COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS

Presented by
Dr. Hesham M. Khalil
The different disciplines involved in computational fluid dynamics
 Study of Fluids at Rest Study of Fluids at Motion

• CFD is particularly dedicated to the second section, fluids that are in motion, and how the fluid-
flow behavior influences processes that may include heat transfer and possibly chemical
reactions in combusting flows.

Computational Fluid Dynamics

 Described through

Usually Partially
Differential Equations

• These mathematical equations govern a process of interest and are often called Governing
Equations in CFD.
• In order to solve these mathematical equations, computer scientists using high-level computer
programming languages convert the equations into computer programs or software packages.
Computational Fluid Dynamics

To attain

Hence,
The three basic approaches to solve problems in fluid dynamics and heat transfer.
• Traditionally, both experimental and analytical methods have been used to study the

various aspects of fluid dynamics and to assist engineers in the design of equipment

and industrial processes involving fluid flow and heat transfer.

• With the advent of digital computers, the computational (numerical) aspect has emerged

as another viable approach.

• Although the analytical method is still practiced by many, and experiments will continue

to be significantly performed, the trend is clearly toward greater reliance on the

computational approach for industrial designs, particularly when the fluid flows are very

complex.
• In the past, CFD users invested a substantial amount of time writing their own computer

programs.

• With the increasing demands from industries or even within academia to acquire

knowledge of CFD in a much shorter time, interest in writing original computer programs

is decreases, in favor of using commercially available software packages.

• With the advancement of models to better encapsulate the flow physics, these software

packages are gaining wide acceptance.

• Writing and testing the computer codes has been thoroughly carried out by the

“developers” in the respective software companies, hence, today’s potential CFD users

are relieved of dealing with these issues.

• Despite well-developed methodologies within the computational codes, CFD is certainly

more than just being proficient in operating software packages.

• Bearing this in mind, the primary focus of this course is, therefore, to educate potential

users in how to employ CFD judiciously.

• The course aims equally at supplementing the understanding of underlying basic

concepts and at the technical know-how in better tackling fluid-flow problems.

• CFD has indeed become a powerful tool that can be employed either for pure/applied

research or for industrial applications.

A Research Tool

(A) (B)

Example of A CFD numerical experiment for A flow past two side-by-side cylinders:
(A) experimental observation and (B) numerical simulation.
Aerospace Industry

Example of CFD results for applications in the aerospace and defense industries (both courtesy of ANSYS-
FLUENT).
Automotive Engineering

Examples of automotive aerodynamics. (Both courtesy of ANSYS-FLUENT)

Automotive Engineering

Example of CFD applications in A diesel

internal combustion engine.
(Courtesy of ansys-fluent, internal
combustion engine design)
Biomedical Science and Engineering

Example of CFD prediction of wall

shear stress (WSS) for originally
stenosed and virtually stented
arteries
Biomedical Science and Engineering

Example of predicted velocity profiles

for originally stenosed and virtually
stented arteries.
Biomedical Science and Engineering

Example of CFD application for particle

formation/dispersion from nasal sprayers
And particle transport/deposition in the nasal
cavity.
Biomedical Science and Engineering

Example of bronchial tree geometry created from CT data for CFD simulation.
Chemical and Mineral Processing

Example of CFD application in the simulation of A gas-sparged stirred tank reactor.

Chemical and Mineral Processing

Example of CFD application in the simulation of A gas cyclone and A hydrocyclone.

(Courtesy of ansys-fluent and esss and petrobas, ansys-cfx)
Civil and Environmental Engineering

Example of CFD application to plume dispersion from A cooling tower.

(Courtesy of ansys-fluent)
Civil and Environmental Engineering

Example of CFD application to the construction of A new tank at A water treatment plant.
The top right-hand corner of the figure describes the CFD simulation of the water tank that will be installed
within the excavated construction site. (Courtesy of MMI engineering)
Power Generation

Example of CFD application to prediction of the

velocity field of A wind turbine and
In the vicinity of A proposed wind farm for power.
(Courtesy of tu¨ v nord e.V. And CENER)
Metallurgy

Example of CFD application to the flow of air and water around the Itsukushima
Torii (Gate) located in the sea near Hiroshima, Japan. (Courtesy of ANSYS-FLUENT)
Sports

Example of CFD application for designing the optimum stroke.

(Courtesy of USA Swimming, Honeywell Engines and Systems, and ANSYS-FLUENT)
Pre-Processor Solver
• •
•
Transport Equations Physical Models

• Mass • Turbulence
• Momentum • Combustion
• Energy • Radiation
• Equation of State
• Other transport
variables

Solver Settings
Post-Processor
• Initialization
• • Solution Control
• • Monitoring Solution
Case 1
Fluid flowing between two
stationary parallel plates.
Case 2
Fluid passing over two cylinders
in an open surrounding.
 Case 1
Structured meshing for fluid flowing between two stationary parallel plates.
 Case 2
Unstructured meshing for fluid passing over two cylinders in an open surrounding.
A flowchart encapsulating the
various flow physics in CFD.
• For simplicity, a steady CFD solution is considered for Case 1 and Case 2,
• The fluid flows in both cases can be taken to be viscous, laminar, incompressible, and
isothermal (without heat transfer).
• It is important that setting up the flow physics is also accompanied by ascertaining what
fluid is used within the flow domain.
• For example, air or water has its own unique fluid and thermal properties. Therefore,
the appropriate properties need to be assigned to correctly define the particular fluid in
the pre-process step.
• Fluid properties like density and viscosity (dynamic) can usually be imposed through
the GUIs in many commercial CFD codes.
Boundary conditions for an internal flow problem: Case 1.
Boundary conditions
for an external flow
problem: Case 2.
Definition of symmetry boundary condition for Case 1.
Definition of cyclic boundary condition (BC) for a generic geometry.
An overview of the solution procedure.
X-Y Plots

X-Y plot of a parabolic laminar

velocity profile at the fully developed
region for Case 1.
X-Y Plots

Successive two-dimensional velocity profiles of a developing flow for Case 1.

Vector Plots

Velocity vectors showing the flow development along the parallel-plate channel for Case 1.
Vector Plots

Velocity vectors accentuating the

localized wake recirculation
zones behind the two cylinders
for Case 2.
Contour Plots

Flooded contours on a rainbow-scale color map for the distribution of Case 1 normalized velocity.
Contour Plots

Flooded contours on a gray-scale

color map for the distribution of
Case 2 dynamic pressure.
Other Plots

Streamline plot emphasizing the

definitive localized wake
recirculation zones behind the two
cylinders for Case 2.
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