Fluid dynamics

• Fluid dynamics is the science of fluid motion.

• Fluid flow is commonly studied in one of three ways:
– Experimental fluid dynamics.
– Theoretical fluid dynamics.
– Numerically: computational fluid dynamics (CFD).
• During this course we will focus on obtaining the knowledge required to be able to
solve practical fluid flow problems using CFD.
• Topics covered today include: –
A brief review of the history of fluid dynamics.
– An introductory overview of CFD.
1980s and 1990s
• Previously, CFD was performed using academic, research and inhouse codes.
When one wanted to perform a CFD calculation, one had to write a program.
• This is the period during which most commercial CFD codes originated that are
available today: –
Fluent (UK and US).
– Fidap (US).
– Polyflow (Belgium).
– Phoenix (UK).
– Star CD (UK).
– Ansys/CFX (UK).
– Flow 3d (US).
– ESI/CFDRC (US).
– SCRYU (Japan).
– and more, see www.cfdreview.com.
What is computational fluid dynamics?
• Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is the science of predicting fluid flow, heat
transfer, mass transfer, chemical reactions, and related phenomena by solving the
mathematical equations which govern these processes using a numerical process.
• The result of CFD analyses is relevant engineering data used in: – Conceptual
studies of new designs. – Detailed product development. – Troubleshooting. –
Redesign.
• CFD analysis complements testing and experimentation. – Reduces the total effort
required in the laboratory.
 CFD - how it works
• Analysis begins with a mathematical model of a physical problem.
• Conservation of matter, momentum, and energy must be satisfied throughout the
region of interest.
• Fluid properties are modeled empirically.
• Simplifying assumptions are made in order to make the problem tractable (e.g.,
steady-state, incompressible, inviscid, two-dimensional).
• Provide appropriate initial and boundary conditions for the problem.
CFD applies numerical methods (called discretization) to develop approximations of
the governing equations of fluid mechanics in the fluid region of interest.
– Governing differential equations: algebraic.
– The collection of cells is called the grid.
– The set of algebraic equations are solved numerically (on a computer) for the flow
field variables at each node or cell.
– System of equations are solved simultaneously to provide solution.
• The solution is post-processed to extract quantities of interest (e.g., lift, drag,
torque, heat transfer, separation, pressure loss, etc.).
Discretization
• Domain is discretized into a finite set of control volumes or cells. The discretized
domain is called the “grid” or the “mesh.”
• General conservation (transport) equations for mass, momentum, energy, etc., are
discretized into algebraic equations.
• All equations are solved to render flow field.
Design and create the grid
• Should you use a quad/hex grid, a tri/tet grid, a hybrid grid, or a non-conformal
grid?
• What degree of grid resolution is required in each region of the domain?
• How many cells are required for the problem?
• Will you use adaption to add resolution?
• Do you have sufficient computer memory?
Tri/tet vs. quad/hex meshes
• For simple geometries, quad/hex meshes can provide high-quality solutions with
fewer cells than a comparable tri/tet mesh.
• For complex geometries, quad/hex meshes show no numerical advantage, and you
can save meshing effort by using a tri/tet mesh.
 Hybrid mesh example
• Valve port grid.
• Specific regions can be meshed with different cell types.
• Both efficiency and accuracy are enhanced relative to a hexahedral or tetrahedral
mesh alone.
Set up the numerical model
• For a given problem, you will need to: – Select appropriate physical models. –
Turbulence, combustion, multiphase, etc. – Define material properties.
• Fluid.
• Solid.
• Mixture. – Prescribe operating conditions. – Prescribe boundary conditions at all
boundary zones. – Provide an initial solution. – Set up solver controls. – Set up
convergence monitors.
Compute the solution
• The discretized conservation equations are solved iteratively. A number of
iterations are usually required to reach a converged solution.
• Convergence is reached when: – Changes in solution variables from one iteration
to the next are negligible. – Residuals provide a mechanism to help monitor this
trend. – Overall property conservation is achieved.
• The accuracy of a converged solution is dependent upon: – Appropriateness and
accuracy of the physical models. – Grid resolution and independence. – Problem
setup.
Examine the results
• Visualization can be used to answer such questions as: – What is the overall flow
pattern? – Is there separation? – Where do shocks, shear layers, etc. form? – Are key
flow features being resolved? – Are physical models and boundary conditions
appropriate? – Numerical reporting tools can be used to calculate quantitative
