Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Reacting Flow
Three-Way Catalytic Converter Aftertreatment
Worldwide Offices
CFD in Germany
HVAC
Supplement
Fluent Inside!
Celebrates!
Editors Note
On the Cover:
T great pride that we
commemorate the
20th anniversary of our
in the HVAC industry, with a cover story on the
airflow in and around the striking Swiss Re build-
ing that is nearing completion in London. The
Celebrating our anniversary are six first sale, and the 15th article describes the innovative mixed ventila-
Fluent employees with a total of anniversary of the launch tion plans for the interior office space. Indeed,
139 years of service to the company
(left to right): Michael Engelman, of our company. Bart many of the stories are about optimizing inte-
Barbara Hutchings, Bart Patel,
Sharon Everts, John Murray, and Patel, the founder of Fluent Inc. and current CEO, rior ventilation for a variety of buildings. Two are
Ferit Boysan provides some perspective on the growth of our targeted at smoke management scenarios, and
company and CFD in general on the back page one focuses on industrial hygiene. Together, these
of this newsletter. Inside, we have chosen to honor stories emphasize how CFD is becoming a main-
these important milestones by devoting the open- stay in the design phase of new construction all
ing section to reacting flow. Reactions have been over the world.
a part of Fluents software from the start, when A new department is being introduced in this
a three-component combustion model (fuel, oxy- newsletter in which we focus on the use of CFD
gen, and products) was a key feature. Since then, in and around one of our worldwide offices. In
reacting flow capabilities have advanced with every the first installment, Fluent Deutschland is fea-
release. Many of these are highlighted in the arti- tured, along with the current state of CFD usage
cles in our Reacting Flow section that begins on in Germany. The Visions of the Future series con-
page 4. New combustion models, surface reac- tinues with an interview of Herve Buisson and
tion models, and methods for solving multi-step Christelle de Traversay from Vivendi Water in
reactions are featured. The use of user-defined France, commenting on the use of CFD in the
functions to simulate a low-density polyethylene environmental industry. The Support Corner focus-
(LDPE) reactor is also described. To top it off, we es on a topic that generates many questions from
even simulated the candles on the front cover users: how to set up a network of Windows PCs
On the Supplment Cover: using one of the combustion models in FLUENT! for parallel computing. The information provided
Pathlines, colored by velocity
magnitude, illustrate the flow Immediately following the Reacting Flow sec- should help some of you take this important step
around the Swiss Re Headquarters tion is an article on bubble column reactors where forward if, until now, you have been hesitating.
in London
the focus is not on the reactions, but on the mul- Finally, we would like to extend our con-
tiphase models that can be used to describe the gratulations to the Swiss team Alinghi for their
complicated flow physics in these devices. Several recent win of the Americas Cup, and to the Ecole
biomedical applications are also featured in this Polytechnique de Lausanne for providing
issue. Three of these make use of scanning equip- Alinghis design team with important guidelines
ment for generating geometry files for parts of from numerical simulations, many of which involved
Fluent News is published by the human body. This technique is becoming FLUENT. While your simulation efforts may not
more and more popular for applications of all result in the presentation of a coveted trophy,
kinds, where CAD files for complex geometric we understand and appreciate the importance
forms do not exist. Another technique that is they bring to your company and to your own
10 Cavendish Court growing in popularity among CFD users is the understanding of a particular process. Please con-
Lebanon, NH 03766 USA
1-800-445-4454 coupling of two (or more) software products sider contributing an article to Fluent News that
2003 Fluent Inc. together. Examples highlighted in this newslet- describes the work you have done with our
All rights reserved.
ter include the determination of sail shape for software.
FLUENT, FIDAP, GAMBIT, POLYFLOW,
G/Turbo, MixSim, FlowLab, Icepak,
given wind conditions, the optimization of an
and Airpak are trademarks of Fluent automobile shape for reduced drag, and the solu-
Inc. All other products or name
brands are trademarks of their tion of glass fiber drawing under the action of
respective holders. convective and radiative heat transfer. Liz Marshall
fluentnews@fluent.com
feature stories
4 reacting flow
Contents
Reacting Flow Models in FLUENT
worldwide offices
31 CFD in Germany
product news
12 oil & gas
Separating Water & Gas
42 FLUENT Ported to Itanium 2/HP-UX Platform
Mixing Simulation Gets Easier
materials
25 Keeping Printer Touch Temperatures Low
31
glass & fibers
hvac industry supplement
26 Shattering Glass Tank Design
ventilation
Methodologies S2 Swiss Re Headquarters Inside & Out
Chill Ripples in Glass
Looking Out for Crew Comfort in Space
California Living
electronics & semiconductors
28 Optimizing Transformer Designs
Air Flow Befitting the US Marines
Models in FLUENT
that in-cylinder combustion can be readily
simulated.
Surface reaction modeling, used by
engineers in the semiconductor industry and
By Graham Goldin and Genong Li, Fluent Inc. for applications such as gas reformers and
catalytic converters, involves reactions
LUENT 6.1 is unique in its vast offerings between species in the gas phase and on a
reference
1 Chatterjee D., Deutschmann O., and Warnatz J., Detailed Surface
Reaction Mechanism in a Three-Way Catalyst, Faraday Discuss., Vol. 119,
Mass fraction of CO on the cutting plane through pp. 371-384, 2001.
the exhaust pipes with only the left runner open
Optimizing Plant-Scale
LDPE Reactors
By Nitin H. Kolhapure* and Rodney O. Fox, Department of Chemical Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA
*Presently at DuPont Engineering Technology, Wilmington, DE
ith the ever-increasing availability of high-per- conditions due to stiff and highly exothermic kinetics
he focus of FLUENT 6.1 gas-phase com- jets inject natural gas. The mixture then enters
loss of initiator under extreme operating and tests, CFD offered a low-cost alternative to explore tial part of the design procedure, it opens greater oppor-
mixing conditions. The influence of feed tem- a variety of design options for optimizing ini- tunities for the development of safe and efficient chem-
perature, initiator concentration, and degree tiator consumption while controlling the prod- ical processes at reduced costs and time. The study has
of premixing on steady-state reactor performance uct quality and reactor safety. Though brought turbulent reacting flow simulation for single-
was helpful in making wiser, more well-informed validation of such a CFD approach against key phase finite-rate chemistry closer to realistic chemical
operational decisions. By replacing pilot-plant experimental data remains an integral and essen- process engineering applications.
references
1 Pope S.B., Computationally efficient implementation of com-
bustion chemistry using in situ adaptive tabulation.
Combustion Theory and Modeling, 1:41-63, 1997.
2 Fox R.O., Computational methods for turbulent reacting
flows in the chemical process industry. Revue de lInstitut
Franais du Ptrole, 51:215-243, 1996.
3 Kolhapure N.H. and Fox R.O., CFD in polymer reaction engi-
neering: Combining polymerization chemistry and detailed
flow models. DECHEMA Monogr., 137:247-271, 2001.
The effect of micromixing is shown through local temperature fluctuations in the reacting environment
(top, 250 to 329C) and higher polydispersity (molecular weight distribution) (bottom, 0 to 7.15)
Deposition:
growth mechanisms, a detailed surface chemistry model is needed to char-
acterize adsorption, desorption, and heterogeneous surface reactions on the
wafer surface. The self-limiting surface reactions used in the model are:
One Layer
TiCl2(a) + 2NH3(g) 2NH2(a) + 2HCl(g) + Ti(s)
at a Time
by looking at the number of Ti atoms in the TiN layer per unit area, as a
function of the number of deposition cycles. Transient simulations indicated
that the gaseous concentration of TiCl4 increases during the first pulse, as
does the adsorbed site species TiCl2. After the purge, an NH3 pulse is ini-
By Balaji Devulapalli, Fluent Inc.
tiated and reacts with the site species TiCl2. No cross-contamination between
the pulse cycles was observed, suggesting that the purge time could be
reduced. The model also predicted that the growth rates are uniform over
successive ALD cycles.
s device sizes continue to shrink below 90nm,
1.2 1.2
TiCl2 Ti
cumulative thickness (Ang)
NH2 N
1.0 1.0
40
growth rate (Ang)
Ti
site coverage
0.8 0.8 N
0.6 0.6
20
0.4 0.4
0.2 0.2
0.0 0.0 0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
time (s) time (s) time (s)
Fractional coverages of TiCl2 and NH2 (left), growth rate for Ti and N as a function of pulse time (middle), and predicted film thickness at the wafer center over 10 cycles (right)
Surface
are fully coupled with the flow simulation, so that the
distribution (coverage) of different surface species and
the deposition rate of bulk species on a wall can be tracked.
