Boundary Conditions

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Defining Boundary Conditions

• To define boundary conditions:

– Identify the location and type of boundary (e.g.
inlet, wall, symmetry) Outlet
– specify values defining quantities there Wall
• For mass flow, momentum, energy, etc. into Inlet
the domain
• Locate boundaries where flow variables have
known values or can be adequately
approximated Symmetry Opening
– Poorly-defined boundary conditions can have a
significant impact on your solution

Domains Boundary Conditions Sources

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Inlets and Outlets

• Inlets are for regions where inflow is expected; however, inlets also
support outflow when velocity is specified
Velocity Specified Condition Pressure or Mass Flow Condition
Inlet Inlet
Inflow Inflow
Outflow allowed
allowed
allowed
Artificial wall prevents outflow

• Velocity specified inlets are intended for incompressible flows

• Pressure and mass flow inlets are suitable for compressible and
incompressible flows
• The same concept applies to outlets
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Openings

• Opening boundaries allow both inflow and outflow

• You have to provide information on conditions, e.g. temperature, turbulence,
composition, that apply to fluid flowing into the domain
• Do not use opening as an excuse for a poorly placed boundary
Pressure Specified Opening
Inlet
Inflow
allowed
Outflow
allowed

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Symmetry

• Reduce computational effort

• No inputs are required symmetry
planes
• Flow field as well as geometry must be
symmetric:
– Zero normal velocity at symmetry plane
– Zero normal gradients of all variables at
symmetry plane
– Must take care to correctly define symmetry
boundary locations

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Specifying Well Posed Boundary Conditions

Consider a case which contains separate air & fuel supply. Three possible approaches in
locating inlet boundaries are:
1. Upstream of manifold
• Can use uniform profiles natural profiles will develop
in pipes
• Requires more elements
2. Nozzle inlet plane
• Requires accurate velocity profile data for the air and
fuel
3. Nozzle outlet plane
• Requires accurate velocity profile data and accurate
profile data for the mixture fractions of air and fuel

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Specifying Well Posed Boundary Conditions

Upper pressure boundary modified to
• If possible, select boundary location ensure that flow always enters domain
and shape such that flow either goes
in or out
• Should not observe large gradients in
direction normal to boundary
– Indicates incorrect boundary condition
location

This outlet is poorly located. It should be

moved further downstream
Domains Boundary Conditions Sources
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 Specifying Well Posed Boundary Conditions

• Boundaries placed over recirculation

zones
– Poor Location: Apply an opening to Opening
allow inflow
– Better Location: Apply an outlet with
an accurate velocity/pressure profile Outlet

– Ideal Location: Apply an outlet

downstream of the recirculation zone
to allow the flow to develop. This Outlet
will make it easier to specify accurate
flow conditions

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Domains Boundary Conditions Sources

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 Specifying Well Posed Boundary Conditions

• Turbulence at the Inlet

– Nominal turbulence intensities range from 1% to 5% but depend on
specific application.
– Default turbulence intensity value of 0.037 (that is, 3.7%) is the
nominal turbulence through a circular inlet and is a good estimate in
the absence of experimental data.
– Where turbulence is generated by wall friction, consider extending the
domain upstream to allow the walls to generate turbulence and the
flow to become developed

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Domains Boundary Conditions Sources

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Specifying Well Posed Boundary Conditions

• External Flow
– A structure has height H & width W, the domain should be at least 5H high, 10W wide,
with at least 2H upstream of the building & 10H downstream.
– Verify that there are no significant pressure gradients normal to any of the boundaries
of the domain. If there are, enlarge the size of domain.

W
Concentrate mesh in 5W
H regions of high gradients

10W At least 2H 10H

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Specifying Well Posed Boundary Conditions

• Symmetry Plane and the Coanda Effect

– Symmetric geometry does not necessarily mean symmetric flow
– Example: The coanda effect. A jet entering at the center of a
symmetrical duct will tend to attach to one side above a certain
Reynolds number

Coanda effect not

allowed

No Symmetry Plane Symmetry Plane

Domains Boundary Conditions Sources

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 Specifying Well Posed Boundary Conditions

• When there is 1 Inlet and 1 Outlet

Inlet Outlet Result
Most Robust Velocity/Mass Flow Static Pressure Inlet Total Pressure is an implicit result of
the prediction.
Robust Total Pressure Velocity/Mass Flow Static Pressure at Outlet and Velocity at
Inlet are part of the solution

Sensitive to Initial Total Pressure Static Pressure The system Mass Flow is part of the
Guess solution
Very Unreliable Static Pressure Static Pressure Not recommended as Inlet Total Pressure
level and Mass Flow are implicit result of
the prediction

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 Specifying Well Posed Boundary Conditions

• At least one boundary should specify Pressure (either Total or Static)

• Outlets that vent to the atmosphere typically use a Static Pressure boundary
condition
• Inlets that draw flow in from the atmosphere often use a Total Pressure boundary
condition (e.g. an open window)
• Mass flow inlets produce a uniform velocity profile over the inlet
• For a mass flow outlet, the mass flow distribution, by default, is based on the
upstream profile and the pressure distribution is an implicit part of the solution.
• Pressure specified boundary conditions allow a natural velocity profile to develop

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 Source Terms
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Source Terms

• Sources add additional terms to the transport equations

Energy Transport Equation

Transient Convection Conduction Viscous work Source

• They provide a source (or sink) of the solved variable, e.g.

– A source term added to the energy transport equation represents a source of heat
– A source term added to the momentum equations represents added work e.g. a pump
– Source terms are often used as “black-boxes”

Domains Boundary Conditions Sources

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 3D, 2D and 1D Sources

• Sources can be applied at a 3D, 2D or 1D

location Solid heater with
energy source
• 3D sources are applied on a Subdomain, a term
volume defined over all or part of a
domain
• 2D sources are applied at boundaries
(Sources tab)
• Source points act on a single mesh Dispersion of
element, defined by Cartesian an Additional
Coordinates Variable from
a point source
Domains Boundary Conditions Sources
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