Lecture9:

BestPracticeGuidelines
16.0Release

IntroductiontoANSYSFluent

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 Introduction
LectureTheme:
TheaccuracyofCFDresultscanbeaffectedbydifferenttypesoferrors.By
understandingthecauseofeachdifferenterrortype,bestpracticescanbedeveloped
tominimizethem.Meshingplaysasignificantroleintheefforttominimizeerrors.
LearningAims:
Youwilllearn:
Fourdifferenttypesoferrors
Strategiesforminimizingerror
Issuestoconsiderduringmeshcreationsuchasqualityandcelltype
Bestpracticesformeshcreation
LearningObjectives:
Youwillunderstandthecausesoferrorinthesolutionandhowtobuildthemeshand
performthesimulationinamannerthatwillminimizeerrors
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 MotivationforQuality
CFDResultsareusedformanydifferentstagesofthedesignprocess:
Design&optimizationofcomponentsandmachines
Safetyanalyses
Virtualprototypes

WhenundertakingaCFDmodel,considerationshouldbegiventothepurposeofthe
work:
Whatwilltheresultsbeusedfor?
Whatlevelofaccuracywillbeneeded?

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 DifferentSourcesofError
Thereareseveraldifferentfactorsthatcombinetoaffecttheoverallsolution
accuracy.Inorderofmagnitude:
Roundofferrors
Computerisworkingtoacertainnumericalprecision
Iterationerrors
Differencebetweenconvergedsolutionandsolutionatiterationn
Solutionerrors
Differencebetweenconvergedsolutiononcurrentgridandexactsolutionof
modelequations
Exactsolution Solutiononinfinitelyfinegrid
Modelerrors
Differencebetweenexactsolutionofmodelequationsandreality(dataoranalytic
solution)
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 RoundOffError
Inaccuraciescausedbymachineroundoff: Tip:Lookfor"dp"inthetitlebaroftheFluentwindowor
Highgridaspectratios thelowerrightcornerofthegraphicswindowtocheckif
Largedifferencesinlengthscales yourcurrentsessionisusingdoubleprecision

Largevariablerange

Howtoidentifyifroundofferrorisaproblem:
Calculatewithdoubleprecisionif yourcasemeets
theabovecriteria
Compareresultswithasolutionthathasbeen
calculatedwithsingleprecision
Ifimportantquantities(targetvariables)are
different,doubleprecisionshouldbeusedfor
subsequentcalculations

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 IterationError BestPractice
Definequantityorquantitiesofinterestforyoursimulation(targetvariables):
Headrise
Efficiency
Massflowrate

Selectconvergencecriterionfortheresiduals
Plotthevalueofthequantitiesofinterestasthesolutioniterates
Selectatighterconvergencecriterionandcontinueiteratingandplotting
Repeatuntilthevaluesofthequantitiesofinterestnolongerchange
Thiswillidentifywhatresiduallevelitisnecessarytoachieveinordertoensurethesolutionisfreefrom
iterationerror
Monotonicconvergenceofresiduals(nextslide)isdesirable,althoughnotalwayspossible
Reportmassandenergyfluxestoensurethesearebeingconserved

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 IterationErrorExample:2DCompressorCascade
Relativeerror:
Iterationerrors:

IsentropicEfficiency
0.01%
0.18% Differencebetween
convergedsolutionand
solutionatiterationn
(Residual)

Convergence
criterion

Checkformonotonicconvergence Rmax=102 Rmax=103 Rmax=104

Iteration35 Iteration59 Iteration132

IterationNumber
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 Discretization Error
Alldiscrete methodshavesolutionerrors:
Finitevolumemethods
Finiteelementmethods
Finitedifferencemethods
...

Differencebetweensolutiononagivengridandexactsolutiononaninfinitelyfinegrid

Exactsolutionnotavailable Discretization errorestimation

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 Discretization ErrorEstimation
Impingingjetflowwithheattransfer

2D,axisymmetric DD=26.5mmor101.6mm

ComparedGrids: H
50 50 800 800
SSTturbulencemodel r

Targetquantities:
Discretization schemes:
1st orderUpwind Heattransfer
2nd orderUpwind MaximumNusselt number

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 Discretization ErrorEstimation
1st order 2nd order
200
Theplotshows
Ifthegridisfineenough,
190 st nd
1 and2 ordersolutions
arethesame
Nu_max

180 Oncoarsermeshes,the2nd
ordersolutioniscloserto
thefinalsolution
170
Practicalalternativesfor
industrialcasesare:
160
Comparesolutionsfrom
differentorderschemes
150 Comparesolutionson
-3,47E-17 0,005 0,01 0,015 0,02 locallyorregionallyrefined
1/N_Cells meshes
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 ModelErrors
Inadequaciesof(empirical)mathematicalmodels:
Baseequations(Eulervs.RANS,steadystatevs.unsteadystate,)
Turbulencemodels
Combustionmodels
Multiphaseflowmodels

Discrepanciesbetweendataandcalculationsremain,evenafterallnumerical
errorshavebecomeinsignificant!

