this tutorial:
4. Select Solution in the top-left selection list to start Fluent in Solution Mode.
10.4.2. Mesh
1. Read the mesh file hannover_1.5Stage.msh.
As Fluent reads the mesh file, it will report the progress in the console.
10.4.3. Solver Settings for the Steady State Mixing Plane Model
In the Solver group box of the Physics ribbon tab, retain the default selection of the steady pressure-
based solver.
Physics → Solver
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10.4.4. Models
1. Set up your models for the CFD simulation using the Models group box of the Physics ribbon
tab.
b. Click OK.
Compared to other two-equation models, the - SST turbulence model effectively predicts flow sep-
aration in turbomachinery, allowing for accurate evaluation of pump performance.
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Setup and Solution
10.4.5. Materials
1. Set the properties for air, the default fluid material.
10.4.6. Cell Zone Conditions for the Steady State Mixing Plane Model
All fluid zones must be reviewed to ensure that the Rotation-Axisis specified correctly, as well as,
the Rotational Velocity for rotating zones.
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2. Ensure that the correct Rotation-Axis is specified for the a-igv and c-stator1 zones.
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Setup and Solution
The Operating Conditions dialog box can also be accessed from the Cell Zone Conditions task page.
10.4.8. Boundary Conditions for the Steady State Mixing Plane Model
1. Set the boundary conditions for the inlet.
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a.
iv. Retain Intensity and Viscosity Ratio from the Specification Method drop-down list in
the Turbulence group box.
v. Retain the default value of 5% for Turbulent Intensity and 10 for Turbulent Viscosity
Ratio.
vi. Click the Thermal tab and enter 288.15 K for Temperature.
vii. Click Apply and close the Pressure Inlet dialog box.
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a.
ii. Select From Neighbouring Cell for the Backflow Direction Specificaiton Method.
iii. Enable Radial Equilibrium Pressure Distribution and Average Pressure Specification.
iv. Retain Intensity and Viscosity Ratio from the Specification Method drop-down list in
the Turbulence group box.
v. Retain the default value of 5% for Turbulent Intensity and 10 for Turbulent Viscosity
Ratio.
vi. Click the Thermal tab and enter 300 K for Temperature.
vii. Click Apply and close the Pressure Outlet dialog box.
3. By default, when the fluid zone is rotating, all the walls attached to the fluid zone will be rotating.
Since the rotor has a tip gap and the shroud is stationary in the absolute frame, we need to
modify the wall boundary condition for the rotor shroud. Set the wall boundary condition for rotor.
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a.
4. Set the rotational periodic boundary conditions for the inlet guide vane, rotor and stator
symmetry-15 Periodic...
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a.
v. Click Create.
Similarily, create the periodic condtions for the rotor and stator.
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5. Create a mixing plane interfaces between the inlet guide vane and rotor and between the rotor
and stator.
a. Enable the Turbo Model and define the topology of the flow domain.
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d. Create a mesh interface between the inlet guide vane and the rotor.
ii. Select igv-r1-upstream for Interface Zone Side 1 and igv-r1-downstream for
Interface Zone Side 2.
iii. Select General Turbo Interface from the Interface Options group box.
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v. Click Create/Edit.
ii. Select r1-s1-upstream for Interface Zone Side 1 and r1-s1-downstream for Inter-
face Zone Side 2.
iii. Select General Turbo Interface from the Interface Options group box.
v. Click Create/Edit.
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c. Select Casing in the Boundaries group box and then select igv-shroud, rotor1-shroud
and stator1-shroud for the Surfaces.
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Setup and Solution
d. Select Theta Periodic in the Boundaries group box and then select periodic_igv, peri-
odic_rotor and periodic_stator for the Surfaces.
e. Select Inlet in the Boundaries group box and then select inlet for the Surfaces.
f. Select Outlet in the Boundaries group box and then select outlet for the Surfaces.
g. Select Blade in the Boundaries group box and then select igv-vane, rotor1-blade and
stator1-vane for the Surfaces.
Retain the default selection of Coupled from the Scheme drop-down list.
2. Create a surface report definition for quantities needed to calculate the compressor efficiency.
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b. Select Pressure... and Total Pressure from the Field Variable drop-down lists.
d. Click OK to save the surface report definition settings and close the Surface Report Definition
dialog box.
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Setup and Solution
b. You can insert the report definitions you previously created using the Report Definitions drop-
down list under Select Operand Field Functions from and clicking Select.
e. Click OK to save the surface report definition settings and close the Expression Report
Definition dialog box.
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e. Click OK to save the expression and close the Expression Report Definition dialog box.
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Setup and Solution
e. Click OK to save the expression and close the Expression Report Definition dialog box.
6. Specify the pump head percentage change to be the convergence condition to be used for solution
monitoring.
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b. Select Scale and Compute Local Scale in the Residual Values group box.
c. Select local scaling from the Reporting Option drop down list.
7. Initialize the flow field using the Initialization group box of the Solution ribbon tab.
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b. Select Use Specified Initial Pressure on Inlets and click OK to close the Hybrid Initialization
dialogue box.
c. Click Initialize.
c. Click Calculate.
d. As the solution progresses, the plots of pressure ratio, outlet mass flow rate and the efficiency
all flatten out indicating the solution has converged.
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Setup and Solution
1. Create spanwise surfaces for the inlet guide vane, rotor and stator.
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ii. Select Mesh... and Spanwise Coordinate from the drop-down lists.
vii. In a similar manner, create spanwise surfaces for the rotor-span=0.5 and stator-
span=0.5 and close the Iso-Surface dialog box.
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Setup and Solution
d. Select Velocity... and Velocity Magnitude from the Contours of drop-down lists.
e. Select igv-span=0.5, rotor-span=0.5 and stator-span=0.5 from the Surfaces selection list.
g. On the Mesh Display dialog box that opens, select igv-hub, igv-vane, rotor1-blade,
rotor1-hub, stator1-hub and stator1-vane from the Surfaces selection list.
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d. Ensure Pressure... and Static Pressure are selected from the Contours of drop-down lists.
e. Select igv-span=0.5, rotor-span=0.5 and stator-span=0.5 from the Surfaces selection list.
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Setup and Solution
d. Ensure Temperature... and Static Temperature are selected from the Contours of drop-down
lists.
e. Select igv-span=0.5, rotor-span=0.5 and stator-span=0.5 from the Surfaces selection list.
Physics → Solver
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a. Create a mesh interface between the inlet guide vane and the rotor.
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Setup and Solution
10.4.14. Cell Zone Conditions for the Transient Pitch Scale Model
The rotor zone needs to midified to use mesh motion.
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a.
ii. Click Apply and close the Pressure Outlet dialog box.
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Setup and Solution
a. Ensure Coupled from the Scheme drop-down list in the Pressure-Velocity Coupling group
box.
b. Select Second Order Implicit from the Transient Formulation drop-down list.
2. Modify the report plots to use an exponential axis for the flow time.
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d. Click Apply and close the Axes - Report Plots dialog box.
Similary, update the report plots for the mfr_out_360-rplot and p-ratio-rplot report plots.
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Setup and Solution
a. Select Period-Based from the drop down list for Method in the Time Advancement group
box.
b. The rotor is running at 17100 rpm and has 23 pasages. Therefore the period of the rotor is
0.000152555 seconds. Enter 0.000152555 for Period (s) in the Parameters group box.
f. Click Calculate.
g. The plots of pressure ratio, outlet mass flow rate and the efficiency display the transient nature
of the solution. The fluctuation in the efficiency, mass flow rate and pressure-ratio is expected,
and is due to the blade passing interaction.
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a. Disable the Global Range, Auto Range and Clip to Rangeoption in the Options group box.
b. Select Temperature and Entropy from the Contours of drop down list
c. Select igv-span=0.5, rotor-span=0.5 and stator-span=0.5 from the Surfaces selection list.
d. Click Compute.
f. Click Display.
g. View → Views..
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i. Select a-igv.
v. Select b-rotor1.
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viii.Select c-stator1.
b. Select Velocity and Velocity Magnitude from the Contours of drop down list
c. Click Display.
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a. Select Pressure and Static Pressure from the Contours of drop down list
b. Click Display.
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a. Select Temperature and Static Temperature from the Contours of drop down list
10.5. Summary
In this tutorial you completed a fluid flow simulation to evaluate the performance of a compressor.
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Chapter 11: Using Sliding Meshes
This tutorial is divided into the following sections:
11.1. Introduction
11.2. Prerequisites
11.3. Problem Description
11.4. Setup and Solution
11.5. Summary
11.1. Introduction
The analysis of turbomachinery often involves the examination of the transient effects due to flow in-
teraction between the stationary components and the rotating blades. In this tutorial, the sliding mesh
capability of ANSYS Fluent is used to analyze the transient flow in an axial compressor stage. The rotor-
stator interaction is modeled by allowing the mesh associated with the rotor blade row to rotate relative
to the stationary mesh associated with the stator blade row.
For turbomachinery applications, it is recommended that connecting rotating and stationary zones
utilizes General Turbo Interfaces (GTI) which can handle any pitch-change model. To know more about
GTI interfaces see tutorial Modeling Blade Row Interaction using Steady-State and Transient Simulations
in the Fluent Tutorials (p. 397). This tutorial will show an alternative way of connecting rotating and sta-
tionary zones (using periodic repeat interface). While this tutorial is using a turbomachinery application
the outlined procedure can be used for other flow applications that require the connection of similar-
pitch rotating and stationary zones.
• Set up the transient solver and cell zone and boundary conditions for a sliding mesh simulation.
11.2. Prerequisites
This tutorial is written with the assumption that you have completed the introductory tutorials found
in this manual and that you are familiar with the ANSYS Fluent outline view and ribbon structure. Some
steps in the setup and solution procedure will not be shown explicitly.
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Setup and Solution
11.4.1. Preparation
To prepare for running this tutorial:
4. Select Solution in the top-left selection list to start Fluent in Solution Mode.
11.4.2. Mesh
1. Read in the mesh file axial_comp.msh.
ANSYS Fluent will perform various checks on the mesh and will report the progress in the console. Ensure
that the reported minimum volume is a positive number.
Warnings will be displayed regarding unassigned interface zones, resulting in the failure of the mesh
check. You do not need to take any action at this point, as this issue will be rectified when you define
the mesh interfaces in a later step.
Orient the view to display the mesh as shown in Figure 11.2: Rotor-Stator Display (p. 444). The inlet of
the rotor mesh is colored blue, the interface between the rotor and stator meshes is colored yellow,
and the outlet of the stator mesh is colored red.
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Setup and Solution
4. Change zones rotor-per-1 and rotor-per-3 from wall zones to periodic zones.
b. While holding down the Ctrl key, click rotor-per-3 to add the tree item to the selection.
Note:
The first zone that is selected will be used as the periodic zone, while the second
zone will be used as the shadow zone. Although it is not significant in this case,
the order in which the two zone pairs are selected may affect simulation results.
c. Right-click the selected tree items and select Periodic... to open the Create Periodic dialog
box.
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11.4.4. Models
1. Enable the inviscid model.
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Setup and Solution
11.4.5. Materials
1. Specify air (the default material) as the fluid material, using the ideal gas law to compute density.
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a. Retain the default entry of air in the Name text entry field.
b. Select ideal-gas from the Density drop-down list in the Properties group box.
As reported in the console, ANSYS Fluent will automatically enable the energy equation, since this is
required when using the ideal gas law to compute the density of the fluid.
Setup → General
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Setup and Solution
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1. Set the cell zone conditions for the fluid in the rotor (fluid-rotor).
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Setup and Solution
c. Retain the default values of (0, 0, 1) for X, Y, and Z in the Rotation-Axis Direction group box.
d. Enter 37500 rpm for Speed in the Rotational Velocity group box.
2. Set the cell zone conditions for the fluid in the stator (fluid-stator).
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a. Retain the default values of (0, 0, 1) for X, Y, and Z in the Rotation-Axis Direction group box.
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1. Enter rotor-inlet into the Zone field to filter the zone list.
For information about the Supersonic/Initial Gauge Pressure, see the Fluent User's Guide.
c. Click the Thermal tab and enter 288 K for Total Temperature.
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Setup and Solution
2. Enter stator-outlet into the Zone field to filter the zone list.
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c. Click the Thermal tab and enter 288 K for Backflow Total Temperature.
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Setup and Solution
Note:
The momentum settings and temperature you input at the pressure outlet will be used
only if flow enters the domain through this boundary. It is important to set reasonable
values for these downstream scalar values, in case flow reversal occurs at some point
during the calculation.
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Note:
For wall zones, ANSYS Fluent always imposes zero velocity for the normal velocity
component, which is required whether or not the fluid zone is moving. This condition
is all that is required for an inviscid flow, as the tangential velocity is computed as part
of the solution.
Since you have specified the boundary condition inputs for pressure in terms of absolute pressures,
you have to set the operating pressure to zero. Boundary condition inputs for pressure should always
be relative to the value used for operating pressure.
2. Create a periodic mesh interface between the rotor and stator mesh regions.
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Setup and Solution
b. Click Manual Create... to open the Create/Edit Mesh Interfaces dialog box.
Enabling this option, allows ANSYS Fluent to treat the interface between the sliding and non-sliding
zones as periodic where the two zones do not overlap.
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Note:
In general, when one interface zone is smaller than the other, it is recommended
that you choose the smaller zone as Interface Zone 1. In this case, since both zones
are approximately the same size, the order is not significant.
g. Click Create/Edit... and close the Create/Edit Mesh Interfaces dialog box.
3. Check the mesh again to verify that the warnings displayed earlier have been resolved.
11.4.10. Solution
1. Set the solution parameters.
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a. Enter 0.5 for Momentum and Pressure in the Explicit Relaxation Factors group box.
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Setup and Solution
b. Enable Show Advanced Options and select relative from the Convergence Criterion drop-
down list.
c. Enter 0.01 for Relative Criteria for each Residual (continuity, x-velocity, y-velocity, z-velo-
city, and energy).
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b. In the Create group box, enable Report File, Report Plot and Print to Console.
e. Click OK to save the surface report definition settings and close the Surface Report Definition
dialog box.
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Setup and Solution
b. In the Create group box, enable Report File, Report Plot and Print to Console.
e. Click OK to save the surface report definition settings and close the Surface Report Definition
dialog box.
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6. Enable the plotting of the area-weighted average of the static pressure at the interface (stator-
interface).
b. In the Create group box, enable Report File, Report Plot and Print to Console.
c. Retain the default selection of Pressure... and Static Pressure from the Field Variable drop-
down lists.
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Setup and Solution
f. Click OK to save the surface report definition settings and close the Surface Report Definition
dialog box.
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c. Click Initialize.
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The time step is set such that the passing of a single rotor blade is divided into 15 time steps. There
are 16 blades on the rotor. Therefore, in each time step the rotor rotates 360/16/15=1.5 degrees.
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With a rotational speed of 37,500 rpm (225,000 deg/sec), 1.5 degrees of rotation takes 1.5 / 2.25e5
= 6.6667e-6 sec.
There are 16 blades on the rotor, and each rotor blade period corresponds to 15 time steps (see
above). Therefore, a complete revolution of the rotor will take 16*15=240 time steps.
d. Click Calculate.
The residuals jump at the beginning of each time step and then fall at least two to three orders of
magnitude. Also, the relative convergence criteria is achieved before reaching the maximum iteration
limit (20) for each time step, indicating the limit does not need to be increased.
Figure 11.3: Residual History for the First Revolution of the Rotor
10. Examine the flow variable histories for the first revolution of the rotor (Figure 11.4: Mass Flow Rate
at the Inlet During the First Revolution (p. 471), Figure 11.5: Mass Flow Rate at the Outlet During
the First Revolution (p. 471), and Figure 11.6: Static Pressure at the Interface During the First Revolu-
tion (p. 472)).
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Setup and Solution
Figure 11.4: Mass Flow Rate at the Inlet During the First Revolution
Figure 11.5: Mass Flow Rate at the Outlet During the First Revolution
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Figure 11.6: Static Pressure at the Interface During the First Revolution
The flow variable histories show that the large variations in flow rate and interface pressure that occur
early in the calculation are greatly reduced as time-periodicity is approached.
11. Save the case and data files (axial_comp-0240.cas.h5 and axial_comp-0240.dat.h5).
Note:
It is a good practice to save the case file whenever you are saving the data file
especially for sliding mesh model. This is because the case file contains the mesh
information, which is changing with time.
Note:
For transient-state calculations, you can add the character string %t to the file name
so that the iteration number is automatically appended to the name (for example, by
entering axial_comp-%t for the File Name in the Select File dialog box, ANSYS
Fluent will save files with the names axial_comp-0240.cas.h5 and axial_comp-
0240.dat.h5).
12. Rename the report output file in preparation for further iterations.
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Setup and Solution
13. Similarly, change the output file names for the surf-mon-2-rfile and surf-mon-3-rfile report file
definitions to surf-mon-2b.out and surf-mon-3b.out, respectively.
14. Continue the calculation for 720 more time steps to simulate three more revolutions of the rotor.
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15. Examine the flow variable histories for the next three revolutions of the rotor to verify that the
solution is time-periodic (Figure 11.7: Mass Flow Rate at the Inlet During the Next 3 Revolu-
tions (p. 475) Figure 11.8: Mass Flow Rate at the Outlet During the Next 3 Revolutions (p. 475), and
Figure 11.9: Static Pressure at the Interface During the Next 3 Revolutions (p. 476)).
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Figure 11.7: Mass Flow Rate at the Inlet During the Next 3 Revolutions
Figure 11.8: Mass Flow Rate at the Outlet During the Next 3 Revolutions
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Figure 11.9: Static Pressure at the Interface During the Next 3 Revolutions
16. Save the case and data files (axial_comp-960.cas.h5 and axial_comp-960.dat.h5).
17. Change the file names for surf-mon-1b.out, surf-mon-2b.out, and surf-mon-3b.out to surf-
mon-1c.out, surf-mon-2c.out, and surf-mon-3c.out, respectively (as described in a
previous step), in preparation for further iterations.
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Setup and Solution
a. Enter -0.02 for x0, -0.08 for y0, and -0.036 for z0 in the Point Surface dialog box.
19. Enable plotting of the static pressure at a point on the stator interface (point-1).
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b. In the Create group box, enable Report File, Report Plot and Print to Console.
c. Retain the defaults of Pressure and Static Pressure for Field Variable.
f. Click OK to save the surface report definition settings and close the Surface Report Definition
dialog box.
20. Continue the calculation for one final revolution of the rotor, while saving data samples for the
postprocessing of the time statistics.
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Setup and Solution
b. Enable Data Sampling for Time Statistics in the Options group box.
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Enabling Data Sampling for Time Statistics causes ANSYS Fluent to calculate and store mean
and root-mean-square (RMS) values of various quantities and field functions over the calculation
interval.
c. Click Calculate.
21. Save the case and data files (axial_comp-1200.cas.h5 and axial_comp-1200.dat.h5).
Figure 11.10: Static Pressure at a Point on The Stator Interface During the Final Revolution
11.4.11. Postprocessing
1. Examine the vertex-averaged static pressure at the stator during the final revolution of the rotor
(as calculated from surf-mon-4.out), and plot the data.
a. Click the Load Input File... button to open the Select File dialog box.
b. Click the Plot/Modify Input Signal... button to open the Plot/Modify Input Signal dialog
box.
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Setup and Solution
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e. Select exponential from the Type drop-down list, and set Precision to 1 in the Number
Format group box.
f. Click Apply and close the Axes - Fourier Transform dialog box.
g. Click Plot FFT and close the Fourier Transform dialog box.
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Setup and Solution
The FFT plot clearly shows that the pressure fluctuations due to interaction at the interface are
dominated by the rotor and stator blade passing frequencies (which are 10 kHz and 20 kHz, re-
spectively) and their higher harmonics.
2. Display contours of the mean static pressure on the walls of the axial compressor.
d. Select Unsteady Statistics... and Mean Static Pressure from the Contours of drop-down
lists.
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h. Rotate the view to get the display as shown in Figure 11.12: Mean Static Pressure on the Outer
Shroud of the Axial Compressor (p. 484).
Shock waves are clearly visible in the flow near the outlets of the rotor and stator, as seen in the areas
of rapid pressure change on the outer shroud of the axial compressor.
Figure 11.12: Mean Static Pressure on the Outer Shroud of the Axial Compressor
11.5. Summary
This tutorial has demonstrated the use of the sliding mesh model for analyzing transient rotor-stator
interaction in an axial compressor stage. The model utilized the coupled pressure-based solver in con-
junction with the transient algorithm to compute the inviscid flow through the compressor stage. The
solution was calculated over time until the reported variables displayed time-periodicity (which required
several revolutions of the rotor), after which time-averaged data was collected while running the case
for the equivalent of one additional rotor revolution (240 time steps).
The Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) utility in ANSYS Fluent was employed to determine the time averages
from stored flow variable report data. You also used the FFT utility to examine the frequency content
of the transient report data. The observed peak corresponds to the passing frequency and the higher
harmonics of the passing frequency, which occurred at approximately 10,000 Hz.
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Chapter 12: Using Overset and Dynamic Meshes
This tutorial is divided into the following sections:
12.1. Prerequisites
12.2. Problem Description
12.3. Preparation
12.4. Mesh
12.5. Overset Interface Creation
12.6. Steady-State Case Setup
12.7. Unsteady Setup
12.8. Summary
The purpose of this tutorial is to provide guidelines and recommendations for setting up and solving
a dynamic overset mesh case. Overset mesh allows you to build up your case using multiple overlapping
meshes that automatically get connected by interpolating cell data in the overlapping regions. The
overset meshing technique is used in conjunction with the Six Degree of Freedom (6DOF) solver, allowing
bodies to move as a result of fluid and/or external forces.
• Reading and appending mesh files into the Fluent solver and establishing a flow domain with
the overset approach from overlapping meshes.
• Best practices for overset mesh settings when two walls are close to each other or there is a very
tight gap.
• Running a steady-state calculation and continuing an unsteady calculation for the problem.
• Best practices for monitoring and diagnosing an overset case and postprocessing the results.
Note:
Overset meshing has many applications beyond store separation. Refer to Overset Meshes
in the Fluent User's Guide for additional information on overset meshing capabilities.
12.1. Prerequisites
This tutorial is focused on overset meshing and it assumes that you are familiar with the ANSYS Fluent
interface and that you have a good understanding of the basic setup and solution procedures. Some
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of the basic steps in the setup and solution procedure will not be shown explicitly. In this tutorial, you
will use the dynamic mesh model and the Six Degree of Freedom model. If you have not used these
models before, refer to the Section on Dynamic Meshes in the ANSYS Fluent User’s Guide. You will use
a UDF to specify the properties of the pod. If you have not used UDFs before, refer to the Fluent Cus-
tomization Manual.
The representation of the problem is shown in Figure 12.1: Schematic of Problem (p. 486) A close view
of the bay area and different walls with their interior zones are shown in Figure 12.2: Close View of Bay
Area (p. 487).
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Mesh
12.3. Preparation
1. Download the overset_dynamic_mesh.zip file here.
4. Select Solution in the top-left selection list to start Fluent in Solution Mode.
12.4. Mesh
1. Read the mesh file Overset-background-mesh.msh.
As ANSYS Fluent reads the mesh file, it will report the progress in the console. This mesh has three dif-
ferent zones that allow for a greater level of refinement where the pod will be falling and less refinement
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Using Overset and Dynamic Meshes
at the far field. Dividing the background mesh into multiple zones allows for non-conformal interfaces
between the other zones that will not be in the overset interface.
Note:
Fluent uses the terminology of a component mesh and a background mesh. The mesh
containing the moving object is called component mesh and stationary mesh is called
the background mesh. The outer boundary of component mesh is referred as component
boundary.
2. In this step you will create mesh interfaces between multiple zones in the stationary mesh. This
mesh has three cell zones- upstream, downstream, and fluid-background.
c. Click Create.
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Mesh
b. Click OK in the Warning dialog box that appears stating that some zone IDs have changed.
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c. If you have the Display Mesh After Reading option enabled in the Fluent Launcher, then
you must refresh the graphics window by right-clicking in the graphics window and selecting
Refresh Display.
Note:
Fluent will append the component mesh and two meshes will overlap each other.
If background and component meshes are present in the same mesh file, then you
can start directly from the mesh file without appending.
Note:
The mesh check fails with a warning. The warning states that there is an overset zone that is not a part
of any overset interface. If any zone already has overset type, we need to define overset-interface with
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Overset Interface Creation
available overset zone. If mesh does not have any overset type predefined, then this warning will not
come.
Note:
Fluent performs various checks on the mesh and reports the progress in the console
window. Pay attention to the reported minimum volume and make sure this is a positive
number.
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Note:
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Overset Interface Creation
b. Select fluid-background from the Background group box and component from the Com-
ponent group box.
/define/overset-interfaces/options/donor-priority-method 1
While establishing overset interface, Fluent does an optimization to get best location of the interface
while reducing the number of cells in the overlapping region that will participate in the calculation.
There are options to define the priority of the cell zones that will take part in the overset interface creation.
Zones defined as higher priority will be given more weightage. When cell zones have the same priority,
there are two methods that govern overlap minimization (see Overlap Minimization in the Fluent User's
Guide ): one method is cell volume based (proportional to the inverse of the cell volume) and other
method is boundary distance based (proportional to the inverse of the distance to the closest boundary).
Cell volume based works best if the component mesh resolution is fine near walls and increases
gradually away from walls and becomes similar in size to or larger than the background mesh.
Boundary distance based method works best where overlapping meshes have uniform and nearly
identical resolutions and therefore it is most suitable when two walls have small distance in between
them. In this example, the store wall is very near to the bay wall and the boundary distance based
method allows Fluent to create an overset interface somewhere middle of the gap. It is important to
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have sufficient cells overlapping each other between the gap region of two walls (at least 4 cells from
both walls), so it is better to create inflation layers on walls to resolve this requirement.
5. In this step you will create the overset intersection, also referred to as hole cutting. When the case
is initialized, ANSYS Fluent automatically creates the overset intersection. Experts have the option
to investigate how the intersection is created by enabling expert options in the TUI:
/define/overset-interfaces/options/expert? yes
With expert options enabled, you can create the intersection using the following command:
/define/overset-interfaces/intersect-all
When prompted to keep bounding cells, press the Enter key to accept the default option of no.
You can increase the overset verbosity to have Fluent print more information to the console for
any overset process. Verbosity settings range from 0 to 3 depending on the information required.
To increase verbosity, enter:
/define/overset-interfaces/options/verbosity 2
/define/overset-interfaces/list
Physics → Solver
12.6.2. Models
1. Enable the energy equation.
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Steady-State Case Setup
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12.6.3. Materials
Specify the properties for air.
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Steady-State Case Setup
c. Retain Intensity and Viscosity Ratio as the Specification Method in the Turbulence group
box.
d. Retain the default values of 5% and 10 for Turbulent Intensity and Turbulent Viscosity
Ratio respectively.
b. Retain Intensity and Viscosity Ratio as the Specification Method in the Turbulence group
box.
c. Retain the default values of 5% and 10 for Backflow Turbulent Intensity and Backflow
Turbulent Viscosity Ratio respectively.
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12.6.7. Solution
In this section you will specify solution methods and controls that are appropriate for this overset
meshing case.
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Steady-State Case Setup
1. In the Solution Methods task page, retain the default selections for the Spatial Discretization.
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a. Enable Report File and Report Plot in the Create group box.
For additional information on writing report files, refer to "Creating Report Files" in the Fluent User's
Guide.
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Enter 1e-06 as the Absolute Criterion for all of the Equations and then close the Residual
Monitors dialog box.
5. Ensure Hybrid is selected as the initialization method in the Solution ribbon tab.
Click Initialize.
Note:
If you are running in serial, then you must reorder the mesh prior to beginning
the calculation, using the mesh/reorder/reorder-domain text command.
This reordering is done automatically for parallel processes > 1.
b. Click Calculate.
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7. Check the mass imbalance for the inlet and outlet to confirm there is not a large difference.
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a. Enable Gravity.
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Unsteady Setup
Note:
This UDF contains the mass of the pod and its moments of inertia.
ANSYS Fluent sets up the directory structure and compiles the code. You can see the compilation in
the console window.
2. Disable Smoothing.
i. Click Create/Edit... in the Dynamic Mesh task page to open the Dynamic Mesh Zones
dialog box.
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vi. Enter 7.6 for X and 18.5 for Y in the Center of Gravity Location group box.
vii. Click Create to create the dynamic zone for the component.
Note:
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Unsteady Setup
iii. Retain the selection of On and disable Passive in the Six DOF group box.
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2. Enable Report File and Report Plot in the Create group box.
Note that the drag report definition created previously, report-def-0 for the steady state simulaiton
should be deleted. If not a Warning Message appears in the console notifying you that Data for the
following Report File can be wriiten to its file..
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Unsteady Setup
You can click Yes in the Warning Message to create a new report file.
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e. Click Calculate.
the simulation can take several hours depending on the compute capacity being utilized.
Open the transcript file and look for the warning of:
dead->solve cells
Ideally, no cells should go directly from being dead cells to being solve cells. A large number of cells
directly converting from dead to solve can affect the accuracy of the solution or cause divergence. If
you find that there is a large number of cells that went directly from dead to solve, then you can reduce
the time step size to decrease the likelihood of this issue occurring. If there are any dead to solve
cells present for this calculation run, the warning is printed as shown below:
WARNING: 1 overset dead->solve cells in interface overset-interface
Note:
Objects move their position with time in transient overset moving mesh cases, requiring
dead cells to convert into solve cells. Dead cells do not have proper solution data, so they
need to convert to receptor cells to get the required solution information before converting
to solve cells. If a dead cell converts directly into a solve cell, it may lack required informa-
tion and cause an improper result. Refer to "Diagnosing Overset Interface Issues" in the
Fluent User's Guide for additional information.
12.7.7. Postprocessing
1. Create contours of static pressure.
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Unsteady Setup
c. Ensure Pressure... and Static Pressure are selected from the Contours of drop-down lists.
e. Click Save/Display.
Note:
a. Read the pod-motion file into Microsoft Excel and plot flow time vs CG-orientation of
the pod.
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Unsteady Setup
In overset meshing all meshes are categorized into five cell types:
• Solve – (yellow in figures Figure 12.3: Cell Marking on component (p. 517) & Figure 12.4: Cell
Marking on fluid-background (p. 518)) cells that take part in the solution.
• Donor – (marked red in figures Figure 12.3: Cell Marking on component (p. 517) & Figure 12.4: Cell
Marking on fluid-background (p. 518)) provide information to corresponding cell zones.
• Receptor – (marked blue in figures Figure 12.3: Cell Marking on component (p. 517) & Fig-
ure 12.4: Cell Marking on fluid-background (p. 518)) receive information from donor cells in the
corresponding cell zones.
• Dead – (marked in red in figures Figure 12.5: Dead Cells in the Component (p. 519)) deactivated
cells located in regions of overlap between the background and component meshes, where
multiple cells are present in the same exact location. Only one set of cells in a region is allowed
to take part in the solution. Additionally, cells outside of the flow regime are marked as dead.
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• Orphan – receptor cells that cannot find a corresponding donor cell. Although Fluent has in-
telligence to deal with orphan cells, their presence should be avoided to reduce the risk of
solution inaccuracies and divergence.
define/overset-interfaces/mark-cells orphan no
This will show all of the orphan cells present in the case, unless you specify a particular zone. Marking
orphan cells creates a register that you can display via the define/overset-interfaces/dis-
play-cells text command. The marked cells are in the overset-orphan-cells-r0 register.
In this case there are not any orphan cells, so nothing is displayed in the graphics window. If you
mark solve cells or other cells types and display those registers, then it will appear in the graphics
window.
If large number of orphan cells are generated in a case, then it is advisable to modify the mesh ac-
cordingly.
Different type of cells can also be displayed creating contours of Cell Info and displaying the Overset
Cell Type for given surfaces.
Enable the following TUI command to include receptor cells in the contours display:
/define/overset-interfaces/options/render-receptor-cells? yes
The overset interface for this tutorial is created properly, but issues could arise during overset interface
creation for geometries with complex topology. ANSYS Fluent provides options to diagnose issues
and fix them. You can use the ‘debug hole cut’ option to understand more about flood filling of seed
cells or leakage between overlapping boundaries. For detailed information on overset mesh diagnosis,
refer to "Diagnosing Overset Interface Issues" in the Fluent User's Guide.
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Unsteady Setup
4. Display contours of the overset cell type on the surface you just created.
b. Disable Auto Range (which enables Clip to Range) in the Options group box.
c. Disable Node Values and Global Range in the Options group box.
d. Select Cell Info... and Overset Cell Type from the Contours of drop-down lists.
Note:
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Unsteady Setup
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b. Mark dead cells in component with the following TUI command: define/overset-in-
terfaces/mark-cells dead yes 29
c. Mark dead cells in fluid-background with the following TUI command: /define/overset-
interfaces/mark-cells dead yes 7
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Unsteady Setup
ii. Enter 1 for the text command prompt to display only the overset-dead-cells-fluid-
background-r1 register.
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12.8. Summary
In this tutorial, you have learned about overset meshing in ANSYS Fluent and its setup along with best
practices, by solving a store separation problem. You have also learned a few diagnostic techniques for
overset meshing and the postprocessing of results for a store separation case.
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Chapter 13: Modeling Species Transport and Gaseous
Combustion
This tutorial is divided into the following sections:
13.1. Introduction
13.2. Prerequisites
13.3. Problem Description
13.4. Background
13.5. Setup and Solution
13.6. Summary
13.7. Further Improvements
13.1. Introduction
This tutorial examines the mixing of chemical species and the combustion of a gaseous fuel.
A cylindrical combustor burning methane ( ) in air is studied using the eddy-dissipation model in
ANSYS Fluent.
• Enable physical models, select material properties, and define boundary conditions for a turbulent
flow with chemical species mixing and reaction.
• Initiate and solve the combustion simulation using the pressure-based solver.
13.2. Prerequisites
This tutorial is written with the assumption that you have completed the introductory tutorials found
in this manual and that you are familiar with the ANSYS Fluent outline view and ribbon structure. Some
steps in the setup and solution procedure will not be shown explicitly.
To learn more about chemical reaction modeling, see the Fluent User's Guide and the Fluent Theory
Guide. Otherwise, no previous experience with chemical reaction or combustion modeling is assumed.
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13.4. Background
In this tutorial, you will use the generalized eddy-dissipation model to analyze the methane-air combus-
tion system. The combustion will be modeled using a global one-step reaction mechanism, assuming
complete conversion of the fuel to and . The reaction equation is
(13.1)
This reaction will be defined in terms of stoichiometric coefficients, formation enthalpies, and parameters
that control the reaction rate. The reaction rate will be determined assuming that turbulent mixing is
the rate-limiting process, with the turbulence-chemistry interaction modeled using the eddy-dissipation
model.
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Setup and Solution
13.5.1. Preparation
To prepare for running this tutorial:
4. Select Solution in the top-left selection list to start Fluent in Solution Mode.
13.5.2. Mesh
1. Read the mesh file gascomb.msh.
ANSYS Fluent will perform various checks on the mesh and will report the progress in the console. Ensure
that the reported minimum volume reported is a positive number.
Since this mesh was created in units of millimeters, you will need to scale the mesh into meters.
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a. Select mm from the Mesh Was Created In drop-down list in the Scaling group box.
b. Click Scale.
c. Ensure that m is selected from the View Length Unit In drop-down list.
d. Ensure that Xmax and Ymax are reset to 1.8 m and 0.225 m respectively.
The default SI units will be used in this tutorial, hence there is no need to change any units in this
problem.
g. Clicking the Fit to Window icon, , will cause the object to fit exactly and be centered in
the window.
Note:
You should check the mesh after you manipulate it (scale, convert to polyhedra, merge,
separate, fuse, add zones, or smooth and swap). This will ensure that the quality of the
mesh has not been compromised.
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Setup and Solution
Extra:
You can use the right mouse button to probe for mesh information in the graphics
window. If you click the right mouse button on any node in the mesh, information will
be displayed in the ANSYS Fluent console about the associated zone, including the
name of the zone. This feature is especially useful when you have several zones of the
same type and you want to distinguish between them quickly.
