Lecture 2

Introduction to CFD
Methodology

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary Release 13.0

© 2010 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. L2-1 December 2010
Introduction to the CFD Methodology

What is CFD? Customer Training Material

• Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is the science of predicting fluid flow,

heat and mass transfer, chemical reactions, and related phenomena by
solving numerically the set of governing mathematical equations
– Conservation of mass
– Conservation of momentum
– Conservation of energy
– Conservation of species
– Effects of body forces

• The results of CFD analyses are relevant in:

– Conceptual studies of new designs
– Detailed product development
– Troubleshooting
– Redesign

• CFD analysis complements testing and experimentation by reducing total

effort and cost required for experimentation and data acquisition.

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Introduction to the CFD Methodology

How Does CFD Work? Customer Training Material

• ANSYS CFD solvers are based on the

finite volume method
– Domain is discretised into a finite set of control Control
volumes Volume*

– General conservation (transport) equations for

mass, momentum, energy, species, etc. are
solved on this set of control volumes
Fluid region of pipe flow is
discretised into a finite set
of control volumes.

Unsteady Convection Diffusion Generation Equation Variable

Continuity 1
– Partial differential equations are discretised X momentum u
into a system of algebraic equations Y momentum v
Z momentum w
– All algebraic equations are then solved Energy h
numerically to render the solution field

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Introduction to the CFD Methodology

CFD Modeling Overview Customer Training Material

Problem Identification
1. Define goals
2. Identify domain

Pre-Processing
3. Geometry
4. Mesh
5. Physics
6. Solver Settings

Update Model
Solve
7. Compute solution

9.
Post Processing
8. Examine results

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Introduction to the CFD Methodology

1. Define Your Modeling Goals Customer Training Material

Problem Identification
1. Define goals
2. Identify domain

• What results are you looking for (i.e. pressure drop, mass flow rate),
and how will they be used?
– What are your modeling options?
• What physical models will need to be included in your analysis
• What simplifying assumptions do you have to make?
• What simplifying assumptions can you make (i.e. symmetry, periodicity)?

• What degree of accuracy is required?

• How quickly do you need the results?

• Is CFD an appropriate tool?

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Introduction to the CFD Methodology

2. Identify the Domain You Will Model Customer Training Material

Problem Identification
1. Define goals
2. Identify domain

• How will you isolate a piece of the

complete physical system?

• Where will the computational

domain begin and end?
– Do you have boundary condition Domain of Interest
as Part of a Larger
information at these boundaries? System (not modeled)
– Can the boundary condition types
accommodate that information?
– Can you extend the domain to a point
where reasonable data exists?
Domain of interest
isolated and meshed
• Can it be simplified or approximated for CFD simulation.

as a 2D or axisymmetric problem?

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Introduction to the CFD Methodology

3. Create a Solid Model of the Domain Customer Training Material

Pre-Processing
3. Geometry
4. Mesh
5. Physics
6. Solver Settings

• How will you obtain a model of the fluid

region?
– Make use of existing CAD models?
– Extract the fluid region from a solid part? Original CAD Part
– Create from scratch?
• Can you simplify the geometry?
– Remove unnecessary features that would
complicate meshing (fillets, bolts…)?
– Make use of symmetry or periodicity?
• Are both the solution and boundary conditions
symmetric / periodic?
• Do you need to split the model so that Extracted
boundary conditions or domains can be Fluid Region
created?
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Introduction to the CFD Methodology

4. Design and Create the Mesh Customer Training Material

A mesh divides a geometry into

Pre-Processing
3. many elements. These are used by
Geometry
4. Meshing
the CFD solver to construct control
5. Physics
volumes
6.
Solver Settings

• What degree of mesh resolution is required in

each region of the domain?
– The mesh must resolve geometric features of
Triangle Quadrilateral interest and capture gradients of concern, e.g.
velocity, pressure, temperature gradients
– Can you predict regions of high gradients?
– Will you use adaption to add resolution?

Tetrahedron Hexahedron
• Do you have sufficient computer resources?
– How many cells/nodes are required?
– How many physical models will be used?