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 ModelError:ImpingingJet
SKE RNG KW

TKEContours

Nu* Results:H/D=2,RE=23000 Notehowthepredictionsdiffer

SKE dependingonwhichturbulencemodelis
used
RNG
KW Thek model(KW)performsbetterthan
thestandard(SKE)orRNGk modelsin
Modelerror thiscase
Thek basedmodelsoverestimatethe
productionofturbulenceatthestagnation
point,causingthepredictedNusselt number
tobetoohigh

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 SystematicErrors
Discrepanciesremain
Evenifnumericalandmodelerrorsareinsignificant
Systematicerrors:
Approximationsof:
Geometry
Componentvs.machine
Boundaryconditions
Fluidandmaterialproperties,

Trytounderstandapplicationandphysics

Documentanddefendassumptions!

Performuncertaintyanalysis
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 MeshingBestPracticeGuidelines
Choosingyourmeshstrategy
dependson

1.ACCURACY 2.EFFICIENCY 3.EASINESSTOGENERATE

Desiredmeshquality Desiredcellcount Timeavailable

Whatisthemaximum Lowcellcountforresolving FasterTetdominantmesh
skewness andaspect overallflowfeaturesvs High vs craftedHex/hybridmesh
ratioyoucantolerate? cellcountforgreaterdetails withlowercellcount

Goal:Findthebestcompromisebetweenaccuracy,efficiencyand
easinesstogenerate
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 Meshing:CaptureFlowPhysics
Gridmustbeabletocapture Recommendedmeshingguidelinesfor
importantphysics: boundarylayers
Boundarylayers Boththevelocityand thermalboundary
Heattransfer layersmustberesolved
Wakes,shock Thereshouldbeaminimumof1015
elementsacrosstheboundarylayer
Flowgradients
thickness
Themeshexpansionratiointhewall
normaldirectionshouldbemoderate:
1.21.3
y+ 1forheattransferandtransition
modeling
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 Meshing:CaptureFlowPhysics
Example:Velocityprofilesatairfoil
Bad Good

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 MeshQuality
Agoodmeshdependson: Good NotGood

Cellnottoodistorted

Cellnottoostretched

SmoothCellstransition

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 MeshQuality
Gridgeneration:
Scalablegrids
Skewness <0.95(accuracy,convergence)
alsoworstOrthogonalQuality>.01andaverage
valuemuchhigher
Aspectratios <100
Expansionratios<1.52
Capturephysicsbasedonexperience(shearlayers, Badcells
shocks)
Anglebetweengridface&flowvector
Concrete,quantitativerecommendationsforthese
NoBadcells
factorspresentedintheIntroductiontoANSYS
Meshingcourseareincludedintheappendixofthis
presentation
Gridrefinement:
Manual,basedonerrorestimate
Automaticadaptivebasedonerrorsensor Adaption

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 MeshQuality
Avoidsuddenchangesinmeshdensity

Notgood Good

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 Hexvs Tet Mesh:AccuracyComparison
Directionoftheflowwellknown
Quad/HexalignedwiththeflowaremoreaccuratethanTriwith
thesameintervalsize

U=0.1 Hex Tri

mesh mesh

U=1.0

Contoursofaxialvelocitymagnitudeforaninviscid coflowjet

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 Hexvs Tet Mesh:Accuracycomparison
Forcomplexflowswithoutdominantflowdirection,QuadandHex
mesheslosetheiradvantage
Quad&Triequivalent

qua

U=V=1.0,T=1
U=V=1.0, T=1

d tri

U=V=1.0, T=0 U=V=1.0, T=0

Contoursoftemperatureforinviscid flow
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 Summary
Trytounderstandapplicationandphysicsoftheapplication
Distinguishbetweennumerical,modelandothererrors
Documentanddefendassumptions
Geometry
Boundaryconditions
Flowregime (laminar,turbulent,steadystate,unsteadystate,)
Modelselection(turbulence,)
Sourcesofsystematicerror
Approximations
Data
Accuracyexpectationsvs.assumptions?
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 Resources
ERCOFTACSIG:QuantificationofUncertaintyinCFD
Roache,P.J.,VerificationandValidationinComputationalScienceandEngineering,
HermosaPublishers,1998
OntheANSYScustomerportal,searchfor"bestpractice"

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