Setup → General
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13.5.4. Models
1. Enable heat transfer by enabling the energy equation.
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Setup and Solution
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The Species Model dialog box will expand to provide further options for the Species Transport
model.
Note:
The Mixture Material list contains the set of chemical mixtures that exist in the
ANSYS Fluent database. You can select one of the predefined mixtures to access a
complete description of the reacting system. The chemical species in the system
and their physical and thermodynamic properties are defined by your selection of
the mixture material. You can alter the mixture material selection or modify the
mixture material properties using the Create/Edit Materials dialog box (see Mater-
ials (p. 529)).
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Setup and Solution
The eddy-dissipation model computes the rate of reaction under the assumption that chemical
kinetics are fast compared to the rate at which reactants are mixed by turbulent fluctuations (eddies).
f. Click OK to close the Information dialog box that describes solver relaxation setting changes.
Prior to listing the properties that are required for the models you have enabled, ANSYS Fluent will
display a warning about the symmetry zone in the console. You may have to scroll up to see this
warning.
Warning: It appears that symmetry zone 5 should actually be an axis
(it has faces with zero area projections).
Unless you change the zone type from symmetry to axis,
you may not be able to continue the solution without
encountering floating point errors.
In the axisymmetric model, the boundary conditions should be such that the centerline is an axis type
instead of a symmetry type. You will change the symmetry zone to an axis boundary in Boundary
Conditions (p. 532).
13.5.5. Materials
In this step, you will examine the default settings for the mixture material. This tutorial uses mixture
properties copied from the Fluent Database. In general, you can modify these or create your own mixture
properties for your specific problem as necessary.
The Create/Edit Materials dialog box will display the mixture material (methane-air) that was selected
in the Species Model dialog box. The properties for this mixture material have been copied from the
Fluent Database... and will be modified in the following steps.
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a. Click the Edit... button to the right of the Mixture Species drop-down list to open the Species
dialog box.
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Setup and Solution
You can add or remove species from the mixture material as necessary using the Species dialog
box.
i. Retain the default selections from the Selected Species selection list.
The species that make up the methane-air mixture are predefined and require no modification.
b. Click the Edit... button to the right of the Reaction drop-down list to open the Reactions
dialog box.
The eddy-dissipation reaction model ignores chemical kinetics (the Arrhenius rate) and uses only
the parameters in the Mixing Rate group box in the Reactions dialog box. The Arrhenius Rate
group box will therefore be inactive. The values for Rate Exponent and Arrhenius Rate parameters
are included in the database and are employed when the alternate finite-rate/eddy-dissipation
model is used.
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d. Retain the selection of mixing-law from the Cp (Specific Heat) drop-down list.
e. Retain the default values for Thermal Conductivity, Viscosity, and Mass Diffusivity.
The calculation will be performed assuming that all properties except density and specific heat are
constant. The use of constant transport properties (viscosity, thermal conductivity, and mass diffusivity
coefficients) is acceptable because the flow is fully turbulent. The molecular transport properties will
play a minor role compared to turbulent transport.
The symmetry zone must be converted to an axis to prevent numerical difficulties where the radius
reduces to zero.
To determine the zone for the air inlet, display the mesh without the fluid zone to see the boundaries.
Use the right mouse button to probe the air inlet. ANSYS Fluent will report the zone name (velocity-
inlet-8) in the console.
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c. Select Intensity and Hydraulic Diameter from the Specification Method drop-down list in
the Turbulence group box.
f. Click the Thermal tab and retain the default value of 300 for Temperature.
g. Click the Species tab and enter 0.23 for o2 in the Species Mass Fractions group box.
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Setup and Solution
c. Select Intensity and Hydraulic Diameter from the Specification Method drop-down list in
the Turbulence group box.
f. Click the Thermal tab and retain the default value of 300 for Temperature.
g. Click the Species tab and enter 1 for ch4 in the Species Mass Fractions group box.
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b. Select Intensity and Hydraulic Diameter from the Specification Method drop-down list in
the Turbulence group box.
e. Click the Thermal tab and retain the default value of 300 for Backflow Total Temperature.
f. Click the Species tab and enter 0.23 for o2 in the Backflow Species Mass Fractions group
box.
The Backflow values in the Pressure Outlet dialog box are utilized only when backflow occurs at the
pressure outlet. Always assign reasonable values because backflow may occur during intermediate it-
erations and could affect the solution stability.
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Use the mouse-probe method described for the air inlet to determine the zone corresponding to the
outer wall.
6. Set the boundary conditions for the fuel inlet nozzle (wall-2).
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i. Retain the default selection of Heat Flux in the Thermal Conditions list.
ii. Retain the default value of 0 for Heat Flux, so that the wall is adiabatic.
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Solution → Initialization
a. Retain the default Hybrid initialization method and click Initialize to initialize the variables.
b. Ensure that Write Binary Files is enabled to produce a smaller, unformatted binary file.
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The Timescale Factor allows you to further manipulate the computed Time Step calculated by ANSYS
Fluent. Larger time steps can lead to faster convergence. However, if the time step is too large it
can lead to solution instability.
c. Click Calculate.
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Note:
If you choose a file name that already exists in the current folder, ANSYS Fluent will
ask you to confirm that the previous file is to be overwritten.
13.5.8. Postprocessing
Review the solution by examining graphical displays of the results and performing surface integrations at
the combustor exit.
b. Select all the boundaries from the Boundaries selection list (you can click the select-all button
).
Note:
The energy balance is good because the net result is small compared to the heat
of reaction.
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Setup and Solution
2. Display filled contours of temperature (Figure 13.3: Contours of Temperature (p. 543)).
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d. Click the Vector Options... button to open the Vector Options dialog box.
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Setup and Solution
The fixed length option is useful when the vector magnitude varies dramatically. With fixed
length vectors, the velocity magnitude is described only by color instead of by both vector length
and color.
iii. Click Apply and close the Vector Options dialog box.
The entrainment of air into the high-velocity methane jet is clearly visible.
4. Display filled contours of mass fraction for (Figure 13.5: Contours of CH4 Mass Fraction (p. 546)).
c. Select Species... and Mass fraction of ch4 from the Contours of drop-down lists.
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5. In a similar manner, display the contours of mass fraction for the remaining species , , and
(Figure 13.6: Contours of O2 Mass Fraction (p. 546), Figure 13.7: Contours of CO2 Mass Frac-
tion (p. 547), and Figure 13.8: Contours of H2O Mass Fraction (p. 547)).
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Setup and Solution
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b. Select Temperature... and Static Temperature from the Field Variable drop-down lists.
(13.2)
c. Select pressure-outlet-9 from the Surfaces selection list, so that the integration is performed
over this surface.
d. Click Compute.
The Mass-Weighted Average field will show that the exit temperature is approximately 1841 .
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Setup and Solution
b. Select Velocity... and Velocity Magnitude from the Field Variable drop-down lists.
c. Click Compute.
The Area-Weighted Average field will show that the exit velocity is approximately 3.31 .
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a. Enable Thermal NOx and Prompt NOx in the Pathways group box.
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Setup and Solution
This will enable the turbulence-chemistry interaction. If turbulence interaction is not enabled,
you will be computing NOx formation without considering the important influence of turbulent
fluctuations on the time-averaged reaction rates.
ii. Retain the default selection of beta from the PDF Type drop-down list and enter 20 for
PDF Points.
The value for PDF Points is increased from 10 to 20 to obtain a more accurate NOx prediction.
d. Select partial-equilibrium from the [O] Model drop-down list in the Formation Model
Parameters group box in the Thermal tab.
The partial-equilibrium model is used to predict the O radical concentration required for thermal
NOx prediction.
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All of the parameters in the Prompt tab are used in the calculation of prompt NOx formation.
The Fuel Carbon Number is the number of carbon atoms per molecule of fuel. The Equivalence
Ratio defines the fuel-air ratio (relative to stoichiometric conditions).
f. Click Apply to accept these changes and close the NOx Model dialog box.
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Setup and Solution
a. Deselect all variables except Pollutant no and Temperature Variance from the Equations
selection list.
You will predict NOx formation in a postprocessing mode, with the flow field, temperature, and
hydrocarbon combustion species concentrations fixed. Hence, only the NO equation will be com-
puted. Prediction of NO in this mode is justified on the grounds that the NO concentrations are
very low and have negligible impact on the hydrocarbon combustion prediction.
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5. Save the new case and data files (gascomb2.cas.h5 and gascomb2.dat.h5).
6. Review the solution by creating and displaying a contour definition for NO mass fraction (Fig-
ure 13.9: Contours of NO Mass Fraction — Prompt and Thermal NOx Formation (p. 555)).
c. Select NOx... and Mass fraction of Pollutant no from the Contours of drop-down lists.
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Setup and Solution
Figure 13.9: Contours of NO Mass Fraction — Prompt and Thermal NOx Formation
b. Select NOx... and Mass fraction of Pollutant no from the Field Variable drop-down lists.
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d. Click Compute.
The Mass-Weighted Average field will show that the exit NO mass fraction is approximately
0.00445.
9. Disable the prompt NOx mechanism in preparation for solving for thermal NOx only.
11. Review the thermal NOx solution by displaying the contour-no-mass-fraction contour definition
for NO mass fraction (under the Results/Graphics/Contours tree branch) you created earlier
(Figure 13.10: Contours of NO Mass Fraction—Thermal NOx Formation (p. 556)).
Note that the concentration of NO is slightly lower without the prompt NOx mechanism.
12. Compute the average exit NO mass fraction with only thermal NOx formation.
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Setup and Solution
Tip:
Follow the same procedure you used earlier for the calculation with both thermal
and prompt NOx formation.
The Mass-Weighted Average field will show that the exit NO mass fraction with only thermal NOx
formation (without prompt NOx formation) is approximately 0.00441.
13. Save the new case and data files (gascomb2-thermal.cas.h5 and gascomb2-
thermal.dat.h5).
16. Review the prompt NOx solution by displaying the contour-no-mass-fraction contour definition
for NO mass fraction (under the Results/Graphics/Contours tree branch) (Figure 13.11: Contours
of NO Mass Fraction—Prompt NOx Formation (p. 558)).
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The prompt NOx mechanism is most significant in fuel-rich flames. In this case the flame is lean and
prompt NO production is low.
17. Compute the average exit NO mass fraction only with prompt NOx formation.
Tip:
Follow the same procedure you used earlier for the calculation with both thermal
and prompt NOx formation.
The Mass-Weighted Average field will show that the exit NO mass fraction with only prompt
NOx formation is approximately 9.87e-05
Note:
The individual thermal and prompt NO mass fractions do not add up to the levels
predicted with the two models combined. This is because reversible reactions are in-
volved. NO produced in one reaction can be destroyed in another reaction.
18. Use a custom field function to compute NO parts per million (ppm).
(13.4)
Note:
This is the dry ppm. Therefore, the value is normalized by removing the water mole
fraction in the denominator.
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Setup and Solution
a. Select NOx... and Mole fraction of Pollutant no from the Field Functions drop-down lists,
and click the Select button to enter molef-pollut-pollutant-0 in the Definition field.
*10ˆ6/(1-
Tip:
If you make a mistake, click the DEL button on the calculator pad to delete
the last item you added to the function definition.
c. Select Species... and Mole fraction of h2o from the Field Functions drop-down lists, and
click the Select button to enter molef-h2o in the Definition field.
f. Click Define to add the new field function to the variable list and close the Custom Field
Function Calculator dialog box.
19. Display contours of NO ppm (Figure 13.12: Contours of NO ppm — Prompt NOx Formation (p. 560)).
c. Select Custom Field Functions... and no-ppm from the Contours of drop-down lists.
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The contours closely resemble the mass fraction contours (Figure 13.11: Contours of NO Mass Frac-
tion—Prompt NOx Formation (p. 558)), as expected.
20. Save the new case and data files (gascomb2-prompt.cas.h5 and gascomb2-
prompt.dat.h5).
13.6. Summary
In this tutorial you used ANSYS Fluent to model the transport, mixing, and reaction of chemical species.
The reaction system was defined by using a mixture-material entry in the ANSYS Fluent database. The
procedures used here for simulation of hydrocarbon combustion can be applied to other reacting flow
systems.
The NOx production in this case was dominated by the thermal NO mechanism. This mechanism is very
sensitive to temperature. Every effort should be made to ensure that the temperature solution is not
overpredicted, since this will lead to unrealistically high predicted levels of NO.
The single-step reaction process used in this tutorial cannot account for the moderating effects of inter-
mediate reaction products, such as CO and . Multiple-step reactions can be used to address these
species. If a multi-step Magnussen model is used, considerably more computational effort is required
to solve for the additional species. Where applicable, the nonpremixed combustion model can be used
to account for intermediate species at a reduced computational cost.
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Further Improvements
For more details on the nonpremixed combustion model, see the Fluent User's Guide.
Radiation heat transfer tends to make the temperature distribution more uniform, thereby lowering the
peak temperature. In addition, radiation heat transfer to the wall can be very significant (especially here,
with the wall temperature set at 300 ). The large influence of radiation can be anticipated by computing
the Boltzmann number for the flow:
where is the Boltzmann constant (5.729 ) and is the adiabatic flame temperature.
For a quick estimate, assume , , and (the majority of the
inflow is air). Assume . The resulting Boltzmann number is Bo = 1.09, which shows that
radiation is of approximately equal importance to convection for this problem.
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Chapter 14: Using the Monte Carlo Radiation Model
This tutorial is divided into the following sections:
14.1. Introduction
14.2. Prerequisites
14.3. Problem Description
14.4. Setup and Solution
14.5. Summary
14.6. Further Improvements
14.1. Introduction
In this tutorial, radiation and conduction through coupled walls is solved using the Monte Carlo radiation
model to locate and determine the severity of any hotspots generated by the focusing of the sun's rays
through a headlamp lens.
• Set the boundary conditions for a heat transfer problem involving conduction and radiation.
Related video that demonstrates steps for setting up, solving, and postprocessing the solution results
for a turbulent flow within a manifold:
14.2. Prerequisites
This tutorial is written with the assumption that you have completed the introductory tutorials found
in this manual and that you are familiar with the ANSYS Fluent outline view and ribbon structure. Some
steps in the setup and solution procedure will not be shown explicitly.
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The headlamp assembly is modelled in an air volume with the boundaries maintained at a temperature
of 25 C. Two walls supply a 1200 w/m^2 heat flux to simulate the effect of the sun's rays shining on
the headlamp. The rays will travel into the headlamp through the front cover (polycarbonate, with an
absorption coefficient of 20 m^-1 and refractive index of 1.586) and be focused by the lens (glass, with
an absorption coefficient of 5.302 m^-1 and refractive index of 1.471).The rest of the components are
modelled as plastic and participate by absorbing, reflecting, and emitting radiation. The rim bezel is
modelled with an emissivity of 0.16, meaning 84% of incident radiation is reflected.
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Setup and Solution
14.4.1. Preparation
To prepare for running this tutorial:
4. Select Meshing in the top-left selection list to start Fluent in Meshing Mode.
6. Set Meshing Processes and Solver Processes to 4 under Parallel (Local Machine).
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Using the Monte Carlo Radiation Model
Each task is designated with an icon indicating its state (for example, as complete, incom-
plete, etc. For more information, see Understanding Task States in the Fluent User's Guide).
All tasks are initially incomplete and you proceed through the workflow completing all
tasks. Additional tasks are also available for the workflow. For more information, see
Customizing Workflows in the Fluent User's Guide.
d. For File Name, enter the path and file name for the CAD geometry that you want to import
(headlamp.scdoc).
Note:
The workflow only supports *.scdoc (SpaceClaim) and the intermediary *.pmdb
file formats.
This will update the task, display the geometry in the graphics window (Figure 3.2: The Imported
CAD Geometry for the Catalytic Converter (p. 90)), and allow you to proceed onto the next task in
the workflow.
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Setup and Solution
Note:
Alternatively, you can use the ... button next to File Name to locate the CAD geo-
metry file, after which, the Import Geometry task automatically updates, displaying
the geometry in the graphics window, and the workflow automatically progresses
to the next task.
Throughout the workflow, you are able to return to a task and change its settings using either the
Edit button, or the Revert and Edit button. For more information, see Editing Tasks in the Fluent
User's Guide.
a. In the Add Local Sizing task, you are prompted as to whether or not you would like to add
local sizing controls to the faceted geometry.
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In this tutorial, we will add local sizing in and around the lens, since that is an area where we require
a more refined mesh for the radiation simulation. Later, we will apply settings for a coarser surface
mesh elsewhere.
For occasions when the list of items is long, you can use the Filter Text option and use an ex-
pression such as in* to show only items starting with "in". Alternatively, you can use the Use
Wildcard option to list and pres-select matching items. See Filtering Lists and Using Wildcards
for more information.
b. In the Add Local Sizing task, you can add additional local sizing controls to the faceted geo-
metry.
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Setup and Solution
You can now see the boi_lens task in the workflow, which can be selected to change its settings.
The Add Local Sizing task can still be used to add more local sizing controls to the geometry.
vi. Click Add Local Sizing to complete this task and proceed to the next task in the workflow.
a. In the Generate the Surface Mesh task, you can set various properties of the surface mesh
for the faceted geometry.
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Using the Monte Carlo Radiation Model
Note:
The red boxes displayed on the geometry in the graphics window are a graphical
representation of size settings. These boxes change size as the values change, and
they can be hidden by using the Clear Preview button.
d. Click Generate the Surface Mesh to complete this task and proceed to the next task in the
workflow.
When you select the Describe Geometry task, you are prompted with questions relating to the
nature of the imported geometry.
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Setup and Solution
a. Select The geometry consists of both fluid and solid regions and/or voids option under
Geometry Type, since this model contains both fluid and solids, and potential voids.
c. Click Describe Geometry to complete this task and proceed to the next task in the
workflow.
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a. Select the Update Boundaries task, where you can inspect the mesh boundaries and confirm
and change any designated boundaries accordingly. ANSYS Fluent attempts to determine the
correct arrangement of boundaries automatically.
b. The proposed boundary is correct, so click Update Boundaries and proceed to the next task.
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Setup and Solution
a. Select the Create Regions task, where you can determine the number of fluid regions that
need to be extracted. ANSYS Fluent attempts to determine the number of fluid regions to
extract automatically.
b. For the Estimated Number of Fluid Regions, keep the default selection of 1.
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a. Select the Update Regions task, where you can review and change the tabulated names and
types of the various regions that have been generated from your imported geometry, and
change them as needed.
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Setup and Solution
a. Select the Add Boundary Layers task, where you can set properties of the boundary layer
mesh.
For the Add Boundary Layers task, select no at the prompt as to whether or not you want
to define boundary layer settings.
Since well resolved flows near the walls are not necessary, the exclusion of boundary layers will
simplify the mesh and keep cell counts low.
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Using the Monte Carlo Radiation Model
a. Select the Generate the Volume Mesh task, where you can set properties of the volume mesh
itself.
b. Keep the default settings, and click Generate the Volume Mesh.
ANSYS Fluent will apply your settings and proceed to generate a volume mesh for the manifold
geometry. Once complete, the mesh is displayed in the graphics window and a clipping plane is
automatically inserted with a layer of cells drawn so that you can quickly see the details of the
volume mesh.
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Setup and Solution
Mesh → Check
Now that a high-quality mesh has been generated using ANSYS Fluent in meshing mode, you can
now switch to solver mode to complete the set up of the simulation.
We have just checked the mesh, so select Yes when prompted to switch to solution mode.
14.4.3. Mesh
1. Display and examine the mesh.
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b. Ensure that all surfaces are selected from the Surfaces selection list.
The graphics display will be updated to show only the headlamp mesh.
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Setup and Solution
14.4.4. Models
1. Enable the energy equation.
Physics → Models
a. Enable Energy.
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Setup and Solution
The MC model is a statistical radiation model that tracks a sample of photons through the
system. The size of this sample is determined by Target Number of Histories. In general, the
larger the number of histories, the more accurate the simulation at the expense of compute
time. In this tutorial, a relatively low number is used for demonstration purposes. In practice,
this number may need to be increased to achieve suitable results.
The MC model is preferred in this case because of the collimated beam type irradiation being
modelled. The Discrete Ordinates model would require very high angular discretization and,
therefore, would be computationally expensive. The Surface to Surface model assumes all ra-
diation to be diffuse and so would not capture the specular nature of the focusing of rays by
the lens.
14.4.5. Materials
1. Define a new material, glass.
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Using the Monte Carlo Radiation Model
Field Setting
Name glass
Density 2650 kg/m3
Cp (Specific Heat) 1887 j/kg-k
Thermal Conductivity 7.6 w/m-k
Absorption Coefficient 5.302 m^-1
Refractive Index 1.4714
d. Click Change/Create and select Yes to overwrite aluminum, since it will not be used in this
case.
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Setup and Solution
Field Setting
Name plastic
Density 1545.3 kg/m3
Cp (Specific Heat) 2302 j/kg-k
Thermal Conductivity 0.316 w/m-k
Absorption Coefficient 0
Refractive Index 1
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Using the Monte Carlo Radiation Model
2. Copy the cell zone conditions for bezel to holder, housing, inner-bezel, reflector, rim-bezel, and
seating-steel-rim.
b. In the To Cell Zones list, select holder, housing, inner-bezel, reflector, rim-bezel, and
seating-steel-rim.
c. Click Copy.
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Setup and Solution
b. Click Select All Shown ( ) to select all boundaries in the To Boundary Zones list.
c. Click Copy.
c. Click Copy.
6. Copy the boundary conditions for enclosure-rim-bezel to other rim bezel boundaries.
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Using the Monte Carlo Radiation Model
c. Click Copy.
a. Click the Thermal tab and select Temperature from the Thermal Conditions list.
14.4.8. Solution
1. Specify the discretization schemes..
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Setup and Solution
b. Enable Show Advanced Options and select none from the Convergence Criterion drop-
down list so that automatic convergence checking does not occur.
3. Create a surface report definition for max temperature on the inner bezel.
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Using the Monte Carlo Radiation Model
b. In the Create group box, enable Report Plot and Print to Console.
Note:
Unlike residual values, data from other reports is not saved as part of the solution
set when the ANSYS Fluent data file is saved. If you want to access the surface report
data in future ANSYS Fluent sessions, you can enable the Report File option. The
report file will be saved in your working directory.
c. Select Temperature... and Static Temperature from the Field Variable drop-down lists.
e. Click OK to save the surface report definition settings and close the Surface Report Definition
dialog box.
b. Click Calculate.
You can monitor the progression of the residuals and the temperature report of the inner bezel during
the run. The residuals spike every 20 iterations when the Monte Carlo model is called and the radiation
quantities are updated. This case is run for a relatively small number of iterations for demonstration
purposes but the temperature on the inner bezel could be monitored for many more iterations until it
reaches a relative steady state.
14.4.9. Postprocessing
1. Create a contour of temperature on the inner bezel.
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Setup and Solution
d. Select Temperature... and Static Temperature from the Contours of drop-down lists.
f. Click Save/Display.
There is a clear hotspot on the inner bezel. You can use the draw mesh function to look at the
location of the hotpsot in relation to the lens.
g. Enable the Draw Mesh option in the Options group box to open the Mesh Display dialog
box.
i. Deselect all surfaces, then select enclosure-lens from the Surfaces list.
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h. Click Save/Display.
Note:
On highly angular geometries, such as the inner bezel, the Gouraud lighting
method (used by default with the Automatic lighting method) will round off
corners. You may want to consider changing the lighting method to Flat in
the View tab to obtain the view as shown below.
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Setup and Solution
c. Select Radiation... and Radiation Intensity.Normalized Std Deviation from the Contours
of drop-down lists.
d. Select all surfaces, then deselect enclosure:1 and rad-input from the Surfaces selection list.
The standard deviation is generally less than 30, but still exceeds this value in many small areas,
which is undesirable. Increasing the number of histories in the Monte Carlo radiation model would
lower the standard deviation and improve the results, at the cost of the simulation being more
computationally expensive.
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Using the Monte Carlo Radiation Model
Figure 14.5: Contour of Radiation Intensity Normalized Standard Deviation on Inner Bezel
14.5. Summary
In this tutorial you completed a conduction and radiation simulation to investigate the occurrence of
any hot spots generated by the focusing of rays by the headlamp lens. The MC radiation model is ap-
propriate for modeling collimated beam type radiation where the discretization methods used in the
DO model might be computationally expensive.
You can watch a video of this case being set up, solved, and postprocessed at:
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Chapter 15: Using the Eddy Dissipation and Steady
Diffusion Flamelet Combustion Models
This tutorial is divided into the following sections:
15.1. Introduction
15.2. Prerequisites
15.3. Problem Description
15.4. Setup and Solution
15.5. Steady Diffusion Flamelet Model Setup and Solution
15.6. Summary
15.1. Introduction
This tutorial examines the reacting flow through a can combustor that burns methane in air in order
to determine the combustor performance. In this tutorial, you will first mesh the geometry in the ANSYS
Fluent Meshing and then simulate the combustion process using the Eddy Dissipation model. You will
then repeat the simulation using the steady flamelet model and compare the results of these two ap-
proaches.
15.2. Prerequisites
This tutorial is written with the assumption that you have completed the introductory tutorials found
in this manual and that you are familiar with the ANSYS Fluent outline view and ribbon structure. Some
steps in the setup and solution procedure will not be shown explicitly.
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Using the Eddy Dissipation and Steady Diffusion Flamelet Combustion Models
Compressed primary air is forced into the combustion chamber at 10 m/s through the main inlet at the
base of the canister. Six swirl inlet vanes guide the incoming air into the canister and facilitate its mixing
with pure methane for proper combustion. Methane is injected through six fuel inlets with a velocity
of 40 m/s. As the reacting mixture proceeds through the canister, secondary air is fed into the combustion
chamber at a velocity of 6 m/s through six secondary air inlets downstream from the primary combustion
zone. This helps increase the combustion efficiency and also cool the can walls as they are exposed to
the hot reacting flow. The fuel and oxidizer enter the combustion chamber at 300 K.
In this tutorial, the quantitative analysis of the combusting mixture is performed and the following
quantities are determined:
• The temperature distribution inside the combustor that burns methane in air
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Setup and Solution
You can also watch a video that demonstrates how to setup, solve, and postprocess the solution results
for diffusion-controlled combustion at:
15.4.1. Preparation
To prepare for running this tutorial:
4. Select Meshing in the top-left selection list to start Fluent in Meshing Mode.
6. Set Meshing Processes and Solver Processes to 4 under Parallel (Local Machine).
b. Enable Advanced Options to expose additional options that may be required when importing
a CAD geometry.
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Using the Eddy Dissipation and Steady Diffusion Flamelet Combustion Models
Locate the can_combustor.pmdb file using the File Name option and select the file.
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Setup and Solution
iii. Select fuelinlet, inletair1 and inletair2 from the list of labels.
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ii. Adjust the Local Min Size to be 0.5 and the Max Size to be 2.
iv. Select fuelinlet from the list of labels and click Add Local Sizing.
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Setup and Solution
i. Ensure Proximity is selected and change the Local Min Size to 0.5 and the Max Size to
2.
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i. Change the Size Control Type to Face Size and enter 1 for the Target Mesh Size.
b. Change the Cells Per Gap to be 4 and click Generate the Surface Mesh.
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Setup and Solution
a. In the Describe Geometry task, select the option "The geometry consists of only fluid regions
with no voids".
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a. Select Check from the Mesh drop-down list on the main taskbar.
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Setup and Solution
b. Switch to solution mode by clicking the Switch to Solution button on the Fluent ribbon tab.
Setup → General
15.4.4. Models
The fuel (methane) and oxidizer (air) undergo fast combustion (that is, the overall combustion rate
is controlled by turbulent mixing). In this first part of the tutorial, the combustion reaction is considered
to be driven by turbulent diffusion, and it is modeled using the Eddy Dissipation model, which is
suitable for modeling fast combustion.
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The Mixture Material list contains the set of chemical mixtures that exist in the ANSYS Fluent
database. When selecting an appropriate mixture for your case, you can review the constituent
species and the reactions of the predefined mixture by clicking View... next to the Mixture Mater-
ial drop-down list. The chemical species and their physical and thermodynamic properties are
defined by the selection of the mixture material. After enabling the Species Transport model, you
can alter the mixture material selection or modify the mixture material properties using the Cre-
ate/Edit Materials dialog box.
The Eddy-Dissipation model computes the reaction rate under the assumption that chemical reaction
is fast compared to transport of reactants in the combusting flow. That is, the reaction is controlled
by diffusion.
A Warning message appears in the console notifying you that ANSYS Fluent automatically enabled
the energy equation required for the Species reaction model.
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Setup and Solution
b. This setting ensures that if the backflow occurs, only pure nitrogen at 300 K enters the chamber,
which will not affect the combustion reactions.
5. For wall-part-fluid, wallvanes and wallvanes-shadow retain the default stationary no slip adia-
batic settings.
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15.4.6. Solution
1. Specify the discretization schemes.
b. The relaxation of high order terms will help to improve the solution behavior of flow simulations
when higher order spatial discretizations are used (higher than first).
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Setup and Solution
6. Start calculation.
The Timescale Factor allows you to further manipulate the computed Time Step calculated by
ANSYS Fluent. Larger time steps can lead to faster convergence. However, if the time step is too
large it can lead to solution instability.
c. Click Calculate.
All scaled residuals have met the criteria for a converged solution (Figure 15.2: Scaled Residuals (p. 607)),
and the relative amount of CO2 exiting the combustor outlet has become stable (Figure 15.3: Convergence
History of Mass-Weighted Average CO2 on the Outlet (p. 608)).
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Warning:
Although the mass flow rate history indicates that the solution is converged, you
should also check the net mass fluxes through the domain to ensure that mass is
being conserved.
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Setup and Solution
a. Select fuelinlet, inletair1, inletair2 and outlet from the Boundaries selection list.
Warning:
The net mass imbalance should be a small fraction (for example, 0.5%) of the total
flux through the system. If a significant imbalance occurs, you should decrease
the residual tolerances by at least an order of magnitude and continue iterating.
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b. Select all the boundaries from the Boundaries selection list (you can click the select-all button
( ).
Note:
The energy balance is good because the net result is small compared to the heat
of reaction.
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Setup and Solution
d. In the Normal group box, enter 0, 1, 0 for iX, iY, iZ, respectively.
4. Display filled contours of CO2 mass fraction in the combustion chamber (Figure 15.4: Contours of
CO2 Mass Fraction (p. 612)).
c. From the Contours of drop-down lists, select Species... and Mass Fraction of co2.
d. From the Surfaces selection list, deselect all surfaces and select plane_xz.
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Using the Eddy Dissipation and Steady Diffusion Flamelet Combustion Models
f. Click Save/Display, close the Contours dialog box, and rotate the view as shown in Fig-
ure 15.4: Contours of CO2 Mass Fraction (p. 612).
Note:
You may need to deselect Headlight and then Lighting in the View ribbon tab
(Display group).
The contour map of the CO2 concentration shows that the flow is mixing and reacting properly in
the combustor.
5. Display filled contours of oxygen mass fraction on the surface plane_xz (Figure 15.5: Contours of
O2 Mass Fraction (p. 613)).
c. From the Contours of drop-down lists, select Species... and Mass Fraction of o2.
d. From the Surfaces selection list, deselect all surfaces and select plane_xz.
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Setup and Solution
6. Display filled contours of temperature on the aluminum combustor walls (Figure 15.6: Contours
of Static Temperature on the Combustor Walls (p. 614)).
c. From the Contours of drop-down lists, select Temperature... and Static Temperature.
e. Name the surface clip-y-coordinate and select Mesh... and Y-Coordinate from the
Clip to Values of drop-down lists.
i. From the Surfaces selection list, deselect all surfaces and select clip-y-coordinate and
wallvanes.
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l. Rotate the contour plot to examine the temperature field of the combusting flow on the can-
ister walls from different angles.
In the Steady Diffusion Flamelet model, reactions take place in a thin laminar locally one-dimensional
zone, called 'flamelet'. The turbulent flame is represented by an ensemble of such flamelets. Detailed
chemical kinetics is used to describe the combustion reaction. The chemistry is assumed to respond
rapidly to the turbulent strain, and as the strain relaxes to zero, the chemistry tends to equilibrium.
Despite the tendency toward equilibrium, a flamelet solution can often yield more accurate results than
an Eddy Dissipation or one- or two-step Finite Rate solution. This is because all the chemistry details
are included, making it possible to capture some of the faster intermediate reactions. To model turbulent
mixing, a probability density function (PDF) table is used as a lookup table at run time.
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Steady Diffusion Flamelet Model Setup and Solution
15.5.1. Models
Specify settings for non-premixed combustion.
If you are generating a flamelet file yourself, you need to read in the chemical kinetics mechanism and
thermodynamic data, which must be in CHEMKIN format.
5. In the CHEMKIN Mechanism Import dialog box, in the Kinetics Input File text entry field, enter
the following:
path\KINetics\data\grimech30_50spec_mech.inp
where path is the ANSYS Fluent installation directory (for example, C:\Program Files\ANSYS
Inc\v211\fluent\fluent21.1.0).
6. Click Import.
Once the reacting data file has been imported, the tab for specifying the fuel and oxidizer compositions,
flamelet and PDF table become accessible.
7. In the Boundary tab, specify the fuel (methane) and oxidizer (air) stream compositions in mass
fractions.
a. In the Specify Species in group box, make sure that Mass Fraction is selected.
Tip:
Note:
All boundary species with a mass or mole fraction of zero will be ignored.
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c. In the Temperature group box, retain the default values of 300 K for Fuel and Oxid.
9. In the Flamelet tab, retain the default settings and click Calculate Flamelets.
Once the diffusion flamelets are generated, a Question dialog box opens, asking whether you want
to save flamelets to a file. Click No.
10. In the Table tab, retain the default settings for the table parameters and click Calculate PDF
Table to compute a non-adiabatic probability density function (PDF) table.
12. In the PDF Table dialog box, retain the selection of Mean Temperature from the Plot Variable
drop-down list and all the other default parameters and click Display.
In the graphical display of the 3D look-up table, the Z axis represents the mean temperature of the
reacting fluid, and the X and Y axes represent the mean mixture fraction and the scaled variance, re-
spectively.
The maximum and minimum values for mean temperature and the corresponding mean mixture
fraction and scale variance are also reported in the console.
The 3D look-up tables are reviewed on a slice-by-slice basis. By default, the slice selected corresponds
to the adiabatic enthalpy values. You can also select other slices of constant enthalpy for display.
By default, the file will be saved as formatted (ASCII, or text). To save a binary (unformatted) file,
enable the Write Binary Files option in the Select File dialog box.
1. In the Velocity Inlet dialog box, under the Species tab, enter 1 for Mean Mixture Fraction.
The value of 1 indicates that only pure methane will be entering the fuelinlet boundary.
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Steady Diffusion Flamelet Model Setup and Solution
15.5.3. Solution
1. Edit the output filename for mass-weighted average of co2 at the outlet.
4. In the Run Calculation task page, retain the settings of 5 for Timescale Factor and 500 for
Number of Iterations and click Calculate.
Note that in this case, the residuals may not converge. It is important to utilize both the flux calculations
along with the monitor plot to determine whether the solution has converged.
2. Display filled contours of mean mixture fraction on the surface plane_xz (Figure 15.7: Contours
of Mean Mixture Fraction (p. 618)).
b. From the Contours of drop-down lists, select Pdf... and Mean Mixture Fraction.
c. From the Surfaces selection list, deselect all surfaces and select plane_xz.
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h. Click Save/Display.
3. Display filled contours of CO2 mass fraction in the combustion chamber (Figure 15.8: Contours of
CO2 Mass Fraction (p. 619)).
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Steady Diffusion Flamelet Model Setup and Solution
The steady diffusion flamelet simulation yields a significantly different CO2 mass fraction distribution
as compared to the eddy dissipation model calculation. The lower CO2 concentration at the base of
the flamelet flame is caused by low local temperature in the area, which results in slower combustion.
In the eddy dissipation model, chemical kinetics is ignored, and the reaction is controlled by turbulent
mixing of the materials. In this case, the CO2 concentration is greater near the base of the flame because
the rate of mixing is high in the area (see Figure 15.4: Contours of CO2 Mass Fraction (p. 612)).