results, e.g.:
• Lift, drag, and torque.
• Average heat transfer coefficients.
• Surface-averaged quantities.
 Tools to examine the results
Velocity magnitude (0-6 m/s) on a dinosaur
• Graphical tools: – Grid, contour, and vector plots. – Pathline and particle trajectory
plots. – XY plots. – Animations.
• Numerical reporting tools: – Flux balances. – Surface and volume integrals and
averages. – Forces and moments.
• The next slides show an example of a CFD analysis for an amusement park
dinosaur.
Pressure field on a dinosaur
Forces on the dinosaur
• Drag force: 17.4 N.
• Lift force: 5.5 N.
• Wind velocity: 5 m/s.
• Air density: 1.225 kg/m3 .
• The dinosaur is 3.2 m tall.
• It has a projected frontal area of A = 2.91 m2 .
• The drag coefficient is:
CD=FD/1/2**v2*A
• This is pretty good compared to the average car! The streamlined back of the
dinosaur resulted in a flow pattern with very little separation.
Consider revisions to the model
• Are physical models appropriate? – Is flow turbulent? – Is flow unsteady? – Are
there compressibility effects? – Are there 3D effects? – Are boundary conditions
correct?
• Is the computational domain large enough? – Are boundary conditions
appropriate? – Are boundary values reasonable?
• Is grid adequate? – Can grid be adapted to improve results? – Does solution change
significantly with adaption, or is the solution grid independent? – Does boundary
resolution need to be improved?
Applications of CFD
• Applications
of CFD are numerous!
– Flow and heat transfer in industrial processes (boilers, heat exchangers,
combustion equipment, pumps, blowers, piping, etc.).
– Aerodynamics of ground vehicles, aircraft, missiles.
– Film coating, thermoforming in material processing applications. – Flow and heat
transfer in propulsion and power generation systems.
– Ventilation, heating, and cooling flows in buildings.
– Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) for integrated circuit manufacturing. – Heat
transfer for electronics packaging applications.
– And many, many more!
Advantages of CFD
• Relatively low cost.
– Using physical experiments and tests to get essential engineering data for design
can be expensive.
– CFD simulations are relatively inexpensive, and costs are likely to decrease as
computers become more powerful.
• Speed.
– CFD simulations can be executed in a short period of time.
– Quick turnaround means engineering data can be introduced early in the design
process.
• Ability to simulate real conditions.
– Many flow and heat transfer processes cannot be (easily) tested, e.g., hypersonic
flow.
– CFD provides the ability to theoretically simulate any physical condition.
Ability to simulate ideal conditions.
– CFD allows great control over the physical process and provides the ability to
isolate specific phenomena for study.
– Example: a heat transfer process can be idealized with adiabatic, constant heat
flux, or constant temperature boundaries. • Comprehensive information.
– Experiments only permit data to be extracted at a limited number of locations in
the system (e.g., pressure and temperature probes, heat flux gauges, LDV, etc.).
– CFD allows the analyst to examine a large number of locations in the region of
interest and yields a comprehensive set of flow parameters for examination.
 Limitations of CFD
Physical models.
– CFD solutions rely upon physical models of real-world processes (e.g., turbulence,
compressibility, chemistry, multiphase flow, etc.).
– The CFD solutions can only be as accurate as the physical models on which they are
based.
• Numerical errors.
– Solving equations on a computer invariably introduces numerical errors.
– Round-off error: due to finite word size available on the computer. Round-off
errors will always exist (though they can be small in most cases).
– Truncation error: due to approximations in the numerical models. Truncation
errors will go to zero as the grid is refined. Mesh refinement is one way to deal with
truncation error.
Boundary conditions.
– As with physical models, the accuracy of the CFD solution is only as good as the
initial/boundary conditions provided to the numerical model.
– Example: flow in a duct with sudden expansion. If flow is supplied to domain by a
pipe, you should use a fully-developed profile for velocity rather than assume
uniform conditions.
Summary
• CFDis a method to numerically calculate heat transfer and fluid flow.
• Currently, its main application is as an engineering method, to provide data that is
complementary to theoretical and experimental data. This is mainly the domain of
commercially available codes and in-house codes at large companies.
• CFD can also be used for purely scientific studies, e.g., into the fundamentals of
turbulence.
This is more common in academic institutions and government research
laboratories.
Codes are usually developed to specifically study a certain problem.
Approaches to Fluid Dynamical Problems