In addition to dealing with reactions on actual walls,
Reactions in
the model can also account for surface reactions on unre-
solved walls in a porous medium. Moreover, there is full
flexibility in the problem setup different reaction mech-
anisms can be defined in different fluid or porous zones.
To illustrate the new capabilities in FLUENT, a tubu-
lar catalytic reactor, which represents a single pore of
an actual monolithic catalyst, was simulated. The tubu-
lar reactor is 10cm long and 2mm in diameter. The inner
tube surface is coated with platinum (Pt), which serves
Catalytic Tubes
By Genong Li, Fluent Inc.
as a catalyst to initiate and/or accelerate reactions. A
22-step reaction mechanism1 was used in the simulation.
The system involves seven gas phase species (CH4, O2, 100
H2, H2O, CO, CO2, and N2) and eleven site (surface) os
species (H(s), O(s), OH(s), H2O(s), C(s), CO(s), CO2(s),
CH3(s), CH2(s), CH(s), and Pt(s)). Both gas phase species 10-1 pts
and surface species can be depleted or created as a result
of surface reactions. This causes the concentrations of
gas phase species and the coverage of site species to 10-2
change along the pipe. The results show that methane
is oxidized quickly after it enters the pipe, and that CO ohs
10-3
and CO2 are produced. Changes in site species cover-
age include increases in H2O(s), H(s), and OH(s), and
surface coverage
10-6 hs
Pt catalyst, T = 1290K
CH4
cos
d = 2mm
Air -7
10
L = 10cm
reference 10-9
0 0.025 0.050 0.075 0.1
1 Deutschmann O., Maier L.I., Riedel U., Stroemman A.H., and Z (m)
Dibble R.W., Hydrogen Assisted Catalytic Combustion of
Methane on Platinum, Catalysis Today 59, p. 141-150, 2000. Surface coverage profiles along the length of the tubular reactor
Bubbling Columns
By Vivek V. Buwa and Vivek V. Ranade, Industrial Flow Modeling Group, National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India
nsteady multiphase flows are fre- A set of simulations was performed to study
gas hold-up
0.12
In another set of simulations, the Lagrangian discrete phase model
0.10
(DPM) in FLUENT was used to follow the motion of individual bub-
0.08
bles. This approach provides information on bubble scale processes,
0.06
which is necessary for any rigorous modeling of reactions and heat
and mass transfer. The simulation results have been validated against 0.04
a few three-phase simulations (with gas, liquid, and granular phases) 0.02
were carried out for the gas-liquid-solids mixtures to study the effect
of solids loading on key dynamic and time-averaged flow properties. 0.00
0 10 20 30 40 50
The results, which have been compared to measurements, are still pre- time (s)
liminary but are encouraging. They will be used in the future to help
clarify the dynamics of complex multiphase flows in bubble columns. (c)
In another set of simulations, CFD models were used to predict mix- 0.016
ing time, an important parameter for reactor engineering. In these
0.014
simulations, the liquid phase mixing was simulated using transient and
time-averaged flow. The mixing time values obtained using time-aver- 0.012
local gas hold-up
aged flow were found to be much larger than those obtained by fully 0.010
transient flow. For example, at a superficial gas velocity of 0.14 cm/s,
0.008
the mixing time obtained using time averaged flow was 26.2 s in com-
parison with 15.4 s obtained using unsteady flow. The latter agrees 0.006
well with the experimentally measured mixing time of 16.0 s. The effects 0.004
of H/W ratio, sparger configurations, and gas velocities on the liquid 0.002
phase mixing time have been investigated using CFD as well, and the
0.000
results have been validated using experimental measurements. 0 10 20 30 40 50
time (s)
10
6
References
4 1 Pfleger D., Gomes S., Gilbert N., and Wagner H.-G., Hydrodynamic simulations of
wall pressure fluctuation measurements laboratory scale bubble columns fundamental studies of the Eulerian-Eulerian model-
2 Eulerian simulations ing approach, Chemical Engineering Science, 54, p. 5091-5099, 1999.
DPM simulations
2 Buwa V.V. and Ranade V.V., Dynamics of gas-liquid flow in a rectangular bubble col-
0
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 umn: Experiments and single/multi-group CFD simulations, Chemical Engineering
superficial gas velocity (cm/s) Science, 57, p. 4715-4736, 2002.
inlet
region
water
outlet
Separating
Water & Gas
By Steve Turner, Zeta-pdm Ltd., Isle of Wight, UK
Z
eta-pdm Ltd. is a world leader in the oil in combination with the discrete phase
& gas industry, focusing predominantly model (DPM). The Eulerian model, in which
on separation processes. In the recent separate sets of fluid equations are used for
design of a separation vessel, Zeta-pdm engi- each fluid, was used to track the bulk sepa-
neers wanted to investigate the effect of dif- ration of the gas and water phases, the two
ferent inlet designs and baffle arrangements primary ingredients in the incoming mixture.
on separation efficiency. The separator will be The sand particles were simulated using the
used to process a mixture of water, hydrocarbon DPM, since it is the most efficient way to track
The interface between the water and gas close to the
vessel inlet gas, sand, and oil. During the process, water the motion of particles with a range of sizes.
will separate from the gas and oil while sand Gas bubbles were also tracked using this method,
particles settle to the bottom of the contain- to assess the separation efficiency of the ves-
er. CFD was used to simulate the multiphase sel as a function of bubble size. A hybrid mesh
flow field for a number of prospective of approximately 600,000 cells was used. The
designs, so that engineers could improve their solution was performed on a network of com-
understanding of the separation process, and puters, using FLUENTs parallel processing capa-
assess the designs for the improvement each bility.
would offer. Examination of iso-surfaces of the gas-water
The separation vessel consists of an inlet interface close to the inlet is one way that engi-
region, a series of specially designed baffles, neers analyzed different inlet designs. The flu-
100 and separate outlets for the water and gas. ids are highly turbulent and well mixed in this
% of particles settled
The flow pattern is a function of the inlet design, region, but the large volume of buoyant hydro-
80
baffle design and position, vessel dimensions, carbon causes the gas to rise rapidly and sep-
60 inlet velocity, and mixture composition. arate from the water. Different designs were
Material enters the vessel in a highly turbu- found to make this process more or less effi-
40
lent state, consisting of liquid, bubbles, and cient. Examination of planar contours of vol-
20 particles. Since the quantity of oil in the mix- ume fraction near the inlet and first few baffles
ture is very small, it is neglected for the pur- were used to assess the inlet design as well
0 pose of the simulation. The material passes as the calming effects of the baffles. Using the
inlet design 1 inlet design 2
increasing particle size through the baffles, which work to calm the DPM results, different inlet designs were eval-
flow and enhance the separation process. The uated for their ability to separate bubbles and
Settling efficiency for sand for a range of particle sizes and flow conditions need to be controlled so that sand particles of a range of sizes. Results showed
two inlet designs
the sand particles entering the vessel can set- that while two designs may perform compa-
tle, the gas bubbles can rise, and each con- rably for small bubbles and particles, one worked
stituent can be removed from the vessel through better for larger sizes. The results were used
the desired outlet. to finalize the design for the new separator,
The multiphase mixture was simulated in which is now in operation.
