Numerical simulation of pipe flow using ANSYS FLUENT

Introduction
This tutorial illustrates basic knowledge of using ANSYS FLUENT to solve a three-dimensional turbulent
flow and heat transfer problem in a simple pipe system as shown in Figure 1. This tutorial is designed to
help students to be familiar with the basic steps for numerical calculation using ANSYS FLUENT. The
Problem description is shown in Figure 1. All the figures are listed at the end of this document.

1. Creating a Fluid Flow Analysis system in ANSYS Workbench

Step 1: Start ANSYS Workbench
In the windows system Start  All programs  ANSYS 16.1  Workbench. The Workbench window is
shown as Figure 2.
ANSYS Workbench is the platform for users to carry numerical simulation of fluid flow and heat transfer
problem.
Step 2: Double-clicking the Fluid Flow (Fluent) option under in the Toolbox of the Workbench. This creates
a new ANSYS Fluent fluid flow analysis system as shown in Figure 3.
Step 3: Name the analysis. Double-click the Fluid Flow (Fluent) Label underneath the analysis system (see
Figure 3) and rename to the analysis to be pipe flow.
Step 4: Save the project. File menu  Save. Enter pipe-flow as the File name and click the “Save “ button.
2. Creating the Geometry
Step 5. (1) Double click the Geometry in the Fluent analysis system (see Figure 3). (2) Check the unit
through the Unit menu. The unit should be meter (see figure 4).
Step 6. Create the Geometry (see Figure 5)
(1) Create the profile
a. Selecting YZPlane in the Tree Outline;
b. Click on New Plane from the Active Plane/Sketch toolbar;
c. In the Details View for the new plane (Plane 4), set Transform 1 (RMB) to Offset Global X
(Note: not Offset X).
d. Set the Value of the offset to -12 m.
(2) Create a new sketch
a. Select Plane 4 in the Tree Outline (see Figure 5), click new sketch.
b. Open the settings toolbox (see Figure 6 for b – d).
c. Select Grid and enable the Show in 2D and enable Snap mode.
d. Set Major Grid Spacing to 1 and Minor-Steps to 2.
e. On the sketching tab, open the Draw toolbox. (see Figure 7 for e, f and g)
f. select Circle.
g. Draw a circle (centre: (-6, 0), diameter =4, radius=2) (The 3D coordinates of the centre will be (-
12, -6,0))
(3) Create the path
a. On the Modeling tab (see Figure 8 for a, b and c)
b. select XYPlane
c. Click New Sketch
d. Select Sketching (see Figure 9 for d – g)
e. Select Setting
f. Select Grid and enable the Show in 2D and enable Snap
g. Set Major Grid Spacing to 1 and Minor-Steps to 2.
h. Select Draw (see Figure 10 for h – k)
i. Select line and draw a line from (-12,-6) to (0,-6)
j. Select line and draw a line from (6,0) to (6,8)
k. Select arc by centre and draw an arc: centre (0,0) from (0,-6) to (6,0)
(4) Create the pipe
a. Select Sweep from the 3D Feature tool bar