4. Display the outlet CO2 concentration profiles for both solutions on a single plot.
a. In the Plot Data Sources dialog box, click the Load File... button to open the Select File
dialog box.
b. In the Select File dialog box that opens, click once on co2-out-fl-rfile.out and co2-out-
rfile.out.
Each of these files will be listed with their folder path in the bottom list to indicate that they have
been selected.
Tip:
If you select a file by mistake, simply click the file in the bottom list and then
click Remove.
c. Click OK to save the files and close the Select File dialog box.
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Using the Eddy Dissipation and Steady Diffusion Flamelet Combustion Models
e. From the Curve Information selection list, select co2-out-rfile.out | Iteration | co2-out
f. Enter co2-EDM in the lower-right text-entry box under the Legend Names selection list.
The item in the Legend Entries list for co2-out-rfile.out | Iteration | co2-out will be changed to
co2-EDM. This legend entry will be displayed in the upper-left corner of the XY plot generated in
a later step.
h. In a similar manner, change the legend entry for the co2-out-fl-rfile.out | Iteration | co2-out
curve to be co2-Flamelet.
j. Click the Curves... button to open the Curves dialog box, where you will define a different
curve symbol for the CO2 concentration data.
iii. From the Symbol drop-down list, select the "blank" choice, which is the first item in the
Symbol list.
vi. Modify the settings for Pattern and Symbol in a manner similar to that for the previous
curve.
k. Click Plot and close the Plot Data Sources dialog box.
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Summary
Despite the model differences, both models predicted similar mass-weighted average mass fractions
of CO2 exiting the combustor during the steady-state. However, the steady diffusion flamelet
model predicts less CO2 exiting the combustor and, due to its more realistic description of combustion
kinetics, is considered to be more accurate.
You can perform further postprocessing of the solution results as shown in the following video:
15.6. Summary
In this tutorial, you have learned how to model the reacting flow through a can combustor using the
eddy dissipation model and steady diffusion flamelet model in ANSYS Fluent.
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Chapter 16: Modeling Surface Chemistry
This tutorial is divided into the following sections:
16.1. Introduction
16.2. Prerequisites
16.3. Problem Description
16.4. Setup and Solution
16.5. Summary
16.1. Introduction
In chemically reacting laminar flows, such as those encountered in chemical vapor deposition (CVD)
applications, accurate modeling of time-dependent hydrodynamics, heat and mass transfer, and
chemical reactions (including wall surface reactions) is important.
In this tutorial, surface reactions are considered. Modeling the reactions taking place at gas-solid interfaces
is complex and involves several elementary physicochemical processes like adsorption of gas-phase
species on the surface, chemical reactions occurring on the surface, and desorption of gases from the
surface back to the gas phase.
• Enable physical models and define boundary conditions for a chemically reacting laminar flow involving
wall surface reactions.
16.2. Prerequisites
This tutorial is written with the assumption that you have completed the introductory tutorials found
in this manual and that you are familiar with the ANSYS Fluent outline view and ribbon structure. Some
steps in the setup and solution procedure will not be shown explicitly.
Before beginning with this tutorial, see the Fluent User's Guide for more information about species
transport, chemically reacting flows, wall surface reaction modeling, and chemical vapor deposition. In
particular, you should be familiar with the Arrhenius rate equation, as this equation is used for the
surface reactions modeled in this tutorial.
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The process gases, Trimethyl Gallium ( ) and Arsine ( ) enter the reactor at 293 K through
the inlet at the top. These gases flow over the hot, spinning disk depositing thin layers of gallium and
arsenide on it in a uniform, repeatable manner. The disk rotation generates a radially pumping effect,
which forces the gases to flow in a laminar manner down to the growth surface, outward across the
disk, and finally to be discharged from the reactor.
The semiconductor materials Ga(s) and As(s) are deposited on the heated surface governed by the fol-
lowing surface reactions.
(16.1)
(16.2)
The inlet gas is a mixture of Trimethyl Gallium, which has a mass fraction of 0.15, and Arsine, which has
a mass fraction of 0.4, the remainder is hydrogen. The mixture velocity at the inlet is 0.02189 m/s. The
disk rotates at 80 rad/sec. The top wall (wall-1) is heated to 473 K and the sidewalls (wall-2) of the reactor
are maintained at 343 K. The susceptor (wall-4) is heated to a uniform temperature of 1023 K and the
bottom wall (wall-6) is at 303 K. These CVD reactors are typically known as cold-wall reactors, where
only the wafer surface is heated to higher temperatures, while the remaining reactor walls are maintained
at low temperatures.
In this tutorial, simultaneous deposition of Ga and As is simulated and examined. The mixture properties
and the mass diffusivity are determined based on kinetic theory. Detailed surface reactions with multiple
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Setup and Solution
sites and site species, and full multi-component/thermal diffusion effects are also included in the simu-
lation.
The purpose of this tutorial is to demonstrate surface reaction capabilities in ANSYS Fluent. Convective
heat transfer is considered to be the dominant mechanism compared to radiative heat transfer, thus
radiation effects are ignored.
16.4.1. Preparation
To prepare for running this tutorial:
4. Select Solution in the top-left selection list to start Fluent in Solution Mode.
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Modeling Surface Chemistry
ANSYS Fluent will perform various checks on the mesh and will report the progress in the console. Ensure
that the reported minimum volume is a positive number.
a. Select cm (centimeters) from the Mesh Was Created In drop-down list in the Scaling group
box.
b. Click Scale and verify that the domain extents are as shown in the Scale Mesh dialog box.
The default SI units will be used in this tutorial, hence there is no need to change any units.
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Setup and Solution
Note:
It is a good practice to check the mesh after manipulating it (scale, convert to polyhedra,
merge, separate, fuse, add zones, or smooth and swap). This will ensure that the quality
of the mesh has not been compromised.
Extra:
You can use the left mouse button to rotate the image and view it from different angles.
Use the right mouse button to check which zone number corresponds to each
boundary. If you click the right mouse button on one of the boundaries in the graphics
window, its name and type will be printed in the ANSYS Fluent console. This feature
is especially useful when you have several zones of the same type and you want to
distinguish between them quickly. Use the middle mouse button to zoom the image.
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Setup and Solution
The Species Model dialog box will expand to show relevant input options.
b. Retain the selection of mixture-template from the Mixture Material drop-down list.
This includes the effect of enthalpy transport due to species diffusion in the energy equation, which
contributes to the energy balance, especially for the case of Lewis numbers far from unity.
The Full Multicomponent Diffusion activates Stefan-Maxwell’s equations and computes the dif-
fusive fluxes of all species in the mixture to all concentration gradients. The Thermal Diffusion
effects cause heavy molecules to diffuse less rapidly, and light molecules to diffuse more rapidly,
toward heated surfaces.
e. Click Apply.
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Modeling Surface Chemistry
1. Copy arsenic-trihydride, hydrogen, methyl-radical, and trimethyl-gallium from the ANSYS Fluent
material database to the list of fluid materials and modify their properties.
a. Click Fluent Database... in the Create/Edit Materials dialog box to open the Fluent Database
Materials dialog box.
b. In the Fluent Database Materials dialog box, select fluid from the Material Type drop-down
list.
c. From the Fluent Fluid Materials selection list, select arsenic-trihydride (ash3), hydrogen
(h2), methyl-radical (ch3), and trimethyl-gallium (game3) by clicking each species once.
Scroll down the Fluent Fluid Materials list to locate each species.
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Setup and Solution
2. Create the site species (Ga_s and As_s) and the solid species (Ga and As).
a. In the Create/Edit Materials dialog box, select air from the Fluent Fluid Materials drop-down
list.
e. Click No in the Question dialog box when asked if you want to overwrite air.
The new material ga_s is added to your model and listed under Fluid in the Materials task
page and under the Setup/Materials/Fluid tree branch.
f. Create as_s, ga and as following the same procedure as for ga_s and close the Create/Edit
Materials dialog box.
Extra:
To enter complex formulae such as Ga(CH3)3 in the text entry box, use ‘<’ and ‘>’ instead
of ‘(’ and ‘ )’, respectively.
b. Click Change/Create.
i. In Properties group box, click the Edit... button to the right of the names drop-down list
for Mixture Species to open the Species dialog box.
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ii. Set the Selected Species from the Available Materials selection list as shown in
Table 16.1: Selected Species (p. 632) .
Selected Species
ash3
game3
ch3
h2
Important:
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Setup and Solution
• Ensure that h2 is at the bottom in the Selected Species selection list as shown
in Table 16.1: Selected Species (p. 632). ANSYS Fluent will interpret the last
species in the list as the bulk species.
Note:
• To add a particular species to the list, select the required species from the
Available Materials selection list and click Add in the corresponding species
selection list (Selected Species, Selected Site Species, or Selected Solid
Species). The species will be added to the end of the relevant list and removed
from the Available Materials list.
• To remove an unwanted species from the selection list, select the species
from the selection list (Selected Species, Selected Site Species, or Selected
Solid Species) and click Remove in the corresponding selection list. The
species will be removed from the list and added to the Available Materials
list.
iv. Click Change/Create and close the Creat/Edit Materials dialog box.
Although you enable reactions, you still run a non-reacting flow to produce an initial solution. You
will run a reacting flow in Simulating Reacting Flow (p. 651).
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b. Retain the selection of gaas_deposition from the Mixture Material drop-down list.
5. Set the site and solid species and the mixture reactions in a similar manner to the mixture species.
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Setup and Solution
a. Click the Edit... button to the right of the names drop-down list for Mixture Species in the
Properties group box.
Specify the Selected Site Species and the Selected Solid Species as shown in
Table 16.2: Selected Site and Solid Species (p. 635).
Once you set the site and solid species, the Species dialog box should look like this:
c. Click the Edit... button to the right of the Reaction drop-down list to open the Reactions
dialog box.
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d. Increase the Total Number of Reactions to 2, and define the following reactions using the
parameters in Table 16.3: Reaction Parameters (p. 636) :
(16.3)
(16.4)
Parameter For Equation 16.3 (p. 636) For Equation 16.4 (p. 636)
Reaction ID 1 2 a
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Setup and Solution
Parameter For Equation 16.3 (p. 636) For Equation 16.4 (p. 636)
Stoich. Coefficient ash3= 1, ga_s= 1 game3= 1, as_s= 1
Rate Exponent ash3= 1, ga_s= 1 game3= 1, as_s= 1
Arrhenius Rate PEF= 1e+06, AE= 0, TE= 0.5 b PEF= 1e+12, AE= 0, TE= 0.5
Number of Products 3 3
Species ga, as_s, h2 as, ga_s, ch3
Stoich. Coefficient ga= 1, as_s= 1, h2= 1.5 as= 1, ga_s= 1, ch3= 3
Rate Exponent as_s= 0, h2= 0 ga_s= 0, ch3= 0
Set the ID to 2 in order to set the parameters for the second reaction.
e. Click OK to save the data and close the Reactions dialog box.
i. Click the Edit... button to the right of the Mechanism drop-down list to open the Reaction
Mechanisms dialog box.
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viii.Click the Define... button to the right of site-1 to open the Site Parameters dialog box.
B. Select ga_s as the first site species and enter 0.7 for Initial Site Coverage.
C. Select as_s as the second site species and enter 0.3 for Initial Site Coverage.
g. Retain the default selection of incompressible-ideal-gas from the Density drop-down list.
h. Retain the default selection of mixing-law from the Cp (Specific Heat) drop-down list.
k. Retain the default selection of kinetic-theory from the Mass Diffusivity drop-down list.
l. Retain the default selection of kinetic-theory from the Thermal Diffusion Coefficient drop-
down list.
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Setup and Solution
Important:
Tip:
Scroll down in the Properties group box to see all the parameters.
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b. When finished, click Change/Create to update your local copy of the species material.
Note:
When you modify the properties of the material local copy, the original copy in
Fluent material database stays intact.
Note:
Make sure to click Change/Create each time you modify the properties for the
material to apply the changes to the local copy.
e. Enter the parameter values for the ga_s species as shown in Table 16.5: Properties of Spe-
cies (p. 640).
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Setup and Solution
f. Modify the material properties for As_s, Ga, and As as shown in Table 16.5: Properties of Spe-
cies (p. 640).
a. Retain the default selection of Magnitude, Normal to Boundary from the Velocity Specific-
ation Method drop-down list.
b. Retain the default selection of Absolute from the Reference Frame drop-down list.
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e. Under the Species tab, set the Species Mass Fractions for ash3 to 0.4, game3 to 0.15, and
ch3 to 0.
The mass fraction of hydrogen is 0.45, but there is no need to specify this since it is the last species
in the mixture.
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Setup and Solution
c. Under the Species tab, set the Backflow Species Mass Fractions for ash3 to 0.32, game3
to 0.018, and ch3 to 0.06.
Since a certain amount of backflow is expected in the flow regions around the rotating shaft,
you should set the realistic backflow species mass fractions to minimize convergence difficulties.
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The Wall dialog box will expand to wall motion inputs and options.
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Setup and Solution
i. Enable Reaction.
ii. Retain the selection of gaas-ald from the Reaction Mechanisms drop-down list.
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b. Enable Gravity.
The Operating Conditions dialog box can be accessed from the Cell Zone Conditions task page.
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a. Retain the default settings and close the Residual Monitors dialog box.
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Solution → Initialization
a. Retain the default selection of Hybrid Initialization from the Initialization Methods group
box.
b. Click Initialize.
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b. Ensure that Mass Deposition Source is enabled in the Wall Surface Reaction Options group
box.
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a. Retain the default selection of Mass Flow Rate in the Options group box.
b. Select outlet, velocity-inlet, and wall-4 from the Boundaries selection list.
In order to properly assess the mass balance, you must account for the mass deposition on the
spinning disk. Hence you select wall-4 in addition to the inlet and outlet boundaries.
c. Click Compute, examine the values displayed in the Results and Net Results boxes, and close
the Flux Reports dialog box.
The net mass imbalance should be a small fraction (for example, 0.5% or less) of the total flux
through the system. If a significant imbalance occurs, you should decrease your residual toler-
ances by at least an order of magnitude and continue iterating.
5. Display contours of surface deposition rate of ga (Figure 16.3: Contours of Surface Deposition Rate
of Ga (p. 655)).
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Setup and Solution
c. Select Species... and Surface Deposition Rate of ga from the Contours of drop-down lists.
f. Disable the Headlight and Lighting options in the View ribbon tab.
Rotate the display with the mouse to obtain the view as shown in (Figure 16.3: Contours of Surface
Deposition Rate of Ga (p. 655)).
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a. Retain the default selection of Mass Flow Rate in the Options group box.
b. Retain the selection of outlet and velocity-inlet and, wall-4 from the Boundaries selection
list.
c. Click Compute, examine the values displayed in the Results and Net Results boxes, and close
the Flux Reports dialog box.
Again, the net mass imbalance should be a small fraction (for example, 0.5% or less) of the
total flux through the system.
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Note:
If you want to delete or otherwise manipulate any surfaces, click Manage... to open
the Surfaces dialog box.
b. Select Mesh... and Z-Coordinate from the Surface of Constant drop-down lists.
c. Click Compute.
The Min and Max fields display the z-extent of the domain.
2. Display contours of temperature on the plane surface created. (Figure 16.5: Temperature Contours
Near wall-4 (p. 660)).
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Setup and Solution
c. Select Temperature... and Static Temperature from the Contours of drop-down lists.
e. Click Save/Display.
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Figure 16.5: Temperature Contours Near wall-4 (p. 660) shows the temperature distribution across a
plane just above the rotating disk. You can see that the disk has a temperature of 1023 K.
3. Display contours of surface deposition rates of ga (Figure 16.6: Contours of Surface Deposition
Rate of ga (p. 660)).
Figure 16.6: Contours of Surface Deposition Rate of ga (p. 660) shows the gradient of surface deposition
rate of ga. The maximum deposition is seen at the center of the disk.
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Setup and Solution
4. Display contours of surface coverage of ga_s (Figure 16.7: Contours of Surface Coverage of
ga_s (p. 662)).
c. Select Species... and Surface Coverage of ga_s from the Contours of drop-down lists.
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Figure 16.7: Contours of Surface Coverage of ga_s (p. 662) shows the rate of surface coverage of the
site species ga_s.
a. Enter the values for x0, x1, y0, y1, z0, and z1 as follows:
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Setup and Solution
You can also select the points by clicking Select Points with Mouse. Then, in the graphic display,
click at the center of wall-4 and at the edge using the right mouse button.
b. Click Create to accept the default name of line-8 for the New Surface Name.
Note:
If you want to delete or otherwise manipulate any surfaces, click Manage... to open
the Surfaces dialog box
6. Plot the surface deposition rate of Ga versus radial distance (Figure 16.8: Plot of Surface Deposition
Rate of Ga (p. 664)).
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c. Select Species... and Surface Deposition Rate of ga from the Y Axis Function drop-down
lists.
The source/sink terms due to the surface reaction are deposited in the cell adjacent to the wall
cells, so it is necessary to plot the cell values and not the node values.
d. Select line-8 you just created from the Surfaces selection list.
The peak surface deposition rate occurs at the center of wall-4 (where the concentration of the mixture
is highest).
Extra:
You can also perform all the postprocessing steps to analyze the deposition of As.
16.5. Summary
The main focus of this tutorial is the accurate modeling of macroscopic gas flow, heat and mass transfer,
species diffusion, and chemical reactions (including surface reactions) in a rotating disk CVD reactor. In
this tutorial, you learned how to use the two-step surface reactions involving site species, and computed
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Summary
simultaneous deposition of gallium and arsenide from a mixture of precursor gases on a rotating sus-
ceptor. Note that the same approach is valid if you are simulating multi-step reactions with multiple
sites/site species.
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Chapter 17: Modeling Evaporating Liquid Spray
This tutorial is divided into the following sections:
17.1. Introduction
17.2. Prerequisites
17.3. Problem Description
17.4. Setup and Solution
17.5. Summary
17.1. Introduction
In this tutorial, the air-blast atomizer model in ANSYS Fluent is used to predict the behavior of an
evaporating methanol spray. Initially, the air flow is modeled without droplets. To predict the behavior
of the spray, the discrete phase model is used, including a secondary model for breakup.
17.2. Prerequisites
This tutorial is written with the assumption that you have completed the introductory tutorials found
in this manual and that you are familiar with the ANSYS Fluent outline view and ribbon structure. Some
steps in the setup and solution procedure will not be shown explicitly.
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17.4.1. Preparation
To prepare for running this tutorial:
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Setup and Solution
4. Select Solution in the top-left selection list to start Fluent in Solution Mode.
17.4.2. Mesh
1. Read in the mesh file sector.msh.
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ANSYS Fluent will perform various checks on the mesh and report the progress in the console. Ensure
that the reported minimum volume is a positive number.
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Setup and Solution
b. Select only atomizer-wall, central_air, and swirling_air from the Surfaces selection list.
Tip:
To deselect all surfaces click the far-right button at the top of the Surfaces
selection list, and then select the desired surfaces from the Surfaces selection list.
c. Click the Colors... button to open the Mesh Colors dialog box.
The graphics display will be updated to show the mesh. Zoom in with the mouse to obtain the view
shown in Figure 17.2: Air-Blast Atomizer Mesh Display (p. 672).
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17.4.3. Solver
Retain the default solver settings of pressure-based steady-state solver in the Solver group of the
Physics tab.
Physics → Solver
17.4.4. Models
1. Enable heat transfer by enabling the energy equation.
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Setup and Solution
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Setup and Solution
The Mixture Material list contains the set of chemical mixtures that exist in the ANSYS Fluent
database. When selecting an appropriate mixture for your case, you can review the constituent
species and the reactions of the predefined mixture by clicking View... next to the Mixture Mater-
ial drop-down list. The chemical species and their physical and thermodynamic properties are
defined by the selection of the mixture material. After enabling the Species Transport model, you
can alter the mixture material selection or modify the mixture material properties using the Cre-
ate/Edit Materials dialog box. You will modify your local copy of the mixture material later in this
tutorial.
17.4.5. Materials
Define materials using the Materials task page.
Setup → Materials
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1. Remove water vapor and carbon dioxide from the Mixture Species list.
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Setup and Solution
a. Click the Edit button next to the Mixture Species drop-down list to open the Species dialog
box.
i. Select carbon dioxide (co2) from the Selected Species selection list.
ii. Click Remove to remove carbon dioxide from the Selected Species list.
iii. In a similar manner, remove water vapor (h2o) from the Selected Species list.
Note:
It is good practice to click the Change/Create button whenever changes are made
to material properties even though it is not necessary in this case.
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1. Set the boundary conditions for the inner air stream (central_air).
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Setup and Solution
e. Select Intensity and Hydraulic Diameter from the Specification Method drop-down list.
h. Click the Thermal tab and enter 293 K for Total Temperature.
i. Click the Species tab and enter 0.23 for o2 in the Species Mass Fractions group box.
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2. Set the boundary conditions for the air stream surrounding the atomizer (co-flow-air).
b. Select Intensity and Hydraulic Diameter from the Specification Method drop-down list.
f. Click the Species tab and enter 0.23 for o2 in the Species Mass Fractions group box.
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Setup and Solution
a. Select From Neighboring Cell from the Backflow Direction Specification Method drop-down
list.
b. Retain Intensity and Viscosity Ratio from the Specification Method drop-down list.
e. Click the Thermal tab and enter 293 K for Backflow Total Temperature.
f. Click the Species tab and enter 0.23 for o2 in the Species Mass Fractions group box.
4. Set the boundary conditions for the swirling annular stream (swirling_air).
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a. Select Magnitude and Direction from the Velocity Specification Method drop-down list.
c. Select Cylindrical (Radial, Tangential, Axial) from the Coordinate System drop-down list.
g. Select Intensity and Hydraulic Diameter from the Specification Method drop-down list.
k. Click the Species tab and enter 0.23 for o2 in the Species Mass Fractions group box.
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Setup and Solution
5. Set the boundary conditions for the outer wall of the atomizer (outer-wall).
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Setup and Solution
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Solution → Initialization
Note:
For flows in complex topologies, hybrid initialization will provide better initial velocity
and pressure fields than standard initialization. This will help to improve the convergence
behavior of the solver.
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Setup and Solution
a. Select User Specified from the Time Step Method group box.
d. Click Calculate.
Note:
ANSYS Fluent will ask you to confirm that the previous case file is to be overwritten.
8. Create a clip plane to examine the flow field at the midpoint of the atomizer section.
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b. Select Mesh... and Angular Coordinate from the Surface of Constant drop-down lists.
c. Click Compute to obtain the minimum and maximum values of the angular coordinate.
9. Review the current state of the solution by examining contours of velocity magnitude (Fig-
ure 17.4: Velocity Magnitude at Mid-Point of Atomizer Section (p. 690)).
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Setup and Solution
c. Select Velocity... and Velocity Magnitude from the Contours of drop-down lists.
g. Use the mouse to obtain the view shown in Figure 17.4: Velocity Magnitude at Mid-Point of
Atomizer Section (p. 690).
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a. Click the Define... button under Periodic Repeats to open the Graphics Periodicity dialog
box.
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Setup and Solution
iv. Click Set and close the Graphics Periodicity dialog box.
11. Display pathlines of the air in the swirling annular stream (Figure 17.5: Pathlines of Air in the
Swirling Annular Stream (p. 693)).
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c. In the Release from Surfaces filter, type s to display the surface names that begin with s and
select swirling_air from the selection list.
f. Use the mouse to obtain the view shown in Figure 17.5: Pathlines of Air in the Swirling Annular
Stream (p. 693).
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Setup and Solution
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This will include the effects of the discrete phase trajectories on the continuous phase.
c. Select Mean Values in the Contour Plots for DPM Variables group box.
This will make the cell-averaged variables available for postprocessing activities.
d. Select the Unsteady Particle Tracking option in the Particle Treatment group box.
g. Under the Physical Models tab, enable Temperature Dependent Latent Heat and Breakup
in the Options group box.
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h. Under the Numerics tab, select Linearize Source Terms (Source Terms group).
Enabling this option will allow you to run the simulation with more aggressive setting for the
Discrete Phase Sources under-relaxation factor to speed up the solution convergence.
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An Information dialog box appears indicating that the Max. Number of Steps has been
changed from 50000 to 500. Click OK in the Information dialog box to continue.
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Setup and Solution
k. In the Set Injection Properties dialog box, select air-blast-atomizer from the Injection Type
drop-down list.
This option controls the number of droplet parcels that are introduced into the domain at every
time step.
o. In the Point Properties tab, specify point properties for particle injections.
iii. Retain the default values of 0, 0, and 1 for X-Axis, Y-Axis, and Z-Axis, respectively.
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This is the methanol flow rate for a 30-degree section of the atomizer. The actual atomizer flow
rate is 12 times this value.
vi. Retain the default Start Time of 0 s and enter 100 s for the Stop Time.
For this problem, the injection should begin at and not stop until long after the time period
of interest. A large value for the stop time (for example, 100 s) will ensure that the injection will
essentially never stop.
vii. Enter 0.0035 m for the Injector Inner Diameter and 0.0045 m for the Injector Outer
Diameter.
The spray angle is the angle between the liquid sheet trajectory and the injector centerline.
The relative velocity is the expected relative velocity between the atomizing air and the liquid
sheet.
x. Retain the default Azimuthal Start Angle of 0 degrees and enter 30 degrees for the Azi-
muthal Stop Angle.
This will restrict the injection to the 30-degree section of the atomizer that is being modeled.
p. In the Physical Models tab, specify the breakup model and drag parameters.
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Setup and Solution
i. In the Breakup group, ensure that Enable Breakup is selected and TAB is selected from
the Breakup Model drop-down list.
ii. Retain the default values of 0 for y0 and 2 for Breakup Parcels.
iii. In the Drag Parameters group box, select dynamic-drag from the Drag Law drop-down
list.
The dynamic-drag law is available only when the Breakup model is used.
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i. Enable Discrete Random Walk Model and Random Eddy Lifetime in the Stochastic
Tracking group box.
These models will account for the turbulent dispersion of the droplets.
Note:
To modify the existing injection, select its name in the Injections list and click
Set..., or simply double-click the injection of interest.
Note:
In the case that the spray injection would be striking a wall, you should specify the
wall boundary conditions for the droplets. Though this tutorial does have wall zones,
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Setup and Solution
they are a part of the atomizer apparatus. You need not change the wall boundary
conditions any further because these walls are not in the path of the spray droplets.
When secondary atomization models (such as Breakup) are used, several droplet properties need to
be specified.
c. Ensure that piecewise-linear is selected from the Saturation Vapor Pressure drop-down list.
d. Click the Edit... button next to Saturation Vapor Pressure to open the Piecewise-Linear
Profile dialog box.
e. Retain the default values and click OK to close the Piecewise-Linear Profile dialog box.
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h. Click Change/Create to accept the change in properties for the methanol droplet material
and close the Create/Edit Materials dialog box.
17.4.9. Solution
1. Increase the under-relaxation factor for Discrete Phase Sources.
In the Pseudo Transient Explicit Relaxation Factors group box, change the under-relaxation
factor for Discrete Phase Sources to 0.9.
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Setup and Solution
a. Enable Show Advanced Options and select none from the Convergence Criterion drop-
down list.
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b. In the Create group box, enable Report Plot and Print to Console.
c. Select Species... and Mass fraction of ch3oh from the Field Variable drop-down lists.
e. Click OK to save the surface report definition settings and close the Surface Report Definition
dialog box.
Fluent automatically generates the ch3oh_outlet-rplot report plot under the Solution/Mon-
itors/Report Plots tree branch.
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Setup and Solution
b. In the Create group box, enable Report Plot and Print to Console.
c. Select Discrete Phase Sources... and DPM Mass Source from the Field Variable drop-down
lists.
e. Click OK to save the volume report definition settings and close the Volume Report Definition
dialog box.
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i. In the Plot Window group box, click the Axes... button to open the Axes dialog box.
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5. Create a DPM report definition for tracking the total mass present in the domain.
b. In the Create group box, enable Report Plot and Print to Console.
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e. Click OK to save the volume report definition settings and close the DPM Report Definition
dialog box.
f. Modify the attributes of the dpm-mass-in-domain-rplot report plot axes (in a manner similar
to that for the dpm-mass-source-rplot plot).
i. In the Plot Window group box, click the Axes... button to open the Axes dialog box.
6. Create a DPM report definition for tracking the mass of the evaporated particles.
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Setup and Solution
b. In the Create group box, enable Report Plot and Print to Console.
d. Ensure that the Show Mass Flow / Change Rate option is selected.
e. Click OK to save the volume report definition settings and close the DPM Report Definition
dialog box.
f. Modify the attributes of the dpm-evaporated-mass-rplot report plot axes in a manner similar
to that for the dpm-mass-source-rplot plot.
7. Request 300 more iterations (Figure 17.6: Convergence History of Mass Fraction of ch3oh on Flu-
id (p. 710), Figure 17.7: Convergence History of DPM Mass Source on Fluid (p. 710), Figure 17.8: Con-
vergence History of Total Mass in Domain (p. 711), and Figure 17.9: Convergence History of Evap-
orated Particle Mass (p. 711)).
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Modeling Evaporating Liquid Spray
It can be concluded that the solution is converged because the number of particle tracks are constant
and the flow variable plots are flat.
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Setup and Solution
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Modeling Evaporating Liquid Spray
17.4.10. Postprocessing
1. Display the trajectories of the droplets in the spray injection (Figure 17.10: Particle Tracks for the
Spray Injection (p. 713)).
c. Retain the default selection of point from the Track Style drop-down list.
d. Select Particle Variables... and Particle Diameter from the Color by drop-down lists.
This will display the location of the droplets colored by their diameters.
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Setup and Solution
f. Click Save/Display.
As an optional exercise, you can increase the particle size by clicking the Attributes... button in
the Particle Tracks dialog box and adjusting the Marker Size value in the Track Style Attributes
dialog box.
h. Restore the 30–degree section to obtain the view as shown in Figure 17.10: Particle Tracks for
the Spray Injection (p. 713).
i. Click the Define... button to open the Graphics Periodicity dialog box.
ii. Click Reset and close the Graphics Periodicity dialog box.
i. Use the mouse to obtain the view shown in Figure 17.10: Particle Tracks for the Spray Injec-
tion (p. 713).
The air-blast atomizer model assumes that a cylindrical liquid sheet exits the atomizer, which then
disintegrates into ligaments and droplets. Appropriately, the model determines that the droplets should
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Modeling Evaporating Liquid Spray
be input into the domain in a ring. The radius of this disk is determined from the inner and outer radii
of the injector.
Note:
The maximum diameter of the droplets is about 4.9x10–5 m or 0.49 mm, which is
simililar to the film height. The inner diameter and outer diameter of the injector are
3.5 mm and 4.5 mm, respectively. Hence the film height is 0.5 mm. The range in the
droplet sizes is due to the fact that the air-blast atomizer automatically uses a distribu-
tion of droplet sizes.
Also note that the droplets are placed a slight distance away from the injector. Once
the droplets are injected into the domain, their behavior will be determined by second-
ary models. For instance, they may collide/coalesce with other droplets depending on
the secondary models employed. However, once a droplet has been introduced into
the domain, the air-blast atomizer model no longer affects the droplet.
2. Display the mean particle temperature field (Figure 17.11: Contours of DPM Temperature (p. 715)).
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Setup and Solution
d. Select Discrete Phase Variables... and DPM Temperature from the Contours of drop-down
lists.
j. Use the mouse to obtain the view shown in Figure 17.11: Contours of DPM Temperature (p. 715).
3. Display the mean Sauter diameter (Figure 17.12: Contours of DPM Sauter Diameter (p. 716)).
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Modeling Evaporating Liquid Spray
d. Select Discrete Phase Variables... and DPM D32 from the Contours of drop-down lists.
4. Display vectors of DPM mean velocity colored by DPM velocity magnitude (Figure 17.13: Vectors
of DPM Mean Velocity Colored by DPM Velocity Magnitude (p. 718)).
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Setup and Solution
c. Select Discrete Phase Variables... and DPM Velocity Magnitude from the Color by drop-
down lists.
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Modeling Evaporating Liquid Spray
Figure 17.13: Vectors of DPM Mean Velocity Colored by DPM Velocity Magnitude
b. Select Species... and Mass fraction of ch3oh from the Surface of Constant drop-down lists.
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Setup and Solution
b. Click the Colors... button to open the Mesh Colors dialog box.
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Modeling Evaporating Liquid Spray
i. Select surface in the Types list and green in the Colors list.
Scroll down the Types list to locate surface. The isosurface will now be displayed in green,
which contrasts better with the rest of the mesh.
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Setup and Solution
ii. Ensure that Rotational is selected from the Periodic Type list and the Number of Repeats
is set to 12.
iii. Click Set and close the Graphics Periodicity dialog box.
d. Use the mouse to obtain the view shown in Figure 17.14: Full Atomizer Display with Surface
of Constant Methanol Mass Fraction (p. 721).
Figure 17.14: Full Atomizer Display with Surface of Constant Methanol Mass Fraction
e. This view can be improved to resemble Figure 17.15: Atomizer Display with Surface of Constant
Methanol Mass Fraction Enhanced (p. 722) by changing some of the following variables:
• Enable Lighting and change it to Flat in the View tab (Display group)
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Modeling Evaporating Liquid Spray
Figure 17.15: Atomizer Display with Surface of Constant Methanol Mass Fraction Enhanced
17.5. Summary
In this tutorial, a spray injection was defined for an air-blast atomizer and the solution was calculated
using the discrete phase model in ANSYS Fluent. The location of methanol droplet particles after exiting
the atomizer and an isosurface of the methanol mass fraction were examined.
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Chapter 18: Using the VOF Model
This tutorial is divided into the following sections:
18.1. Introduction
18.2. Prerequisites
18.3. Problem Description
18.4. Setup and Solution
18.5. Summary
18.1. Introduction
This tutorial examines the flow of ink as it is ejected from the nozzle of a printhead in an inkjet printer.
Using ANSYS Fluent’s volume of fluid (VOF) multiphase modeling capability, you will be able to predict
the shape and motion of the resulting droplets in an air chamber.
• Set up and solve a transient problem using the pressure-based solver and VOF model.
• Examine the flow and interface of the two fluids using volume fraction contours.
18.2. Prerequisites
This tutorial is written with the assumption that you have completed the introductory tutorials found
in this manual and that you are familiar with the ANSYS Fluent outline view and ribbon structure. Some
steps in the setup and solution procedure will not be shown explicitly.
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Using the VOF Model
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Setup and Solution
• At time zero, the nozzle is filled with ink, while the rest of the domain is filled with air. Both fluids
are assumed to be at rest. To initiate the ejection, the ink velocity at the inlet boundary (which is
modeled in this simulation by a user-defined function) suddenly increases from 0 to 3.58 m/s and
then decreases according to a cosine law.
The calculation is run for 30 microseconds overall, that is, three times longer than the duration of the
initial impulse.
Because the dimensions are small, the double-precision version of ANSYS Fluent will be used. Air will
be designated as the primary phase, and ink (which will be modeled with the properties of liquid water)
will be designated as the secondary phase. Patching will be required to fill the ink chamber with the
secondary phase. Gravity will not be included in the simulation. To capture the capillary effect of the
ejected ink, the surface tension and prescription of the wetting angle will be specified. The surface inside
the nozzle will be modeled as neutrally wettable, while the surface surrounding the nozzle orifice will
be non-wettable.
18.4.1. Preparation
To prepare for running this tutorial:
4. Select Solution in the top-left selection list to start Fluent in Solution Mode.
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Using the VOF Model
Note:
The double precision solver is recommended for modeling multiphase flows simulation.
A warning message will be displayed twice in the console. You need not take any action at this point,
as the issue will be resolved when you define the solver settings in General Settings (p. 730).
2. Examine the mesh (Figure 18.2: Default Display of the Nozzle Mesh (p. 726)).
Tip:
By zooming in with the middle mouse button, you can see that the interior of the
model is composed of a fine mesh of quadrilateral cells (see Figure 18.3: The Quadrilat-
eral Mesh (p. 727)).