FLUENT using the Eulerian multiphase model
AccuSpray
on Demand
By Vince Sullivan, PhD and Anjana Bhuta-Wills, BD Technologies, Research Triangle Park, NC;
and Shoreh Hajiloo, ICEM CFD Engineering, Livonia, MI
Locating the
Nasal
Valve with
Flow pathlines colored by velocity magnitude
for a simulation of steady-state inhaled
breathing with a plug flow inlet condition FIELDVIEW
By R.A. Segal, J.M. Sheppard, J.S. Kimbell, CIIT Centers for Health
Research, Research Triangle Park, NC
t the CIIT Centers for Health Research (CIIT), volume as a function of distance into the nose area was allowed to tilt from left to right as well
FIELDVIEW is a
registered trademark
90 of Intelligent Light.
60
45
15
Orientation of several sweep planes used for locating the nasal valve Location of the nasal valve in the original human nasal model
The Heartbeat of
Pulmonary
Modeling
By Rob Woolhouse, Fluent Europe Ltd.
Fluent Partnership
aterialise, based in Leuven, formed partnership, Materialise and Fluent
Flying
GAMBIT, FLUENT, and MemBrain ensues until the sail shape reach-
es static equilibrium, i.e. when the maximum displacement between
pressure updates is less than a preset value. GAMBIT templates
allow the entire process to be run with no intervention by the
user.
After static equilibrium has been reached, the sail forces and
moments are evaluated to see if re-trimming, or repositioning
the sails on the boat is needed in order to optimize the sails per-
Sails
on the
Computer
By H. J. Richter and K. C. Horrigan,
Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH;
J.B. Braun, North Sails Performance Resource Group, Marblehead, MA;
and K. H. Kuehlert, Fluent Inc.
The initial and final sail shape and trim before and after the
optimization process
formance, i.e. obtain the maximum driving tent. Finally, since the boundary layer above
force or the maximum drive over heeling force the water is computed in the upstream com-
of the boat under the given wind conditions. putational domain, a more accurate descrip-
The VWT has many advantages over tra- tion of the angle of attack at the site of the
ditional wind-tunnel testing methods. First, vessel as a function of rig height is incorpo-
since VWT tests are performed on the com- rated into the simulation.
The fiber
puter, they are done at full scale, so the prob- In addition to optimizing sail performance, layout in an
lems encountered when using scaling laws in this promising technology will be used in the asymmetrical
real wind tunnels are avoided. Second, the future for instrument calibration and predic- spinnaker;
changes to the
computational flow domain around the sails tions of bad air zones, where sailboats in the fiber layout
can be very large, and since no wind tunnel wake of nearby sailboats experience greatly cause changes
walls are present, edge effects are non-exis- diminished and changeable winds. to the stretching
characteristics,
and thus the
sails response
to external
forces
First European
Americas Cup Winners!
he landlocked European nation of lations have provided valuable information to
Visions
Future:
of
the
Wastewater treatment plant of Nevers, France, certified ISO 14001
Courtesy of Gnrale des Eaux - Marcel Chevret
Environmental CFD
Keith Hanna from Fluent News recently interviewed Herve Buisson, Head of the Research Center
at Vivendi Water in Paris, France and Christelle de Traversay, CFD Program Manager at Vivendi
Water about the trends and challenges facing the environmental industrys use of CFD.
KH: Vivendi has become a world famous industrial conglomerate ronmental problems our customers face in both private and
over the last decade or so where does the Vivendi public utilities. We have a strong customer focus, and are
Environnement (VE) group fit into the mix? proud of our long-term commitment to protecting the envi-
Vivendi, as a company, really start- ronment through ethical operating standards.
HB:
ed off in 1853 as Generale des Eaux, KH: You both work in Vivendi Environnements Anjou
a French municipal water company. Recherche R&D Center - what are the important tech-
Over time, it extended its activities nical issues for the water industry from your perspective?
to other environmental sectors, such
as waste management and trans- HB: The industry today is driven by stronger and stronger reg-
portation, and evolved to become the ulations, and consumer demands, and our research is geared
worlds largest environmental com- as much to new or potential legislation as it is to process
pany. In the 1990s, the company and equipment improvements. Water is, for the most part,
diversified into print and broadcast a high volume, low end-value product, typically costing less
Herve Buisson
media, eventually buying out Universal than $1/ton with typical city plants treating over 100,000
Studios in America, and in 1998, it changed its name to Vivendi. t/yr. In the past, our new product development cycles were
In 2002, Vivendi Environnement separated from Vivendi Universal around 10 to 15 years in duration, but with frequent reg-
to focus again on its original core competencies as the world ulatory changes and a growing demand for cost efficiency
leader in environmental services. and more compact plants, Research & Development has come
very much to the forefront. Today, new process and equip-
KH: Can you describe the scope of your environmental com- ment development cycles are typically three to five years in
pany today? duration. Through optimization of existing products and process-
HB: We turned over about $29 billion in 2001 with operations es, our research group aims to supply Vivendi plant opera-
in over 100 countries worldwide and some 295,000 employ- tors with solutions that are cost-effective (from a Life Cycle
ees. Vivendi Environnement is the only company in the world Costs perspective) and tailored to specific water applications.
that operates across the entire range of environmental serv- KH: Where does CFD fit into your rapidly shortening prod-
ices, with our four divisions covering water (Vivendi Water, uct development cycles?
which accounts for nearly half of our total revenues), waste
management (Onyx), energy services (Dalkia), and public CdT: CFD is a key component of all of our R&D work, in opera-
transportation (Connex). US Filter is a leading supplier of tions, engineering applications, and equipment design. Over
water industry equipment and services in the USA. Because the years it has been validated for modeling many process-
of our diversity we can develop integrated service packages es and pieces of equipment. In some instances, we have seen
that offer a comprehensive, tailored response to the envi- cost savings of up to 30% over conventional pilot study approach-
Grid Morphing
By Rajneesh Singh, General Motors Corporation, Detroit, MI
T
It has a very quick turn-around time for multiple
is an iterative process. It involves an interaction between calculations, and contributes to the vehicle design
the designer, who proposes a shape for the vehi- in two ways. First, it can be used to develop the
cle, and the aerodynamics engineer, who evaluates the enablers for the most efficient design. Second, the
shape for aerodynamic performance and provides enablers, process can be used to complement wind tunnel
or guidelines for drag minimization to the designer. The testing. The design space can be explored to iden-
designer then incorporates these recommendations with- tify the aerodynamically critical regions of the vehi-
in the constraints of the design theme. After a number cle, and the wind-tunnel test engineer can use this
of iterations, the process gives rise to a vehicle with an information to reduce the number of wind-tunnel
improved drag profile. This process can take place using tests.
clay models in a wind tunnel or using CFD. While quick- A remote, high performance, parallel comput-
er and less costly, the CFD approach still takes time because ing machine is used to run the coupled calculations
of the need to create and mesh modified geometries in a batch process mode. When FLUENT performs
several times. At General Motors, a new automated process the aerodynamic simulation, it executes a sequence
has been developed using FLUENT and other software of commands listed in a journal file. The compu-
tools that together help reduce the time required for tation for each new design is started from the con-
each geometric modification and therefore, each CFD verged solution for the previous design, to reduce
solution. the computational effort required. Since the CFD
computations are performed using a journal file, it
is also possible to produce a set of images to visu-
create CFD define design
model for the variables and
alize the flow for each design. When combined with
start
baseline setup model for averaged or integrated quantities (such as drag coef-
geometry morphing
ficient), these images help illustrate the flow char-
acteristics of each case studied.