Pyramid Prism/Wedge

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary Release 13.0

© 2010 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. L2-8 December 2010
Introduction to the CFD Methodology

Tri/Tet vs. Quad/Hex Meshes Customer Training Material

For flow-aligned geometries:

– Quad/hex meshes can provide higher-

quality solutions with fewer cells/nodes
than a comparable tri/tet mesh

– Quad/hex meshes show reduced

numerical diffusion when the mesh is
aligned with the flow.

– It does require more effort to generate a

quad/hex mesh

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Introduction to the CFD Methodology

Tri/Tet vs. Quad/Hex Meshes Customer Training Material

For complex geometries:

– It would be impractical to generate a structured
(flow-aligned) hex mesh.
– You can save meshing effort by using a tri/tet
mesh or hybrid mesh
– Quick to generate

• Hybrid meshes typically combine tri/tet

elements with other elements in selected
regions
– For example, use wedge/
prism elements to resolve
boundary layers.
– More efficient and accurate
than tri/tet alone.
Wedge (prism) mesh
Tetrahedral mesh
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Introduction to the CFD Methodology

Non-Conformal Meshes Customer Training Material

Non conformal meshes:

– Usually when meshing, where two volumes meet, the

mesh should exactly match (conformal mesh).
– This will be the case if, in ANSYS DesignModeler all
the bodies are combined to form 1 part.

– If you have multiple parts the mesh will not match,

and in FLUENT you MUST set up a non-conformal
interface to pair the surfaces.

– Typical scenarios for using non-conformals are when

Compressor and Scroll
meshing very complex geometries and for sliding The compressor and scroll are
mesh applications. joined through a non conformal
interface. This serves to connect
the hex and tet meshes and also
allows a change in reference frame

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Introduction to the CFD Methodology

Set Up the Physics and Solver Settings Customer Training Material

Pre-Processing • For a given problem, you will need to:

Geometry
3.
Mesh
– Define material properties
4.
5. Physics • Fluid
6. Solver Settings • Solid
• Mixture
For complex problems
solving a simplified or 2D – Select appropriate physical models
problem will provide • Turbulence, combustion, multiphase, etc.
valuable experience with the – Prescribe operating conditions
models and solver settings
– Prescribe boundary conditions at all boundary
for your problem in a short
amount of time. zones
– Provide initial values or a previous solution
– Set up solver controls
– Set up convergence monitors

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Introduction to the CFD Methodology

Compute the Solution Customer Training Material

Solve • The discretised conservation equations are

7. Compute solution solved iteratively until convergence.

• Convergence is reached when:

– Changes in solution variables from one iteration
to the next are negligible.
• Residuals provide a mechanism to help
monitor this trend.
– Overall property conservation is achieved
• Imbalances measure global conservation
– Quantities of interest (e.g. drag, pressure drop) have
reached steady values.
• Monitor points track quantities of interest.

• The accuracy of a converged solution is

dependent upon:
– Appropriateness and accuracy of physical models.
A converged and mesh-
– Mesh resolution and independence
independent solution on a well-
posed problem will provide useful – Numerical errors
engineering results!

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Examine the Results Customer Training Material

9. Update Model
• Examine the results to review solution
and extract useful data
Post Processing – Visualization Tools can be used to answer
8. Examine results such questions as:
• What is the overall flow pattern?
• Is there separation?
• Where do shocks, shear layers, etc. form?
• Are key flow features being resolved?

– Numerical Reporting Tools can be used to

calculate quantitative results:
• Forces and Moments
• Average heat transfer coefficients
• Surface and Volume integrated quantities
• Flux Balances

Examine results to ensure property conservation

and correct physical behavior. High residuals
may be caused by just a few poor quality cells.

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Consider Revisions to the Model Customer Training Material

9. Update Model
• Are the physical models appropriate?
– Is the flow turbulent?
Post Processing
– Is the flow unsteady?
8. Examine results
– Are there compressibility effects?
– Are there 3D effects?

• Are the boundary conditions correct?

– Is the computational domain large enough?
– Are boundary conditions appropriate?
– Are boundary values reasonable?

• Is the mesh adequate?

– Can the mesh be refined to improve results?
– Does the solution change significantly with a refined
mesh, or is the solution mesh independent?
– Does the mesh resolution of the geometry need to be
improved?

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Introduction to the CFD Methodology

Demonstration of FLUENT Software Customer Training Material

• Start FLUENT (assume the mesh has

already been generated).
– Set up a simple problem.
– Solve the flow field.
– Postprocess the results.

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