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Setup and Solution
a. Ensure that All is selected from the Animation Option drop-down list.
Selecting All will allow you to see the movement of the entire mesh as you manipulate the Camera
view in the next step.
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Using the VOF Model
c. Click Apply.
d. Click the Camera... button to open the Camera Parameters dialog box.
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Setup and Solution
Note:
You may notice that the scale of the dimensions in the Camera Parameters dialog
box appear very large given the problem dimensions. This is because you have not
yet scaled the mesh to the correct units. You will do this in a later step.
i. Drag the indicator of the dial with the left mouse button in the clockwise direction until
the upright view is displayed (Figure 18.4: Mesh Display of the Nozzle Mirrored and Up-
right (p. 730)).
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Using the VOF Model
ii. Click Apply and close the Camera Parameters dialog box.
ANSYS Fluent will perform various checks on the mesh and report the progress in the console. Make
sure that the reported minimum volume is a positive number.
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Setup and Solution
b. Click the Fit to Window icon, , to center the graphic in the window.
Note:
It is a good idea to check the mesh after you manipulate it (that is, scale, convert to
polyhedra, merge, separate, fuse, add zones, or smooth and swap.) This will ensure that
the quality of the mesh has not been compromised.
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Using the VOF Model
6. Retain the default setting of Pressure-Based in the Solver group box of the General task page.
Setup → General
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Setup and Solution
18.4.4. Models
1. Enable the laminar viscous model.
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Using the VOF Model
b. Retain the default settings and click Apply and then Close to close the Multiphase Model
dialog box.
Important:
When setting up your case, if you have made changes in the current tab, you should
click the Apply button to make them effective before moving to the next tab.
Otherwise, the relevant models may not be available in the other tabs, and your
settings may be lost.
18.4.5. Materials
The default properties of air and water defined in ANSYS Fluent are suitable for this problem. In this step,
you will make sure that both materials are available for selection in later steps.
1. Add water to the list of fluid materials by copying it from the ANSYS Fluent materials database.
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Setup and Solution
a. Click Fluent Database... in the Create/Edit Materials dialog box to open the Fluent Database
Materials dialog box.
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Using the VOF Model
i. Select water-liquid (h2o < l >) from the Fluent Fluid Materials selection list.
Scroll down the Fluent Fluid Materials list to locate water-liquid (h2o < l >).
ii. Click Copy to copy the information for water to your list of fluid materials.
18.4.6. Phases
In the following steps, you will define water as the secondary phase. When you define the initial solution,
you will patch water in the nozzle region. In general, you can specify the primary and secondary phases
whichever way you prefer. It is a good idea to consider how your choice will affect the ease of problem
setup, especially with more complicated problems.
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Setup and Solution
c. Retain the default selection of air in the Phase Material drop-down list.
d. Click Apply
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Using the VOF Model
d. Click Apply.
In the Multiphase Model dialog box, open the Phase Interaction tab.
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Setup and Solution
a. In the Force tab, select Surface Tension Force Modeling (Global Options group box).
The surface tension inputs is displayed and the Continuum Surface Force model is set as the default.
b. Enable Wall Adhesion (Adhesion Options group box) so that contact angles can be prescribed.
c. For Surface Tension Coefficient (Force Setup group box), select constant from the drop-
down list and enter 73.5 dyn/cm .
d. Click Apply.
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Using the VOF Model
You will set the Reference Pressure Location to be a point where the fluid will always be 100 air.
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Setup and Solution
b. Enter the expression in the Expression Editor dialog box as shown and click OK and close
the dialog box.
IF(t<=10e-06[sec],3.58[m/s]*cos(PI*t/30e-6[s]),0[m/s])
2. Set the boundary conditions at the inlet (inlet) for the secondary phase by selecting water-liquid
from the Phase drop-down list in the Boundary Conditions task page.
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Using the VOF Model
a. Click the Multiphase tab and enter 1 for the Volume Fraction.
3. Set the boundary conditions at the outlet (outlet) for the secondary phase by selecting water-liquid
from the Phase drop-down list in the Boundary Conditions task page.
a. Click the Multiphase tab and retain the default setting of 0 for the Backflow Volume Fraction.
4. Set the conditions at the top wall of the air chamber (wall_no_wet) for the mixture by selecting
mixture from the Phase drop-down list in the Boundary Conditions task page.
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Setup and Solution
Note:
This angle affects the dynamics of droplet formation. You can repeat this simulation
to find out how the result changes when the wall is hydrophilic (that is, using a
small contact angle, say 10 degrees).
5. Set the conditions at the side wall of the ink chamber (wall_wet) for the mixture.
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Using the VOF Model
18.4.9. Solution
1. Set the solution methods.
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Setup and Solution
The non-iterative time advancement (NITA) scheme is often advantageous compared to the iterative
schemes as it is less CPU intensive. Although smaller time steps must be used with NITA compared
to the iterative schemes, the total CPU expense is often smaller. If the NITA scheme leads to conver-
gence difficulties, then the iterative schemes (for example, PISO, SIMPLE) should be used instead.
b. Select Fractional Step from the Scheme drop-down list in the Pressure-Velocity Coupling
group box.
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Using the VOF Model
c. Retain the default selection of Least Squares Cell Based from the Gradient drop-down list
in the Spatial Discretization group box.
d. Retain the default selection of PRESTO! from the Pressure drop-down list.
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Setup and Solution
a. Retain the default settings for all the parameters and click Initialize (either in the ribbon or
in the Solution Initialization task page.
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Using the VOF Model
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Setup and Solution
a. Enter a setting of 0 mm for X Min and Y Min in the Input Coordinates group box.
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Using the VOF Model
b. Ensure that time-step is selected from the Append File Name with drop-down list.
ANSYS Fluent will append the time step value to the file name prefix (inkjet). The standard
.dat.h5 extension will also be appended. This will yield file names of the form inkjet-1-
00200.dat.h5, where 200 is the time step number.
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Setup and Solution
Note:
Small time steps are required to capture the oscillation of the droplet interface and
the associated high velocities. Failure to use sufficiently small time steps may cause
differences in the results between platforms.
c. Click Calculate.
18.4.10. Postprocessing
1. Read the data file for the solution after 6 microseconds (inkjet-1-00600.dat.h5).
2. Create and display a filled contour of water volume fraction after 6 microseconds (Figure 18.5: Con-
tours of Water Volume Fraction After 6 μs (p. 753)).
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Using the VOF Model
c. Select Phases... and Volume fraction from the Contours of drop-down lists.
e. Click Save/Display.
Tip:
In order to display the contour plot in the graphics window, you may need to click the
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Setup and Solution
4. Display contours of water volume fraction after 12, 18, 24, and 30 microseconds (Figure 18.6: Con-
tours of Water Volume Fraction After 12 μs (p. 754) - Figure 18.9: Contours of Water Volume Fraction
After 30 μs (p. 755)).
a. Read the data file for the solution after 12 microseconds (inkjet-1-01200.dat.h5).
c. Repeat these steps for the 18, 24, and 30 microseconds files.
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Using the VOF Model
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Summary
18.5. Summary
This tutorial demonstrated the application of the volume of fluid method with surface tension effects.
The problem involved the 2D axisymmetric modeling of a transient liquid-gas interface, and postpro-
cessing showed how the position and shape of the surface between the two immiscible fluids changed
over time.
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Chapter 19: Modeling Cavitation
This tutorial is divided into the following sections:
19.1. Introduction
19.2. Prerequisites
19.3. Problem Description
19.4. Setup and Solution
19.5. Summary
19.1. Introduction
This tutorial examines the pressure-driven cavitating flow of water through a sharp-edged orifice. This
is a typical configuration in fuel injectors, and brings a challenge to the physics and numerics of cavit-
ation models because of the high pressure differentials involved and the high ratio of liquid to vapor
density. Using the multiphase modeling capability of ANSYS Fluent, you will be able to predict the
strong cavitation near the orifice after flow separation at a sharp edge.
19.2. Prerequisites
This tutorial is written with the assumption that you have completed the introductory tutorials found
in this manual and that you are familiar with the ANSYS Fluent outline view and ribbon structure. Some
steps in the setup and solution procedure will not be shown explicitly.
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Modeling Cavitation
19.4.1. Preparation
To prepare for running this tutorial:
4. Select Solution in the top-left selection list to start Fluent in Solution Mode.
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Setup and Solution
Note:
4. Examine the mesh (Figure 19.2: The Mesh in the Orifice (p. 760)).
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Modeling Cavitation
As seen in Figure 19.2: The Mesh in the Orifice (p. 760), half of the problem geometry is modeled, with
an axis boundary (consisting of two separate lines) at the centerline. The quadrilateral mesh is slightly
graded in the plenum to be finer toward the orifice. In the orifice, the mesh is uniform with aspect ratios
close to , as the flow is expected to exhibit two-dimensional gradients.
When you display data graphically in a later step, you will mirror the view across the centerline to
obtain a more realistic view of the model.
Since the bubbles are small and the flow is high speed, gravity effects can be neglected and the problem
can be reduced to axisymmetrical. If gravity could not be neglected and the direction of gravity were
not coincident with the geometrical axis of symmetry, you would have to solve a 3D problem.
Setup → General
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Setup and Solution
Note:
19.4.4. Models
1. Enable the multiphase mixture model.
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Modeling Cavitation
In this flow, the high level of turbulence does not allow large bubble growth, so gravity is not im-
portant. It is also assumed that the bubbles have same velocity as the liquid. Therefore, there is no
need to solve for the slip velocity.
Important:
When setting up your case, if you have made changes in the current tab, you should
click the Apply button to make them effective before moving to the next tab.
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Setup and Solution
Otherwise, the relevant models may not be available in the other tabs, and your
settings may be lost.
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Modeling Cavitation
19.4.5. Materials
For the purposes of this tutorial, you will be modeling the liquid and vapor phases as incompressible.
Note that more comprehensive models are available for the densities of these phases, and could be
used to more fully capture the affects of the pressure changes in this problem.
2. Copy water vapor from the materials database and modify the properties of your local copy.
a. In the Create/Edit Materials dialog box, click the Fluent Database... button to open the
Fluent Database Materials dialog box.
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Setup and Solution
i. Select water-vapor (h2o) from the Fluent Fluid Materials selection list.
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Modeling Cavitation
19.4.6. Phases
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Setup and Solution
d. Click Apply.
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Modeling Cavitation
d. Click Apply.
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Setup and Solution
b. In the Heat, Mass, Reaction tab, set Number of Mass Transfer Mechanisms to 1.
c. Ensure that liquid is selected from the From Phase drop-down list in the Mass Transfer group
box.
The Cavitation Model dialog box will open to show the cavitation inputs.
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Modeling Cavitation
The vaporization pressure is a property of the working liquid, which depends mainly on the
temperature and pressure. The default value is the vaporization pressure of water at 1 atmo-
sphere and a temperature of 300 K.
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Setup and Solution
1. Set the boundary conditions at inlet_1 for the mixture. Ensure that mixture is selected from the
Phase drop-down list in the Boundary Conditions task page.
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Modeling Cavitation
If you choose to initialize the solution based on the pressure-inlet conditions, the Supersonic/Initial
Gauge Pressure will be used in conjunction with the specified stagnation pressure (the Gauge
Total Pressure) to compute initial values according to the isentropic relations (for compressible
flow) or Bernoulli’s equation (for incompressible flow). Otherwise, in an incompressible flow calcu-
lation, ANSYS Fluent will ignore the Supersonic/Initial Gauge Pressure input.
c. Retain the default selection of Normal to Boundary from the Direction Specification Method
drop-down list.
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Setup and Solution
i. In the Multiphase tab, retain the default value of 0 for Volume Fraction.
ii. Click Apply and close the Pressure Inlet dialog box.
3. Copy the boundary conditions defined for the first pressure inlet zone (inlet_1) to the second
pressure inlet zone (inlet_2).
A Question dialog box will open, asking if you want to copy inlet_1 boundary conditions to
inlet_2. Click OK.
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Modeling Cavitation
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Setup and Solution
i. In the Multiphase tab, retain the default value of 0 for Backflow Volume Fraction.
ii. Click Apply and close the Pressure Outlet dialog box.
19.4.9. Solution
1. Set the solution parameters.
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Modeling Cavitation
a. Select Coupled from the Scheme drop-down list in the Pressure-Velocity Coupling group
box.
b. Retain the selection of PRESTO! from the Pressure drop-down list in the Spatial Discretization
group box.
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Setup and Solution
d. Retain First Order Upwind for Turbulent Kinetic Energy and Turbulent Dissipation Rate.
The relaxation of high order terms will help to improve the solution behavior of flow simulations
when higher order spatial discretizations are used (higher than first).
a. Set the pseudo transient explicit relaxation factor for Volume Fraction to 0.3.
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Modeling Cavitation
b. Enter 1e-05 for the Absolute Criteria of continuity, x-velocity, y-velocity, k, omega, and
vf-vapor.
Decreasing the criteria for these residuals will improve the accuracy of the solution.
Solution → Initialization
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Setup and Solution
c. Enable Use Specified Initial Pressure on Inlets in the Initialization Options group box. The
velocity will now be initialized to the Initial Gauge Pressure value that you set in the Pressure
Inlet boundary condition dialog box. For more information on initialization options, see hybrid
initialization in the Fluent User's Guide.
Note:
For flows in complex topologies, hybrid initialization will provide better initial velocity
and pressure fields than standard initialization. This will help to improve the conver-
gence behavior of the solver.
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Modeling Cavitation
b. Click Calculate.
19.4.10. Postprocessing
1. Create and plot a definition of pressure contours in the orifice (Figure 19.3: Contours of Static
Pressure (p. 782)).
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Setup and Solution
d. Retain the default selection of Pressure... and Static Pressure from the Contours of drop-
down lists.
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Modeling Cavitation
Note the dramatic pressure drop at the flow restriction in Figure 19.3: Contours of Static Pressure (p. 782).
Low static pressure is the major factor causing cavitation. Additionally, turbulence contributes to
cavitation due to the effect of pressure fluctuation (Figure 19.4: Mirrored View of Contours of Static
Pressure (p. 783)) and turbulent diffusion (Figure 19.5: Contours of Turbulent Kinetic Energy (p. 784)).
2. Mirror the display across the centerline (Figure 19.4: Mirrored View of Contours of Static Pres-
sure (p. 783)).
Mirroring the display across the centerline gives a more realistic view.
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Setup and Solution
a. Select symm_2 and symm_1 from the Mirror Planes selection list.
3. Create and plot a contour definition of the turbulent kinetic energy (Figure 19.5: Contours of Tur-
bulent Kinetic Energy (p. 784)).
d. Select Turbulence... and Turbulent Kinetic Energy(k) from the Contours of drop-down lists.
e. Click Save/Display.
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Modeling Cavitation
In this example, the mesh used is fairly coarse. However, in cavitating flows the pressure distribution
is the dominant factor, and is not very sensitive to mesh size.
4. Create and plot a contour definition of the volume fraction of water vapor (Figure 19.6: Contours
of Vapor Volume Fraction (p. 785)).
d. Select Phases... and Volume fraction from the Contours of drop-down lists.
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Summary
The high turbulent kinetic energy region near the neck of the orifice in Figure 19.5: Contours of Turbulent
Kinetic Energy (p. 784) coincides with the highest volume fraction of vapor in Figure 19.6: Contours of
Vapor Volume Fraction (p. 785). This indicates the correct prediction of a localized high phase change
rate. The vapor then gets convected downstream by the main flow.
19.5. Summary
This tutorial demonstrated how to set up and resolve a strongly cavitating pressure-driven flow through
an orifice, using multiphase mixture model of ANSYS Fluent with cavitation effects. You learned how
to set the boundary conditions for an internal flow. A steady-state solution was calculated to simulate
the formation of vapor in the neck of the flow after the section restriction at the orifice. A more compu-
tationally intensive transient calculation is necessary to accurately simulate the irregular cyclic process
of bubble formation, growth, filling by water jet re-entry, and break-off.
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Chapter 20: Using the Eulerian Multiphase Model
This tutorial is divided into the following sections:
20.1. Introduction
20.2. Prerequisites
20.3. Problem Description
20.4. Setup and Solution
20.5. Summary
20.1. Introduction
This tutorial examines a turbulent two-phase flow consisting of air sparged into a water-filled mixing
lab reactor. You will use the Eulerian multiphase model to simulate the mixing tank processes since the
air and water phases are not in equilibrium throughout the simulation.
• Use a degassing outlet boundary condition to enable only air, but not water, to escape from the
boundary.
• Calculate a solution using the multiphase coupled solver with the Eulerian model.
20.2. Prerequisites
This tutorial is written with the assumption that you have completed the introductory tutorials found
in this manual and that you are familiar with the ANSYS Fluent outline view and ribbon structure. Some
steps in the setup and solution procedure will not be shown explicitly.
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The geometry consists of a mixing vessel, four baffles along the vessel wall, a ring sparger, a pitch blade
turbine, a Rushton blade turbine, and a rotating vertical shaft. There is no water flow into or out of the
vessel. Air is injected into the tank at the bottom through the ring sparger at a speed of 0.05 m/s. Small
inlet holes in the sparger ring are ignored, and the air inlet is modeled as a uniform circular strip. The
air mixes with water, producing small bubbles. The Rushton blade turbine agitates the air-water mixture,
evenly distributing the air bubbles. The pitch blade turbine performs dispersion and pumping operations.
Both impellers rotate at 450 rpm in the counterclockwise direction about the Z axis (as viewed from
the top). Dispersed gas bubbles can escape through the top water surface, which is open to the ambient
air. This model can be used as a reasonable representation of the initial conditions in a real mixing tank.
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Setup and Solution
20.4.10. Postprocessing
20.4.1. Preparation
To prepare for running this tutorial:
4. Select Solution in the top-left selection list to start Fluent in Solution Mode.
20.4.2. Mesh
1. Read the mesh file mixing_tank.msh.
As Fluent reads the mesh file, it will report the progress in the console.
A warning message will be displayed that the degassing boundary condition type is not compatible
with currently enabled models. You will resolve this issue when you enable the Eulerian multiphase
model in a subsequent step.
Fluent will perform various checks on the mesh and will report the progress in the console. Make sure
that the reported minimum volume is a positive number.
b. In the Surfaces selection list, select wall_liquid_level, gas-inlet, and Wall (to select all walls),
deselect fluid-tank_body
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Using the Eulerian Multiphase Model
4. Examine the mesh (Figure 20.2: Mesh Display of the Mixing Tank (p. 790)).
Extra:
You can use the right mouse button to check which zone number corresponds to each
boundary. If you click the right mouse button on one of the boundaries in the graphics
window, its zone number, name, and type will be printed in the ANSYS Fluent console.
This feature is especially useful when you have several zones of the same type and you
want to distinguish between them quickly.
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Setup and Solution
a. In the Operating Conditions dialog box, enable Gravity to account for gravitational forces.
b. In the Gravitational Acceleration group box, enter -9.81 m/s2 for the Gravitational Accel-
eration in the Z direction.
For this simulation, you will model air as an incompressible fluid with a density of 1.225 kg/m3,
which is a default value.
Note:
For multiphase flows, the operating density should be set to the density of the least
dense phase.
20.4.4. Models
1. Enable the Eulerian multiphase model.
Since you will use the default settings for the Eulerian model, you can enable it directly from the tree
by right-clicking the Multiphase node and choosing Eulerian from the context menu.
Enabling the Eulerian multiphase model will also automatically enable the operating density parameters.
You can verify this in the Operating Conditions dialog box.
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Using the Eulerian Multiphase Model
The dispersed turbulence model is suitable for cases when the dispersed phase is dilute. The model
assumes that turbulence in the primary phase is dominant, while the turbulent quantities of the
secondary phase can be obtained from the mean characteristics of the primary phase.
20.4.5. Materials
The default properties for water defined in ANSYS Fluent are suitable for this problem. In this step, you will
make sure that this material is available for selecting in future steps.
1. Add water to the list of fluid materials by copying it from the ANSYS Fluent materials database.
a. Click Fluent Database... in the Create/Edit Materials dialog box to open the Fluent Database
Materials dialog box.
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Setup and Solution
Scroll down the list to find water-liquid (h2o<l>). Selecting this item will display the default
properties in the dialog box.
ii. Click Copy and close the Fluent Database Materials dialog box.
The Create/Edit Materials dialog box will now display the copied properties for water-liquid.
20.4.6. Phases
In the following steps you will define the liquid water and air phases that flow in the mixing tank.
1. In the Phases tab of the Multiphase Model dialog box, specify liquid water as the primary phase.
d. Click Apply.
c. Retain the default selection of air from the Phase Material drop-down list.
The diameter of the air bubbles that are formed when the air is injected into the tank depends on
the diameter of the inlet holes in the real reactor, which is 1 mm in this example.
e. Click Apply.
b. In the Forces tab, select grace from the Coefficient drop-down list (Drag Coefficient group
box).
The Grace model is suitable for liquid-gas mixtures with low gas density and bubble sizes of 1-
2 mm.
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Using the Eulerian Multiphase Model
c. For Surface Tension Coefficients (Force Setup group box), select constant from the drop-
down list and enter 0.073.
Tip:
To visually confirm the location of a cell or boundary zone, you can display it by right-
clicking it in the tree and selecting either Display or Add to Graphics. Conversely, if you
click a cell or boundary mesh in the graphics window, the selected item will be highlighted
in the tree. You can use Ctrl or Shift to select multiple zones.
1. Set up the cell zone conditions for the fluid zone associated with the Rushton blade turbine (flu-
id_mrf_1-1).
c. Retain the default values of (0, 0, 1) for X, Y, and Z in the Rotation-Axis Direction group box.
d. Enter 450 rpm for Speed in the Rotational Velocity group box.
2. In a similar manner, set up the cell zone conditions for the fluid zone associated with the pitch
blade turbine (fluid_mrf_2-0).
c. Retain the default values of (0, 0, 1) for X, Y, and Z in the Rotation-Axis Direction group box.
d. Enter 450 rpm for Speed in the Rotational Velocity group box.
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Setup and Solution
3. Retain the default settings for fluid_tank-2, which is stationary in the absolute reference frame.
The degassing boundary condition at the top of the fluid was created in a meshing application. At the
degassing outlet, only gas phase can leave the domain. The degassing boundary condition became active
after you enabled the Eulerian multiphase model in Fluent. No input is required for this type of boundary
condition. For this problem, you only need to set the boundary conditions for the velocity inlet. Since this
is a multiphase model, you will set the conditions that are specific to the primary and secondary phases.
1. Set the boundary conditions at the inlet (gas-inlet) for the primary phase (water).
Since this is a dispersed turbulent flow, only turbulence must be defined for the water phase.
a. In the Turbulence group box, select Intensity and Hydraulic Diameter as the turbulence
Specification Method.
2. Set the boundary conditions at the inlet (gas-inlet) for the secondary phase (air).
20.4.9. Solution
1. Specify the discretization schemes.
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Using the Eulerian Multiphase Model
5. Start calculation.
b. Retain the default selection of Automatic for the Time Step Method.
Note:
It may take significant time and computer resources to complete the problem calculation.
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Setup and Solution
6. After the solution has converged, save the case and data files (mixing_tank.cas.h5 and
mixing_tank.dat.h5).
20.4.10. Postprocessing
1. Display the distribution of air on the XZ plane (Figure 20.4: Contours of Air Volume Fraction on
the XZ plane (p. 799)).
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Using the Eulerian Multiphase Model
b. From the Contours of drop-down lists, select Phases... and Volume Fraction.
d. In the Surfaces selection list, deselect all surfaces by clicking and then select y=0,
wall_impeller_1, and wall_impeller_2.
The specified range will allow you to better view the volume fraction variation.
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Setup and Solution
i. In the Mesh Display dialog box, click next to the Surfaces filter to deselect all surfaces
and then select wall_baffle_1, wall_sparger, and all walls whose names begin with
'wall_shaft'.
ii. Enable Edges and disable Faces in the Options group box.
j. Click Save/Display and use the interactive triad to orient the view as shown in Figure 20.4: Con-
tours of Air Volume Fraction on the XZ plane (p. 799).
Note:
You may need to deselect Headlight and Lighting in the View ribbon tab (Display
group).
The contour map of the air volume fraction on the XZ plane shows how the air is agitated by im-
pellers as it moves upward in the mixing tank. The shape of the Rushton blade turbine is forming
cavities below the turbine.
2. Display the distribution of air on the plane z=0.08 (Figure 20.5: Contours of Air Volume Fraction
on the z=0.08 plane (p. 800)).
b. Set up the contour plot in a similar manner to step 1, except using the z=0.08 instead of y=0.
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Using the Eulerian Multiphase Model
d. In the View Tools toolbar, from the Set View drop-down list ( ), select the view from the
negative Z axis ( ) to obtain the view shown in Figure 20.5: Contours of Air Volume Fraction
on the z=0.08 plane (p. 800).
Note that the air is collecting on the bottom surface of the Rushton blade turbine disk before its
dispersed by the impeller’s blades.
3. Display vectors of velocity magnitude for water on the XZ plane (Figure 20.6: Vectors of Water
Velocity Magnitude on the XZ plane (p. 801)).
Since the Eulerian model solves individual momentum equations for each phase, you can choose
the phase for which solution data is plotted.
f. From the Color by drop-down lists, select Velocity... and Velocity Magnitude.
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Setup and Solution
h. In the Surfaces selection list, deselect all surfaces by clicking and then select y=0,
wall_impeller_1, and wall_impeller_2.
i. Click Save/Display, close the Vectors dialog box, and use the interactive triad to orient the
view as shown in Figure 20.6: Vectors of Water Velocity Magnitude on the XZ plane (p. 801).
The vector plot of the water velocity shows that the water moves in a circular motion, creating a
closed loop since it cannot escape the reactor.
4. Display vectors of velocity magnitude for air on the XZ plane (Figure 20.7: Vectors of Air Velocity
Magnitude on the XZ plane (p. 802)).
d. Under Vectors of, select air from the Phase drop-down list.
e. Under Color by, select air from the Phase drop-down list.
f. In the Surfaces selection list, deselect all surfaces by clicking and then select y=0,
wall_impeller_1, and wall_impeller_2.
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The vector plot of the air velocity shows that the air moves upward all the way to the water surface,
where it escapes. The baffle walls located on the sides of the tank prevent the undesirable vortex
formation.
5. Calculate the torque about the shaft for the Rushton blade turbine.
d. From the Wall Zones selection list, deselect all zones by clicking and then select
wall_impeller_1.
Fluent reports the individual and net values of the pressure moment, viscous moment, total
moment, pressure coefficient, viscous coefficient, and total coefficient about the specified
center in the console.
The power requirement is simply the required torque (0.03767 N m) multiplied by the rotational
speed (450 rpm = 47.12 rad/s): 0.03767 N m * 47.1 rad/s = 1.77 W.
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Summary
Note that this value does not account for any mechanical losses, motor efficiencies, and so
on.
20.5. Summary
This tutorial demonstrated how to set up and solve a turbulent multiphase flow in the mixing tank using
the Eulerian multiphase model. You learned how to set degassing boundary conditions and boundary
conditions for primary and secondary phases. After completing the simulation, you displayed the results
of your calculation and calculated the torque and power requirements. For more information about the
Eulerian multiphase model, see the Fluent User's Guide.
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Chapter 21: Modeling Solidification
This tutorial is divided into the following sections:
21.1. Introduction
21.2. Prerequisites
21.3. Problem Description
21.4. Setup and Solution
21.5. Summary
21.1. Introduction
This tutorial illustrates how to set up and solve a problem involving solidification and will demonstrate
how to do the following:
21.2. Prerequisites
This tutorial is written with the assumption that you have completed the introductory tutorials found
in this manual and that you are familiar with the ANSYS Fluent outline view and ribbon structure. Some
steps in the setup and solution procedure will not be shown explicitly.
Starting with an existing 2D mesh, the details regarding the setup and solution procedure for the solid-
ification problem are presented. The steady conduction solution for this problem is computed as an
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Modeling Solidification
initial condition. Then, the fluid flow is enabled to investigate the effect of natural and Marangoni
convection in a transient fashion.
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Setup and Solution
21.4.1. Preparation
To prepare for running this tutorial:
4. Select Solution in the top-left selection list to start Fluent in Solution Mode.
As the mesh is read by ANSYS Fluent, messages will appear in the console reporting the progress of
the reading.
A warning about the use of axis boundary conditions is displayed in the console. You are asked to
consider making changes to the zone type or change the problem definition to axisymmetric. You will
change the problem to axisymmetric swirl later in this tutorial.
ANSYS Fluent will perform various checks on the mesh and will report the progress in the console. Make
sure that the minimum volume is a positive number.
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Modeling Solidification
Setup → General
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Setup and Solution
The geometry comprises an axisymmetric bowl. Furthermore, swirling flows are considered in this
problem, so the selection of Axisymmetric Swirl best defines this geometry.
Also, note that the rotation axis is the X axis. Hence, the X direction is the axial direction and the Y
direction is the radial direction. When modeling axisymmetric swirl, the swirl direction is the tangential
direction.
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Modeling Solidification
a. Enable Gravity.
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Setup and Solution
a. Enable the Solidification/Melting option in the Solidification and Melting dialog box.
The Solidification and Melting dialog box will expand to show the related parameters.
b. Retain the default value of 100000 for the Mushy Zone Constant.
By including the pull velocities, you will account for the movement of the solidified material as it
is continuously withdrawn from the domain in the continuous casting process.
When you enable this option, the Solidification and Melting dialog box will expand to show the
Compute Pull Velocities option. If you were to enable this additional option, ANSYS Fluent would
compute the pull velocities during the calculation. This approach is computationally expensive and
is recommended only if the pull velocities are strongly dependent on the location of the liquid-solid
interface. In this tutorial, you will patch values for the pull velocities instead of having ANSYS Flu-
ent compute them.
For more information about computing the pull velocities, see the Fluent User's Guide.
An Information dialog box opens, telling you that available material properties have changed for
the solidification model. You will set the material properties later, so you can click OK in the dialog
box to acknowledge this information.
Note:
ANSYS Fluent will automatically enable the energy calculation when you enable the
solidification model, so you need not visit the Energy dialog box.
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Modeling Solidification
b. Select polynomial from the Density drop-down list in the Properties group box.
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Setup and Solution
i. Set Coefficients to 2.
ii. In the Coefficients group box, enter 8000 for 1 and -0.1 for 2.
As shown in Figure 21.1: Solidification in Czochralski Model (p. 806), the density of the material
is defined by a polynomial function: .
d. In the Question dialog box, click Yes to overwrite air and add the new material (liquid-metal)
to the Fluent Fluid Materials drop-down list.
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Modeling Solidification
Scroll down the group box to find Pure Solvent Melting Heat and the properties that follow.
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Setup and Solution
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Setup and Solution
Here, the solid is pulled out with a specified velocity, so a velocity inlet boundary condition is used with
a positive axial velocity component.
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Modeling Solidification
The Velocity Inlet dialog box will change to show related inputs.
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Setup and Solution
The specified shear and Marangoni stress boundary conditions are useful in modeling situations in
which the shear stress (rather than the motion of the fluid) is known. A free surface condition is an
example of such a situation. In this case, the convection is driven by the Marangoni stress and the
shear stress is dependent on the surface tension, which is a function of temperature.
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Modeling Solidification
The Marangoni Stress condition allows you to specify the gradient of the surface tension with
respect to temperature at a wall boundary.
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Setup and Solution
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Setup and Solution
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Setup and Solution
a. Select Coupled from the Scheme drop-down list in the Pressure-Velocity Coupling group
box.
b. Select PRESTO! from the Pressure drop-down list in the Spatial Discretization group box.
The PRESTO! scheme is well suited for rotating flows with steep pressure gradients.
c. Retain the default selection of Second Order Upwind from the Momentum, Swirl Velocity,
and Energy drop-down lists.
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Modeling Solidification
The Pseudo Transient option enables the pseudo transient algorithm in the coupled pressure-based
solver. This algorithm effectively adds an unsteady term to the solution equations in order to improve
stability and convergence behavior. Use of this option is recommended for general fluid flow
problems.
a. Deselect Flow and Swirl Velocity from the Equations selection list to disable the calculation
of flow and swirl velocity equations.
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Setup and Solution
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Modeling Solidification
b. Click OK to accept the remaining default settings and close the Residual Monitors dialog box.
Solution → Initialization
For flows in complex topologies, hybrid initialization will provide better initial velocity and pressure
field than standard initialization. This in general will help in improving the convergence behavior
of the solver.
b. Click Initialize.
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Setup and Solution
In this step, you will define a field function to be used to patch a variable value for the swirl pull velocity
in the next step. The swirl pull velocity is equal to , where is the angular velocity, and is the
radial coordinate. Since = 1 rad/s, you can simplify the equation to simply . In this example, the
value of is included for demonstration purposes.
a. From the Field Functions drop-down lists, select Mesh... and Radial Coordinate.
If you make a mistake, click the DEL button on the calculator pad to delete the last item you added
to the function definition.
f. Click Define.
The omegar item appears under the Parameters & Customization/Parameters tree branch.
Note:
To check the function definition or delete the custom field function, click Manage....
Then in the Field Function Definitions dialog box, from the Field Functions selec-
tion list, select omegar to view the function definition.
As noted earlier, you will patch values for the pull velocities, rather than having ANSYS Fluent compute
them. Since the radial pull velocity is zero, you will patch just the axial and swirl pull velocities.
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Modeling Solidification
d. Click Patch.
You have just patched the axial pull velocity. Next you will patch the swirl pull velocity.
h. Ensure that fluid is selected from the Zones to Patch selection list.
8. Save the initial case and data files (solid0.cas.h5 and solid0.dat.h5).
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Setup and Solution
a. In the Run Calculation task page, select User Specified for the Time Step Method in both
the Fluid Time Scale and the Solid Time Scale group boxes.
b. Retain the default values of 1 s and 1000 s for the Pseudo Time Step Size in the Fluid Time
Scale and the Solid Time Scale group boxes, respectively.
d. Click Calculate.
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Modeling Solidification
10. Create and display the definition of filled temperature contours (Figure 21.3: Contours of Temper-
ature for the Steady Conduction Solution (p. 833)).
d. Select Temperature... and Static Temperature from the Contours of drop-down lists.
e. Click Save/Display (Figure 21.3: Contours of Temperature for the Steady Conduction Solu-
tion (p. 833)) and close the Contours dialog box.
The temperature contour definition appear under the Results/Graphics/Contours tree branch.
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Setup and Solution
11. Display filled contours of temperature to determine the thickness of mushy zone.
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Modeling Solidification
f. Deselect default-interior from the Surfaces selection list and close the Mesh Display dialog
box.
g. Click Save/Display (See Figure 21.4: Contours of Temperature (Mushy Zone) for the Steady
Conduction Solution (p. 835)) and close the Contours dialog box.
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Setup and Solution
Figure 21.4: Contours of Temperature (Mushy Zone) for the Steady Conduction Solution
12. Save the case and data files for the steady conduction solution (solid.cas.h5 and sol-
id.dat.h5).
Setup → General
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Setup and Solution
a. Retain the default selection of First Order Implicit from the Transient Formulation drop-
down list.
b. Ensure that PRESTO! is selected from the Pressure drop-down list in the Spatial Discretization
group box.
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a. Select Flow and Swirl Velocity and ensure that Energy is selected from the Equations selection
list.
Now all three items in the Equations selection list will be selected.
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Setup and Solution
5. Save the initial case and data files (solid01.cas.h5 and solid01.dat.h5).
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d. Click Calculate.
7. Display filled contours of the temperature after 0.2 seconds using the temperature contours
definition that you created earlier.
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Setup and Solution
8. Create and display the definition of stream function contours (Figure 21.6: Contours of Stream
Function at t=0.2 s (p. 842)).
e. Select Velocity... and Stream Function from the Contours of drop-down lists.
f. Click Save/Display.
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Modeling Solidification
As shown in Figure 21.6: Contours of Stream Function at t=0.2 s (p. 842), the liquid is beginning to cir-
culate in a large eddy, driven by natural convection and Marangoni convection on the free surface.
