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LEARNING
OUTCOMES
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS (CFD) AND ITS COMMERCIAL PACKAGE - FLUENT

1. Fundamentals of numerical approach in solving flow problems.

Couette flow
2. Applications: Perform analysis of fluid flow using a CFD software - FLUENT.

3. Present and analyse the results/solutions.

MOTIVATIONS
FLUID FLOW ANALYSIS
Two approaches in the design and analysis of
APPROACHES
engineering system that involve fluid flow:

Numerical method is the science of predicting fluid flow,

heat and mass transfer and related phenomena by solving
Experimental
set of governing equations numerically.

Direct measurement of
For isothermal flow related cases, the governing equations flow properties.
are:
Theoretical
1. Continuity equation.
Complements
each other
2. Navier-Stokes equation. Calculations

Analytically or
It is an approximate computer method for solving
Modern engineering computationally (CFD).
mathematical problems which often has no analytical solution. practice
METEREOLOGY HEALTHCARE INDUSTRIES

ENVIRONMENT ARCHITECTURE PHYSICS

VARIOUS APPLICATIONS OF CFD

FUNDAMENTALS OF CFD
GOVERNING EQUATION Governing equations

Continuity equation:
In CFD approach, governing equations of particular
problems are solved numerically. In the case of flow 𝜕𝑣# 𝜕𝑣$ 𝜕𝑣%
+ + =0
problems, equation of motions are solved. 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧

Navier-Stokes equations:
For flow without free-surface, modified pressure is used: Kinematic viscosity, 𝜇⁄𝜌

𝑃" = 𝑃 + 𝜌𝑔𝑧 1 𝜕𝑃′ 𝜕 !𝑣# 𝜕 !𝑣# 𝜕 !𝑣# 𝜕𝑣# 𝜕𝑣# 𝜕𝑣#

− +v + + = 𝑣# + 𝑣$ + 𝑣%
𝜌 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑥 ! 𝜕𝑦 ! 𝜕𝑧 ! 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧
In compact form:
1 𝜕𝑃′ 𝜕 !𝑣$ 𝜕 !𝑣$ 𝜕 !𝑣$ 𝜕𝑣$ 𝜕𝑣$ 𝜕𝑣$
− +v + + = 𝑣# + 𝑣$ + 𝑣%
Continuity: ∇•𝒗=0 𝜌 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑥 ! 𝜕𝑦 ! 𝜕𝑧 ! 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧

1 1 𝜕𝑃′ 𝜕 !𝑣% 𝜕 !𝑣% 𝜕 !𝑣% 𝜕𝑣% 𝜕𝑣% 𝜕𝑣%

Navier-Stokes: 𝒗 ∇ • 𝒗 = − ∇𝑃′ + v∇!𝒗 − +v + + = 𝑣 + 𝑣 + 𝑣
𝜌 𝜌 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑥 ! 𝜕𝑦 ! 𝜕𝑧 ! #
𝜕𝑥 $
𝜕𝑦 %
𝜕𝑧
FUNDAMENTALS OF CFD Dividing the domain into finite
number of elements.
DISCRETIZATION

Reduction of the governing partial differential equations into Notes

a set of algebraic equations which will then be solved
How does the accuracy of the CFD solution is
iteratively.
Numerical method measured?

Discretization process or method is built in the CFD Accuracy of the solution is measured
commercial software. as ‘residual’.

Three most popular methods of discretization in CFD codes:

Calculated value – real value
• Finite difference method

• Finite volume method

• Finite element method

CFD COMMERCIAL PACKAGES
ELEMENTS

FLUENT is one of the popular commercial CFD software package to

model fluid flow, turbulence, heat transfer and mass transfer
(reactions) in many industrial applications.

As most other CFD code, FLUENT contains three main elements:

1. Pre-processor – Geometry modeler, grid generator and

solver settings.

2. Solver – Built in algorithm for discretization (FVM) and

iterations.
Plot graphs or images.
3. Post-processor – versatile data and visualization tools.
CFD PROCEDURES PROCESS FLOWS
PROCESS FLOWS
Problem Identification • Define domain and goals.

Commercial CFD software/packages consist • Geometry development.

of built-in pre-processor, solver and post Pre-processor • Grid generation.
• Define fluid properties.
processor.

• Computation.
Solver
• Accuracy – residual.
Update
model/setup

Post Processor • Examine results.

Visualization
CFD PROCEDURES Possible computational domains and cells
PROBLEM IDENTIFICATIONS
Must reflect the flow problem 2-D domain with quadrilateral cell:
Example: Fluid flow in a cylindrical pipe. and its boundary conditions.

Pipe wall Fluid

At the center
Flow
3-D domain with hexahedral cell:

Full pipe
Selection of a computational domain: Only the
domain (fluid) in which the equation of motions
will be performed and solved by CFD is
constructed in CFD.
Various domains are possible depending on Half pipe
how much simplifications are acceptable.
 Discretization
CFD PROCEDURES Meshing variations
GRID GENERATION/MESHING
2D mesh:
Grid is generated – defines the cells on which flow
variables are calculated – discretized equations are solved
at the center of the cell/element. The quality of CFD
solution is highly dependent on the quality of the grid.
3D mesh

Fine meshing can be generated at a region with abrupt

changes while coarser meshing at a region with less
significant changes.
Refined at certain
area Mesh refinements:
Meshing is perform using meshing tools in CFD
software.

Refined uniformly
CFD PROCEDURES BC’s
FLUID PROPERTIES AND BC’S
No-slip wall
Fluid properties can be set by selecting the type of fluid
available in the software.
𝟐𝑫 Outlet
Inlet
Boundary conditions are specified on each edge (2-D
flows) of the computational domain or on each
face/surface of the domain (3-D flows). No-slip wall

Naming of the edge or the face/surface is required for the

BC’s to be specified.
No-slip wall

𝟑𝑫 Outlet

Inlet
CFD PROCEDURES
SOLVER SETUP

Provide the solver with sufficient relevant information or

assumptions based on the flow problem being considered.

Proper solver setting is important to produce reliable

solution.

• Incompressibility.

• Gravitational effects.

• Steady or unsteady. Transient: Time-based solutions.

• Laminar or turbulent.
CFD PROCEDURES
SOLUTION CRITERIA
Notes
Beginning with initial guesses, CFD performs iterations on
The number of iterations and convergence
discretized form of governing equations. Equations are solved
criteria are specified by the user.
iteratively until convergence criteria are met.

Residual represents the measure of how much the CFD solution

deviates from exact solution. The value usually become smaller with

Residual
increasing number of iterations.

In CFD solution, the average residual is monitored to determine

whether the solution has converged.

The length of computation time depends on the number of mesh and

Iterations
number of iterations – calculation will stop when convergence
criteria is met before reaching the specified number of iterations.
CFD PROCEDURES
COMPUTATIONAL COST Balance between accuracy and cost

CFD computational cost is often measured based on the time Subjects to computer’s
computational power
required to complete the computation with a reliable results.

Factors influencing the computational time:

Problem Complexity Grid/Mesh Convergence

Laminar Steady Single-phase Coarse Number of iterations Increasing
Turbulence Unsteady Multiphase Fine Convergence criteria cost

Increasing solution
accuracy
CFD PROCEDURES
POST PROCESSING
Visualization of air flow around
After the CFD calculations have been completed, a moving vehicle.
calculated flow variable data will be stored. The
flow variables such as velocity and pressure can
be plotted and analyzed graphically.

Most commercial CFD software packages came

with built in postprocessors designed for quick
graphical analysis of the flow field.