The automated analysis process for performing
DOE select set of a DOE study was recently illustrated using a gener-
yes no design variable
end analysis
completed? magnitudes ic automobile shape in a rectangular tunnel. A base
(iSIGHT) case and sixteen modified designs were created and
analyzed in the study. The mesh for the baseline
model was created with 1.3 million elements, with
save prism layers on all of the car surfaces for an accu-
design variables
and Cd for post rate resolution of the boundary layer. The designs
processing differed in the length and height of the rear deck
and roof edge. It took less than 2 days of time to
evaluate the 16 designs. Had more computation-
perform al resources been available, more designs could have
CFD analysis generate CFD been tested and an exhaustive DOE study conducted
and compute mesh for
aerodynamic prescribed set to find the true optimal design. A conventional analy-
drag (Cd) (Morpher) sis procedure, in which the vehicle geometry is mod-
(FLUENT)
ified and a new mesh is constructed for each design,
Pressure contours on the rear part of the
would require at least an order of magnitude more vehicle for various designs; the aerodynamic
Flow chart of the automatic analysis process time to complete. drag is shown for each image
The Sounds
By Sandeep Sovani, Fluent Inc. and Bipin Lokhande, Fluent India
of the Road
acoustic module based on the Ffowcs-Williams-Hawkins theory that can cal-
culate sound radiated by boundary and interior surfaces towards observa-
tion points inside or outside the computational domain. In addition, FLUENT
6.1 results can now be imported to SYSNOISE, an acoustics modeling tool
from LMS International.
For the SVM, the sound generated by the turbulent flow field in the wake
of the mirror has been simulated using CAA and the Ffowcs-Williams-Hawkins
formulation in FLUENT. The generic mirror shape consists of a half cylin-
der topped with a quarter sphere of the same diameter.
The CAA approach is executed by conducting a transient simulation of
the flow around the mirror with the LES turbulence model. Monitor points
are put at locations where microphones were placed in experiments report-
ed in the literature1 and the transient static pressure signal is recorded at
these points. The Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) tool newly introduced in
FLUENT 6.1 is used to convert the transient pressure signals into frequen-
cy spectra.
The analysis based on the Ffowcs-Williams-Hawkins model starts with a
The mesh in the vicinity of the noise-producing object has a strong impact on the transient simulation of the flow field around the mirror. At the beginning
quality of sound that can be simulated using CFD of the simulation, source surfaces for the sound and receiver (microphone)
locations are input. For the SVM, the mirror body and flat plate on which
rom a fluid dynamics point of view, an automobiles side view mirror it is mounted are selected as source surfaces. During the calculation,
F (SVM) is a bluff body exposed to a high speed flow. The flow struc-
ture in the wake of an SVM is highly transient and subjects the vehi-
cle surfaces in its vicinity, such as doors and windows, to significant unsteady
FLUENT creates plots or files of sound pressure vs. time.
Sound pressure spectra show that both methods are in good agreement,
qualitatively and quantitatively, with experiment. The accuracy of aeroa-
pressure fluctuations. This unsteady pressure variation ultimately propagates coustic simulations is heavily dependent on that of the underlying transient
inside and around the vehicle as noise. flow simulation. Time-step, grid resolution, and grid quality not only deter-
Sound generated in and propagated through a fluid domain can be sim- mine the accuracy of the predicted sound pressure level, but also the fre-
ulated using two methods: quency band over which the simulation results are meaningful.
Computational aeroacoustics (CAA), defined as a direct
simulation of acoustic fields generated by flow, and the reference
interaction of acoustic fields with flow. Direct implies that 1 Siegert R., Schwarz V., and Reichenberger J., AIAA
Paper no. 99-1895, 5th AIAA/CEAS Aeroacoustics
computation is only based on fundamental physical principles Conference, Seattle WA, May 10-12, 1999.
without reliance on empirical results. 2 Lokhande B.S., Sovani S.D., and Xu J.,
Aeroacoustics models for propagation of sound from the source to Computational Aeroacoustic Analysis of a Generic
the receiver. Side View Mirror, Paper no. 2003-01-1698, SAE
Noise and Vibration Conference, Traverse City, MI,
FLUENT can conduct aeroacoustic simulations using both of these approach- May 6-8, 2003.
es. CAA is handled by FLUENT through its well-established and extensive-
ly tested transient flow capability. In addition, two aeroacoustic models have
been implemented and tested. FLUENT 6.0s Lighthill-Curle acoustic mod-
ule is capable of propagating sound generated by pressure fluctuations on
wall boundaries to far-field observation points. FLUENT 6.1 has a built-in
80
Experiment1
CFD Direct
CFD FWH
60 The CAA and
aeroacoustics
model are both in
SPL (dB)
good agreement
40 with experiment
for a receiving
point not far
from the mirror2 Contours of velocity illustrate
20 the transient nature of the
flow around the mirror
0
0 200 400 600 800 1000
frequency (Hz)
Customizing
Food Steamers
By Michael Engelman, Enductive Solutions, a sister company of Fluent
120
espite the fact that computer aided engi- inside the unit in governing the temperature
turn-key product were available, the know-how tribution, such as relocation of the jets, or intro-
60 to develop such a product often is not. At duction of manifolds, steam exhaust valves, or
Enductive Solutions, CAE solutions are creat- recirculating fans. They also made it clear that
40 ed for a specific application, through the use future CFD simulations of the steamer could
of one or more software products that are inte- be done without heat transfer calculations, since
20 grated into a single, easy-to-use package. the flow pattern alone determines the temperature
In one recent project, a manufacturer of com- distribution throughout the device.
0 mercial food steamers wanted to increase the The next step was to encapsulate the CFD
capacity and efficacy of a steamer for a cus- analysis within an interface that prompts the
-20 tomers special requirements. The first step was user to enter only a few critical design param-
00:00 02:53 05:46 08:38 11:31 14:24 17:17 20:10 23:02 25:55 to investigate the functionality of the existing eters, such as the vessel size, tray locations, and
time (mm:ss)
device. It was determined that CFD would be steamer type. The tool then performs the appro-
Experimental profiles of temperature vs. time as measured by
needed, so Enductive engineers worked with priate CFD calculation and returns the results
the thermocouples positioned in the tray
the manufacturer on physical testing to necessary to evaluate the performance of the
develop boundary conditions and a set of data design.
that would later be used for validation stud- Application-specific solutions such as this
ies. The steamer was instrumented with can be done on-site or can be deployed to a
appropriate velocity probes and thermocou- CAE specific Applications Service Provider (ASP)
ples and tested under four different operating such as the Fluent Remote Simulation Facility.
conditions. The tests showed that uneven heat The customer can enter the parameters
distribution within the steamer would make needed to perform the analysis in a matter of
it impossible to improve its performance with- minutes and does not need to spend the time
out significant design changes. that would otherwise be required to become
Enductive engineers then obtained a an analysis expert. The use of an ASP to per-
copy of the computer aided design (CAD) file form the analysis eliminates the need to pur-
for the steamer and used it to create the geom- chase and maintain expensive software and
etry and mesh for a CFD simulation. Boundary hardware as well. The analysis returns the pre-
conditions and physical properties were cise information that the user needs to deter-
derived from the test results and information mine the performance of the proposed design
Steam pathlines, colored by velocity magnitude, illustrate provided by the manufacturer. The results of and, just as importantly, helps provide an under-
the improved flow field in the steamer the CFD simulation helped to explain the uneven standing of why the design does or does not
temperature distributions shown in the phys- work so that it can quickly be improved. The
ical tests. In particular, they showed that the service puts advanced CAE tools in the hands
location, speed, and direction of the steam of the people who need them most front line
more.info@
jets were far more important than the gas flow engineers to reduce engineering expenses
www.enductive.com
rate entering the unit or distribution of food and bring products to market faster.