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b. Set Profile to be Sketch 1: click profile in the Details View (bottom-left of the screen) click
Sketch 1 in the Tree Outline  Click on Apply in the Details View.
c. Set path to be sketch 2 in the XYPlane. Make sure the operation is Add material
d. Click on Generate to create the pipe
(5) Create the small pipe (branch pipe)
a. Create a new plane based on the ZXPlane: make ZXPlane active by clicking it  use New Plane
to create the plane based upon it.
b. In the Details View, set Transform 1 (RMB) to Offset Global Y (not Offset Y)  set the Value
of the offset to -12.
c. Click Generate to create the plane.
d. Select Plane 4 in the Tree Outline.
Open the settings toolbox.
Select Grid and enable the Show in 2D
Set Major Grid Spacing to 1 and Minor-Steps to 2.
e. Create a circle
On the sketching tab, open the Draw toolbox.
select Circle.
Draw a circle (centre: (-8,0), diameter =3, radius=1.5)
f. Select Extrude from the 3D features button
g. Set Base Object to be the new sketch (in Plane5)
Set Operation to Add Material
Set Direction to Normal and Extent Type to Fixed.
Set Depth to 6.
Click Generate to create the small pipe
(6) Specify the geometry as fluid body
a. In the Tree Outline, open the 1 Part, 1 Body branch and select Solid Branch.
b. In the Detail View of the body Change the name of the Body from solid to Fluid.
c. Change the Fluid/Solid property from Solid to Fluid.
(7) Close the ANSYS DEsignModeler
3. Meshing the Geometry in the ANSYS Meshing Application
Step 7. Open the ANSYS Meshing application. In the ANSYS Workbench Project Schematic, double click
the Mesh to open the ANSYS Meshing application window.
Step 8. Create named selections for the geometry boundaries
(1) Select the large inlet in the geometry.
(2) Right-click and select the Create Named Selection option.
(3) In the Selection Name dialog box, enter velocity-inlet-large for the name and OK.
(4) Perform the same operations for
the smaller inlet named by velocity-inlet-small,
the large outlet named by pressure-outlet.
the pipe surface named by pipe-surface. You may hold the “Ctrl” key to choose a number of
surfaces.
Step 9. Set some basic mesh parameters for the ANSYS Meshing application and generate mesh
(1) In the Outline view, Select Mesh under Project/Model to display the Details view below the Outline
view.
(2) Expand the Sizing node to reveal additional sizing parameters and make sure that Use Advanced
Size Function is set to On: Curvature.
(3) Expand the Inflation node to reveal additional inflation parameters, and change Use Automatic
Inflation to Program Controlled.
(4) Click Update to generate mesh.
Step 10. Close the ANSYS Mesh application.
4. Setting up the CFD Simulation
Step 10. Start ANSYS FLUENT

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In the ANSYS Workbench Project-Schematic, double-click the Setup. The FLUENT Launcher is displayed.
Click OK to launch ANSYS FLUENT.
Step 11. Set some general setting for CFD analysis
Select General in the navigation pane to perform the mesh-related activities and to choose a solver. This may
not need to be changed
Step 12. Set up models for the CFD simulation.
(1) Choose Models  Energy on/off  Edit  enable Energy Equation to Set Energy on (enable heat
transfer calculation).
(2) Enable the k-ε turbulence model. Models  Viscous  Edit  select k-ε Model  Select
Realizable  OK.
Step 13. Set up your material for the CFD simulation.
Materials  Fluid  Create/Edit  Input information Name=water, density = 1000, Cp=4216,
Thermal conductivity = 0.677, specific heat = 4.182 kJ/kg·K, dynamic Viscosity = 8e-4 
Change/Create  Click No. (Choose No to create new water fluid).
Step 14. Set up the cell zone condition for the CFD simulation.
Cell Zone Conditions  Choose Fluid  Click Edit  Select water in the Material Name drop
down lift  Click OK.
Step 15. Set up the boundary Conditions
(1) Select Boundary conditions
(2) Select velocity-inlet-large  Edit  select magnitude, normal to boundary  Input velocity
Magnitude 1
(3) Select the Thermal tag  input the temperature 300 K
(4) Set the velocity and the temperature on velocity-inlet-small (T=350 K, V=1.5 m/s)
(5) Select Pressure-outlet  click Edit  Set Gauge pressure to be 0
Step 16. Run CFD simulation
(1)Choose the solution methods, solution controls, Monitors, etc. (You may not need to change these
parameters in this tutorial)
(2)Click Run Calculation  Click OK in the Initialization dialog box  Set 50 in the number of
iteration  Click Calculate.
Step 17. Graphics and Animations
(1) Plot contours of temperature on the XYPlane (z=0)
a. Select Graphics and Animations  Choose Contours  Click Set Up …  Click New Surface
 Choose plane  Point and Normal  Set x0,y0,z0=0.  Set ix=0, iy=0, iz=1.  You may
change the Surface name here.  Click Create.
b. Select Contours  choose filled  Choose plane-5  Click Display (show the contours)
c. File  Save picture (save the contours into a JPG, BMP or other picture file).

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D=4

(6,8,0)
y
x
(0,0,0)
(6,0,0)

(-12,-6,0) z

(0,-6,0)
6 D=3

(-8,-12,0)

Water (350K)
1.5 m/s
Figure 1 Water flow and heat transfer in a pipe
 

Figure 2 Selecting the Fluid Flow (Fluent) in the Workbench

 

Figure 3 ANSYS Fluent Fluid flow analysis system

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Figure 4 Choose unit

Figure 5 Generate a new plane

Figure 6 Set Grid

 

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Figure 7 Draw a circle

Figure 8 New sketch on XYPlane

Figure 9
 

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Figure 32

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