9. Create and display the definition of liquid fraction contours by modifying the stream-function
contour definition (Figure 21.7: Contours of Liquid Fraction at t=0.2 s (p. 843)).
d. Select Solidification/Melting... and Liquid Fraction from the Contours of drop-down lists.
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Setup and Solution
The liquid fraction contours show the current position of the melt front. Note that in Figure 21.7: Contours
of Liquid Fraction at t=0.2 s (p. 843), the mushy zone divides the liquid and solid regions roughly in
half.
b. Click Calculate.
After a total of 50 time steps have been completed, the elapsed time will be 5 seconds.
11. Display filled contours of the temperature after 5 seconds using the contour definition created
earlier (Figure 21.8: Contours of Temperature at t=5 s (p. 844)).
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Modeling Solidification
As shown in Figure 21.8: Contours of Temperature at t=5 s (p. 844), the temperature contours are fairly
uniform through the melt front and solid material. The distortion of the temperature field due to the
recirculating liquid is also clearly evident.
In a continuous casting process, it is important to pull out the solidified material at the proper time.
If the material is pulled out too soon, it will not have solidified (that is, it will still be in a mushy state).
If it is pulled out too late, it solidifies in the casting pool and cannot be pulled out in the required shape.
The optimal rate of pull can be determined from the contours of liquidus temperature and solidus
temperature.
12. Display contours of stream function (Figure 21.9: Contours of Stream Function at t=5 s (p. 845)).
As shown in Figure 21.9: Contours of Stream Function at t=5 s (p. 845), the flow has developed more
fully by 5 seconds, as compared with Figure 21.6: Contours of Stream Function at t=0.2 s (p. 842) after
0.2 seconds. The main eddy, driven by natural convection and Marangoni stress, dominates the flow.
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Setup and Solution
To examine the position of the melt front and the extent of the mushy zone, you will plot the contours
of liquid fraction.
13. Display filled contours of liquid fraction (Figure 21.10: Contours of Liquid Fraction at t=5 s (p. 846)).
The introduction of liquid material at the left of the domain is balanced by the pulling of the solidified
material from the right. After 5 seconds, the equilibrium position of the melt front is beginning to be
established (Figure 21.10: Contours of Liquid Fraction at t=5 s (p. 846)).
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Modeling Solidification
14. Save the case and data files for the solution at 5 seconds (solid5.cas.h5 and sol-
id5.dat.h5).
21.5. Summary
In this tutorial, you studied the setup and solution for a fluid flow problem involving solidification for
the Czochralski growth process.
The solidification model in ANSYS Fluent can be used to model the continuous casting process where
a solid material is continuously pulled out from the casting domain. In this tutorial, you patched a
constant value and a custom field function for the pull velocities instead of computing them. This ap-
proach is used for cases where the pull velocity is not changing over the domain, as it is computationally
less expensive than having ANSYS Fluent compute the pull velocities during the calculation.
For more information about the solidification/melting model, see the Fluent User's Guide.
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Chapter 22: Using the Eulerian Granular Multiphase
Model with Heat Transfer
This tutorial is divided into the following sections:
22.1. Introduction
22.2. Prerequisites
22.3. Problem Description
22.4. Setup and Solution
22.5. Summary
22.6. References
22.1. Introduction
This tutorial examines the flow of air and a granular solid phase consisting of glass beads in a hot gas
fluidized bed, under uniform minimum fluidization conditions. The results obtained for the local wall-
to-bed heat transfer coefficient in ANSYS Fluent can be compared with analytical results [1].
• Compile a User-Defined Function (UDF) for the gas and solid phase thermal conductivities.
22.2. Prerequisites
This tutorial is written with the assumption that you have completed the introductory tutorials found
in this manual and that you are familiar with the ANSYS Fluent outline view and ribbon structure. Some
steps in the setup and solution procedure will not be shown explicitly.
In order to complete the steps to compile the UDF, you will need to have a working C compiler installed
on your machine.
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Using the Eulerian Granular Multiphase Model with Heat Transfer
amined, which you can then compare with analytical results [1]. The geometry and data for the problem
are shown in Figure 22.1: Problem Schematic (p. 848).
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Setup and Solution
22.4.9. Solution
22.4.10. Postprocessing
22.4.1. Preparation
To prepare for running this tutorial:
4. Select Solution in the top-left selection list to start Fluent in Solution Mode.
Note:
The double precision solver is recommended for modeling multiphase flow sim-
ulations.
8. Ensure that Set up Compilation Environment for UDF is enabled in the Environment tab of
the Fluent Launcher window. This will allow you to compile the UDF.
22.4.2. Mesh
1. Read the mesh file fluid-bed.msh.
As ANSYS Fluent reads the mesh file, it will report the progress in the console.
ANSYS Fluent will perform various checks on the mesh and will report the progress in the console.
Make sure that the reported minimum volume is a positive number.
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Using the Eulerian Granular Multiphase Model with Heat Transfer
3. Examine the mesh (Figure 22.2: Mesh Display of the Fluidized Bed (p. 850)).
Extra:
You can use the right mouse button to check which zone number corresponds to each
boundary. If you click the right mouse button on one of the boundaries in the graphics
window, its zone number, name, and type will be printed in the ANSYS Fluent console.
This feature is especially useful when you have several zones of the same type and you
want to distinguish between them quickly.
Setup → General
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Setup and Solution
c. Enable Gravity.
22.4.4. Models
1. Enable the Eulerian multiphase model for two phases.
You will use the default settings for the Eulerian model, so you can enable it directly from the tree by
right-clicking the Multiphase node and choosing Eulerian from the context menu.
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An Information dialog box appears reminding you to confirm the property values. Click OK in
the Information dialog box to continue.
The decision to use the laminar model should be based on the Stokes number for the particles suspended
in the fluid flow.
22.4.5. UDF
1. Compile the user-defined function, conduct.c, that will be used to define the thermal conduct-
ivity for the gas and solid phases.
a. Click the Add... button below the Source Files option to open the Select File dialog box.
b. Select the file conduct.c and click OK in the Select File dialog box.
c. Click Build.
ANSYS Fluent will create a libudf folder and compile the UDF. Also, a Warning dialog box will
open asking you to make sure that UDF source file and case/data files are in the same folder.
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Setup and Solution
22.4.6. Materials
1. Modify the properties for air, which will be used for the primary phase.
The properties used for air are modified to match data used by Kuipers et al. [1]
c. Select user-defined from the Thermal Conductivity drop-down list to open the User Defined
Functions dialog box.
d. Click Change/Create.
2. Define a new fluid material for the granular phase (the glass beads).
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d. Retain the selection of user-defined from the Thermal Conductivity drop-down list.
e. Click the Edit... button to open the User Defined Functions dialog box.
i. Select conduct_solid::libudf in the User Defined Functions dialog box and click
OK.
A Question dialog box will open asking if you want to overwrite air.
22.4.7. Phases
You will now configure the phases.
1. In the Phases tab of the Multiphase Model dialog box, define air as the primary phase.
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Setup and Solution
c. Ensure that air is selected from the Phase Material drop-down list.
d. Click Apply.
Important:
When setting up your case, if you have made changes in the current tab, you should
click the Apply button to make them effective before moving to the next tab.
Otherwise, the relevant models may not be available in the other tabs, and your
settings may be lost.
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d. Enable Granular.
e. Retain the default selection of Phase Property in the Granular Temperature Model group
box.
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Setup and Solution
i. Select constant from the Granular Temperature drop-down list and enter 1e-05.
k. Click Apply.
3. In the Phases Interaction tab of the Multiphase Model dialog box, define the interphase inter-
actions formulations to be used.
a. In the Forces tab, select syamlal-obrien from the Coefficient drop-down list (Drag Coefficient
group box).
b. Click Apply.
d. In the Heat tab, select gunn from the Heat Transfer Coefficient drop-down list.
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The interphase heat exchange is simulated, using a drag coefficient, the default restitution coefficient
for granular collisions of 0.9, and a heat transfer coefficient. Granular phase lift is not very relevant
in this problem, and in fact is rarely used.
e. Click Apply.
f. In the Interfacial Area tab, select ia-symmetric from the Interfacial Area drop-down list.
The default ia-particle method is best suited for typical dispersed flow applications with a volume
fraction lower than 30%. In this analysis, the volume fraction of the secondary phase is relatively
high (close to 60%). The ia-symmetric correlation is more accurate for such cases because it con-
siders the volume fraction of both the primary and secondary phases in the interfacial area calcu-
lation.
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Setup and Solution
1. Set the boundary conditions for the lower velocity inlet (v_uniform) for the primary phase.
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For the Eulerian multiphase model, you will specify conditions at a velocity inlet that are specific to
the primary and secondary phases.
b. Click the Edit... button to open the Velocity Inlet dialog box.
i. Retain the default selection of Magnitude, Normal to Boundary from the Velocity Spe-
cification Method drop-down list.
iii. Click the Thermal tab and enter 293 K for Temperature.
iv. Click Apply and close the Velocity Inlet dialog box.
2. Set the boundary conditions for the lower velocity inlet (v_uniform) for the secondary phase.
b. Click the Edit... button to open the Velocity Inlet dialog box.
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Setup and Solution
ii. Retain the default value of 0 m/s for the Velocity Magnitude.
iii. Click the Thermal tab and enter 293 K for Temperature.
iv. Click the Multiphase tab and retain the default value of 0 for Volume Fraction.
3. Set the boundary conditions for the orifice velocity inlet (v_jet) for the primary phase.
b. Click the Edit... button to open the Velocity Inlet dialog box.
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In order for a comparison with analytical results [1] to be meaningful, in this simulation you
will use a uniform value for the air velocity equal to the minimum fluidization velocity at both
inlets on the bottom of the bed.
iii. Click the Thermal tab and enter 293 K for Temperature.
iv. Click Apply and close the Velocity Inlet dialog box.
4. Set the boundary conditions for the orifice velocity inlet (v_jet) for the secondary phase.
b. Click the Edit... button to open the Velocity Inlet dialog box.
ii. Retain the default value of 0 m/s for the Velocity Magnitude.
iii. Click the Thermal tab and enter 293 K for Temperature.
iv. Click the Multiphase tab and retain the default value of 0 for the Volume Fraction.
5. Set the boundary conditions for the pressure outlet (poutlet) for the mixture phase.
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Setup and Solution
For the Eulerian granular model, you will specify conditions at a pressure outlet for the mixture and
for both phases.
The thermal conditions at the pressure outlet will be used only if flow enters the domain through this
boundary. You can set them equal to the inlet values, as no flow reversal is expected at the pressure
outlet. In general, however, it is important to set reasonable values for these downstream scalar values,
in case flow reversal occurs at some point during the calculation.
b. Click the Edit... button to open the Pressure Outlet dialog box.
ii. Click Apply and close the Pressure Outlet dialog box.
6. Set the boundary conditions for the pressure outlet (poutlet) for the primary phase.
b. Click the Edit... button to open the Pressure Outlet dialog box.
ii. Click Apply and close the Pressure Outlet dialog box.
7. Set the boundary conditions for the pressure outlet (poutlet) for the secondary phase.
b. Click the Edit... button to open the Pressure Outlet dialog box.
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i. In the Thermal tab, enter 293 K for the Backflow Total Temperature.
iii. Click Apply and close the Pressure Outlet dialog box.
8. Set the boundary conditions for the heated wall (wall_hot) for the mixture.
For the heated wall, you will set thermal conditions for the mixture, and momentum conditions (zero
shear) for both phases.
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Setup and Solution
i. In the Thermal tab, select Temperature from the Thermal Conditions list.
9. Set the boundary conditions for the heated wall (wall_hot) for the primary phase.
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c. Retain the default No Slip condition and click Apply and close the Wall dialog box.
10. Set the boundary conditions for the heated wall (wall_hot) for the secondary phase (solids) same
as that of the primary phase.
For the secondary phase, you will retain the default no slip condition as for the primary phase.
11. Set the boundary conditions for the adiabatic wall (wall_ins).
For the adiabatic wall, retain the default thermal conditions for the mixture (zero heat flux), and the
default momentum conditions (no slip) for both phases.
22.4.9. Solution
1. Select the second order implicit transient formulation and higher-order spatial discretization
schemes.
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Setup and Solution
a. Select Second Order Implicit from the Transient Formulation drop-down list.
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Initially, you will define functions for the mixture temperature, and thermal conductivity, then you will
use these to define a function for the heat transfer coefficient.
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Setup and Solution
i. Select Temperature... and Static Temperature from the Field Functions drop-down lists.
ii. Ensure that air is selected from the Phase drop-down list and click Select.
iv. Select Phases... and Volume fraction from the Field Functions drop-down list.
v. Ensure that air is selected from the Phase drop-down list and click Select.
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i. Select Properties... and Thermal Conductivity from the Field Functions drop-down lists.
ii. Select air from the Phase drop-down list and click Select.
iv. Select Phases... and Volume fraction from the Field Functions drop-down lists.
v. Ensure that air is selected from the Phase drop-down list and click Select.
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Setup and Solution
ii. From the Field Functions drop-down lists, select Custom Field Functions... and k_mix
and click Select.
iii. Use the calculator pad and the Field Functions lists to complete the definition of the
function.
v. Click Define and close the Custom Field Function Calculator dialog box.
5. Define the point surface in the cell next to the wall on the plane .
b. Enter 0.28494 m for x and 0.24 m for y in the Coordinates group box.
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b. In the Create group box, enable Report File, Report Plot and Print to Console.
c. Select Custom Field Functions... and ave_htc from the Field Variable drop-down lists.
e. Click OK to save the surface report definition settings and close the Surface Report Definition
dialog box.
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Setup and Solution
7. Define a cell register for the lower half of the fluidized bed.
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a. Enter 0.3 m for Xmax and 0.5 m for Ymax in the Input Coordinates group box.
This register is used to patch the initial volume fraction of solids in the next step.
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Setup and Solution
9. Patch the initial volume fraction of solids in the lower half of the fluidized bed.
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At this point, it is a good practice to display contours of the variable you just patched, to ensure that
the desired field was obtained.
10. Display contours of Volume Fraction of solids (Figure 22.3: Initial Volume Fraction of Granular
Phase (solids) (p. 877)).
d. Ensure that Volume fraction is selected from the lower Contours of drop-down list.
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d. Click Calculate.
The plot of the value of the mixture-averaged heat transfer coefficient in the cell next to the heated
wall versus time is in excellent agreement with results published for the same case [1].
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Setup and Solution
Figure 22.4: Plot of Mixture-Averaged Heat Transfer Coefficient in the Cell Next to the Heated
Wall Versus Time
13. Save the case and data files (fluid-bed.cas.h5 and fluid-bed.dat.h5).
22.4.10. Postprocessing
1. Display the pressure field in the fluidized bed (Figure 22.5: Contours of Static Pressure (p. 881)).
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d. Select Pressure... and Static Pressure from the Contours of drop-down lists.
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Setup and Solution
2. Display the volume fraction of solids (Figure 22.6: Contours of Volume Fraction of Solids (p. 882)).
d. Select Phases... and Volume fraction from the Contours of drop-down lists.
f. Zoom in to show the contours close to the region where the change in volume fraction is the
greatest.
Note that the region occupied by the granular phase has expanded slightly, as a result of fluidization.
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Using the Eulerian Granular Multiphase Model with Heat Transfer
22.5. Summary
This tutorial demonstrated how to set up and solve a granular multiphase problem with heat transfer,
using the Eulerian model. You learned how to set boundary conditions for the mixture and both phases.
The solution obtained is in excellent agreement with analytical results from Kuipers et al. [1].
22.6. References
1. J. A. M. Kuipers, W. Prins, and W. P. M. Van Swaaij "Numerical Calculation of Wall-to-Bed Heat
Transfer Coefficients in Gas-Fluidized Beds", Department of Chemical Engineering, Twente University
of Technology, in AIChE Journal, July 1992, Vol. 38, No. 7.
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Chapter 23: Modeling One-Way Fluid-Structure
Interaction (FSI) Within Fluent
This tutorial is divided into the following sections:
23.1. Introduction
23.2. Prerequisites
23.3. Problem Description
23.4. Setup and Solution
23.5. Summary
23.1. Introduction
This tutorial examines turbulent air flow through a cylindrical test chamber that includes a steel probe.
You will enable a structural model in order to simulate the deformation of the probe as a result of the
fluid flow. It is assumed that the deformation will be small enough that this problem can be modeled
as a one-way fluid-structure interaction (FSI) simulation; that is, the fluid flow will affect the deformation
of the structure, but not vice versa. Because Fluent performs all of the structural calculations (as opposed
to using a separate structural program), it is referred to as "intrinsic FSI".
• Run a journal file to complete an initial fluid flow simulation without structural calculations.
• Define structural material properties, a solid cell zone, and related boundary conditions.
23.2. Prerequisites
This tutorial is written with the assumption that you have completed the introductory tutorials found
in this manual and that you are familiar with the ANSYS Fluent outline view and ribbon structure. Some
steps in the setup and solution procedure will not be shown explicitly.
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Taking advantage of the symmetry of the problem, only half of the geometry is modeled. The cylindrical
test chamber is 20 cm long, with a diameter of 10 cm. Turbulent air enters the chamber at 100 m/s,
flows around and through the steel probe, and exits through a pressure outlet.
23.4.1. Preparation
To prepare for running this tutorial:
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Setup and Solution
The files probe.msh and fluid_flow.jou can be found in the folder. Note that the solid cell
zone in the mesh file is appropriate for a 3D intrinsic FSI simulation, which requires that only hexa-
hedral, tetrahedral, wedge, and/or pyramid cell types are used and that a conformal mesh exists
between the solid and fluid zones.
4. Select Solution in the top-left selection list to start Fluent in Solution Mode.
8. Make sure that the Working Directory (in the General Options tab) is set to the one created
when you unzipped fsi_1way.zip.
This journal file will read the mesh file probe.msh and set up and solve a fluid flow simulation that
will serve as the starting point for the structural calculations. It is not necessary to separate these
calculations, but it is a advantage of one-way FSI simulation that structural calculations can be simply
added to an existing fluid flow case and data file. Separating the calculations allows you to easily
discern and resolve any convergence issues that are solely related to the fluid simulation.
As Fluent reads the journal file, it will report the text commands and solution progress in the console.
You can also view the journal file in a text editor to see the settings used in this simulation. The final
text command in the journal file will display contours of the velocity magnitude (Figure 23.2: Velocity
Magnitude on the Symmetry Plane (p. 886)).
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10. Save the initial case and data files as probe_fluid.cas.h5 and probe_fluid.dat.h5.
Having completed the initial fluid flow simulation, the remaining steps are all concerned with setting up
the structural calculations and obtaining the deformation results for the solid cell zone as a result of the
flow pressure.
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Setup and Solution
This model enables structural calculations for the solid cell zone such that the internal load is linearly
proportional to the nodal displacement, and the structural stiffness matrix remains constant.
23.4.3. Materials
1. Add steel to the list of solid materials by copying it from the ANSYS Fluent materials database.
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a. Click the Fluent Database... button in the Create/Edit Materials dialog box to open the
Fluent Database Materials dialog box.
Scroll down the list to find steel. Selecting this item will display the default properties in the
dialog box.
iii. Click Copy and close the Fluent Database Materials dialog box.
The Create/Edit Materials dialog box will now display the copied properties for steel.
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Setup and Solution
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1. Set the boundary conditions for solid-top, which is located where the probe attaches to the top
of the test chamber. You will define it as being fixed (that is, undergoing no displacement).
b. Select displacement boundary conditions (that is, Node X-Displacement from the X-Displace-
ment Boundary Condition drop-down list with 0 for the X-Displacement, and so on).
2. Set the boundary conditions for all of the wall zones of the solid cell zone that lie on the plane
of symmetry and represent the center of the probe. In this case there are two: they should be
free to move with no stress in the X- and Y-directions, but fixed in the Z-direction.
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Setup and Solution
ii. Select Stress Free from the X- and Y-Displacement Boundary Condition drop-down lists.
iii. Select the Z-Displacement Boundary Condition drop-down list and the Z-Displacement
field (that is, Node Z-Displacement and set 0, respectively).
This ensures that the zone does not move out of the plane of symmetry.
i. Make sure that solid-symmetry is selected in the From Boundary Zone list.
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A Question dialog box will open, asking if you want to copy the boundary conditions to all of
the selected zones. Click OK.
3. Set the boundary conditions for all of the two-sided walls (that is, the wall / wall-shadow pairs)
between the solid and fluid cell zones. In this case there is one pair of walls, which represent the
outer surface of the probe.
Note that the Adjacent Cell Zone for this wall is flow, which is the fluid zone. The side of the wall
/ wall-shadow pair that is immediately adjacent to the fluid does not require any settings in the
Structure tab, and so this tab is not available.
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Setup and Solution
Note that the Adjacent Cell Zone for this wall is solid, which is the solid zone. The side of the
wall / wall-shadow pair that is immediately adjacent to the solid does require structural settings
(that is, displacement boundary conditions).
ii. Select Intrinsic FSI from the X-, Y-, and Z-Displacement Boundary Condition drop-down
lists.
This specifies that the displacement results from pressure loads exerted by the fluid flow on the
faces. This setting is only available for two-sided walls.
23.4.6. Solution
1. Enable the inclusion of operating pressure into the fluid-structure interaction force by entering
the following text command:
> define/models/structure/expert/include-pop-in-fsi-force?
Include operating p into fsi force [no] yes
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a. Retain the default settings for the x-, y-, and z-displacement equations.
3. Disable the flow and turbulence equations, since in a one-way FSI simulation they will not change
from their converged state.
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Setup and Solution
5. Start the calculation by requesting 2 iterations in the Solution ribbon tab (Run Calculation group
box)..
Since only structural calculations will be performed, you do not need a large number of iterations
to reach convergence.
b. Click Calculate.
6. After the solution has been calculated, save the case and data files (probe_fsi_1way.cas.h5
and probe_fsi_1way.dat.h5).
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23.4.7. Postprocessing
1. Display the total displacement of the probe (Figure 23.3: Contours of Total Displacement (p. 897)).
b. Select Structure... and Total Displacement from the Contours of drop-down lists.
c. Deselect all surfaces in the Surfaces selection list by clicking , and then select solid.
d. Click Save/Display, close the Contours dialog box, and rotate and magnify the view as shown
in Figure 23.3: Contours of Total Displacement (p. 897).
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Summary
23.5. Summary
This tutorial demonstrated how to set up and solve a one-way intrinsic FSI simulation. You learned how
to enable a structural model and define the solid material and boundary conditions. After completing
the simulation, you displayed the resulting displacement of the structure. For more information about
intrinsic FSI simulations, see the Fluent User's Guide.
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Chapter 24: Modeling Two-Way Fluid-Structure
Interaction (FSI) Within Fluent
This tutorial is divided into the following sections:
24.1. Introduction
24.2. Prerequisites
24.3. Problem Description
24.4. Setup and Solution
24.5. Summary
24.1. Introduction
This tutorial examines turbulent air flow through a duct that includes vertical flaps. You will enable a
structural model in order to simulate the deformation of the flaps as a result of the fluid flow. It is as-
sumed that the deformation will be large enough that this problem must be modeled as a two-way
fluid-structure interaction (FSI) simulation; that is, the fluid flow will affect the deformation of the
structures, and vice versa. Because Fluent performs all of the structural calculations (as opposed to using
a separate structural program), it is referred to as "intrinsic FSI".
• Run a journal file to complete an initial steady-state fluid flow simulation without structural calculations.
• Define structural material properties, a solid cell zone, and related boundary conditions.
• Postprocess the fluid flow and the deformation of a solid cell zone.
24.2. Prerequisites
This tutorial is written with the assumption that you have completed the introductory tutorials found
in this manual and that you are familiar with the ANSYS Fluent outline view and ribbon structure. Some
steps in the setup and solution procedure will not be shown explicitly.
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Flow through a simple duct with vertical flaps is simulated as a 2D planar model. The duct is 10 cm
long and 4 cm high, and the flaps are 1 cm tall and 0.3 cm thick, composed of silicone rubber. Turbulent
air enters the duct at 10 m/s, flows around the flaps, and exits through a pressure outlet. Symmetry allows
only half of the duct to be modeled.
24.4.1. Preparation
To prepare for running this tutorial:
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Setup and Solution
The files flap.msh and steady_fluid_flow.jou can be found in the folder. Note that the cell
zone in the mesh file that will represent the solid zone is appropriate for a 2D intrinsic FSI simulation,
which requires that only quadrilateral and/or triangular cell types are used and that a conformal mesh
exists between the zones that will represent the solid and the fluid.
4. Select Solution in the top-left selection list to start Fluent in Solution Mode.
8. Make sure that the Working Directory (in the General Options tab) is set to the one created
when you unzipped fsi_2way.zip.
This journal file will read the mesh file flap.msh and set up and solve a steady fluid flow simulation
that will serve as the starting point for the transient FSI simulation. Solving the steady flow problem
first allows you to easily discern and resolve any convergence issues that are not related to the fluid-
structure interaction.
As Fluent reads the journal file, it will report the text commands and solution progress in the console.
You can also view the journal file in a text editor to see the settings used in this simulation. The final
text command in the journal file will display contours of the velocity magnitude (Figure 24.2: Steady-
State Velocity Magnitude (p. 902)).
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Modeling Two-Way Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) Within Fluent
10. Mirror the display across the centerline (Figure 24.3: Duct with Mirroring (p. 903)).
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Setup and Solution
c. Close the Views dialog box and reposition the view as shown in Figure 24.3: Duct with Mirror-
ing (p. 903).
11. Save the initial case and data files as flap_fluid.cas.h5 and flap_fluid.dat.h5.
Having completed an initial steady fluid flow simulation, the remaining steps are all concerned with setting
up the structural calculations and obtaining the transient results for the deformation of the solid flaps.
Setup → General
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Modeling Two-Way Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) Within Fluent
a. Enable a time-dependent calculation by selecting Transient in the General task page (Solver
group).
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Setup and Solution
This model enables structural calculations for the solid cell zone such that the internal load is linearly
proportional to the nodal displacement, and the structural stiffness matrix remains constant.
24.4.4. Materials
1. Create a new solid material for the flap.
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Modeling Two-Way Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) Within Fluent
f. Click Change/Create, and click Yes in the Question dialog box to overwrite solid-1.
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Setup and Solution
1. Set the boundary conditions for flap_attach, which is located where the flap attaches to the duct.
You will define it as being fixed (that is, undergoing no displacement).
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Modeling Two-Way Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) Within Fluent
a. In the Structure tab, select displacement boundary conditions (that is, Node X-Displacement
from the X-Displacement Boundary Condition drop-down list with 0 for the X-Displacement,
and so on).
2. Set the boundary conditions for all of the two-sided walls (that is, the wall / wall-shadow pairs)
between the solid and fluid cell zones. In this case there is one pair of walls, which represent the
outer surface of the flap.
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Setup and Solution
Note that the Adjacent Cell Zone for this wall is fluid.4, which is the fluid zone. The side of the
wall / wall-shadow pair that is immediately adjacent to the fluid does not require any settings in
the Structure tab, and so this tab is not available.
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Note that the Adjacent Cell Zone for this wall is solid.5, which is the solid zone. The side of the
wall / wall-shadow pair that is immediately adjacent to the solid does require structural settings
(that is, displacement boundary conditions).
ii. Select Intrinsic FSI from the X- and Y-Displacement Boundary Condition drop-down
lists.
This specifies that the displacement results from pressure loads exerted by the fluid flow on the
faces. This setting is only available for two-sided walls.
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Setup and Solution
2. Make sure that the Smoothing option is enabled in the Mesh Methods group box, and click the
Settings... button to open the Mesh Method Settings dialog box.
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3. Retain the default settings in the Options group box (that is, with the options disabled). These
options are not supported for FSI simulations, except for Implicit Update. The Implicit Update
option may be required for more complex cases in which the stability of the FSI simulation may
be an issue, but for a simple case such as this one, it is not required.
4. Click the Create/Edit... button to open the Dynamic Mesh Zones dialog box.
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Setup and Solution
a. Select po.3 (the pressure outlet) from the Zone Names drop-down list, select Stationary from
the Type list, and click Create. This ensures the boundary zone does not deform.
b. In a similar manner, create stationary dynamic zones for the other boundary zones that are
not deforming: symmetry.2, velocity_inlet.1, and wall.
c. Select flap_wall-shadow (the side of the wall / wall-shadow pair that is immediately adjacent
to the fluid) from the Zone Names drop-down list, select Intrinsic FSI from the Type list, and
click Create. This specifies that the wall / wall-shadow pair deforms according to the deform-
ation of the adjacent solid zone.
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Modeling Two-Way Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) Within Fluent
1. Create a scene that can be used in an animation definition for the fluid flow.
Scenes are used when you want to display multiple graphics objects within a single window. In this
case, the animation will include not only contours of the fluid velocity, but also boundary zones.
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Setup and Solution
b. Click New Object and select Mesh... from the drop-down list to open the associated dialog
box.
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Modeling Two-Way Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) Within Fluent
iii. Deselect all surfaces in the Surfaces selection list by clicking , and then select flap_wall-
shadow, po.3, velocity_inlet.1, and wall.
iv. Click Save/Display and close the Mesh Display dialog box.
c. Click New Object and select Contours... from the drop-down list to open the associated dialog
box.
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Setup and Solution
ii. Select Velocity... and Velocity Magnitude from the Contours of drop-down lists.
iii. Disable the Auto Range option and enter 20 and 29 for the Min and Max, respectively.
Disabling the Auto Range ensures that all of the results in the animation have the same scale.
The velocity of the fluid will not change very much in this particular solution, and so using a
narrow range of values will make it easier to identify the small contour changes.
v. Click the Save/Display button and close the Contours dialog box.
d. Click the Save & Display button, and then click Cancel to close the Scene dialog box.
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2. Create an animation definition for the fluid velocity and boundaries scene.
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Setup and Solution
b. Enter 5 for Record after every and select iteration from the drop-down list.
The In Memory option is acceptable for a small 2D case such as this. For larger 2D or 3D cases,
saving animation files with either the PPM Image or HSF File option is preferable, to avoid using
too much of your machine’s memory.
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Modeling Two-Way Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) Within Fluent
b. Enter 5 for Record after every and select iteration from the drop-down list.
d. Click New Object and select Contours... from the drop-down list to open the associated dialog
box.
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Setup and Solution
ii. Select Structure... and Total Displacement from the Contours of drop-down lists.
iii. Disable Auto Range and enter 0 and 5.1e-05 for Min and Max, respectively.
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Modeling Two-Way Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) Within Fluent
b. Enter 5 for Record after every and select iteration from the drop-down list.
d. Click New Object and select Mesh... from the drop-down list to open the associated dialog
box.
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Setup and Solution
iii. Deselect all surfaces in the Surfaces selection list by clicking , and then select fluid.4
and solid.5.
iv. Click Save/Display and close the Mesh Display dialog box.
5. Add a structural point surface to a location of interest within the solid zone.
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Modeling Two-Way Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) Within Fluent
The Structural Point Surface dialog appears, as does a point triad in the graphics window. Zoom
into the mesh displayed in the graphics window to focus on the tip of the flap.
b. Enter 0.0505 for the x coordinate, and enter 0.0095 for the y coordinate.
Alternatively,you can use the mouse to drag the point's position in the graphics window to an ap-
proximate location.
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Setup and Solution
b. Select Structure... and Total Displacement from the Contours of drop-down lists.
d. Enable the Report File, Report Plot, and Print to Console options.
e. Click OK.
This report definition will monitor and plot the vertex average of the displacement of the nodes that
surround the structural point surface.
24.4.9. Solution
1. Disable the checking of convergence for the displacement residual equations.
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a. Disable the Check Convergence options for the x- and y-displacement equations.
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Setup and Solution
d. Click Calculate.
4. After the solution has been calculated, save the case and data files (flap_fsi_2way.cas.h5
and flap_fsi_2way.dat.h5).
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Modeling Two-Way Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) Within Fluent
24.4.10. Postprocessing
1. View the displacement of the flap's point surface (Figure 24.4: The Vertex Average Displacement
of the Flap's Point Surface (p. 928)).
Figure 24.4: The Vertex Average Displacement of the Flap's Point Surface
The monitored plot of the vertex average of the displacement at the point surface clearly shows dis-
placement over time.
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Setup and Solution
e. Click the play button (the second from the right in the group of buttons in the Playback group
box).
f. Magnify the view as shown in Figure 24.5: Contours of Velocity Magnitude (p. 930).
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Modeling Two-Way Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) Within Fluent
j. Magnify the view as shown in Figure 24.6: Contours of Total Displacement (p. 931).
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Setup and Solution
n. Magnify the view as shown in Figure 24.7: The Mesh of the Displaced Flap (p. 932).
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Modeling Two-Way Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) Within Fluent
24.5. Summary
This tutorial demonstrated how to set up and solve a two-way intrinsic FSI simulation. You learned how
to enable a structural model and define the solid material, boundary conditions, and dynamic mesh
zones. After completing the simulation, you viewed animations of the resulting fluid velocity contours
and displacement of the structure. For more information about intrinsic FSI simulations, see the Fluent
User's Guide.
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Chapter 25: Using the Adjoint Solver – 2D Laminar
Flow Past a Cylinder
This tutorial is divided into the following sections:
25.1. Introduction
25.2. Problem Description
25.3. Setup and Solution
25.4. Summary
25.1. Introduction
ANSYS Fluent’s adjoint solver is used to compute the sensitivity of quantities of interest in a fluid system
with respect to the user-specified inputs, for an existing flow solution. Importantly, this also includes
the sensitivity of the computed results with respect to the geometric shape of the system. The adjoint
design change tool is a powerful component that can use the sensitivity information from one or more
adjoint solutions to guide systematic changes that result in predictable improvements in the system
performance, which can be made subject to various types of design constraints if desired.
This tutorial provides an example of how to generate sensitivity data for flow past a circular cylinder,
how to postprocess the results, and how to use the data to perform a multi-objective design change
that reduces drag and increases lift by morphing the mesh. The tutorial makes use of a previously
computed flow solution, and demonstrates how to do the following:
• Use the design change tool to modify the cylinder shape to simultaneously reduce the drag and in-
crease the lift.
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Using the Adjoint Solver – 2D Laminar Flow Past a Cylinder
4. Select Solution in the top-left selection list to start Fluent in Solution Mode.
7. Load the converged case and data file for the cylinder geometry.
When prompted, browse to the location of the case and data files and select cylinder_tu-
torial.cas to load. The corresponding data file will automatically be loaded as well.
Note:
After you read in the mesh, it will be displayed in the embedded graphics windows,
since you enabled the appropriate display option in Fluent Launcher.
The data file contains a previously computed flow solution that will serve as the starting point
for the adjoint calculation. Part of the mesh and the velocity field are shown below:
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1. Click the Manage... button to open the Manage Adjoint Observables dialog box.
2. Click the Create... button in the Manage Adjoint Observables dialog box to open the Create
New Observable dialog box.
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4. In the Manage Adjoint Observables dialog box, the newly created force-drag observable appears
and must now be configured. (Figure 25.6: Manage Observables Dialog Box (p. 938)):
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Using the Adjoint Solver – 2D Laminar Flow Past a Cylinder
b. Select wall under Wall Zones. This is the cylinder wall on which you want the force to
be evaluated.
c. Ensure that the X-Component direction is set to 1 and the Y-Component direction is set
to 0.
5. Repeat the process in the Manage Adjoint Observables dialog box to create a lift observable
with the following settings:
Name force-lift
Wall Zones wall
X-Component 0
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Setup and Solution
Y-Component 1
Tip:
If the Name field is not available in the Create New Observable dialog box, select
a different observable type and then select force again to make it available.
When you have configured the force-lift observable, click OK to commit the settings for force-
lift and close the Manage Adjoint Observables dialog box.
The selection in the Adjoint Obervables dialog box determines the observable for which
sensitivities will be computed. You will first compute the drag sensitivities.
b. Select Minimize from the Sensitivity Orientation list, because you are trying to reduce
the drag force. This indicates that postprocessed results for the drag sensitivity will be
displayed such that a reduction in drag is achieved by a design change in the positive
sensitivity direction.
c. Click Evaluate to print the value of the drag force on the wall in the console.