HVAC industry
For The HVAC Industry
Newsletter Supplement
ventilation
S2 Swiss Re Headquarters
Inside & Out
Looking Out for Crew Comfort
in Space
California Living
Air Flow Befitting the US Marines
industrial hygiene
S6 Breathing Easier in the Workplace
smoke management
S7 Containing Smoke in
Complex Atria
Fire Scenarios in the Budapest
Sports Arena
ventilation
HVAC industry
Swiss Re
Headquarters
Inside & Out
By Matthew Kitson, Hilson Moran Partnership Ltd., London, UK
ondon is home to a striking new building 30 St. Mary Axe the required. Fresh outside air reaches the office occupants without strong
HVAC industry
t Boeing, an investigation has been
California
Living
By Viralkumar Gandhi and Kishor Khankari, Fluent Inc.;
Kevin Blackwell and Rob Hammon, ConSol, Stockton, CA Geometry of the three bedroom house studied
onSol and the California Energy windows, and partitions of the home were mod- ConSol and CEC are planning to share these
CFD model to simulate the winter situation in flow rates and throws of the registers, which 72
temp (F)
which the home was heated by hot air supplied are specifically designed for the summer cool- 70
through a number of ventilation registers placed ing conditions in California, cause localized hot 68
in the ceiling. The velocity and throw of each zones near the ceiling. The prolonged OFF cycle
66
register was obtained from the manufacturer of of the fan helps reduce the thermal stratifica- 0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28
the registers, and was modeled through the built- tion and give rise to more uniform air temperatures, time (m)
in functions for ventilation registers in Airpak. which translates into improved thermal com- Thermostat cycles showing the cyclic duration of
Convective and radiative heat losses from the walls, fort for the occupants. heating and cooling cycles
Distribution of air temperature at the end of the heating cycle Pathlines colored by air temperature showing the airflow entering from
showing thermal stratification in the house the ventilation registers
HVAC industry
he National Museum for the Marine Corps will
Air Flow Given the large skylight glazing area, concerns arose
about the influence of solar heat gain in the summer
and condensation on the glass during the winter. Fentress
Bradburn Architects, the museum designers, asked
US Marines
gy and daylighting modeling for many years, and has
added CFD to their portfolio of modeling tools. Another
purpose of the CFD analysis was to overcome the lim-
itations of traditional HVAC design tools, which are con-
By Galen Burrell and Michael J. Holtz, Architectural Energy Corporation, Boulder, CO strained by a fully mixed (i.e. uniform temperature)
zone model, and tend to overpredict the anticipated
cooling load. In this tall glass structure, it was obvi-
Exhaust fan
ous that thermal stratification would occur during the
The geometry of the museum shows summer, thus requiring only the lower occupied zone
the cylindrical underground base and to be conditioned.
conical glass dome
Using the CAD import tool in Airpak, a simplified
model was created with 700,000 cells. Conditioned
air was supplied by nozzle type diffusers located around
the perimeter of the Central Gallery drum at a height
Second floor balcony
of 18 feet. The nozzles were modeled using an effec-
tive area calculated by the Airpak diffuser macro to
achieve the correct throw specified in the manufac-
turers performance data. Air was returned or exhaust-
Lobby return air
ed in three locations: a fan in the top of the skylight,
for venting to the outside, and return grilles in the entrance
ceiling and along the floor, for returning the remain-
ing air to the air handling unit.
Supply diffusers Several indoor and outdoor design conditions were
simulated to determine the extent of thermal stratifi-
cation that would occur, and what supply air flow rate
was necessary to maintain comfort in the occupied
zone. A 90,000 CFM supply scenario was suggested
by a mixed-zone model to satisfy the cooling load. Airpak
showed that this scenario significantly overcooled the
occupied zone during summer design conditions.
Floor-level return air grilles
continued on next page
in the
By Clyde J. Porter, Wyman Gordon Company, N. Grafton, MA
ontrolling worker exposure to dusts and fumes
HVAC industry
trium spaces are a popular means of creating a
Fire Scenarios
HVAC industry
in the
Budapest Sports Arena
By Dr. Gergely Kristf, Mt Lohsz, Tams Rgert, and Pter Bodor, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, Hungary
ecember 15, 1999 will forever remain in the memory of many Hungarians.
D On that date, the Budapest Sports Hall, the largest indoor arena in
Hungary, burned down. The arena symbolized a source of great pride
in Hungary. The Hall was where crowds could experience sporting suc-
cesses and failures, World and European Cups, and many other events. The
whole country was touched by the disaster. Donations were offered by artists,
entrepreneurs, public figures, and thousands of private individuals.
Construction has just been completed on a new Budapest Sports Arena.
Bouygues-Hungria Construction (builders of Parc des Princes and the Olympic
Facilities in Sydney) was selected by the Hungarian Government as the builder
for the project. The futuristic building will boast a seating capacity of 7,000
to 12,500 and an ordinary field area of 8,400m2. Its modular design is expect-
The new Budapest Sports Arena
ed to attract events such as concerts and high-profile sport competitions,
including indoor motocross, horse shows, and even windsurfing.
A strong emphasis was put on safety during the design phase. In case
of fire, air vents will be closed, automatic doors will open, and the smoke
exhaust system will start to operate. During the early stages of the fire, the
developing combustion products will rise upwards and accumulate under
the ceiling of the hall, forming a continuous layer. Depending on the quan-
tity of smoke generated and the flow rate of the smoke exhaust fans, the
lower edge of the smoke layer might gradually drop down to the top rows
of the grandstands. For this reason, the shape of the hall and the pace of
the fire will determine the time for a safe escape, in which everyone can
exit the hall without smoke poisoning or reduced visibility. An additional
consideration is the distribution of temperature in the cloud of smoke, which
can reduce the integrity of the building and cause radiation discomfort or
injury for the spectators.
To better understand these scenarios, Bouygues-Hungria charged the
Department of Fluid Mechanics of Budapest University of Technology and
Engineers perform a fire test inside the arena Economics to perform numerical simulations and wind tunnel experiments,
with the goal of the former to study smoke propagation. Using FLUENT,
a simplified fire model was created. The fire was initiated in the vicinity of
the stage, and modeled as a simultaneous source of heat and carbon diox-
ide. Practical experience suggests that after ignition, the boundary of the
burning area spreads at a steady velocity, and the intensity of combustion
falling on a unit area is constant in space as well as in time. These phe-
nomena were modeled with quadratically increasing sources of heat and
CO2. Since all possible fire scenarios could not be analyzed, smoke dispersion
was simulated for fire cases at three different locations, by using the same
power vs. time function. Thus while the simulation results provided valu-
able data for designers, they cannot be regarded as complete as far as all
possible fire scenarios are concerned.
The FLUENT results indicate that ten minutes after the fire ignites, the
smoke remains above the highest grandstand seats, so the people will have
ample time to vacate the building safely. The temperature in the smoke
cloud is about 100C, suggesting that the structure will not be in danger
at this time and the people will not experience too many smoke-related
Contours of temperature on a surface of 1% CO2 concentration, 10 minutes side-effects.
after ignition, shows that the smoke has not yet reached the upper seats of
The opening of the Budapest Arena was celebrated with a large
the grandstands, and that the temperature everywhere on this surface is
below 100C concert evening in March.
Keeping Printer
Touch Temperatures Low
By Francisco Zirilli, PhD, Xerox Corporation, Rochester, NY
Glass
Shattering
To simulate the critical trajectories, a large num-
ber of tiny particles are released in the batch blan-
ket using the DPM model and the escape times
at the glass tank throat are compared. The parti-
cle path with the shortest residence time repre-
Tank Design
sents the critical trajectory in terms of time. Flow
field precision, the step size of the tracking cal-
culations, and the fraction of recovered to inject-
ed particles are key numerical factors in determining
the accuracy of the trajectory predictions.3 A pre-
cise simulation of the heat sink under the batch
G
Simulation of a 120t/day electric cold top glass
tank designed and constructed by Stein Heurtey ating reactors producing up to 1000 tons/day kinetics of the batch reactions are taken into account
(with courtesy of Akzo-PQ Silica); the horizontally
of glass at temperatures up to 1600C. They in the simulation.4 Predictions for the batch blan-
fed batch (left to right), illustrated by a surface
showing the batch-melt interface, extends nearly have relatively simple geometry but complex heat ket thickness are particularly useful for assessing
to the back wall of the tank but does not touch transfer and glass melt convection. The transformation the remaining melt depth available for the elec-
the electrodes; the half-circles indicate
measurement points of the raw materials to the final glass melt passes trodes. Electrodes that are too near to the batch
through complicated thermo-chemical processes involv- corrode faster and may even be deformed by con-
ing solid, liquid and gaseous phases. At Stein Heurtey, tact with the rigid batch. The 3D batch model-
a worldwide supplier of thermal installations for the ing tools now allow for optimization of the melt
steel and glass industry, several detailed analyses of space and electrode arrangement under the batch
glass melting tanks have been performed using blanket. Many other glass melting process issues
FLUENT, resulting in an improved understanding can be studied using CFD as well. At Stein Heurtey,
of many of the complex processes at work. FLUENT has proved to be a very useful tool for
Typically, simulations of thermal installations are problem solving and design improvement of its
performed using several steps. First, the critical process thermal installations.
