The University of Edinburgh Computational Fluid Dynamics 5

2D turbulent flow past a cylinder in Star-CCM+ Overview Star-CCM+ is very much a 3D modelling pac age! but in order to demonstrate the ability to solve "D flo#s! #e can e$tract "D grids% &o#ever! there is another #ay! #hich is to create a narro# 3D plane and ma e the t#o faces symmetry faces% This is #hat ' have done in this e$ample% ' #ill sho# ho# to create the geometry! mesh it! and report the drag coefficient on the cylinder% The drag coefficient #ill also be used as the monitor to ensure that our solution has ade(uately converged% )irstly! decide the *eynolds number to be modelled% ' have chosen +,-! and ' #ill therefore use #ater! #ith a +m cylinder and a +ms-+ inlet flo#% The flo# must ta e place in a domain! #ith the cylinder inside%

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The e$act dimensions of the domain #ill depend on the problem being solved and need to be determined for each ne# situation encountered% 't should be large enough that the boundaries do not affect the outcome of the simulation! in this case the force% Typically . and +. times the obstacle si/e up and do#nstream is sufficient% Create a narro# rectangular bo$! 0",!+,!+1 and a +m diameter cylinder +m long% 2oolean subtract the cylinder from the bo$% This creates the domain% *emember that! in C)D! #e #or #ith the 3void4 containing the fluid! not the actual solids% E$port the surface% Creating t e geometry 'n Star-CCM+ start a ne# simulation and import the surface of the domain% Split the surface using the *egions52ody+52oundary+5split by angle% *ename the front and bac planes Symmetry+ and Symmetry"% *ename the top and bottom planes appropriately and give them all the property of symmetry% Change the inlet to velocity inlet and the outlet to pressure outlet and rename appropriately% Change the cylinder #all to cylinder and leave as a 6all%

Creating t e mes *C on Mesh+ and clic Surface *emesher! Trimmer and 7rism Mesher% 6e #ill #ant a close mesh on the cylinder! but not on the other #alls of the domain% This #ill happen automatically! because the 3prisms4 are only applied to #alls% Select appropriate si/es for the mesh% The 3base si/e4 #ill be the cylinder diameter! +m% ' set the ma$imum cell si/e to +,,8 0ie +m19 the number of prism layers to .9 the relative minimum surface si/e to +,8% :ll other values are default% This gro#s a mesh #hich is small close to the cylinder and increases to become sparse a#ay from the cylinder%

! ysics The flo# is to be turbulent! so *C on 7hysics and select 3D! stationary! segregated! constant density! steady! turbulent! -e% :ll other sub-models are selected automatically% Chec that the fluid is #ater and set the *egion5'nlet57hysics value to +m;s% Creating a report coefficient and monitor *eport5<e# *eport5)orce Coefficient Set the correct values in the 7roperties bo$% The soft#are does not 3 no#4 the reference area% :s mentioned in previous )luid Mechanics lectures the choice of length in *eynolds number calculation is by convention% Similarly! the choice of area in calculation for the drag coefficient is convention% 6e #ill choose the frontal area! #hich happens to be +$+m! in other #ords +m"% The density must also be specified

==> gm-3% Chec that the direction of the force is correct 0$ in this e$ample! as the flo# is in the $-direction1% 'f it #as y! this #ould be a lift force% *C on the force coefficient you have created 0you could rename it ? advisable if more than one1 and as for a report and monitor% 6hen you run the simulation! a ne# #indo# #ill appear! plotting the coefficient and a ne# column alongside the residuals in the output #indo#% The simulation is complete #hen you are satisfied that the residuals have converged sufficiently and the force coefficient is constant% My value #as CD@,%+AA%

"emes ing The vector map suggests there is not enough resolution in the #a e% 6e can improve this by re-meshing that region% )irst a bo$ #ill be created to define the region to be remeshed% 6hilst in the vector scene! open Tools and *C Bolume Shapes52ric % Move the boundaries of the bric until they include the cylinder and the #a e region as sho#n belo#% <o# clic 3Create4 and Close%

6e #ill change the mesh refinement in the region defined by the bric % Cpen Continua5Mesh+50*C1Bolumetric Controls5<e#% 'n the 7roperties bo$ select the shape 2ric +% This #ill no# be highlighted in the display #indo#% Cpen the ne# Bolumetric Control +5Mesh Conditions5Trimmer and tic Customi/e isotropic si/e in the 7roperties bo$% Under the ne# Mesh Balues chec that the Custom Si/e is *elative and set it to ".8 of base% <o# re-run the mesher% This #ill double the grid every#here in the bo$ as the mesh elements #ere previously ,%.m #ide% The values from the larger mesh #ill be copied into the ne# mesh elements%

<o# re-run the simulation% The residuals #ill be altered and the value of the force coefficient #ill change 0CD @ ,%+>A1% This seems very small% 6e e$pect values of around CD @ + for high speed laminar flo# and around CD @ ,%. for turbulent flo#% 2ut *e is Dust beyond boundary layer transition and CD is very sensitive to the #a e si/e% Separation may not be being properly modelled 0see belo#1%

' #ant to try a denser mesh! but first ' tried it at u@+,m;s% )or a *e of +,>! CD@,%3EE% 2ut t#o things have happened% )irstly! the separation points are no longer symmetric! and secondly! the residuals do not loo so good% So! '4m happy that the drag coefficients are better! but '4m concerned about the actual simulation% '4m not ta ing this any further! but ne$t time ' #ould run an unsteady simulation and a simulation #ith forced symmetry! both at a higher mesh density to compare the results% 6FE "+;+,;,A