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Using the Adjoint Solver – 2D Laminar Flow Past a Cylinder
The default solution control settings are chosen to provide robust solution advancement for a
wide variety of problems, including those having complex geometry, high local flow rates, and
turbulence. Given sufficient iterations, a converged result can often be obtained without modifying
the controls.
For this simple laminar flow case, more aggressive settings will yield faster convergence.
Open the Adjoint Solution Controls dialog box (Figure 25.8: Adjoint Solution Controls Dialog
Box (p. 940)).
This prevents Fluent from automatically choosing and adjusting the solution controls for you.
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Setup and Solution
Higher Courant Number values correspond to more aggressive settings / faster convergence,
which is appropriate for a simple case such as this.
3. Configure the adjoint solution monitors by opening the Adjoint Residual Monitors dialog box
(Figure 25.9: Adjoint Residual Monitors Dialog Box (p. 942)).
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Using the Adjoint Solver – 2D Laminar Flow Past a Cylinder
In the Adjoint Residual Monitors dialog box, you set the adjoint equations that will be checked
for convergence, as well as set the corresponding convergence criteria.
a. Make sure that the Print to Console and Plot options are enabled.
b. Enter values of 1e-05 for Adjoint continuity and Adjoint velocity, and keep the default
value of 0.001 for Adjoint local flow rate. These settings are adequate for most cases. Make
sure that the Check Convergence options are enabled.
4. Run the adjoint solver using the Run Adjoint Calculation dialog box (Figure 25.10: Run Adjoint
Calculation Dialog Box (p. 942)).
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Setup and Solution
a. Click the Initialize button. This initializes the adjoint solution everywhere in the problem domain
to zero.
b. Set the Number of Iterations to 200. The adjoint solver is fully configured to start running
for this problem.
d. When the calculation is complete, Close the Run Adjoint Calculation dialog box.
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Using the Adjoint Solver – 2D Laminar Flow Past a Cylinder
2. Select inlet under Boundary Choice and click the Report button to display a report in the
console of the available scalar sensitivity data on the inlet:
Updating shape sensitivity data.
Done.
3. Select Sensitivities... and Sensitivity to Body Force X-Component (Cell Values) from the
Contours of drop-down lists.
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4. Click Compute and then Display to view the contours (Figure 25.14: Adjoint Sensitivity to Body
Force X-Component Contours (p. 946)) and then Close the Contours dialog box.
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Using the Adjoint Solver – 2D Laminar Flow Past a Cylinder
Figure 25.14: Adjoint Sensitivity to Body Force X-Component Contours (p. 946) shows how sens-
itive the drag on the cylinder is to the application of a body force in the -direction in the flow.
If a body force is applied directly upstream of the cylinder, for example, the disturbed flow is
incident on the cylinder and modifies the force that it experiences.
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4. Select Sensitivities... and Sensitivity to Mass Sources (Cell Values) from the Color by
drop-down lists.
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Using the Adjoint Solver – 2D Laminar Flow Past a Cylinder
8. Click the Display button to view the vectors (Figure 25.16: Shape Sensitivity Colored by
Sensitivity to Mass Sources (Cell Values) (p. 948)) and then Close the Vectors dialog box.
Tip:
In order to display the vector plot in the graphics window, you may need to
Figure 25.16: Shape Sensitivity Colored by Sensitivity to Mass Sources (Cell Values)
This plot shows how sensitive the drag on the cylinder is to changes in the surface shape. The drag
is affected more significantly if the cylinder is deformed on the upstream rather than the downstream
side. Maximum effect is achieved by narrowing the cylinder in the cross-stream direction.
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2. In the Region tab, define the region that will be modified for the design change.
a. Ensure that Cartesian is selected from the Region Geometry drop-down list.
c. Select wall in the Bounding Region Definition dialog box and click OK.
This will initialize the morphing region to the bounding box around the cylinder wall.
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Using the Adjoint Solver – 2D Laminar Flow Past a Cylinder
d. Click Update Region to update the view of the bounding box illustration in the graphics
window.
You can use the Mesh Display dialog box to also display the mesh, in order to review it prior
to morphing.
e. Click Larger Region several times until the X and Y Limits are ±1.907349 m (Fig-
ure 25.18: Morphing Region Around Cylinder (p. 950)).
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Setup and Solution
g. In the Manage Sensitivity Data dialog box, click Export... and save the sensitivity data
as force-drag.s.
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Using the Adjoint Solver – 2D Laminar Flow Past a Cylinder
2. Initialize and Calculate the adjoint solution using the Run Adjoint Calculation dialog box to
obtain the sensitivities for the force-lift observable.
Click Yes in the Question dialog box that appears to overwrite the existing adjoint solution data.
You can export the sensitivity data for the lift observable as you did for the drag, but it is not strictly
necessary if you plan to perform the multi-objective optimization in the current Fluent session.
force-lift is now displayed in the Design Change tab because it is the currently selected observ-
able. The Design Change tab functions as a dashboard for the design modification, where you
can select which boundaries are subject to modification, enable or disable conditions that you
have defined, specify relative weighting if you have multiple freeform objectives, and view pre-
dicted results. You will return to it to perform the design change after you have configured the
objectives and the morphing region.
2. Retain the default selection of Polynomials from the Morphing Method list.
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Setup and Solution
This morphing method is appropriate when you prefer mesh quality over adherence to the design
conditions; otherwise the Direct Interpolation is recommended.
The force-lift observable is already listed because Include current data is enabled.
b. Click Manage Data... to open the Manage Sensitivity Data dialog box.
c. Click Import... and select the force-drag.s file you created earlier. Click OK.
For this example, you will seek a design change that increases the lift and results in a 10% reduc-
tion in drag.
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a. In the Objectives tab, select the force-lift observable. The current value of the lift is displayed
along with options to specify the objective for the lift.
This indicates that you want to increase the lift, but are not prescribing a specific target change.
This setting is used to normalize the scale of the change in value of the observable, which can
be important in cases where multiple observables are considered that may be of different scales.
d. Click Apply.
This indicates that you are prescribing a specific change in the value of the observable, rather
than a freeform increase or decrease.
g. Enter -10 for Target/Reference Change and enable the As Percentage option.
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Setup and Solution
10% is a generally a reasonable maximum target change for a design change. Using a target
change that is too large may result in very large deformations and/or overshooting the local
optimum.
h. Click Apply.
You already specified the dimensions of the region earlier when exporting the force-drag sens-
itivity. Now you will also configure the control-point density.
a. Click the Region Conditions tab in the Design Tool dialog box.
c. Click Apply.
You can use the Mesh Display dialog box to display the mesh, in order to see the increase in
control points.
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Using the Adjoint Solver – 2D Laminar Flow Past a Cylinder
Many other settings are available in the Region Conditions tab, including constraints on control-
point motion, symmetry conditions, and continuity conditions. For additional information, see
the section on defining region conditions in the Fluent User's Guide manual.
Only zones that are selected in the Zones To Be Modified list (or that have prescribed motions
applied) will be modified as part of the design change.
c. If multiple freeform objectives were defined (that is, multiple objectives with Increase Value
or Decrease Value selected in the Objectives tab), you would need to specify the Weight
for each. In this case only one objective (force-lift) is freeform, so no input is required for
Weight.
d. Retain the default settings of Control-Point Spacing for Freeform Scaling Scheme, and
0.1 for Freeform Scale Factor.
These settings allow you to adjust the magnitude of the attempted design change (Freeform
Scale Factor) and the basis for the scaling (Freeform Scaling Scheme).
The Results list is updated to reflect the Expected change for each observable.
Note that the drag is predicted to decrease by 10% as you requested, and the lift is predicted
to increase.
f. Click the Preview... button in the Mesh group box to preview the design change in the
graphics window.
g. Select wall on the Preview Morphing dialog box and click Display.
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Setup and Solution
h. Click the Modify button in the Mesh group box to apply the calculated mesh deformation
that will reposition the boundary and interior nodes of the mesh. Information regarding the
mesh modification is printed in the console:
Updating mesh (steady, mesh iteration = 00001, pseudo time step 1.0000e+00)...
Dynamic Mesh Statistics:
Minimum Volume = 3.46267e-04
Maximum Volume = 6.36270e-01
Maximum Cell Skew = 3.69247e-01 (cell zone 11)
Minimum Orthogonal Quality = 6.30753e-01 (cell zone 11)
The effect on the mesh is shown in Figure 25.21: Mesh After Deformation (p. 958):
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Using the Adjoint Solver – 2D Laminar Flow Past a Cylinder
j. Re-converge the conventional flow calculation for this new geometry in the Run Calculation
task page.
The currently loaded case file already has report definitions defined for lift and drag, or you
can Evaluate the new values in the Adjoint Observables dialog box.
The new values for drag and lift are reported to be:
Observable name: force-drag
Observable Value [N]: 1151.1748
Note that the drag has changed by -120.57 N or -9.5% compared to the drag on the unde-
formed cylinder. This value compares very well with the change of -127.2 N (-10%) that was
predicted from the adjoint solver. The lift has increased by 122.4 N, which again compares
very well with the predicted change of 127.5 N.
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Summary
25.4. Summary
This tutorial has demonstrated how to use the adjoint solver to compute the sensitivity of the drag and
lift on a circular cylinder to various inputs for a previously computed flow field. The process of setting
up and running the adjoint solver was illustrated. The steps to perform various forms of postprocessing
were also described. The design change tool was used to make a multi-objective change to the design
that reduced the drag and increased the lift in a predictable manner.
This example considered multiple objectives at a single flow condition. Another powerful application
of the design tool is to perform multi-objective design changes using sensitivities computed for multiple
flow conditions. This allows you to identify design changes that improve performance across a range
of anticipated operating conditions, potentially of differing importance. The design tool also offers a
rich set of additional capabilities for including prescribed deformations, bounding planes / surfaces,
and fixed-wall constraints in your multi-objective design change.
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Chapter 26: Simulating a Single Battery Cell Using
the MSMD Battery Model
This tutorial is divided into the following sections:
26.1. Introduction
26.2. Prerequisites
26.3. Problem Description
26.4. Setup and Solution
26.5. Summary
26.6. Appendix
26.7. References
26.1. Introduction
This tutorial is used to show how to set up a battery cell simulation in ANSYS Fluent.
• Perform the calculations for different battery discharge rates and compare the results using the
postprocessing capabilities of ANSYS Fluent
26.2. Prerequisites
This tutorial is written with the assumption that you have completed the introductory tutorials found
in this manual and that you are familiar with the ANSYS Fluent outline view and ribbon structure. Some
steps in the setup and solution procedure will not be shown explicitly.
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Simulating a Single Battery Cell Using the MSMD Battery Model
For external and internal short-circuit treatment, you will consider an extreme case where external and
internal short-circuits occur at the same time. You will simulate post-short-circuit battery processes. You
can assume that the internal short is caused by a nail penetration occurring near the center of the
battery.
26.4.1. Preparation
1. Download the battery_cell.zip file here.
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Setup and Solution
4. Select Solution in the top-left selection list to start Fluent in Solution Mode.
When prompted, browse to the location of the unit_battery.msh and select the file.
Once you read in the mesh, it is displayed in the embedded graphics windows.
The geometry is already in the correct scale. You don’t need to scale it.
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Simulating a Single Battery Cell Using the MSMD Battery Model
Once you enable the battery model, the Energy equation will be automatically enabled in
order to solve for the temperature field.
b. Under the Model Options tab (Figure 26.2: Model Options (p. 964)), configure the following
battery operation conditions:
ii. Under E-Chemistry Models, retain the default selection of NTGK Empirical Model.
iii. Under Electrical Parameters, retain the default value of 14.6 Ah for Nominal Cell
Capacity.
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Setup and Solution
iv. Select Enable Joule heat in active zones in the Energy Source Options group.
v. Retain the default selection of Specified C-Rate and the value of 1 for C-Rate.
c. Under the Conductive Zones tab (Figure 26.3: Conductive Zones (p. 965)), configure the fol-
lowing settings:
For this single cell case, there are no busbar zones. Electro-chemical reactions occur only in
the active zone. Battery tabs are usually modeled as passive zones, in which the potential
field is also solved.
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Simulating a Single Battery Cell Using the MSMD Battery Model
d. Under the Electric Contacts tab (Figure 26.4: Electric Contacts (p. 966)), configure the contact
surface and external connector settings as follows:
The corresponding current or voltage boundary condition will be applied to those boundaries
automatically.
Under the Electric Contacts tab, you can also define extra contact resistance for each zone.
ANSYS Fluent prints the battery connection information in the console window:
Battery Network Zone Information:
-------------------------------------
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Setup and Solution
Battery Serial 1
Parallel 1
Active zone: e_zone
-----------------------------------
Passive zone 0:
tab_nzone
Passive zone 1:
tab_pzone
Number of battery series stages =1; Number of batteries in parallel per series stage=1
****************END OF BATTERY CONNECTION INFO**************
g. Under the Model Parameters tab, retain the default settings for Y and U coefficients.
Note:
• If in your case, Y and U functions are not in the same function form as in Kim’s
paper, you need to modify the cae_user.c source code file.
• For a given battery, you can perform a set of constant current discharging tests,
and then use the battery's parameter estimation tool to obtain the Y and U
functions.
In the background, Fluent automatically hooks all the necessary UDFs for the problem.
In the battery model, two transport equations are solved for the positive and negative potentials,
respectively. To specify the electric conductivity of the active material you need to define the two
electric conductivities, one for each potential field..
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Simulating a Single Battery Cell Using the MSMD Battery Model
a. In the Create/Edit Materials dialog box, select solid from the Material Type drop-down
list.
g. In the UDS Diffusion Coefficients dialog box, specify the user-defined scalars.
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Setup and Solution
iv. In a similar way, set uds-1 to 9.83e5 and click OK to close the UDS Diffusion
Coefficients dialog box.
v. In the Question dialog box, click No to retain aluminum and add the new material
(e_material) to the materials list.
Note:
Refer to Appendix (p. 1000) for information on how to calculate the battery
cell property values.
2. Create a new material for the positive tab by modifying copper from the solid material database.
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b. In the Fluent Database Materials dialog box, make sure that solid is selected for Material
Type.
c. Select copper from Fluent Solids Materials and click Copy and then Close.
The Create/Edit Materials dialog box now displays the copied properties for copper.
f. Click Change/Create.
3. Create a new material for the negative tab with the same properties as the material for the
positive tab.
Note:
You do not need to create two different materials for the positive and negative tabs
if the positive and negative tabs are made of the same material. In this tutorial, the
two different tab materials with the same physical properties have been created for
demonstration purposes only.
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Setup and Solution
c. Click Change/Create.
d. In the Question dialog box, click No to retain p_material and add the new material (n_ma-
terial) to the materials list.
a. In the Solid dialog box, select e_material from the Material Name drop-down list.
b. Click Apply.
a. In the Wall dialog box, under the Thermal tab, under Thermal Conditions, enable
Convection.
c. Retain the default value of 300 [K] for Free Stream Temperature.
You do not need to change the settings under the UDS tab since the boundary condi-
tions for the two UDS scalars have been set automatically when you defined the cell
zone conditions.
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a. Make sure that wall_active is selected in the From Boundary Zone list.
c. Click Copy, click OK in the confirmation prompt, and close the Copy Conditions dialog
box.
a. In the Equations dialog box, deselect Flow and Turbulence from the Equation selection
list.
b. Click OK.
2. Remove the convergence criteria to ensure that automatic convergence checking does not occur.
c. Click OK.
3. Create a surface report definition for the voltage at the positive tab.
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Setup and Solution
a. In the Surface Report Definition dialog box, enter voltage_vp for Name.
b. Select Battery Variables... and Passive Zone Potential from the Field Variable drop-down
lists.
d. In the Create group box, enable Report File, Report Plot and Print to Console.
e. Click OK to save the voltage_vp report definition and close the Surface Report Definition
dialog box.
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i. In the Edit Report Plot dialog box, under the Plot Window group box, click the Axes...
button to open the Axes dialog box.
Note:
You must click Apply to save the modified settings for each axis.
vi. Make sure that time-step is selected from the Get Data Every drop-down list.
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Setup and Solution
4. Create a volume report definition for the maximum temperature in the domain.
a. In the Volume Report Definition dialog box, enter max_temp for Name.
b. Select Temperature... and Static Temperature from the Field Variable drop-down lists.
d. In the Create group box, enable Report File, Report Plot and Print to Console.
e. Click OK to save the volume report definition settings and close the Volume Report
Definition dialog box.
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g. Modify the axis attributes by setting the Precision to 0 for the X axis and to 2 for the Y
axes (in a manner similar to the surface plot definition).
h. Click OK.
Solution → Initialization
b. Click Initialize.
You do not need to modify Initial Values in the Solution Initialization task page, because
these values are not used for initialization. The ANSYS Fluent solver automatically computes
the initial condition for UDS0 and UDS1.
Note:
Warning messages are printed in the Fluent console informing you about interior
zones between different solids. Such messages appear when two adjacent solid zones
separated by an interior face type are using two different materials. The message
suggests using the mesh/modify-zones/slit-interior-between-diff-solids text command
to slit the interior zone between solid zones of differing materials to create a wall/wall-
shadow interfaces. In general, the material property interpolation at wall/wall-shadow
is more accurate if different materials are used at two sides of an interface. However,
the battery model is implemented in such a way that both treatments are equivalent,
and such messages could be ignored.
a. Set Time Step Size to 30 seconds and No. of Time Steps to 100.
b. Click Calculate.
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Setup and Solution
The residual plot, the report for voltage at the positive tab and the history of the maximum
temperature in the domain are shown in Figure 26.5: Residual History of the Simulation (p. 977),
Figure 26.6: Report Plot of Discharge Curve at 1 C (p. 977), and Figure 26.7: History of Maximum
Temperature in the Domain (p. 978), respectively.
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26.4.4. Postprocessing
In this section, postprocessing capabilities for the MSMD battery model solution are demonstrated.
1. Display the contour plot of the phase potential for the positive electrode.
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Setup and Solution
c. From the Contours of drop-down list, select Battery Variables... and Cathode Potential.
d. Click the Toggle Tree View button next to the Surfaces filter and from the drop-down list,
select Surface Type (under Group by).
Note:
To change the precision for the colormap labels, click Colormap Options... to open
the Colormap dialog box, and increase the value of Precision.
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Figure 26.8: Contour Plot of Phase Potential for the Positive Electrode
2. In a similar manner, display the contour plot of the phase potential for the negative electrode.
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Setup and Solution
c. From the Contours of drop-down list, select Battery Variables... and Anode Potential.
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Figure 26.9: Contour Plot of Phase Potential for the Negative Electrode
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Setup and Solution
c. From the Contours of drop-down list, select User Battery Variables... and Passive Zone
Potential.
d. From the Surfaces selection list, select tab_n, tab_p, wall_n, and wall_p.
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Setup and Solution
c. From the Contours of drop-down list, select Temperature... and Static Temperature.
The surfaces listed under Wall are automatically selected in the Surfaces list.
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Setup and Solution
c. In the Vectors dialog box, select current-density-j from the Vectors of drop-down list.
d. Select Battery Variables... and Current Magnitude from the Color by drop-down list.
e. Click the Toggle Tree View button next to the Surfaces filter and from the drop-down list,
select Surface Type (under Group by).
g. In the Options group, enable Draw Mesh and in the Mesh Display dialog box, set the mesh
display options as desired.
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6. Save the case file as ntgk.cas.h5. You will use this saved case later to treat electric short-circuits.
7. Repeat the simulation for the following charge rates and time steps:
a. In the Battery Model dialog box, under the Model Options tab, specify the value listed in
the above table for the C-Rate.
b. Modify the output filename for the voltage_vp-rfile report file by entering ntgk-C-Rate.out
for Output File Base Name in the corresponding Edit Report File dialog box, where C-Rate
is the value of the battery discharge rate. (For example, for C-Rate = 0.5 C, you will enter ntgk-
0.5c.out for the filename).
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Setup and Solution
d. Initialize and run the solution for the number of the times steps specified in the above table.
Note:
The Fluent solver will stop either after completing the specified number of time
steps or when the Min. Stop Voltage condition is reached.
8. Display the discharge curves for the positive tab for the different discharge rates.
c. Change the Files of type: drop-down filter to All Files (*), select ntgk-0.5c.out and click
OK.
e. Select voltage_vp in the Legend Names group box, enter 0.5c in the text box that populates
below it and click Change Legend Entry.
f. Do the same for ntgk-1c.out and ntgk-5c.out and change their legend entries accord-
ingly.
g. Enter Discharge Rate for the Legend Label in the Plot group box.
h. Click Plot and close the Plot Data Sources dialog box.
Note:
Use the Axes dialog box to set the precision for the plot axes.
The Figure 26.13: NTGK Model: Discharge Curves (p. 990) shows the discharge curves for different
discharge rates in the function of time.
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9. In a manner similar to the previous step, load the files max-temp-0.5c.out, max-temp-
1c.out, and max-temp-5c.out and display the maximum temperature curves in the domain.
Figure 26.14: NTGK Model: Maximum Temperature in the Domain (p. 990) shows the maximum
temperature curves in the simulation for different discharge rates.
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Setup and Solution
26.4.5. Simulating the Battery Pulse Discharge Using the ECM Model
1. In the Battery Model dialog box, under E-Chemistry Models, select Equivalent Circuit Model.
2. Under Electrical Parameters, retain the default value of 14.6 Ah for Nominal Cell Capacity.
3. Retain the default selection of Specified C-Rate and enter 1 for C-Rate.
4. Under the Model Parameters tab, retain the battery specific parameters.
For a given battery, these model parameters can be obtained using the battery's HPPC testing
data.
5. Click OK to apply the ECM battery model settings and close the Battery Model dialog box
6. Click OK in the Warning dialog box informing you that the re-initialization of the battery model
is required.
7. In the Solution Initialization task page, click Initialize to re-initialize the field variables.
8. Simulate the battery pulse discharge by changing the battery operating conditions each time
after running the calculation for five minutes.
a. In the Run Calculation task page, make sure that Time Step Size is set to 30, set Number of
Time Steps to 10 and click Calculate.
c. Once the calculation is complete, set C-Rate in the MSMD Battery Model dialog box to 0 and
run the calculation for 10 more time steps.
d. Continue the simulation by alternating the value of C-Rate between 1 C and 0 C until, until
the battery is fully discharged.
Note:
Instead of doing this manually, you can use the Using Profile option in the MSMD
Battery Model dialog box and load a profile file with specified C-rate fluctuations
to drive the whole process. For more information about the usage of a profile file,
refer to Specifying Battery Model Options in the ANSYS Fluent User's Guide.
The battery pulse discharge is summarized in Figure 26.15: Battery Pulse Discharge (p. 992).
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3. In the Run Calculation task page, make sure that Time Step Size is set to 30, set Number of
Time Steps to 3 and click Calculate.
Click No in the Question dialog box when asked if you would like to append the new data to the
existing file, and then click Yes in the Warning dialog box to overwrite the existing file.
a. In the MSMD Method Option group box, select Reduced Order Method.
b. Set Number of Sub-Steps/Time Step to 10 and click OK to close the Battery Model dialog
box.
5. Re-run the simulation continuing from step 2 in Obtaining Solution (p. 976).
The solution of the simulation using the ROM is significantly faster than when using the direct
method without any changes in results.
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Setup and Solution
a. In the Battery Model dialog box, under the Model Options tab, in the Solution Options
group box, enable Specified Resistance.
3. Set up the internal electric short-circuit in the center of the battery cell.
a. Mark the short-circuit zone shown in Figure 26.16: Internal Short Circuit Region Marked for
Patching (p. 993) using the region adaption feature.
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i. In the Region Register dialog box, enter the following values for Input Coordinates.
ii. Click Save/Display and close the Region Register dialog box.
Fluent reports in the console that 12 cells were marked for refinement.
5. Patch the internal short circuit zone with the short resistance value.
a. In the Patch dialog box, select Battery Short Resistance under Variable.
b. Click Calculate.
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Setup and Solution
26.4.7.2. Postprocessing
1. Compute the battery tab voltage .
a. In the Surface Integrals dialog box, from the Report Type drop-down list, select Area-
Weighted Average.
b. From the Field Variable drop-down lists, select Battery Variables... and Passive Zone Po-
tential.
c. In the Surfaces filter, type t to display surface names that begin with "t" and select tab_p
from the selection list.
The battery tab voltage of approximately 4.077 V is printed in the Area-Weighted Average
field and in the Fluent console.
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b. From the Field Variable drop-down lists, select Battery Variables... and Total Current
Source.
Fluent reports in the Total Volume Integral field and in the console that the total volume
integral for the volumetric current source is approximately 8.155 A.
The computed values of the battery tab current and voltage satisfy the tab boundary condi-
tion .
3. Display the vector plot of current at the positive and negative current collectors.
c. In the Vectors dialog box, select current-density-jp from the Vectors of drop-down list.
d. Select Battery Variables... and Current Magnitude from the Color by drop-down lists.
The surfaces of the "wall" type are automatically selected in the Surfaces list.
f. Click Save/Display.
g. The plot shows the vector plot of electric current flow in the positive current collector of
the battery cell.
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Setup and Solution
Figure 26.17: The Vector Plots of Current at the Positive Current Collectors
h. In a similar manner, display the current for the negative current collector by selecting current-
density-jn from the Vectors of drop-down list.
The plot shows the vector plots of electric current flow in the negative current collector of
the battery cell. These plots clearly show that besides providing tab current, short current
flows from positive electrode to the negative electrode through the short area.
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Figure 26.18: The Vector Plots of Current at the Negative Current Collectors
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Setup and Solution
Figure 26.19: Contour Plot of Temperature (p. 999) shows a temperature hotspot in the internal
shorted area of the battery cell.
5. Check for different electric current flow rates in the manner described in step 2.
a. Generate volume integral reports for the field variables listed in the table below.
b. Verify that the total produced electric current equals to the sum of tab and short current,
that is .
a. As you did for the current source reports, generate reports for the field variables listed in
the table below.
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Simulating a Single Battery Cell Using the MSMD Battery Model
b. Verify that the total heat generation rate is the sum of different contributions, that is
.
Note that, as battery's temperature increases, thermal runaway may occur. If thermal runaway starts,
some undesirable exothermic decomposition reactions will occur. For thermal runaway simulations,
the default electrochemistry model cannot be used. Short treatment can only capture the thermal
ramp-up process before the onset of thermal runaway.
26.5. Summary
In this tutorial, you studied how to solve a battery cell problem using the NTGK submodel with the
default settings. You then used the ROM to speed up the computation time of the battery model sim-
ulation. In addition, you learned how to use the MSMD model capability to treat external and internal
short-circuits.
For more information about using the Dual-Potential MSMD Battery model, see the ANSYS Fluent User's
and Theory Guides.
26.6. Appendix
The battery cell cross-section is shown in the figure below.
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Appendix
You can estimate the material properties for your battery cell using the following correlations:
where is the effective property value of a material property (such as density, heat capacity, or
thermal conductivity), is the thickness. The subscripts , , and refer to current collector, electrode,
and separator, respectively. The superscripts and refer to positive and negative, respectively.
The material properties are taken from Kim’s papers [2] and [1]. The computed material properties for
the battery cell presented in the tutorial are shown in the table below.
Zone Total
[um] 20 150 12 145 10 322
= 9.83e5
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26.7. References
1. U. S. Kim et al, "Effect of electrode configuration on the thermal behavior of a lithium-polymer battery",
Journal of Power Sources, Volume 180 (2), pages 909-916, 2008.
2. U. S. Kim, et al., "Modeling the Dependence of the Discharge Behavior of a Lithium-Ion Battery on
the Environmental Temperature", J. of Electrochemical Soc., Volume 158 (5), pages A611-A618, 2011.
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Chapter 27: Simulating a 1P3S Battery Pack Using the
Battery Model
This tutorial is divided into the following sections:
27.1. Introduction
27.2. Prerequisites
27.3. Problem Description
27.4. Setup and Solution
27.5. Summary
27.1. Introduction
This tutorial is used to show how to set up a battery pack (battery system connected in parallel/series
pattern) simulation in ANSYS Fluent. All the three submodels are available for a pack simulation.
• Set up a battery pack simulation using the NTGK battery submodel in ANSYS Fluent
• Define electric contacts for the contact surface and external connectors
• Define electric conductivity for the active material using the user-defined scalars
• Define electric conductivity for the passive material using the user-defined function
• Obtain the battery pack simulation results and perform postprocessing activities
Most problem setup procedures are similar to the single cell simulation. The differences in the problem
setup will be emphasized in this tutorial.
27.2. Prerequisites
This tutorial is written with the assumption that you have completed the introductory tutorials found
in this manual and that you are familiar with the ANSYS Fluent outline view and ribbon structure. Some
steps in the setup and solution procedure will not be shown explicitly.
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The discharging process of the battery pack is occurring under constant power of 200 W. The nominal
cell capacity is 14.6 Ah.
You will create a material for the battery cells (an active material) and define the electric conductivity
for the active material using the user-defined scalars (UDS). You will create a material for busbars and
tabs (a passive material) and define the electric conductivity for the passive material using the provided
user-defined function (UDF). You will use the same material for busbars and tabs.
In this tutorial, you will use the NTGK battery submodel to simulate the discharging process under
constant power conditions.
27.4.1. Preparation
1. Download the battery_pack.zip file here.
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Setup and Solution
4. Select Solution in the top-left selection list to start Fluent in Solution Mode.
When prompted, browse to the location of the 1P3S_battery_pack.msh and select the file.
Once you read in the mesh, it is displayed in the embedded graphics windows.
a. In the Scale Mesh dialog box, select Specify Scaling Factors in the Scaling group.
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e. Click the Fit to Window icon, , to fit and center the mesh in the graphics window.
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Setup and Solution
Once you enable the battery model, the Energy equation will be automatically enabled in
order to solve for the temperature field.
b. Under the Model Options tab (Figure 27.2: Model Options (p. 1007)), configure the following
battery operation conditions:
ii. In the Electrical Parameters group, retain the default value of 14.6 Ah for Nominal
Cell Capacity.
iii. Select Enable Joule heat in active zones in the Energy Source Options group.
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iv. Enable Specified System Power in the Solution Options group and set System Power
to 200 W.
c. Under the Model Parameters tab, retain the default settings for Y and U coefficients.
d. Under the Conductive Zones tab (Figure 27.3: Conductive Zones (p. 1009)), configure the fol-
lowing settings:
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Setup and Solution
e. Under the Electric Contacts tab (Figure 27.4: Electric Contacts (p. 1010)), configure the contact
surface and external connector settings as follows:
The corresponding current or voltage boundary condition will be applied to those boundaries
automatically.
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ANSYS Fluent prints the battery connection information in the console window:
Battery Network Zone Information:
-------------------------------------
Battery Serial 1
Parallel 1
Active zone: cell_1
Battery Serial 2
Parallel 1
Active zone: cell_2
Battery Serial 3
Parallel 1
Active zone: cell_3
-----------------------------------
Passive zone 0:
n_tabzone_1
Passive zone 1:
p_tabzone_1
bar1
n_tabzone_2
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Setup and Solution
Passive zone 2:
p_tabzone_2
bar2
n_tabzone_3
Passive zone 3:
p_tabzone_3
Number of battery series stages =3; Number of batteries in parallel per series stage=1
****************END OF BATTERY CONNECTION INFO**************
g. Verify that the connection information is correct. If an error message appears or if the con-
nections are not what you want, redefine the conductive zones in the Conductive Zones
tab (Figure 27.3: Conductive Zones (p. 1009)). Repeat this process until you confirm that the
battery connections are set correctly.
Important:
To set a valid connection, you must connect the negative tab to the positive
tab through conductive zones.
In the background, Fluent automatically hooks all the necessary UDFs for the problem.
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a. In the Create/Edit Materials dialog box, enter e_material for Name and e for Chemical
Formula.
c. Under Properties, ensure that defined-per-uds is selected from the Electrical Conductivity
drop-down list and click Edit... next to Electrical Conductivity.
d. In the UDS Diffusion Coefficients dialog box, set the constant value of 1.0 e6 for the both
user-defined scalars.
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Setup and Solution
iv. In a similar way, set uds-1 to 1.0 e6 [1/ohm-m] and click OK to close the UDS
Diffusion Coefficients dialog box.
e. In the Question dialog box, click No to retain aluminum and add the new material (e_ma-
terial) to the materials list.
f. Ensure that e_material (e) is selected from the Fluent Solid Materials drop-down list.
2. Create the busbar_material material for busbars and tabs by modifying e-material you have
created in the previous step.
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As stated in the problem description, you will use the same material for busbars and tabs.
Note:
If the busbar and tab materials are different, you need to define the two different
materials and assign them to the busbars and tabs, respectively.
a. In the Create/Edit Materials dialog box, enter busbar_material for Name and bus for
Chemical Formula.
d. Click Change/Create.
e. In the Question dialog box, click No to retain e_material and add the new material (bus-
bar_material) to the materials list.
f. Ensure that busbar_material (bus) is selected from the Fluent Solid Materials drop-
down list.
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Setup and Solution
a. In the Solid dialog box, select e_material from the Material Name drop-down list.
2. Copy the cell zone condition for the cell_1 zone to the cell_2 and cell_3 cell zones.
a. In the Copy Conditions dialog box, select cell_1 in the From Cell Zone list.
c. Click Copy.
d. Click OK in the Question dialog box to copy the cell zone conditions and close the Copy
Conditions dialog box.
3. In a similar manner, assign busbar_material to all the tabs and busbars cell zones.
a. In the Boundary Conditions task page, select wall-cell_1 and click Edit....
b. In the Wall dialog box, under the Thermal tab, configure the following settings:
2. Copy the boundary conditions for wall-cell_1 to wall-cell_2, wall-cell_3 and all the tab
and busbar wall zones (all boundary zones that have names starting with the "wall" string
and containing the "bar" or "tabzone" string).
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a. In the Equations dialog box, deselect Flow and Turbulence from the Equation selection
list.
b. Click OK.
2. Remove the convergence criteria to ensure that automatic convergence checking does not occur.
c. Click OK.
3. Create a surface report definition for the voltage at the positive tab.
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Setup and Solution
a. In the Surface Report Definition dialog box, enter surf-mon-1 for Name.
b. Select Battery Variables... and Passive Zone Potential from the Field Variable drop-down
lists.
d. In the Create group box, enable Report Plot and Print to Console.
e. Click OK to save the surface report definition and close the Surface Report Definition dialog
box.
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i. In the Edit Report Plot dialog box, under the Plot Window group box, click the Axes...
button to open the Axes dialog box.
Note:
You must click Apply to save the modified settings for each axis.
vi. Ensure that time-step is selected from the Get Data Every drop-down list.
4. Create a volume report definition to monitor the maximum temperature in the domain.
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Setup and Solution
a. In the Volume Report Definition dialog box, enter vol-mon-1 for Name.
b. Select Temperature... and Static Temperature from the Field Variable drop-down lists.
d. In the Create group box, enable Report Plot and Print to Console.
e. Click OK to save the volume report definition settings and close the Volume Report
Definition dialog box.
i. In the Edit Report Plot dialog box, under the Plot Window group box, click the Axes...
button to open the Axes dialog box.
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vi. Ensure that time-step is selected from the Get Data Every drop-down list.
Solution → Initialization
a. Retain the selection of Standard from the Initialization Methods group box.
b. Click Initialize.
Note:
Warning messages are printed in the Fluent console informing you about interior
zones between different solids. Such messages appear when two adjacent solid
zones separated by an interior face type are using two different materials. The
message suggests using the mesh/modify-zones/slit-interior-between-diff-solids
text command to slit the interior zone between solid zones of differing materials
to create a wall/wall-shadow interfaces. In general, the material property interpol-
ation at wall/wall-shadow is more accurate if different materials are used at two
sides of an interface. However, the battery model is implemented in such a way
that both treatments are equivalent, and such messages could be ignored..
You do not need to modify the Initial Values in the Solution Initialization task page, be-
cause these values are not used for initialization. The ANSYS Fluent solver automatically
computes the initial condition for UDS0 and UDS1.
a. Set Time Step Size to 30 seconds and No. of Time Steps to 50.