parameters need to be identified. One of these param-
eters for glass tanks is the residence time on the References:
critical trajectory through the melt volume. The 1 Kuhn W.S., Moukarzel C., and Clodic D., Some
aspects to the minimum residence time in glass tanks
critical trajectory, which has a crucial impact on and its mathematical modeling, Proceedings of ESG
the glass quality,1 is defined either in terms of tran- Conference Montpellier, 2002.
sit time, temperature, or shear flow history along 2 Kuhn W.S., Mathematical modeling of batch melting
its path. Second, the experimental and mathematical in glass tanks, Chapter 2.2, pp. 73-125: in
Mathematical simulation in glass technology, Eds.
means for assessing the key process parameters Krause D. and Loch H., Springer Berlin, 2002.
have to be identified. CFD is often used to study 3 Moukarzel C., Kuhn W.S., and Clodic D., Numerical
the critical trajectories because glass tanks are very precision of minimum residence time calculations for
difficult to access for measurements. Third, the main glass tanks: The TC21-RRT1 case, Glass Sci. Technol.
Accepted for publication.
factors that influence the key process parameters
4 Kuhn W.S., Marmonier F., Bessette D., Muralidharan,
must be identified. For the critical trajectories, one and Dutta A., First principles batch modeling and
such factor is the intensity of recirculation patterns validation on a large cold top sodium silicate melter,
ICG Conference Extended Abstracts, Edinburgh, 2001.
in the melt. The batch blanket, which consists of
The evolution of a
chill ripple by an t = 15.00 s
arching flow in
a casting process;
temperature
contours on the
glass and mold
are shown
t = 21.67 s
The formation of
chill ripples in a
pressing process
with temperature
contours on the
glass and tool
(y-direction
stretched in
pictures on the
right hand side)
Optimizing
Transformer Designs
By Dr. Laurent Tarbouriech, Schneider Electric, Grenoble, France
vection is considered for kiosk cooling schemes. To model the air flow
around the transformer and test different kiosk architectures, CFD sim-
ulations using Icepak have been performed. Results show that the size
and location of louvers on the sides of the kiosk can be optimized to sat-
isfy the international standards and minimize manufacturing costs at the
same time.
The transformer itself is made of steel sheets and coils immersed in
an oil-filled tank. The oil is heated by the transformer losses, and the heat
is dispersed throughout the oil by natural convection currents. The tank
dissipates the heat to the outside by natural convection in the surrounding
air and by radiation. Conduction through the solid structures is negligi-
ble by comparison. In Icepak simulations of the transformer, natural con-
Surface temperature on the transformer and the flow circulation on a vertical vection was included in both the air and the oil. The thermal inertia of
plane slicing diagonally through the transformer the two fluids was accounted for through temperature-dependent prop-
erties for each of the two fluids. The surface power densities of the heat-
producing elements (the coils and magnetic circuit) was specified as well.
A fine mesh in the vicinity of the transformer was used. To minimize
the global size of the mesh, a non-conformal interface was positioned
around the transformer, so that a coarser mesh could be used in the outer
regions of the model. The coils and magnetic circuit were defined as hol-
low blocks, and the resulting mesh consisted of 865,000 hexahedral cells.
Without the meshing tools available in Icepak, the mesh would have been
roughly twice as big.
Transformer simulations were performed to study the temperatures
on the transformer surface and the flow of oil on the inside. Among the
many interesting flow features indicated in the results were toroidal shaped
structures generated by the jets of oil above the coils. Studies such as
these make the internal transformer flows and cooling behavior easier
to understand. At Schneider Electric, they contribute to the efficient devel-
Inside the transformer, oil is released through gaps between the coils and opment of products in which the number of prototypes is reduced, and
magnetic circuits; the flow of oil is shown using pathlines, colored by
the development costs are kept under budget.
temperature; the oil jets generate toroidal structures on top of the coils
process
chamber
exhaust
Putting
the Spin on
process
levels wafer
1-4
chuck
media drainage
Semiconductors
By Bertram Schott and Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Carinthian Tech Research (CTR) AG,
Diagram of the spin process equipment Villach, Austria; and Andreas Baldy, SEZ AG, Villach, Austria
he wet chemical etching of single wafers is high uniformity and unmatched repeatability in the flow with any precision.
Gas flow in a 3D
model of the spin
process equipment
2D simulation
shows the gas
flow near the
wafer surface
and between the
drainage plates
Molds
Its oil seals are made using a compression mold-
ing process. The molds are filled with a heated poly-
mer, and one or more walls are moved to compress and
that Feel the shape the final product. Non-uniformities that devel-
op during this process need to be avoided, since they
Pressure
can have a negative impact on the shape and integri-
ty of the product. At Keeper, early attempts to under-
stand the filling process using a structural analysis code
failed, so last year, FIDAP was introduced to the com-
pany, and simulations using CFD were initiated instead.
By Masahiro Matsuno, Keeper Company Ltd., Kanagawa, Japan
Using silicone rubber as the working material, a typ-
ical oil seal mold was modeled in a 2D axisymmetric
simulation using the volume of fluid (VOF) model. At
the start of the transient simulation, a rectangular slab
of material was positioned in the corner of the mold.
As time progressed, the left mold wall was gradually moved
to the right, squeezing the rubber and forcing it to seep
out and fill the remainder of the complex mold space.
After about 5 seconds, when a preset position was reached,
the motion of the mold wall was stopped.
FIDAP predictions for the shape of the rubber as a
function of time were in good agreement with exper-
imental results, with the FIDAP predictions for the free
surface location lagging the actual free surface meas-
urements by about 0.5 seconds. Another discrepancy
observed was that the order in which certain corners
were filled in the experiment was not always the same
as the order in which they were filled in the simulation.
This difference was attributed to behavior observed in
the experiments, but not included in the model, such
as the apparent expansion or swelling at the surface of
the rubber as it rounds sharp corners and seeps into small
crevices in the mold. Because it is not fully plasticized,
this swelling occurs during the release of the stress that
acts on the rubber at the entrance of the cavity. This
phenomenon requires further investigation.
In future work, this and other effects will be incor-
porated into 3D models with more of the actual geo-
metric features of the compression mold, in hopes of
improving the ability of CFD to capture more of the flow
details during processing. A transparent die is also being
developed so that the entire process can be monitored
visually.
up
kin cavi_3
rubber
cavi_1 cavi_2
low
Comparison of the FIDAP predictions for volume fraction of rubber (right) with two sets of The geometry of the axisymmetric model showing the initial
experimental images as the mold closes (left and center) position of the rubber
CFD in GERMANY
By Keith Hanna, Fluent News
The Rapid
ince unification in 1989, Germany has
Growth of CFD in
Germany
es, along with the need to produce high- nated in Germany in the 1980s, as they did faster, more powerful, and less expensive
er quality products. This has led to a wide- in the US and England, and it was only in hardware. Gradually, CFD software once
spread embracing of new technologies, the early 1990s that CFD usage became wide- the preserve of analysts doing research proj-
including computer-aided engineering, ly accepted throughout German industry and ects began to be deployed by engineer-
across all industry sectors, with the automotive its leading universities. ing and design departments in leading German
industry leading the way. A strong role in evaluating and adopt- companies, with the automotive industry
German companies spend far more on ing CFD technology has been taken by the again taking the lead. Cost savings, process
research and development in Europe than R&D groups at leading German companies efficiency gains, and improvements in
other nations, demonstrating their com- and through early adopters at key univer- product quality were major driving factors
mitment to technology innovation. Despite sities like Aachen, Darmstadt, Munich for the rapid expansion of CFD use in Germany
this, they were, for many years, relatively Karslruhe, and Stuttgart. By the mid 1990s, during this time. The high accuracy and robust
cautious about adopting commercial CFD the CFD market in Germany started to become solvers offered by the most established com-
software, compared with the US, Japan, and very competitive, eventually taking off with mercial codes appealed to CFD users in
the UK. No major CFD companies origi- the advent of unstructured CFD codes and Germany as well.