What is CFD?

CFD: A tool for numerical experiments

CFD: A design tool

Numerics
Tran of CFDvehicle capable of moving at Mach12
atmospheric

CFD Software: Basics

Closure
Wind Tunnel

Test Section of a Hypersonic Wind Tunnel

 Approaches to Fluid Dynamical Problems
APPROACH- I: EXPERIMENTAL
Accurate

Costly and/or time consuming

In many cases, experiments are very difficult if

not impossible

Measuring equipment might disturb the flow

APPROACH –II: Pure Theoretical
Uses Complex Fluid Flow Equations

Analytical Solution possible for Simplified flow

problems

Mostly Potential Flows

Purely Elliptic Equation in terms of velocity potential

However fails to predict drag on bluff bodies

Approximate analytical solutions in boundary layer to

predict drag
APPROACH III: Philosophy of Computational Fluid Dynamics
• CFD nicely and synergistically complements the other two
approaches but will never replace either of the two
Success of CFD

Pure Pure
Experiment Theory

Computational
Fluid
Dynamics

Wind tunnel tests of a preliminary design for HiMAT (Highly Maneuverable

Aircraft Technology), showed that it would have unacceptable drag at speeds near
the speed of sound; if built that way the plane would be unable to give any useful
data.
The cost of redesigning it in further wind tunnel tests would have been around
$150,000 and would have unacceptably delayed the project. Instead, the wing was
redesigned by a Supercomputer at a cost of $6,000.

What is Computational Fluid Dynamics?

• Science of predicting fluid flow, heat and mass transfer, chemical reactions and
related phenomena by solving numerically a set of governing mathematical
equations.
• The governing equations are based on conservation of mass, momentum,
energy, chemical species etc.
CFD a tool for Numerical Experiments
• Wind tunnel is a heavy, unwieldy device
• Computer program: a readily transportable tool, a transportable wind tunnel
• For a computer program setting Laminar or Turbulent flow over a body is
simply like switching OFF and ON
• In real life the same means changing the flow or/and the fluid

CFD Simulation for Flow over an Aerofoil

Turbulent Flow , Laminar Flow

CFD Software: Basic Steps

Problem Identification and Pre-Processing
Define your modeling goals.
Identify the domain you will model.
Design and create the grid.

Solver Execution
Set up the numerical model.
Compute and monitor the solution.

Post-Processing
Examine the results.
CFD Software overview
Consider
Pre- Processing revisions to the model.
Solver

Mesh
Solid Modeler
Generator
Transport
Equations of
Mass,
Momentum,
Energy
Equation of Physical
Solver Control
State Models
Supporting Turbulence
Physical Models Combustion
Material Radiation
Post Processing properties Multiphase
Boundary and
Initial Conditions
Pre-Processing
 Solid Modeling
Define your modeling goal
What physical model one need to include in
analysis?
What simplifying assumptions can you make?
Do you require user defined functions or
subroutines ?
Identify the domain you will model
How will you isolate a piece of the complete system
Where will the computation domain begin and end
Do you have boundary condition information at these
boundaries Mesh Generation
Structured (Regular Mesh) Unstructured Mesh

Meshing Elements
Triangle Quadrilateral Tetrahedron Hexahedron

• Selection of meshing elements, mesh type, mesh resolution depends on

• Complexity of geometry
 • Gradient of dependent variable
• Memory availability
• Solver

Set Up the Numerical Model

For a given problem, you will need to:
Select appropriate physical models.
Turbulence, combustion, multiphase, etc.
Define material properties.
Fluid
Solid
Mixture
Prescribe operating conditions.
Prescribe boundary conditions at all boundary zones.
Provide an initial solution.
Set up solver controls.
Set up convergence monitors.
Compute the Solution
- The discretized conservation equations are solved
iteratively
A number of iterations are usually required to achieve
convergence
Convergence is reached when:
changes in solution variables from one iteration to the next are
negligible.
Residuals provide a mechanism to help monitor this trend
The accuracy of a converged solution is dependent
upon:
Appropriateness and accuracy of physical models.
Grid resolution and independence
Post Processing
Problem setup
Examine the results to review solutions and extract
useful data.
Visualization tools can answer
Flow pattern, pressure distribution
Boundary layer separation
Shocks in case of compressible flows
Numerical Reporting tools can be used to calculate
quantitative results
Forces, moments
Average Heat Transfer coefficient

• Consider Revision to the Model

 – Are physical models appropriate?
• Is the flow turbulent or unsteady?
• Are there compressibility effects?
• Are there 3D effects?
– Is the grid adequate?
Are the boundary conditions correct and reasonable?
Closure

CFD Vs Experiments
Merits
Less costly and or time consuming
Huge amount of data collection possible
All kinds of boundary conditions can be implemented*
Better visualization of results
Demerits
Validity of the result*
Accuracy of the results