The residual plot, the history of the voltage at the positive tab and the history of the max-
imum temperature in the domain are shown in Figure 27.5: Residual History of the Simula-
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Setup and Solution
tion (p. 1021), Figure 27.6: Surface Report Plot of Discharge Curve at 200W (p. 1021), and Fig-
ure 27.7: Volume Report Plot of Maximum Temperature in the Domain (p. 1022), respectively.
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27.4.4. Postprocessing
In this section, postprocessing options for the MSMD battery model solution are presented.
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Setup and Solution
b. In the Vectors dialog box, select current-density-j from the Vectors of drop-down list.
c. Select Battery Variables... and Current Magnitude from the Color by drop-down list.
d. Click the Toggle Tree View button next to the Surfaces filter and from the drop-down list,
select Surface Type (under Group By).
The surfaces of the "wall" type are automatically selected in the Surfaces list.
f. In the Options group, enable Draw Mesh and set the mesh display options as desired.
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All vectors in your plot will be displayed with the same lengths.
iii. Click Apply and close the Vector Options dialog box.
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Setup and Solution
Note:
Use the Headlight and Lighting display options under the View ribbon tab to
manipulate the graphics display.
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c. From the Contours of drop-down list, select Temperature... and Static Temperature.
d. Click the Toggle Tree View button next to the Surfaces filter and from the drop-down list,
select Surface Type (under Group By).
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Setup and Solution
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c. From the Contours of drop-down list, select Battery Variables... and Joule Heat Source.
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Setup and Solution
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c. From the Contours of drop-down list, select Battery Variables... and Total Heat Source.
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Summary
27.5. Summary
This tutorial has demonstrated the use of the MSMD battery model to perform electrochemical and
heat transfer simulations for battery packs. You have learned how to set up and solve the problem for
the battery pack of the 1P3S configuration using the NTGK Battery submodel. You have also learned
some of the postprocessing capabilities available in the MSMD battery model.
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Chapter 28: In-Flight Icing Tutorial Using Fluent Icing
28.1. Fluent Airflow on the Clean NACA0012 Airfoil
The objective of this tutorial is to obtain an airflow solution around a clean NACA0012 airfoil, using
Fluent and Fluent Icing, that is suitable for icing calculations.
Note:
In this tutorial, the Fluent Airflow Solver is used. If you would like to use the FENSAP Airflow
solver instead, go to the FENSAP Airflow on the Clean NACA0012 Airfoil (p. 1089).
Fluent Icing requires a license with Enterprise licensing level. This license is consumed by
the solver.
This file contains a NACA0012 grid that consists of 114,700 nodes and 56,810 hexahedral cells. Symmetry
conditions are imposed on each spanwise boundary of the grid. The airfoil chord length is 0.5334 meters
(21 inches) and the depth of elements along the span (Z-direction) is 0.1 meters. A no-slip wall boundary
is imposed on the airfoil surface.
Since the flow is viscous and turbulent, grid points have been clustered around the airfoil to better
capture the boundary layer and wake. The initial cell height is 2.5e-6 chords, set up such that the
maximum Y+ is below 1 in the first layer, and the expansion ratio is 1.14 in the normal direction. These
are fine-grid settings that are required to capture the boundary layer. Far-field conditions are imposed
on the outer surface of the grid. The mesh density can be considered medium.
Note:
FENSAP-ICE modules in Fluent Icing solve only 3D problems. In order to solve pure 2-D
problems, it is recommended to generate 3D grids by extruding these 2D domains along
their span or thickness. One single element is sufficient to represent span or thickness of the
3D domain. In this manner, Fluent and Fluent Icing are always executed in 3-D mode.
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• Setting up a Fluent Airflow Simulation on a Clean NACA0012 Airfoil (p. 1034): In this section, the
Fluent Solution Workspace is used to setup a clean airflow simulation that is suitable for icing
simulations within Fluent Icing. Moreover, there are a number of settings that are available in
the Fluent Solution Workspace that are not available in Fluent Icing, for instance extra boundary
conditions, solution methods and controls as well as reports and monitoring capabilities. Therefore,
it is normal for a user to begin their simulation inside the Fluent Solution Workspace before
moving onto Fluent Icing. Once the desired setup has been performed, a .cas.h5 file is written
which can then be imported to Fluent Icing.
• Conducting a Fluent Airflow Simulation on Clean NACA0012 Airfoil (p. 1037): In this section, the
.cas.h5 file from the previous section will be loaded into Fluent Icing in order to compute its
airflow solution. Performing this calculation in Fluent Icing will ease the set-up of subsequent
simulations (Rough Airflow, Droplet and Icing simulations) as described in Fluent Airflow on the
Rough NACA0012 Airfoil (p. 1042) through Fluent Icing Ice Accretion on the NACA0012 (p. 1065).
The naca0012.cas.h5 file has already been setup properly for direct use in Conducting a Fluent
Airflow Simulation on Clean NACA0012 Airfoil (p. 1037). Therefore, it is not required to work-through
Setting up a Fluent Airflow Simulation on a Clean NACA0012 Airfoil (p. 1034). However, if this is your first
time running an icing simulation with Fluent, it is recommended to continue with the steps shown in
Setting up a Fluent Airflow Simulation on a Clean NACA0012 Airfoil (p. 1034) to learn how to properly
setup a Fluent case.
2. Read the case file by going to File → Read → Case.... Browse to and select the extracted file
../workshop_input_files/Input_ Grid/Naca0012/naca0012.cas.h5.
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Fluent Airflow on the Clean NACA0012 Airfoil
The table below lists the flight conditions used in the following airflow simulation.
3. From the top bar navigation menu, select Physics → Solver → Operating Conditions.... Set the
Operating Pressure (pascal) to 101325 Pa. Press OK.
4. From the side menu, select General under Setup. Ensure that the Solver is set to Type: Pressure-
Based, Velocity-Formulation: Absolute, and Time: Steady.
• Double-click Viscous to open the Viscous Model menu. There are different turbulence
models that can be selected. For icing applications, it is strongly recommended to use the
popular k-ω SST model. Therefore, change the Model to k-omega (2 eqn) and SST. In the
Options section, enable Viscous-Heating and Production Limiter. In the Model Constants
section, change the Energy Prandtl Number and Wall Prandtl Number to 0.9, to be
consistent with FENSAP-ICE, and the Production Limiter Clip Factor to 10. Press OK.
6. From the side menu, click Materials → Fluid and double-click air to open the air properties. Set
the Density to ideal-gas. Click Change/Create to save the air properties, then press Close.
Note:
Fluent Icing automatically sets the specific heat, thermal conductivity and viscosity
of air that are appropriate for icing simulations. Therefore, if this case file is later
used by Fluent Icing, these parameters can be left as is in Fluent Solution. In the
event, that this is not the case and that the case file is used inside FENSAP-ICE,
please follow these steps.
• Set the Cp (Specific Heat) to 1004.6882 j/kg.K. This value is equal to 7/2 R air when air
is treated as an ideal gas. In FENSAP-ICE, the gas constant R is always 287.05376 j/kg.K.
Note:
For simplicity, thermal conductivity and viscosity equations presented in the Fluent
Icing User’s manual are shown below:
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• Click Inlet and double-click pressure-far-field-4 to set the far field boundary conditions.
a. In the Momentum panel, set the Gauge Pressure (pascal) to 0 Pa and the Mach
Number to 0.31461268. Set the Coordinate System to Cartesian (X, Y, Z) and the
X, Y and Z-Component’s to 0.99756405, 0.069756474, and 0. This simulates a 4-
degree angle of attack (AoA) airflow. In the Turbulence section, set the Specification
Method to Intensity and Viscosity Ratio. Then, set the Turbulence Intensity (%) to
0.08% and the Turbulent Viscosity Ratio to 1e-05.
b. In the Thermal panel, set the Temperature (k) to 265.67 K. Press OK.
• Click Wall and double-click wall-5. In the Momentum panel, set the Shear Condition to
No Slip. In the Thermal panel, set the Thermal Conditions to Temperature. Set the
Temperature (k) to 280.929174208 K, and press OK. This temperature corresponds to
the Adiabatic stagnation temperature + 10K, as required for standard external icing simu-
lations with FENSAP-ICE. Repeat this process for wall-6, wall-7 and wall-8.
8. From the side menu, click Symmetry and ensure that symmetry-9 and symmetry-10 boundaries
are set to symmetry type by right-clicking symmetry and selecting Type → symmetry.
9. Double-click Reference Values from the side menu. Under Compute from, select pressure-far-
field-4. Set the Area to 0.05334 m2 and the Length to 0.5334 m. These reference values will
be used only for postprocessing purposes. For instance, force coefficients use the reference area,
density, and velocity.
10. Double-click Solution and then Methods on the side menu. Set the Pressure-Velocity Coupling
scheme to Coupled. Under Spatial Discretization, set the Gradient to Green-Gauss Node Based
and the remaining options to Second or Second Order Upwind.
Note:
If the Fluent simulation diverges after a few iterations, enabling High Order Term Re-
laxation will improve its convergence. In the current tutorial, there is no need to enable
this term.
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Fluent Airflow on the Clean NACA0012 Airfoil
11. Double-click Controls under Solution. Set the Flow Courant Number to 50. In Under-Relaxation
Factors, set Turbulent Viscosity and Energy to 0.9.
Note:
12. From the side menu, double-click Monitors and then Residuals. Modify the Absolute Criteria
for convergence to 1e-12 for all parameters. Make sure that the Print to Console and the Plot
are enabled and ensure that Monitor and Check Convergence are selected for all parameters.
Since this 3D simulation should provide a 2D solution, uncheck z-velocity under Monitor but
keep Check Convergence checked.
13. Monitor the drag and lift coefficients during the simulation. Follow the bullet points describe below
if these settings are not part of the current case file. Otherwise, you will monitor these coefficients
twice.
• In the side menu, double-click Report Definitions under Solution, select New → Force Report
→ Drag.... Change the Name to report-drag and set the Force Vector to 0.99756405,
0.069756474, and 0. Enable Report Plot, and Print to Console under Create, and Drag
Coefficient under Report Output Type. Select wall-5, wall-6, wall-7 and wall-8 under the
Wall Zones section. Press OK.
• In the Report Definitions window, select New → Force Report → Lift. Change the Name to
report-lift and set the Force Vector to -0.069756474, 0.99756405, and 0. Enable
Report Plot, and Print to Console under Create and Lift Coefficient under Report Output
Type. Select wall-5, wall-6, wall-7, and wall-8 under the Wall Zones section. Press OK and
close the Report Definitions window.
14. Go to File → Write → Case... to save the setup case file for use in the next section. Name this file
naca0012.cas.h5.
2. Once Fluent Icing opens, the Project tab will be displayed by default. In the Project's top ribbon
panel, select Project → New... and enter FLUENT_ICING_NACA0012 to create a new Project
folder.
3. In the Project’s top ribbon, select Simulations → Import case, and browse to and select the
../workshop_input_files/Input_Grid/Naca0012/naca0012.cas.h5 file from the
extracted fluent_icing.zip archive or the naca0012.cas.h5 saved in Setting up a Fluent
Airflow Simulation on a Clean NACA0012 Airfoil (p. 1034). A New simulation window will appear.
Enter the Name of the new simulation as naca0012_icing, and check to enable Load in
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In-Flight Icing Tutorial Using Fluent Icing
solver. A new Simulation folder will be created in your Project folder, and the naca0012.cas.h5
file will be imported.
4. After the .cas.h5 file has been successfully loaded, the Simulation tab is displayed a new sim-
ulation tree appears under naca0012_icing (loaded) in the Outline View window, and the
naca0012 grid is displayed inside the Graphics window, located on the right of your screen.
5. In the Outline View window, select Setup under naca0012_icing (loaded) and, in its properties
window, uncheck Particles and Ice.
6. Inside the Outline View window, right-click the Airflow icon located under Setup and select
Update with Fluent Case settings to make sure that the previously setup Fluent simulation settings
are properly transferred to Fluent Icing.
7. Inside the Outline View window, right-click the Fluent icon located under Airflow and select Set
to default Air properties. This automatically sets the air properties, suggested for icing simulations,
from the current reference air temperature. The values of air properties have been computed using
the equations presented in Airflow within the Fluent User's Guide.
Note:
For simplicity, thermal conductivity and viscosity equations presented in the Fluent
Icing User’s manual are shown below:
8. Under Solution, right-click Airflow from the side menu. Select Initialize. A Hybrid initialization
is executed using the settings of the original case file.
9. Under Solution, click Airflow to display the properties of Properties - Airflow panel. Increase
the Number of iterations to 1000. A steady state simulation will be executed since the original
case file contains steady state settings.
Note:
Transient calculations are not yet supported. Therefore, the original case file must be
set-up for a steady state simulation.
10. Right-click the Airflow icon under Solution and select Calculate to launch this simulation. A New
run window will appear. Set the Name of the new run to flow_clean.
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Fluent Airflow on the Clean NACA0012 Airfoil
11. Once the computation is complete, the solution file, out.dat.h5, will be written inside the new
run directory, naca0012_icing/flow_clean.
12. Take a look at the convergence history of this simulation in the Plots window located at the right
of your screen. By default, the Plots window shows all Residuals of the governing equations at
each iteration. It is possible to show the residual of a given governing equation by selecting the
governing equation next to Curve located at the top of the Plots window. If other reports Reports
have been defined in the original case file, they will appear as an option next to Curve. In this
tutorial, the input case file contained lift and drag coefficient reports. Examine the convergence
of these coefficients listed as report-lift and report-drag. Lift and drag coefficients have converged
to 4.5105e-01 and 9.5196e-03 respectively.
The following three figures show the convergence of residuals and lift and drag coefficients.
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Figure 28.3: Convergence of Lift and Drag Coefficients of the Clean Airfoil
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Fluent Airflow on the Clean NACA0012 Airfoil
13. Go to the ribbon bar of your Fluent Icing window and, under View → Quick-view → Contour,
choose Heat flux (walls) to output the convective heat flux over the clean NACA0012. See Fig-
ure 28.5: Convective Heat Flux over the Clean NACA0012 Airfoil (p. 1041).
Figure 28.5: Convective Heat Flux over the Clean NACA0012 Airfoil
14. In the ribbon bar of your Fluent Icing window, select the Project tab. The left-side panel will
switch to the Project View. The naca0012_icing (loaded) simulation now contains the run folder
flow_clean, which contains the solution file out.dat.h5. Moreover, (current) is listed next to
the run folder to show that this is the current run, and the out.dat.h5 file is displayed in bold
to show that this file is currently loaded.
Note:
The Fluent Icing settings that you used to perform the flow_clean run are saved in a
run.settings file that is located inside the flow_clean run folder. If you would like
to load these settings at any point in the future, you may right-click the flow_clean
folder and select Load settings. The run.settings file itself is hidden by default.
To display this file, you may right-click Name under Project View and select Show
hidden items. Repeat these steps to disable Show hidden files before continuing with
this tutorial.
15. Select the Simulation tab to go back to the Simulation Outline View.
Caution:
If you would like to continue with the next tutorial, do not close Fluent Icing.
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Note:
If you closed your Fluent Icing session since the completion of the last tutorial, you must
reopen your project and load your previous simulation and settings. To do this, open Fluent
Icing, select Project → Open..., and navigate to and select your FLU-
ENT_ICING_NACA0012.flprj project file. Once the project is opened, right-click the
naca0012_icing simulation folder, and select Load in solver. The simulation will be opened,
and your window display will switch to the Outline View, with a simulation tree appearing
under naca0012_icing (loaded). To ensure that you are working from the most recent set-
tings, go back to the Project View, right-click the flow_clean run, and select Load settings.
Finally, go back to the Simulation tab to continue with the tutorial.
1. Inside the Outline View, select Setup under naca0012_icing (loaded) and, in its Properties window,
make sure that Particles and Ice are unchecked.
• Select the wall-5 boundary. In its property panel, set Wall Roughness to High roughness
for Icing and set its Roughness Height (m) to 0.0005 m.
• Right-click wall-5 boundary. Select Set temperature to Adiabatic + 10. The Temperature
[K] is now set to 280.929 in wall-5’s property panel. The value of the surface temperature
should be several degrees above the adiabatic stagnation temperature in order to compute
heat fluxes with the correct sign on the entire aircraft surface.
• Repeat this process for wall boundaries wall-6, wall-7, and wall-8.
3. Under Solution, right-click Airflow from the side menu. Select Initialize. A Hybrid initialization is
executed.
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Fluent Airflow on the Rough NACA0012 Airfoil
5. Right-click the Airflow icon under Solution and select Calculate to launch this simulation. A window
will appear asking if the current run should be continued. Select No. A new run window will appear.
Set the Name of the new run to flow_rough. Press OK.
Note:
If you closed your Fluent Icing session after the completion of the last tutorial, a window
will appear asking to create a new run once you click Calculate. Set the Name of the
new run to flow_rough and press OK.
6. Once the computation is complete, the solution file will be written inside the Project Run directory
as naca0012_icing/flow_rough/out.dat.h5.
7. Take a look at the convergence history of this simulation in the Plots window located at the right
of your screen.
In the Plots window, the residuals and reports, previously defined in the original case file, are
provided at each iteration. Examine the convergence of Residuals, and lift and drag coefficients
that are listed as report-lift and report-drag, by properly selecting them next to Curve in the Plots
window. Lift and drag coefficients have converged to 4.0575e-01 and 1.9851e-02 respectively. This
is approximately a 10% loss in lift and a 108% increase in drag from the clean NACA0012 airfoil. The
increase in drag due to roughness is quite high in this case, partly because the roughness height is
significant for the size of the airfoil (0.5334 m chord) and the whole surface is set as rough. In gen-
eral, only the first 10% of the chord (leading edge) gets iced. For icing calculations, the flow solution
should be computed with roughness set everywhere since there is no knowledge of the droplet
impingement zone or the icing limits a priori. The following three figures show the convergence of
residuals and lift and drag coefficients.
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Fluent Airflow on the Rough NACA0012 Airfoil
Figure 28.7: Convergence of Lift and Drag Coefficients of the Rough Airfoil
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8. Go to the ribbon bar of your Fluent Icing window and, under View → Quick-view → Contour,
choose Heat flux (walls) to output the convective heat flux over the rough NACA0012 on the
Graphics window located at the right of your screen. See Figure 28.9: Convective Heat Flux Over
the Rough NACA0012 Airfoil (p. 1046).
Figure 28.9: Convective Heat Flux Over the Rough NACA0012 Airfoil
Caution:
If you would like to continue with the next tutorial, do not close Fluent Icing.
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Droplet Impingement on the NACA0012
In a monodispersed droplet calculation, a single droplet diameter represents the icing cloud that the
aircraft is flying in. In reality, icing clouds never contain only one size of droplets; but a distribution of
droplet sizes. When running a single droplet diameter, the median volumetric diameter (MVD) of the
droplets in the cloud is chosen as the monodispersed value. If a more accurate droplet solution is
needed, then a distribution of droplet sizes can be solved for, where the MVD of this distribution matches
that of the cloud.
You are invited to read Particles and Inlet Types within the Fluent User's Guide for more information
on how to set up the input parameters of droplets and/or crystals.
Note:
If you closed your Fluent Icing session since the completion of the last tutorial, you must
reopen your project and load your previous simulation and settings. To do this, open Fluent
Icing, select Project → Open..., and navigate to and select your FLU-
ENT_ICING_NACA0012.flprj project file. Once the project is opened, right-click the
naca0012_icing simulation folder, and select Load in solver. The simulation will be opened,
and your window display will switch to the Outline View, with a simulation tree appearing
under naca0012_icing (loaded). To ensure that you are working from the most recent set-
tings, go back to the Project View, right-click the flow_rough run, and select Load settings.
Particle simulation requires an airflow solution, therefore, to ensure that the solution of
flow_rough is properly loaded into Fluent Icing, in Project View, right-click the out.dat.h5
file under flow_rough and select Load. Finally, go back to the Simulation tab to continue
with the tutorial.
1. Select Simulation in the top ribbon and go to the Outline View. Select Setup under
naca0012_icing (loaded). In its Properties window, make sure that Airflow and Particles are
checked and uncheck Ice.
Note:
Setup, Solution and Results settings of the airflow around the NACA0012 have already
been setup in Fluent Airflow on the Rough NACA0012 Airfoil (p. 1042). Therefore, they
do not need to be updated.
2. Under Setup → Particles, activate Droplets in Type. Leave the other options unchecked.
• under Droplet conditions, set the LWC [kg/m3] to 0.00055 and the Droplet diameter [mi-
crons] to 20.
• under Particles distribution, keep Monodispersed since we will conduct a water catch simu-
lation using a single droplet size.
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• under Model, keep Water as the Droplet drag model. This is the default drag law for droplet
particles.
4. Under Setup → Boundary Conditions, go to pressure-far-field and make sure that, in its prop-
erties window, under Particles, From ref. conditions is selected and Droplet velocity vector
remains unchecked. The From ref. conditions option will apply the Droplet conditions, located
inside the Propeties - Droplets window, at the inlet of the pressure-far-field, in this case, the
LWC and the MVD. If Droplet velocity vector remains unchecked, the airflow velocity is imposed
as the droplet velocity at the inlet. The relative velocity between air and droplets is considered
to be zero at far-field.
Note:
When configuring particle flow simulations, boundary conditions are only specified at
inlets.
5. Under Solution → Particles, set 300 as the Number of Iterations in Run settings. Keep the default
settings in Solver and Initialization.
Note:
Inside Initialization, From airflow conditions uses the airflow direction specified in
Setup → Airflow as the initial velocity of droplets.
6. Right-click Particles under Solution and choose Calculate to launch the droplet particle simulation
in standalone mode. A new window will appear requesting a name for the new run. Name the
new run droplets_mvd.
The calculation stops when the convergence level reaches the convergence limits set on the Re-
sidual cut-off and on the Change in total beta. Otherwise, the simulation continues until it
reaches 300 iterations. In the Plots window, you can look at Residuals, Droplets – Residual –
Average, Droplets – Residual – LWC, Droplets – Residual – Momentum, etc. curves and the
Droplets -Total Beta and Droplets - Change in Total Beta convergence curves.
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Droplet Impingement on the NACA0012
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In-Flight Icing Tutorial Using Fluent Icing
Figure 28.11: Convergence of Total Beta and Change in Total Beta Curves
Often the solution in the wake of the droplet flow is still converging while the impingement at
the surfaces is fully converged. If you wish to converge the wake and the shadow zones further,
the Residual cut-off of the Properties - Particles panel under Solution should be reduced and
the Number of iterations should be increased. The droplet wake is usually not of interest and it
is sufficient to achieve convergence of the total beta alone.
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Droplet Impingement on the NACA0012
7. When calculations are completed, you may use Quick-View to view the results. Go to the ribbon
bar of your Fluent Icing window and, under View → Quick-view → Contour, choose Collection
Efficiency to output the water catch of the monodispersed droplets over the NACA0012. See
Figure 28.12: Collection Efficiency of Monodispersed Droplets over a NACA0012 (p. 1051).
8. Repeat these steps to output the LWC around the NACA0012. Blue contours define the shadow
zone where there is an absence of water droplets. See Figure 28.13: LWC of Monodispersed Droplets
Around a NACA0012 (p. 1052).
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9. Select Project from the ribbon menu. Notice that naca0012_icing (loaded) simulation now contains
the droplets_mvd run which contains the final droplet solution, out.droplet. In addition to Quick-
View, you can also open the results in Viewmerical from the Project View. Right-click the
out.droplet solution file and select View with Viewmerical. A Viewmerical window will appear
allowing you to further post-process the droplet results.
10. Before you move on to the next tutorial, go back to the Simulation view or Outline View panel.
Caution:
The most important reason for considering an analysis using a distribution is that there are droplets
larger than the MVD in the distribution, which can impinge further back on the top and bottom of
the airfoil, creating a thin but rough layer of ice that can have adverse effects on aerodynamics and
control. In this case, solutions for each droplet size of a given distribution are calculated separately.
The final solution is then created as a composite of all solutions using weights on each droplet size.
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Droplet Impingement on the NACA0012
In this tutorial, you will use the set-up created in Monodispersed Calculation (p. 1047) as a starting
point.
1. Without closing the previous Fluent Icing session (Monodispersed Calculation (p. 1047)), in the
Outline View panel, go to Setup → Particles → Droplets. In the Properies - Droplets window,
under Particles distribution, set Droplet distribution to Langmuir D.
Note:
The current version of Fluent Icing only supports pre-defined droplet size distributions
(Langmuir B to E). User defined distributions are not yet supported. Below is a repres-
entation of a Langmuir D distribution and the droplet diameters that are used to rep-
resent this distribution. Note that this figure is taken from FENSAP-ICE native user inter-
face and is currently unavailable in the Fluent Icing user interface.
In the figure above, the droplet diameters are on the horizontal axis, and the weights (the percent-
age of droplets of a given diameter contained in the cloud) are on the vertical axis. The individual
weights are shown with the blue curve, and the overall sum, cumulative weight, is shown with
the red curve. On the red curve, the data points are plotted at the mid-range of their cumulative
weight intervals. For example, the 20 microns droplet, which happens to be the MVD, covers the
cumulative weight range of 35% to 65% and it is therefore plotted at 50% cumulative weight on
the red curve.
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A Particle droplet simulation is run for each droplet size shown in the above table.
2. Go to Solution → Particles, in its properties window, check Save distribution solutions under
Output.
This will allow you to save a droplet solution for each droplet size simulated. Otherwise, only the
combined solution of the distribution is saved. Keep all the other settings the same.
3. Right-click Particles under Solution, choose Calculate to run the calculation. A window will appear
asking if you would like to continue the current run. Choose No. A new run window will appear.
Set the Name of the new run to droplets_langd. Individual runs will be executed one after
the other, and the results will be combined.
4. When calculations are completed, you may use Quick View to view the results. Go to the ribbon
bar of your Fluent Icing window and, under View → Quick-view → Contour, choose Collection
Efficiency to output the water catch of the Langmuir D droplet distribution over the NACA0012.
See Figure 28.14: Collection Efficiency of Droplets with Langmuir-D Distribution over a
NACA0012 (p. 1054).
Figure 28.14: Collection Efficiency of Droplets with Langmuir-D Distribution over a NACA0012
5. Repeat these steps to easily output the LWC around the NACA0012. Blue contours define the
shadow zone, absence of water droplets. See Figure 28.15: LWC of Droplets with Langmuir-D Dis-
tribution Around a NACA0012 (p. 1055).
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Droplet Impingement on the NACA0012
6. Select Project from the ribbon menu. Notice that naca0012_icing (loaded) simulation now contains
the droplets_langd run. This run has a combined droplet solution out.droplet as well as each
individual droplet solution from out.droplet.01 through out.droplet.07. To link each numbered
droplet solution to a droplet size of the Langmuir D distribution, in the Project ribbon, select
Columns under Display. A Project window appears. Click the + sign besides Metadata to expand
the list of parameters associated to each run and solution. Scroll-down and select Droplets::D-
Diam and click OK. A D-Diam column appears next to Name inside the Project panel. This column
clearly identifies the droplet diameter used to obtain each out.droplet.xx solution.
Note:
In addition to Quick View, you may open the results in Viewmerical from the project
menu. To display the combined droplet solution in Viewmerical, right-click the
out.droplet solution file and select View with Viewmerical. Alternatively, to display
an individual droplet solution file, right-click the out.droplet.xx file of your choice and
select View with Viewmerical. A Viewmerical window will appear allowing you to
further post-process the droplet results.
7. Before you move on to the next tutorial, go back to the Simulation panel.
Caution:
Do not close Fluent Icing if you would like to proceed with the next section.
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In-Flight Icing Tutorial Using Fluent Icing
Viewmerical is a light-weight graphical display tool specifically designed for in-flight icing solutions
and applications. Viewmerical can display solution field contours, velocity vectors, planar cuts through
the volumes, 2D graphs of variables, streamlines, etc. This tutorial will demonstrate some basic features
of Viewmerical while comparing the two droplet solutions obtained in the previous sections.
2. The program will launch and show an isometric display of the entire grid showing the first solution
field, Droplet LWC, of the combined Langmuir D solution.
4. Go to the Data tab and then change the Color range to Spectrum 2 – 16.
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Droplet Impingement on the NACA0012
5. Align the view angle with the Z-symmetry plane by right-clicking on the 3D axes on the lower
left, and by choosing Top (Z). Alternatively, you can left-click the Z axis itself.
6. Zoom in on the airfoil. You can use Ctrl + left-click to draw a zoom box, or scroll the mouse wheel
to zoom in and middle-click to pan.
7. Change the font of your legend to bold. Click on the top left corner of the window and select
Command window; then type BIGFONTS in the command line of the 3dview console and hit
Enter. The legend fonts now become bold.
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8. Using the Camera icon on the upper left corner, you can take a snapshot of the solution window
to capture the following image.
Figure 28.16: LWC of a Langmuir D Droplet Cloud over a NACA0012 at an AoA of 4 Degrees,
Showing the Shadow Zone (Blue Region)
Examine the LWC distribution in the area close to the airfoil. The blue region is called the shadow
zone, where no droplets exist. In between the shadow zone and the free stream, there are bands
of high LWC concentrations which are the enrichment zones forming due to the constriction of
stream tubes in the continuum domain. These features can be of special interest for downstream
aircraft components.
9. Go to the Data tab and choose Collection efficiency-Droplet. Collection efficiency is only displayed
on the walls of your geometry. Go to the Objects tab and uncheck BC_1004 and BC_4300 to
display the collection efficiency distribution only on the walls (BC_2005, BC_2006, BC_2007, and
BC_2008).
Use the left mouse button to rotate, the middle mouse button to pan, and the right-mouse button
to zoom in the airfoil surface to obtain the following figure.
Figure 28.17: Collection Efficiency of a Langmuir D Droplet Cloud on the Surface of the Airfoil
at an AoA of 4 Degrees
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Droplet Impingement on the NACA0012
10. For a more in-depth quantitative view, it would be possible to create 2D data plots using View-
merical. Click the Query tab and enable 2D Plot.
On the lower right corner of Viewmerical, you can directly modify data sets and solution fields.
Leave them as they are now.
11. The color and thickness of the data curve displayed in the graph can be changed by left clicking
on the cube menu located on the top right and by choosing Curve Settings. Set the curve color
to red and the curve widths to 2 and press OK.
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Figure 28.18: Collection Efficiency of a Langmuir D Droplet Cloud on the Surface of the Airfoil
at an AoA of 4 Degrees
The maximum beta occurs at the stagnation point, just below the leading edge in this case. The
points on the upper and lower surfaces where beta becomes zero are the impingement limits. In
rime icing cases, all the water that impinges is frozen instantly, therefore icing limits are the same
as the impingement limits. In glaze icing, water can runback and freeze past the impingement
limits. Maximum beta is usually no more than 1.0, and reduces as the droplet flow becomes tangent
to the surface.
12. To save data points of this collection efficiency distribution, go to the cube menu on the top right
and choose Save one file. A new window pops up to browse and name the file that should contain
these data points.
13. You can also open and compare several solution files using Viewmerical. Let’s display simultaneously
all 7 droplet size solutions obtained in Langmuir-D Distribution (p. 1052).
14. Go to Project View. Under the run droplets_langd, right-click its out.droplet.01 file and select
View with Viewmerical.
15. A message appears asking if you would like to append this solution to a previously opened
Viewmerical display. Click Yes.
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Droplet Impingement on the NACA0012
16. Inside Viewmerical, rename this new object by double-clicking on its original name in the Object
window and enter LangD-01-44.4um in the window Rename dataset, where 01 indicates the
droplet solution number and 44.4um is the droplet diameter of the droplet solution.
Note:
The droplet diameter of each droplet solution is shown in D-Diam column of the
Project panel of the naca0012_icing (loading) simulation. See step 6 of Langmuir-
D Distribution (p. 1052).
17. Repeat steps 14 to 16 to load the remaining droplet solutions from out.droplet.02 to
out.droplet.07.
Note:
• Click the button located at the right corner of the Object panel. A window
appears to load a pair of files, a grid file and its solution file.
• Click the folder icon of Grid file and select the naca0012.grid file located
inside your Project and Simulation directory FLU-
ENT_ICING_NACA0012/naca0012_icing/.
• Click the folder icon of Solution file (optional) and select the
out.droplet.01 file located inside your Project, Simulation and Run direct-
ories /FLUENT_ICING_NACA0012/naca0012_icing/droplets_langd.
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• Press the Load button. A new data set is added to the Object panel. Rename
this dataset by double-clicking on its original name and enter LangD-01-
44.4um in the window Rename dataset, where 01 indicates the droplet solution
number and 44.4um is the droplet diameter of the droplet solution.
• Repeat these steps for the remaining droplet solutions from out.droplet.02 to
out.droplet.07.
19. Go to the Data panel and click Shared located under Color range. Switch the Data field to Col-
lection efficiency- Droplet.
20. Go to the Query tab, enable 2D plot, and switch the Cutting plane to Z. The graph should display
8 individual beta distributions. click LangD, to disable the LangD curve from the 2D plot. You
can change the color and thickness of the data curve displayed in the graph via the cube menu
on the top right and by choosing Curve Settings. You can also draw a zoom box by Shift + left-
click.
Figure 28.19: Collection Efficiency on the Surface of the Airfoil at an AoA of 4 Degrees,
Langmuir D Droplet Solutions
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Droplet Impingement on the NACA0012
The curve with the lowest beta corresponds to the smallest droplet size (LangD-07-6.2 µm), and
the one with the largest beta corresponds to the largest droplet size (LangD-01-44.4.µm). Smallest
droplets are less ballistic, tend to follow the air flow and avoid the aircraft therefore reducing their
collection efficiency and impingement limits. Larger droplets are more ballistic and they do not
tend to follow the airflow. Therefore, their collection efficiency and impingement are usually
higher than the smallest droplets. In general, this information is crucial to properly design the IPS
power requirements and coverage.
Note:
The difference between beta curves of different droplet sizes become more pronounced
as the aircraft surface size increases. The effect can be dramatic on large blunt surfaces
like fuselage noses or radomes where the contribution from the smaller size droplets
can be negligible if compared to the largest ones. As a result, the composite or com-
bined solution of a Langmuir simulation can be very different from the solution of the
MVD.
21. To compare the LangD result to that of the monodispersed (MVD), go to the Objects panel, check
LangD and uncheck all the other LangD-* objects.
22. Go to Project View. Under the run droplets_mvd, right-click its out.droplet file and select View
with Viewmerical.
23. A message appears asking if you would like to append this solution to a previously opened
Viewmerical display. Click Yes.
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24. Inside Viewmerical, rename this new object by double-clicking on its original name in the Object
window and enter MVD in the window Rename dataset.
25. Go to the Query tab, enable 2D plot, and switch the Cutting plane to Z. The graph should display
9 individual beta distributions. click LangD-01-44.4um to LangD-07-6.2um to disable these curves
from the 2D plot. Change the color of the MVD to red and of the LangD to blue via the cube
menu on the top right and by choosing Curve Settings. Set their width to 2. You can also draw
a zoom box by Shift + left-click.
The LangD solution is fairly close to that of the MVD. The impingement limits of the Langmuir D
solution will always be further back due to the inclusion of larger droplets in the distribution. The
maximum beta of the composite is lower than the MVD here. This is not always the case. Based
on the size and shape of the impingement surface, the Langmuir D solution can have a maximum
beta that is several times higher than the MVD. In this case, however, the results of the MVD and
the distribution are close.
26. You will now compare the LWC of the largest and smallest droplet of a Langmuir D distribution.
Go to the Objects panel, uncheck LangD and MVD objects and check LangD-01-44.4um (largest
droplets) and LangD-07-6.2um (smallest droplets).
27. On the lower right corner of Viewmerical, change Collection efficiency-Droplet to Droplet LWC
(kg/m^3).
28. Select LangD-01-44.4um in the Objects panel and choose Horizontal-Left under Split screen
menu.
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Fluent Icing Ice Accretion on the NACA0012
29. Go to the Data tab and change the color range to Spectrum 2 –16.
30. Align the view angle with the Z-symmetry plane and zoom in to capture the following image:
Figure 28.21: LWC Distribution and Shadow Zones for 44.4 Micron Droplets (Left) and 6.2
Micron Droplets (Right)
Observe the difference in the shadow zones. The smallest droplets follow the airfoil very closely
but avoiding it while the largest droplets barely change their path and hit almost straight on,
leaving a larger shadow zone.