Fluent Deutschland
Expands its Services
luent Deutschland opened its doors in 1991, had a healthy financial position throughout our
Technical
mation in 1991, having worked at Fluent Europe prior
to starting the Darmstadt office.
Key to CFD
CFD community.
Experienced Automotive
CFD Knowledge Base
erman automotive com- such as gas sloshing in a tank or cav-
ermany has some of the biggest chemical Dr. rer. nat. Jochen Schtze of the Darmstadt office is the Product
and Materials
plants and equipment.
In the materials processing sectors of plastics, glass,
food, metals, textiles, and consumer products, CFD
has become an enabling technology. It has been used
to evaluate innovative new ideas, leading to short-
er product development times. For example, meas-
urements are difficult or impossible to make in processes
involving molten glass, polymers, or metal, and CFD
predictions provide the best way for plant engineers
and managers to visualize the fluid behavior and how
Processing
it will change as modifications to the equipment are
considered.
The 2003 Chemicals and Materials Team, from left to right: Dr. Mourad Lotfey, Dr.
Mark Pelzer, Annelie Groten, Ralf Lffler (Team Leader), Dr. Stefan Martens (Business
Development Manager), Dr. Christian Budde, and Dr. Jochen Schtze
Species contour map computed using CFD is in good agreement with experiment1
Channeling Chaos
By Patrick Bennett, Manhasset High School, Manhasset, NY; Chris Wiggins, Columbia University, New York, NY; and Marc Horner, Fluent Inc.
was computed for each, and a series of species advection calculations were
run using a user-defined scalar (UDS) to simulate the transport and mix-
ing of two distinct fluids. Contour plots of this scalar are in good qualita- confocal microscopy, which is difficult to do and only planar in nature.
tive agreement with experimental findings.1 FLUENT allows for 3D continuum images to be rendered, displaying such
Based on the UDS results, the degree of mixing was calculated through things as the development of a transverse component to the flow, the cre-
a standard deviation function that associates complete mixing with a value ation of counter swirls, and the effectiveness of the ditch mixing process
of 0 and complete segregation with a value of 0.5. These values were plot- in the mixer (mixing inside the grooves). FLUENT has allowed for a much
ted against downstream length or converted into a percent mixed func- more robust exploration of the 3D, chaotic flow patterns in the system.
tion for comparison with other geometries. One geometric parameter of interest was the groove depth. Through
A nice benefit of using CFD for such a study is the flexibility that it yields the optimization trials, where different groove depths were analyzed and
in terms of visualization. Traditional empirical methods typically make use of compared, it was shown that increasing the depth of the grooves both
decreases pressure drop and increases effective mixing. This leads to the
conclusion that the added volume of the grooves acts as a buffer to the
no-slip condition on the walls of the channel and grooves and allows for
stronger transverse components to be added to the flow, promoting the
Students Take Home stretching and folding actions that are required for mixing.
Reference:
ANTEC Prize 1 Stroock A.D., Dertinger S.K.W., Ajdari A., Mezic I., Stone H.A., and Whitesides G.M.,
Chaotic Mixer for Microchannels. Science Magazine, 295, January 2002.
C
Editors Note: Pat Bennett presented this work at the American Physical Society,
the Behrend College of Penn State University for winning the Division of Fluid Dynamics Meeting last November, and entered the 2002 Intel
Best Student Paper Presentation at ANTEC 2002, Blow Molding Science Talent Search and Siemens Westinghouse competitions. He was rec-
Division, with their paper Simulation Study of Polymer Flow Through ognized as a semi-finalist at both events. A FLUENT user for three years, he
an Extrusion Blow Molding Head. Their work included simulations will enter Stanford University in September.
done with POLYFLOW, and appears in the Fall 2002 issue of the Society
of Plastics Engineers, Blow Molding Division Proceedings.
Re-entry Vehicle
Shocks By Tracie J. Barber, University of New South Wales, Australia
Comparison of CFD
and experimental
shockwave locations
for the Cone model
in the test section. Temperature was calculated to be 102.5K, local densi- wave are in good agreement with experiment. Pressure coefficient values
ty 0.3848 kg/m3, and the local speed of sound found to be 202.9 m/s. Reynolds are also calculated for the locations of the four pressure taps, and with the
numbers for the two cases, based on model characteristic length, were found exception of one site, good agreement is obtained. The site where the agree-
to be approximately 8.52x105. ment is poorest is located at the base of the model. As this measurement
The Schlieren method makes use of the high density gradients present location is found just after a sharp corner, where the flow is subsonic, it is
in flows exhibiting shock characteristics to enable visualization of the shock likely that the turbulence model used is not accurate enough to capture
waves. Simulations of the two vehicles were performed using FLUENT 6. the recirculating flow in this region. Further work is planned to investigate
The Spalart-Allmaras turbulence model was used, and converged results other turbulence models as the prediction of the effects on the afterbody
were obtained using adapted meshes and second order upwind differencing. are also of interest.
For computational efficiency, both cases were run as axisymmetric mod-
els. Although the vehicles are indeed axisymmetric, the wind tunnel test
Tap Number Cp (Exp.) Cp (CFD)
section in which they are studied is not. Therefore any shock waves reflect-
ing off the simulated tunnel walls, or their subsequent effects, are not cor- 1 front corner of the module 1.211 1.24
rectly captured by the 2D models. 2 behind the module -0.1237 0.048
For the 15 cone, the photographic Schlieren result and the CFD result 3 side of the module -0.1359 -0.135
both show an attached shock wave that can be seen as the dark straight 4 front of the module, on axis 1.585 1.69
lines coming off the very front of the cone. The shock wave angle meas-
ured from the experimental image is 25.5 and from the CFD image is 25.1. Pressure coefficient values predicted by FLUENT for the Apollo scale model
are in good agreement with experiment
Pressure coefficient values found from the experimental pressure taps and
from corresponding CFD locations match well.
The theoretical downstream properties expected for the flow, based on
Tap Number Cp (Exp.) Cp (CFD) the equations for normal shockwave relations, can also be computed from
1 base of cone -0.1305 -0.126 the FLUENT results and compared to a theoretical value. For the Apollo model,
the ratios of downstream to upstream (relative to the shock wave) values
2 side of cone 0.1856 0.184
of pressure, temperature, and density were found at the front central loca-
Pressure coefficient values predicted by FLUENT for the 15 tion of the model. For the most part, these ratios were found to be in good
cone are in good agreement with experiment agreement with the values calculated theoretically (from standard shock-
wave relationships). In particular, the good comparison for the tempera-
For the Apollo module scale model, the unattached shock wave in the ture ratio across the shock (1.1%) is a useful indication of the validity
photographic Schlieren result appears as a gradient in the image, off the of the CFD model since no experimental data for the temperature was
front of the body. The CFD predictions for the size and location of the shock available.
Comparison of CFD
and experimental
shockwave locations
for the Apollo model
FLUENT Ported to
Itanium 2/HP-UX Platform
By Lee Fisher, Hewlett-Packard, Burlington, MA and Stewart Featherstone, Fluent Inc.
