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Introduction to Computational Fluid

Dynamics
Lecture 2: CFD Introduction

© Ram Ramanan
5/27/2019
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Numerical Simulations
 System-level CFD problems
 Includes all components in the product
 Component or detail-level problems
 Identifies the issues in a specific component or a sub-component
 Different tools for the level of analysis
 Coupled physics (fluid-structure interactions)

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CFD Codes
 Available commercial codes – fluent, star-cd, Exa, cfd-ace, cfx etc.
 Other structures codes with fluids capability – ansys, algor, cosmos
etc.
 Supporting grid generation and post-processing codes
 NASA and other government lab codes
 Netlib, Linpack routines for new code development
 Mathematica or Maple for difference equation generation
 Use of spreadsheets (and vb-based macros) for simple solutions

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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 (that is, on a computer).
 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.

© Ram Ramanan
Courtesy: Fluent, Inc . 5/27/2019
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Applications

 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...

© Ram Ramanan
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CFD - How It Works

Filling
 Analysis begins with a mathematical model Nozzle
of a physical problem. Bottle
 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/or boundary
conditions for the problem.
Domain for bottle filling
problem.

© Ram Ramanan
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CFD - How It Works (2)

 CFD applies numerical methods (called
discretization) to develop approximations of the
governing equations of fluid mechanics and the fluid
region to be studied.
 Governing differential equations  algebraic
 The collection of cells is called the grid or mesh.
 The set of approximating 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, heat transfer, separation points, Mesh for bottle filling
pressure loss, etc.). problem.

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An Example: Water flow over a tube bank

 Goal
 compute average pressure drop, heat
transfer per tube row
 Assumptions
 flow is two-dimensional, laminar,
incompressible
 flow approaching tube bank is steady with
a known velocity
 body forces due to gravity are negligible Physical System can be modeled
 flow is translationally periodic (i.e. with repeating geometry.
geometry repeats itself)

© Ram Ramanan
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Mesh Generation
 Geometry created or imported into
preprocessor for meshing.
 Mesh is generated for the fluid region
(and/or solid region for conduction).
 A fine structured mesh is placed
around cylinders to help resolve
boundary layer flow.
 Unstructured mesh is used for
remaining fluid areas.
 Identify interfaces to which boundary
conditions will be applied.
 cylindrical walls
 inlet and outlets
 symmetry and periodic faces
Section of mesh for tube bank problem

© Ram Ramanan
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Using the Solver

 Import mesh.
 Select solver
methodology.
 Define operating and
boundary conditions.
 e.g., no-slip, qw or
Tw at walls.
 Initialize field and
iterate for solution.
 Adjust solver
parameters and/or
mesh for convergence
problems.

© Ram Ramanan
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Post-processing
 Extract relevant engineering
data from solution in the
form of:
 x-y plots
 contour plots
 vector plots
 surface/volume integration
 forces
 fluxes
 particle trajectories

Temperature contours within the fluid region.

© Ram Ramanan
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Advantages of CFD
 Low Cost
 Using physical experiments and tests to get essential engineering data for
design can be expensive.
 Computational 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 can not be (easily) tested - e.g.
hypersonic flow at Mach 20
 CFD provides the ability to theoretically simulate any physical condition

© Ram Ramanan
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Advantages of CFD (2)

 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. © Ram Ramanan
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Limitations of CFD
 Physical Models
 CFD solutions rely upon physical models of real world processes (e.g.
turbulence, compressibility, chemistry, multiphase flow, etc.).
 The solutions that are obtained through CFD 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 - errors due to finite word size available on the computer
 Truncation error - error due to approximations in the numerical models
 Round-off errors will always exist (though they should be small in most
cases)
 Truncation errors will go to zero as the grid is refined - so mesh
refinement is one way to deal with truncation error.

© Ram Ramanan
Courtesy: Fluent, Inc . 5/27/2019
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Limitations of CFD (2)

 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.

Computational Computational
Domain Domain

Fully Developed
Uniform Inlet
Inlet Profile
Profile

poor better

© Ram Ramanan
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Summary
 Computational Fluid Dynamics is a powerful way of modeling fluid
flow, heat transfer, and related processes for a wide range of important
scientific and engineering problems.
 The cost of doing CFD has decreased dramatically in recent years, and
will continue to do so as computers become more and more powerful.

© Ram Ramanan
Courtesy: Fluent, Inc . 5/27/2019
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Numerical solution methods

 Consistency and truncation errors
 As h-> 0, error -> 0 (hn, tn)
 Stability
 Converging methodology
 Convergence
 Gets close to exact solution
 Conservation
 Physical quantities are conserved
 Boundedness (Lies within physical bounds)
 Higher order schemes can have overshoots and undershoots
 Realizability (Be able to model the physics)
 Accuracy (Modeling, Discretization and Iterative solver errors)

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CFD Methodologies
 Finite difference method
 Simple grids (rectangular)
 Complex geometries -> Transform to simple geometry (coordinate
transformation)
 Finite volume method
 Complex geometries (conserve across faces)
 Finite element method
 Complex geometries (element level transformation)
 Spectral element method
 Higher order interpolations in elements
 Lattice-gas methods
 Basic momentum principle-based

© Ram Ramanan
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