Note:
The option to change icing air temperature in icing parameters is provided as a quick
method to obtain different ice shapes with different ambient temperatures. It should be
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understood that this method is not identical in terms of accuracy to running air and droplet
flows independently for each of those temperatures. Change in ambient air temperature
would result in a proportional change in air density which would change the momentum
transfer between air and particles. This would ultimately affect particle flow paths and collec-
tion efficiency. For internal flows, where particle thermal equation and/or vapor transport is
enabled, icing air temperature should be kept the same as the reference air temperature.
You are invited to read Setup → Ice and Setup → Boundary Conditions → Wall within the Fluent
User's Guide for more information on how to set up the input parameters of the Ice module.
This tutorial will begin as a continuation of Monodispersed Calculation (p. 1047), so the monodispersed
droplet solution and settings must be loaded.
1. Select Project from the top ribbon menu. To load the settings from the monodispersed run, right-
click the droplets_mvd folder and select Load settings. To load the monodispersed solution, from
the left side panel, right-click the droplets_mvd → out.droplet solution file and select Load.
Note:
If you closed your Fluent Icing session since the completion of the last tutorial, you must
reopen your project and load your previous simulation and settings. To do this, open
Fluent Icing, select Project → Open..., and navigate to and select your FLU-
ENT_ICING_NACA0012.flprj project file. Once the project is opened, right-click the
naca0012_icing simulation folder, and select Load in solver. The simulation will be
opened, and your window display will switch to the Outline View, with a simulation tree
appearing under naca0012_icing (loaded). Once this is done, continue with step 1.
2. Select Simulation from the top ribbon menu. Select Setup under naca0012_icing (loaded). In its
Properties - Setup window, make sure that Airflow, Particles and Ice are checked.
– Check Specify Icing air temperature to simulate an icing temperature that is different than
the reference/far-field air temperature.
• In Model,
4. In general, there is nothing to set in the Boundary Conditions of Ice unless icing is to be turned
off on certain surfaces to reduce computational effort or sink boundaries are to be declared. Examine
the options available at each wall without performing any changes.
5. Go to Solution and inside the Properties - Solution window, change Log verbosity to Complete
to output extra execution and post-processed data in the Console Window.
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Fluent Icing Ice Accretion on the NACA0012
• Under Time, keep the Total time of ice accretion [s] at 420 seconds and the Automatic time
step option checked. The Ice feature in Fluent Icing is an explicit time-accurate code where the
stability of the solution strongly depends on the value of the time step. The automatic time
stepping option calculates the optimal stable time step at every iteration, which can change
greatly depending on the size of the geometry and the mesh density.
7. Right-click Ice under Solution and choose Calculate to run the calculation. A window will appear.
Name the new run ice_mvd_m25C.
8. After the simulation is complete, an ice solution out.swimsol, and ice grid out.ice.grid will
be saved in the ice_mvd_m25C run folder.
Look through the Console window of naca0012_icing. The accumulated time, value of the time
step, total impingement, film, and mass of ice are printed at selected iterations. Heat flux and ice
mass per wall boundary condition are listed in the following two tables. Finally, energy and mass
conservation tables are printed. Most of the items in these tables are self-explanatory except perhaps
mass of clipped film and runback flux. Clipped film refers to any film that is removed by sink
boundaries and on certain nodes which collect and shed water (trailing edges, wing and blade tips,
etc.) that are detected automatically. Runback flux is the sum of all edge fluxes in the domain which
will be equal to the film removed by sink boundaries, or close to zero (mass conservation).
Figure 28.22: Mass Conservation Table Printed in the Log File of Fluent Icing
9. Cycle through the Plots window. By changing the Curve type, you will observe the progress of the
total mass of ice, the change in instantaneous ice growth, water film thickness, and ice surface
temperature with time. Since the input flow and droplet solutions are steady-state solutions, the
icing solutions will eventually reach a steady-state where instantaneous ice growth, water film
thickness, and ice surface temperature do not change after a while.
10. Go to the Ribbon menu and select View. In Quick-view, click Ice cover → Ice over - Viewmerical
to see the ice shape and the original surface in Viewmerical. If a window appears asking if you would
like to append to a previously opened Viewmerical display, choose No.
Alternatively, the ice cover solution can be loaded by going to the Project menu, right-clicking on
the out.swimsol located in the ice_mvd_m25C run and selecting View with Viewmerical. A window
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will appear, select Ice Cover as the view type. If a window appears asking if you would like to append
to a previously opened Viewmerical display, choose No.
You can change the Metallic + Smooth option to other choices in the Object box to see the wire-
frame profiles and the surface meshes. In the Data panel, you can adjust the Ice thickness threshold
based on ice growth to reduce display interlacing due to the overlapping of iced and clean surfaces.
11. Do not close the Fluent Icing session and run two more calculations at warmer temperatures.
12. In the Outline View panel, select Setup → Ice and, in Ice accretion conditions, check Specify Icing
air temperature and set the Icing air temperature value to 263.15 K (-10 °C).
13. Right-click Ice under Solution and click Calculate to run the calculation. A window will appear
asking if you would like to continue the current run. Choose No. Another window will appear. Name
the new run ice_mvd_m10C.
14. Repeat steps 12 to 13. This time with an Icing air temperature value of 265.67 K (-7.48 °C), same
as the airflow Temperature [K] in Setup → Airflow → Conditions. Name this run ice_mvd_m7p5C.
Note:
This -7.48 °C run is conducted at the same temperature as the airflow simulation. This is
the standard usage of Fluent Icing, and most icing simulations will be run in this manner.
Since the Icing air temperature is equivalent to the airflow simulation temperature, you
can alternatively uncheck Icing air temperature [K] to disable it and Fluent Icing will
use the airflow simulation temperature by default.
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Fluent Icing Ice Accretion on the NACA0012
15. Now that there are 3 different ice shapes computed, we will analyze them using Quick-View. Go
to the Ribbon menu and select View. In Quick-view, click Ice cover → Ice cover – Viewmerical.
This opens the ice solution calculated in the previous simulation.
16. Rename this object by double-clicking on its original name in the Object window and enter Ice
-7.5C in the window Rename dataset.
17. To load the -10 °C and -25 °C solutions, go to Project View. Under the run ice_mvd_m10C, right-
click its out.swimsol file and select View with Viewmerical.
18. A message appears asking if you would like to append this solution to a previously opened View-
merical display. Click Yes.
19. A second message appears asking you to select the view type. In this case, select Ice cover as we
are going to compare the ice shapes produced by our simulations.
20. Inside Viewmerical, rename this new object by double-clicking on its original name in the Object
window and enter Ice - 10C in the window Rename dataset.
22. Click the Lock button at the bottom right of the data set list window located in the Objects
panel to enable all the grids in the 2D plot.
23. Go to the Query panel and enable the 2D plot. Change the Cutting plane to Z and Mode to
Geometry. At the bottom left of the 2D Plot window, set the horizontal axis to X. Change the color
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and thickness of the curves by right-clicking on the cube menu on the top right and then by
choosing the Curve Settings menu.
Note:
In this case, since all simulations were executed using a single ice accretion quasi-steady
shot, each *-map curve represents the geometry of the NACA0012.
At -25 °C (248.15 K), the cooling effects are large, and all droplets freeze almost instantly producing
a rime ice shape. This shape generally resembles the original airfoil profile and can be considered
somewhat aerodynamic. As the icing temperature increases, more water can run back away from
the stagnation zone and freeze where cooling effects become more predominant. This mechanism
initiates the growth of ice horns on the upper and lower sides of the airfoil. These geometric features
are common in glaze icing conditions and induce flow separation. Therefore they dramatically change
the aerodynamic performance of the airfoil.
To properly capture the shape of the ice horns, a multishot computation is recommended where
the grid, air and droplet solutions are updated at certain time intervals.
24. Finally, we will compare the film height of the three solutions. To do this, uncheck all Ice* objects
located in the Objects panel of Viewmerical.
25. Go back to the Project View. Under the run ice_mvd_m7p5C, right-click its out.swimsol file and
select View with Viewmerical.
26. A message appears asking if you would like to append this solution to a previously opened View-
merical display. Click No. A new Viewmerical window will be used to compare the solution values.
27. A second message appears asking you to select the view type. In this case, select Ice solution as
we are going to compare the solution fields of our ice simulations.
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Fluent Icing Ice Accretion on the NACA0012
28. Inside Viewmerical, rename this new object by double-clicking on its original name in the Object
window and enter -7.5C in the window Rename dataset.
29. Repeat steps 25 to 28 for the remaining run folders, ice_mvd_m10C and ice_mvd_m25C. However,
this time select Yes to append these solutions to the previous solution.
30. In the Data panel, inside Files, choose Film Thickness as the Data field. Click Shared inside Color
range.
31. Go to the Query panel and activate the 2D plot. Set the Mode to Data and Cutting plane to Z.
Set the horizontal axis to Y. The three curves showing the film height for the 3 different temperatures
should be visible. Change the curve colors and thickness using the Curve Settings in the cube menu
located at the top right.
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Figure 28.26: Film Height Variation over the Ice at -25, -10, and -7.5 C
The film height and extent grow with increasing icing temperatures. At -25 °C, almost all droplets
freeze upon impact and there is no water runback on the surface. This temperature produces a rime
ice shape. In the contrary, the amount of film and water runback of the other two cases clearly
produce ice horns and form glaze ice shapes.
Note:
The Ice Cover solutions *-map also contain the solution fields of their icing simulations.
You can see their content by clicking on (disabling) -7.5C, -10C and -25C located at the
bottom of the 2D plot of the Query panel. However, it is recommended to use the Ice
Solution mode when post-processing solution fields with Viewmerical as this mode
provides more solution fields capabilities.
Caution:
Do not close Fluent Icing if you would like to proceed to the next section.
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Postprocessing an Ice Accretion Solution Using CFD-Post Macros
For more information regarding these macros, consult CFD-Post Macros within the FENSAP-ICE User
Manual.
Note:
CFD-Post only supports .h5 format files when beta features are enabled. Therefore, in order
to ensure full compatibility with CFD-Post, first load CFD-Post, go to Edit → Options. Inside
the Options window, go to CFD-Post → General → Beta Options and check Enable Beta
Features.
1. Inside your Fluent Icing window, go to the Ribbon menu and select View. In Quick-view, click Ice
cover → Ice cover – CFD-Post.
2. After opening CFD-Post, a Domain Selector window will request confirmation to load the following
domains: ice swimsol, map grid, and map swimsol. Click OK to proceed.
3. Go to the Calculators tab and double-click Macro Calculator. The Macro Calculator’s interface
panel will be activated and displayed.
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Note:
The Macro Calculator can also be accessed by selecting Tools → Macro Calculator from
CFD-Post’s main menu.
4. Select the Ice Cover – 3D-View macro script from the Macro drop-down list. This will bring up the
user interface which contains all input parameters required to view ICE3D output solutions in the
CFD-Post 3D Viewer.
5. The default settings inside the Macro Calculator panel will allow you to automatically output the
ice shape of a one-shot icing simulation by pressing Calculate. Figure 28.27: Ice View with CFD-Post,
Ice Cover (p. 1075) shows the output of the default settings of the macro.
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Postprocessing an Ice Accretion Solution Using CFD-Post Macros
Note:
To change the style of the ice shape display, go to the Display Mode and select one of
following options: Ice Cover, Ice Cover – shaded, Ice Cover – No Orig, Ice Cover (only)
or Ice Cover (only) - shaded. To output the surface mesh of the ice shape, go to the
Display Mesh and select Yes. Figure 28.28: Ice View in CFD-Post, Ice Cover with Display
Mesh (p. 1076) shows the output of activating Ice Cover under Display Mode by selecting
Yes under Display Mesh and pressing Calculate at the bottom of the Macro Calculator.
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Figure 28.28: Ice View in CFD-Post, Ice Cover with Display Mesh
6. To display the solution fields of your icing simulation, you can either select Ice Solution – Overlay,
Ice Solution or Surface Solution under Display Mode. In this case, you will output the ice accretion
rate over the ice layer. To do this, select Ice Solution – Overlay in Display Mode, Instant. Ice
Growth (kg s^-1 m^-2) in Display Variable and No in Display Mesh to turn off the displaying
surface mesh.
7. Click Calculate to view the instantaneous ice growth over the ice shape. Figure 28.29: Ice View in
CFD-Post, Instantaneous Ice Growth over Ice Cover Surface (p. 1077) shows the output of the macro.
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Postprocessing an Ice Accretion Solution Using CFD-Post Macros
Figure 28.29: Ice View in CFD-Post, Instantaneous Ice Growth over Ice Cover Surface
Note:
Users are invited to modify the input parameter of Display Variable to view different
fields of the ICE3D solution.
8. You will now explore some quick post-processing capabilities of the Ice Cover – 2D-Plot macro. In
the Macro drop-down list of the Macro Calculator panel, change the macro to Ice Cover – 2D-Plot.
Note:
This switches the macro from Ice Cover – 3D-View to Ice over – 2D-Plot. Switch back
to Ice Cover – 3D-View in the same way if needed.
9. Change Plot’s Title from default, ICE SHAPE PLOT, to Ice Shape at -7.5 C, since you will
be creating a 2D-plot of the ice shape.
• Set Mode to Geometry to output an ice shape. The other options output the ice solution fields.
• Set Cutting Plane to Z plane. Specify a Z=0 plane by setting X/Y/Z Plane to 0.
11. To center the 2D-Plot around the leading edge of the NACA0012, in 2D-Plot (with),
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• Change the (x)Range of the X-Axis from Global to User Specified. Specify values of 0.075 and
-0.01 in the input boxes of (Usr.Specif.x)Max and (Usr.Specif.x)Min, respectively.
• Change the (y)Range of the Y-Axis from Global to User Specified. Specify values of 0.03 and
-0.03 in the input boxes of (Usr.Specif.y)Max and (Usr.Specif.y)Min, respectively.
12. Leave the other default settings unchanged and click Calculate to create a 2D-Plot of the ice shape
in a floating ChartViewer of CFD-Post. Adjust the output window’s size. Figure 28.30: 2D-Plot in
CFD-Post, Clean Wall Surface and Ice Cover Surface (p. 1078) shows the output of the macro.
Figure 28.30: 2D-Plot in CFD-Post, Clean Wall Surface and Ice Cover Surface
13. To create a 2D-plot of an ice solution field, first change the name of the plot. In this case, enter
Water Film at -7.5 C in the Plot’s Title field since you will create a water film 2D plot along
the thickness of the airfoil.
• Set Mode to Solution (on Map Surfaces) to output the water film over the NACA0012. Selecting
Solution (on Ice Surfaces) will output the ice field over the ice shape.
• Set Cutting Plane to Z plane. Specify a Z=0 plane by setting X/Y/Z Plane to 0.
15. To center the 2D-Plot around a meaningful scale to clearly see the water film distribution, in 2D-Plot
(with),
• Make sure that (x)Range of the X-Axis is set to User Specified. Enter values of 0.01 and -0.03
for (Usr.Specif.x)Max and (Usr.Specif.x)Min, respectively.
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Multi-Shot Ice Accretion with Automatic Mesh Displacement
• Set (y)Range of the Y-Axis to Global. The macro will use the max./min. values of the water film
thickness to define the range of the Y-axis.
16. Leave the other default settings unchanged and click Calculate to update the 2D plot in the
ChartViewer. Figure 28.31: 2D-Plot in CFD-Post, Water Film Distribution (p. 1079) shows the output
of the macro.
Note:
Users are invited to modify the input parameter of 2D-Plot (with) → Y-Axis to view dif-
ferent fields of the ICE3D solution.
In the current version of Fluent Icing, multishot runs are done using automatic mesh displacement,
where the ice surface is used to displace the contaminated walls and consequently the volume mesh
around these walls. This process keeps the number of nodes and elements constant. As the ice shape
grows, the total area covered by the boundary wall mesh increases which changes the size and the
aspect ratio of the elements near the ice. This may result in a less than optimal grid spacing if the initial
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In-Flight Icing Tutorial Using Fluent Icing
(undeformed) mesh is not fine enough. For complex ice shapes, manual remeshing maybe required in
order to continue the multishot process when using automatic mesh displacement.
Note:
1. This tutorial is a continuation of the previous tutorial. The last run that was computed was the
ice_mvd_m7p5C run. The current settings setup in the Simulation panel will be consistent with the
settings from that run. However, to be certain that you begin from those conditions, you may right-
click the ice_mvd_m7p5C run in the Project View panel and select Load settings.
2. In the Outline View, go to Setup → Ice. In its Properties window, check Beading under Model.
Beading is the roughness model of the Ice component. At the end of each shot, Beading will produce
a roughness distribution that is used by the airflow solver (Fluent or FENSAP) during the next shot.
This approach removes any arbitrary specification of roughness value. The first shot always needs
some initial roughness, 0.5 mm in Fluent Airflow on the Rough NACA0012 Airfoil (p. 1042), since Ice
is not run a priori. However, the remaining shots will use the distribution obtained from the beading
model.
Note:
Alternatively, the initial shots could be conducted over small time intervals where the
surface roughness can be allowed to grow from 0 to a reasonable level, removing the
need to specify an initial roughness value. For internal flows, you should start with a zero
initial roughness instead. Roughness should be allowed to build progressively using
shorter icing shots.
• Check Save files at each shot to examine the steady-state solutions at the end of each shot.
Note:
At the start of each shot, the airflow can be initialized using the parameters defined
in the case file (Reinitialize)or the interpolated airflow solution from the previous shot
(Continue). This can be defined inside the Airflow restart option. In the current simu-
lation, leave the default Reinitialize option.
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Multi-Shot Ice Accretion with Automatic Mesh Displacement
• In Time, change the Total time of ice accretion [s] from 420 to 140 which corresponds to 1/3rd
of the total time.
Note:
As the grid quality may deteriorate after each shot, it might be necessary to change
several settings in Solution to improve the robustness and convergence of these simula-
tions. In this manner, the number of iterations can be increased for Airflow and Particles
and the CFL number can be lowered in the case of Particles.
5. Right-click Solution and then select Reset to automatically remove previous airflow, particles and
ice solutions from memory.
6. Launch the multishot calculation by right-clicking Solution and then by selecting Run multishot.
A Warning message will appear highlighting the need to switch to Use ref. temperature in order
to proceed with this multishot simulation. Select Use ref. temperature since the icing temperature
must be identical to the airflow reference temperature when running a multishot simulation.
8. Go to the Plots window and monitor the convergence of Airflow, Particles and Ice solvers. In the
Plots window, first select a shot and a solver next to Dataset, and then choose the residual or report
to output next to Curve. The image below shows the residuals of the 2nd shot of the Airflow and
Particles solvers.
9. Go to the Project View by clicking the Project tab in the top ribbon menu. Under the
naca0012_icing (loaded) simulation, a new run named ice_mvd_m7p5C_multi now appears and
is specified as (current). Expand the run by clicking the + icon to the left of ice_mvd_m7p5C_multi
to show the files associated with the run. Each filename includes a two-digit number that links these
files to a shot number. Once all calculations are complete, view the final ice shape by right-clicking
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out.03.swimsol and selecting View with Viewmerical. Select Ice Cover in the Select View Type
pop-up dialog window. After viewing this ice shape, close the Viewmerical window.
10. Next, compare the ice shape of the multishot run to that of the single shot run. Go to the Project
View. Under the run ice_mvd_m7p5C_multi, right-click the out.01.map.grid and select View with
Viewmerical. This grid file represents the surface grid (map.grid) used to calculate the 1st shot
of ice accretion (out.01).
11. A message appears asking if you would like to append this to a previously opened Viewmerical
display. Choose No to open a new display.
12. A window may appear asking if you would like to load the numbered dataset – choose No.
13. Rename this object by double-clicking on the grid-out.01.map.grid object name and enter Airfoil
into the Rename dataset window.
14. Under the run ice_mvd_m7p5C_multi, right-click the out.03.ice.grid and select View with View-
merical. This grid file represents the ice surface grid (ice.grid) calculated during the 3rd shot of
ice accretion (out.03).
15. A message appears asking if you would like to append this to a previously opened Viewmerical
display. Choose Yes.
16. Rename this object by double-clicking on the grid-out.03.ice.grid object name and enter Ice -
7p5C, 3 shots in the Rename dataset window.
17. Under the run ice_mvd_m7p5C, right-click the out.ice.grid and select View with Viewmerical.
This grid file represents the ice surface grid calculated during the single shot run.
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Multi-Shot Ice Accretion with Automatic Mesh Displacement
18. A message appears asking if you would like to append this to a previously opened Viewmerical
display. Choose Yes.
19. Rename this object by double-clicking on the grid-out.ice.grid object name and enter Ice -7p5C,
1 shot in the Rename dataset window.
20. Click the Lock icon at the lower right of the data set list in the Objects window.
21. Go to the Query panel and activate the 2D plot. Set the Mode to Geometry and Cutting plane to
Z. Set the horizontal axis to X. The three curves showing NACA0012 and the ice shapes should be
visible. Change the curve colors and thickness using the Curve Settings in the cube menu located
at the top right. You can also draw a zoom box by Shift + left-click.
Note:
The multishot simulation produces an upper horn that is more pronounced. This is mainly
due to the continuous increase in collection efficiency and convective heat fluxes (cooling
effects) as the upper horn curvature increases. The lower part of the ice is also thicker
where the roughness has grown beyond the initial 0.5mm to about 1mm (average), which
causes the water film to freeze sooner and show less runback compared to the single
shot solution.
Figure 28.33: Ice Shapes at -7.5 C, Obtained Using One Shot and Three Shots Computations
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For more information regarding these macros, consult CFD-Post Macros within the FENSAP-ICE User
Manual.
1. Inside your Fluent Icing window, go to the Ribbon menu and select View. In Quick-view, click Ice
cover → Multishot -ice cover – CFD-Post.
2. After opening CFD-Post, a Domain Selector window will request confirmation to load the following
domains: ice swimsol, map grid, and map swimsol. Click OK to proceed.
3. Go to the Calculators tab and double-click Macro Calculator. The Macro Calculator’s interface
panel will be activated and displayed.
Note:
The Macro Calculator can also be accessed by selecting Tools → Macro Calculator from
the CFD-Post’s main menu.
4. Select the Ice Cover – 3D-View macro script from the Macro drop-down list. This will bring up the
user interface which contains all input parameters required to view ICE3D output solutions in the
CFD-Post 3D Viewer.
5. The default settings inside the Macro Calculator panel will allow you to automatically output the
ice shape of the first shot of the multishot simulation. Output the ice shape at the end of the
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Multi-Shot Ice Accretion with Automatic Mesh Displacement – Postprocessing Using
CFD-Post
multishot simulation of Multi-Shot Ice Accretion with Automatic Mesh Displacement (p. 1079), this
corresponds to the ice shape of shot 3, by specifying 3 besides the Multi-shot # and then by clicking
Calculate. Figure 28.34: Ice View in CFD-Post, Final Ice Shape (p. 1085) shows the output of the final
ice shape.
Note:
To change the style of the ice shape display, go to the Display Mode and select one of
following options: Ice Cover, Ice Cover – Shaded, Ice Cover – No Orig, Ice Cover (only)
or Ice Cover (only) - shaded. To output the surface mesh of the ice shape, go to the
Display Mesh and select Yes.
6. To display the solution fields of your icing simulation, you can either select Ice Solution – Overlay,
Ice Solution or Surface Solution under Display Mode. In this case, you will output the ice accretion
rate over the ice layer of the 3rd shot. To do this, select Ice Solution – Overlay in Display Mode,
Instant. Ice Growth (kg s^-1 m^-2) in Display Variable and No in Display Mesh to turn off the
displaying surface mesh.
7. Click Calculate to view the instantaneous ice growth over the ice shape. Figure 28.35: Ice View in
CFD-Post, Instantaneous Ice Growth over Ice Cover Surface, Final Ice Shape (p. 1086) shows the output
of the macro.
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Figure 28.35: Ice View in CFD-Post, Instantaneous Ice Growth over Ice Cover Surface, Final Ice
Shape
8. You can also generate and save animations that highlight the ice shape evolution of your multishot
simulation. Follow these steps to create and save a custom animation.
• Set Multi-shot # to 1. The animation starts at the assigned shot number in Multi-shot # to the
last shot of the simulation.
• Set (Multishot) Movie to On and click Calculate to see the animation on the 3D Viewer window.
– Select an export Format. Two formats are supported, WMV and MPEG4. The default is WMV.
– Specify a Filename.
• Click Calculate to generate and save the animation. A message will appear to notify the user of
the location where the animation is saved and of the first shot used to generate the animation.
Note:
If CFD-Post was opened using Fluent Icing, the animation will be saved in your run dir-
ectory. If CFD-Post was opened in standalone mode, the animation will be saved in the
Window’s system default folder.
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Multi-Shot Ice Accretion with Automatic Mesh Displacement – Postprocessing Using
CFD-Post
9. Select Ice Cover – 2D-Plot from the Macro drop-down list to create 2D-plots of the multishot sim-
ulation. You will create a 2D-Plot that contains all the ice shapes generated by the multishot simu-
lation.
11. Change Plot’s Title from default, ICE SHAPE PLOT, to Multishot Ice Shape at -7.5 C
(3 shots).
12. Select Multi-Shots in 2D-Plot (with). The macro will generate a series of 2D plot curves, starting
from the assigned shot number in Multi-shot # to the last shot of the simulation.
• Set Mode to Geometry to output an ice shape. The other options output the ice solution fields.
• Set Cutting Plane to Z plane. Specify a Z=0 plane by setting X/Y/Z Plane to 0.
14. To center the 2D-Plot around the leading edge of the NACA0012, in 2D-Plot (with),
• Change the (x)Range of the X-Axis from Global to User Specified. Specify values of 0.06 and
-0.025 in the input boxes of (Usr.Specif.x)Max and (Usr.Specif.x)Min, respectively.
• Change the (y)Range of the Y-Axis from Global to User Specified. Specify values of 0.025 and
-0.035 in the input boxes of (Usr.Specif.y)Max and (Usr.Specif.y)Min, respectively.
15. Leave the other default settings unchanged and click Calculate to create a 2D-Plot of the multiple
ice shapes in a floating ChartViewer of CFD-Post. Adjust the output window’s size. Figure 28.36: 2D-
Plot in CFD-Post, Ice Shapes of the Multishot Simulation (p. 1088) shows the output of the macro.
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Note:
To create 2D plots of the ice solution fields, go to 2D-Plot (with) → Mode and select
either Solution (on Ice Surfaces) or Solution (on Map Surfaces). Then go to 2D-Plot
(with) → Y-Axis and select the ice solution field of interest. Specify a (x)Range and a
(y)Range that are suitable. Click Calculate to output the 2D-Plot of the ice solution field
in a floating ChartViewer.
16. The 2D-Plot macro can also export all plotted curves to a CSV format file and simultaneously save
the plot as a figure. Keep all input parameters above unchanged and follow these steps.
• To export all plotted curves to a .CSV file, set Export (to csv) to Yes and specify a file name
under Filename (csv).
• To save a figure of the 2D-Plot, set Save Figure to Yes, select a Format for the figure (PNG or
BMP) and specify a Filename to save the figure.
• Click Calculate to generate the 2D plot, export all data points to a .CSV file and save the plot
into a figure file. A message will appear to notify the user of the location where the .CSV and
figure file are saved.
Note:
If CFD-Post was opened using Fluent Icing, both the CSV and figure files will be saved
in the working directory. If CFD-Post was opened in standalone mode, both files will
be saved in the Windows’ system default folder.
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FENSAP Airflow on the Clean NACA0012 Airfoil
Note:
In this tutorial the FENSAP Airflow Solver is used. If you would like to instead use the Fluent
Airflow Solver, go to Fluent Airflow on the Clean NACA0012 Airfoil (p. 1033).
FENSAP-ICE modules in Fluent Icing solve only 3D problems. In order to solve pure 2-D
problems, it is recommended to generate 3D grids by extruding these 2D domains along
their span or thickness. One single element is sufficient to represent the span or thickness
of the 3D domain. In this manner, Fluent Icing is always executed in 3-D mode.
2. Once Fluent Icing opens, the Project tab will be displayed by default. In the Project’s top ribbon
panel, select Project → New... and enter FLUENT_ICING_NACA0012_FENSAP to create a new
project folder.
3. In the Project’s top ribbon panel, select Simulations → Import Case, and browse to and select
the ../workshop_input_files/Input_Grid/Naca0012/naca0012.cas.h5 file created
in the previous section. A New simulation window will appear. Enter the Name of the new simu-
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In-Flight Icing Tutorial Using Fluent Icing
lation as naca0012_icing, and check to enable Load in solver. A new Simulation folder will
be created in your Project folder, and the naca0012.cas.h5 file will be imported.
Note:
The naca0012.cas.h5 input case file has already been setup properly in standalone
Fluent for use in Fluent Icing simulations.
4. After the .cas.h5 file has been successfully loaded, the Simulation tab is displayed, and a new
simulation tree appears under naca0012_icing (loaded) in the Outline View window.
5. Select Setup under naca0012_icing (loaded) and, in its Properties window, uncheck Particles
and Ice.
6. Inside the Outline View window, right-click the Airflow icon located under Setup and select
Update with Fluent Case settings to make sure that the Fluent simulation settings are properly
transferred to Fluent Icing.
7. Under Setup → Airflow in the General section, set the Airflow solver to FENSAP.
8. Under Setup → Airflow → FENSAP, in the Turbulence section, set the Turbulence Model to
Spalart-Allmaras with No transition.
10. Under Setup → Boundary Conditions, click the wall surfaces (wall-5, wall-6, wall-7 and wall-8).
The wall boundary conditions have already been setup properly in the initial case file. Notice that
the Thermal conditions are set to Temperature and the Temperature value is set to 280.929K.
This value is equivalent to 10 degrees higher than the adiabatic stagnation air temperature, which
is the classic method for performing icing simulations, and can be set by right-clicking on the wall
surface name in the Outline View and then by selecting Set temperature to Adiabatic + 10.
11. Under Solution → Airflow, increase the Number of iterations to 500. Set the CFL to 100, enable
CFL ramping and set the CFL ramping iterations to 300. A steady state simulation will be ex-
ecuted.
12. Under Solution → Airflow, and under the Output, set Forces to Drag-Custom direction. Set the
Lift axis to Y+. Set the Drag-X, Drag-Y and Drag-Z values to 0.997564, 0.069756, and 0, re-
spectively. Set the Reference area to 0.05334 m2.
13. Right-click the Airflow icon under Solution and select Calculate to launch this simulation. A new
window will appear requesting a name for the new run. Name the new run flow_clean.
14. Once the computation is complete, the completed solution file will be written to the Project Run
directory as naca0012_icing/flow_clean/out.soln.
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FENSAP Airflow on the Clean NACA0012 Airfoil
15. Take a look at the convergence history of this simulation in the Plots window located at the right
of your screen. The following two figures show the convergence of residuals and lift and drag
coefficients. You can obtain these figures by selecting Residuals, Forces – Lift coefficient and
Forces – Drag coefficient respectively next to Curve which is located at the top of the Plots
window.
In the console, the residuals and coefficients are provided at each iteration. Examine the conver-
gence of lift and drag coefficients listed as lift and drag. Lift and drag coefficients have converged
to 4.617690e-01 and 8.322712-03 respectively.
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Figure 28.39: Convergence of Lift and Drag Coefficients of the Rough Airfoil
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FENSAP Airflow Solution on the Rough NACA0012 Airfoil
16. Go to the ribbon bar of your Fluent Icing window and, under View → Quick-view → Contour,
choose Heat flux (walls) to output the convective heat flux over the rough NACA0012. See Fig-
ure 28.41: Convective Heat Flux over the Clean NACA0012 Airfoil (p. 1093).
Figure 28.41: Convective Heat Flux over the Clean NACA0012 Airfoil
17. In the ribbon bar of your Fluent Icing window, select the Project window bar. The left-side panel
will switch to the Project View. Notice that the naca0012_icing (loaded) simulation now contains
the run folder flow_clean, which contains the solution file out.soln.
Ice forms surface roughness as it accretes. This roughness increases the momentum deficit and the skin
friction, which in turn thickens the boundary layer and increases drag. Convective heat flux is also in-
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In-Flight Icing Tutorial Using Fluent Icing
creased through additional turbulent conductivity within the boundary layer. It is therefore essential
to properly model the roughness produced naturally by the ice accretion process to obtain realistic ice
shapes. Fluent Icing models such roughness by applying an appropriate sand-grain roughness height
distribution over iced walls. In Fluent Icing, this height can be specified on each wall as a constant value,
or as a distribution via empirical or analytical methods such as ice bead modeling. See Surface
Roughness within the FENSAP-ICE User Manual or the Set-up → Boundary Conditions → Wall and Set-
up → Ice sections within the Fluent User's Guide for more details on surface roughness.
Note:
If you closed your Fluent Icing session since the completion of the last tutorial, you must
reopen your project and load your previous simulation and settings. To do this, open Fluent
Icing, select Project → Open..., and navigate to and select your FLU-
ENT_ICING_NACA0012_FENSAP.flprj project file. Once the project is open, right-click
the naca0012_icing simulation folder, and select Load in solver. The simulation will be
opened, and your window display will switch to the simulation view, with a simulation tree
appearing under naca0012_icing (loaded). To ensure that you are working from the most
recent settings, go back to the Project View, right-click the flow_clean run, and select Load
settings. Finally, go back to the Simulation view to continue with the tutorial.
1. Select Setup under naca0012_icing (loaded) and, in its Properties window, make sure Particles
and Ice are unchecked.
• Select the wall-5 boundary. In the Wall roughness section of Airflow, select High roughness
for icing and set its Roughness Height (m) to 0.0005 m.
• Repeat this process for wall boundaries wall-6, wall-7, and wall-8.
3. Under Solution, right-click Airflow from the side menu. Select Reset.
4. Right-click the Airflow icon under Solution and select Calculate to launch this simulation. A window
will appear asking if the current run should be continued. Select No. A new window will appear re-
questing a name for the new run. Name the new run flow_rough.
Note:
If you closed Fluent Icing after the completion of the last tutorial, a window will appear
asking to create a new run once you click Calculate. Set the Name of the new run to
flow_rough and press OK.
5. Once the computation is complete, the completed solution file will be written to the Project Run
directory as naca0012_icing/flow_rough/out.soln.
6. Take a look at the convergence history of this simulation in the Graphics window located at the
right of your screen. The following two figures show the convergence of residuals and lift and drag
coefficients. You can enlarge and move the legend box in the Graphics window by dragging one
side of the box.
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FENSAP Airflow Solution on the Rough NACA0012 Airfoil
In the console, the residuals and coefficients are provided at each iteration. As it is not possible to
zoom in on the graphs, the printed values in the log can be referred to if needed. Examine the
convergence of lift and drag coefficients listed as lift and drag. Lift and drag coefficients have
converged to 4.247512e-01 and 1.874259-02 respectively.
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Figure 28.43: Convergence of Lift and Drag Coefficients of the Rough Airfoil
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FENSAP Airflow Solution on the Rough NACA0012 Airfoil
7. Go to the ribbon bar of your Fluent Icing window and, under View → Quick-view → Contour,
choose Heat flux (walls) to output the convective heat flux over the rough NACA0012. See Fig-
ure 28.45: Convective Heat Flux over the NACA0012 (p. 1097).
This tutorial described the process of simulating the rough airflow over the NACA0012 airfoil using
the FENSAP airflow solver within Fluent Icing. This can be seen as an alternate tutorial to Fluent
Airflow on the Rough NACA0012 Airfoil (p. 1042), where Fluent is used as the airflow solver. After
completing this alternate tutorial, you may continue with the droplet impingement and icing tutorials,
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In-Flight Icing Tutorial Using Fluent Icing
Droplet Impingement on the NACA0012 (p. 1046) through Multi-Shot Ice Accretion with Automatic
Mesh Displacement – Postprocessing Using CFD-Post (p. 1084), as the procedure is similar.
Caution:
If you would like to continue with additional tutorials, do not close Fluent Icing.
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