Mixing Simulation
Gets Easier
By Jochen Schtze, MixSim Product Manager
ith the release of MixSim 2.0, the up a FLUENT 6 case file, and performs the
POLYFLOW 3.10
Coming in June 2003
By Thierry Marchal, POLYFLOW Product Market Manager
OLYFLOW 3.10 is scheduled for release a UDT to run similar simulations on similar geome-
The Draw of
POLYFLOW-FLUENT Coupling
By Geraldine Deflandre, Fluent Benelux and Andy Young, Fluent Europe
ogy. It is a challenging process to model each iteration so that the best element qual-
Filter
accurately because of the complex gov- ity is maintained, especially when high draw
erning physics inside and outside the fiber ratios are encountered. FLUENT offers the
material, and because of the changing fiber discrete ordinates (DO) radiation model that
profile. The fiber begins as molten glass allows for the absorption, transmission, FLUENT
with a steep exponential temperature reflection, and refraction of radiation in the
dependence for the viscosity. During the presence of the semi-transparent fiber mate-
drawing process, the cross-section can rial. The model is capable of correctly cap-
Filter
reduce by a factor of more than 10,000, turing the radiative heat transfer to the glass
and the draw ratio, or ratio between the despite the rapid change in glass thickness
velocity through the outlet and inlet sec- as the fiber is drawn. Accurate predictions
tions, can exceed 100,000. The material from a simulation such as this can be used POLYFLOW
is subjected to mixed environmental con- by engineers to minimize the heat require-
ditions as well: radiative heating and con- ments for the process.
vective cooling at the same time. The solution process begins in POLYFLOW,
In a recent project, POLYFLOW and where an initial fiber shape is computed no
Convergence
FLUENT were coupled to address fiber draw- from the draw velocity. The fiber shape is
ing simulations in a rigorous manner. The passed to FLUENT, where heat transfer to
motivation for the work was to develop (and inside) the fiber is calculated. The new yes
an industrial-strength methodology that temperature field is then used by
could handle non-axisymmetric and hol- POLYFLOW to calculate a revised fiber shape
Solution
low fiber profiles with high draw ratios, and internal velocity field. The process repeats
and offer a comprehensive heat transfer until the fiber shape and temperature range
capability. The iterative calculation uses are within 1% of the previous values. In The coupled calculation between POLYFLOW
POLYFLOW to compute the profile shape 2D and 3D test simulations, convergence and FLUENT; filters are used to export data
between the two codes
and interior velocity field, and FLUENT to was achieved after 3 and 4 global itera-
compute the temperature and velocity fields tions, respectively, and predictions of the
outside the fiber and the temperature field final fiber shape and temperature profile
inside the fiber. were in very good agreement with
Each code has particular strengths to expectations.
Parallel
run FLUENT in parallel in the Windows environment.
In one model, multiple processors on the same
machine are used, and in the other model, multiple
machines in a cluster are used. The way in which mem-
ory is accessed is different for these two models:
Shared Memory
CPU CPU
Distributed Memory
CPU
Memory
CPU
Memory
Computing on a
Windows Cluster
Memory
CPU CPU
Q. How do I configure FLUENT to run across a network using remote 5. Create a host file (required if you are using MPICH or MPI/Pro).
processors?
A. The following steps outline the procedure for configuring FLUENT net- To create a host file, use a plain text editor, such as Notepad.
work parallel: The file can have any name you wish as long as it does not
include any spaces. Save the host file to a working directory.
1. Install FLUENT 6.1. (It is only necessary to install FLUENT on
one of the computers on the network.)
Below is an example of a host file that uses two computers in
the cluster. computer1 has two processors, and must be listed
2. Set the FLUENT.INC environment variables.
twice if both processors are to be used, and computer2 has
Click on the Start Menu, Programs, Fluent Inc Products,
one processor.
Fluent 6.1, Set Environment. This will open a panel with
default environment settings. Click on Yes to modify the
settings to the values shown in the panel.
In order for all of the computers on the cluster to see
these necessary environment variables, you have to change
the local path to a network path. To do this, click on Start,
Settings, Control Panel, System. Choose the Advanced
Tab, and then choose Environment Variables. Edit the
FLUENT_INC and Path variables using the network path
format as shown in the panel below (where computer1
represents the name of the computer where FLUENT is
installed).
Where:
version specifies the version of FLUENT you want to run (2d, 3d,
2ddp, or 3ddp);
C
meshing. GAMBIT has made great products that contribute to our partners
lysts and designers, who would like to control or reduce progress in CAD import, cleanup, and auto- success.
flow-induced noise. Fluent customers who use the pop- matic meshing, says Nicolas Franois,
ular acoustics package SYSNOISE from LMS International will research and development engineer at Valeo
now be able to integrate their flow predictions from FLUENT with
more.info@
Engine Cooling, a major manufacturer of
acoustic solutions computed in SYSNOISE. The integration allows www.spatial.com
compact heat exchangers and cooling sys-
FLUENT to be used for high-accuracy prediction of the flow-gen- tems for the automotive industry.
erated noise sources, with a coupling to SYSNOISE for predic- GAMBIT 2.1 is a clear
tion of how these sources are propagated and how they interact breakthrough in the path
with other acoustic phenomena. from CATIA to high-quali-
The integration allows the time-varying surface pressure, ty meshes, says Erling
predicted in FLUENT, to be imported to SYSNOISE. Within Eklund, GAMBIT product
SYSNOISE, the flow solution data is processed into the fre- marketing manager at
quency domain and becomes part of the acoustic prediction Fluent Inc. In a typical CAD
performed in the SYSNOISE model. Mechanical excitations import sequence, a solid or
and propagation of sound waves can also be included. Typical surface model created by
applications might include noise induced by flow separation, CATIA V4 is directly import-
flow impingement, or from rotating fans or blowers. ed into GAMBIT 2.1. The
The interoperability with FLUENT appears in SYSNOISE fluid volume is extracted
Rev 5.6, and will be available from LMS International. using simple Boolean oper-
ations, and straight-for- Aerospace valve model imported from CATIA V4 into
more.info@ ward cleanup tools are GAMBIT 2.1
www.lmsintl.com
hosts.txt specifies the name of the hosts file listing the computers on which you
plan to run FLUENT parallel. If you are not in the directory where the hosts file is
located you must specify the complete path to this file.
Sound confusing? It isnt, once you go through the process. All of these steps (and more
details) are available in the following comprehensive instruction guide to setting up FLUENT
network parallel: www.FLUENT.com/support/installation/winfaq/FLUENTpar61.htm
If you have questions or encounter any difficulties with the setup, please dont hesitate to
contact Installation Support at installsup@fluent.com for assistance.
Distributors
Take advantage of our new, online training courses! These topical training mate- ATES Korea
Beijing Hi-key Technology
rials for FLUENT users are available at a reduced introductory rate of just $100 per Corporation Ltd. China & Hong Kong
course. The courses are organized into manageable 30-60 minute modules and include Cavendish Instruments de Mexico, S.A.
a number of relevant case studies and tutorials to enhance your practical knowl- de C.V. (CIM) Mexico, Venezuela,
Argentina, Chile, Colombia
edge and skills. You can stop and start as you please, and have access to the mate- FEM++ Israel (POLYFLOW only)
rials for up to 30 days. FIGES Ltd. Turkey
Fluid Codes Ltd. UK (serving Middle East)
Available courses include: INNOTECH Ltd. Hungary
Turbulence Primer J-ROM Ltd. Israel
Parallel Processing with FLUENT 6 LEAP Australia Pty., Ltd. Australia &
New Zealand
Using User-Defined Functions with FLUENT 6 Process Flow Finland & Baltics
Solving Multiphase Flow Problems with FLUENT 6 Regional Technologies Corp. Ukraine
Solving Combustion Problems with FLUENT 6
Simcon International (Pvt.) Ltd. Pakistan
SimTec Ltd. Southeastern Europe
Solving Rotating Machinery Problems with FLUENT 6 SMARTtech Services & Systems, Ltd.
Brazil
SymKom Poland
Sign up today and take advantage of this opportunity to learn from anywhere, Taiwan Auto-Design Company (TADC)
at any time, and at your own pace. Introductory pricing will expire in 60 days. www.learn- Taiwan
ingcfd.com Techsoft Engineering s.r.o
Czech Republic & Slovak Republic
TENSOR SRL Romania
48 Fluent NEWS spring 2003 Thermal Technologies/QFINSOFT
South Africa