CFD Code CFX Research Articles

CFD analysis of blade coating from a reservoir onto a horizontal substrate using a homogeneous two‐phase model

AbstractA two‐phase numerical analysis is performed of two‐dimensional, laminar, liquid flow from a reservoir onto a horizontal, rigid, moving substrate. The homogeneous two‐phase model in commercial CFD code CFX is used to model the liquid plus a region containing both liquid and air near the phase interface and downstream of the blade region. Slow convergence due to surface tension modelling required initialization from intermediate results omitting surface tension. Comparisons made with two previous numerical analyses demonstrate the performance of this approach. For a particular upstream reservoir geometry, the effects of changing the substrate speed and the liquid properties from a Newtonian fluid to a Carreau‐Yasuda non‐Newtonian fluid on the pressure field and the downstream film height are studied. The details of the liquid recirculation in the reservoir and the overall pressure distribution are discussed. New results are presented for the meniscus position and contact angle, which are fully predicted by the two‐phase approach. The meniscus position was strongly influenced by substrate speed and liquid properties, whereas the contact angle did not change significantly with changes in substrate speed and dynamic viscosity for the Newtonian fluid nor with changes in the functional parameters for the non‐Newtonian fluid.

Numerical study on heat transfer of SCW near the pseudo-critical temperature in a hexagon sub-channel

A numerical study was carried out to study the local heat transfer performance of supercritical water (SCW) within a hexagon bare inner sub-channel by using the commercial CFD code CFX. The main objective was to focus on the special thermal–hydraulic characteristics near the pseudo-critical temperature (PCT) at different working conditions. The results show that the secondary flow induced in the inner sub-channel is weak in comparison with the axial main flow, and becomes weaker near the PCT. A stagnation point of the secondary flow is created right at the narrow gap, which can partially explain the weak heat transfer near the narrow gap region. The nonuniform geometry of the sub-channel dominates the creation of a secondary flow in the sub-channel near the PCT. The fluid temperature very close to the cladding surface dominates the heat transfer enhancement of SCW within the sub-channel. The maximum values of the local heat transfer coefficient appear when the PCT is within the buffer layer of that angular position, indicating that the buffer layer is directly related to the heat transfer enhancement. The system parameters evidently affect the heat transfer performance, and the corresponding local heat transfer performance varies differently in the circumferential direction.

충돌제트에서의 유량공급 채널 및 제트 홀 배열에 따른 열유동 특성 수치해석

유량공급 채널 및 제트 홀 배열이 충돌제트의 열유동 특성에 미치는 영향을 분석하기 위하여 수치해석을 수행하였다. 유량공급 채널 내에 있는 제트 홀은 전연면 채널의 중심축으로부터 일열 또는 엇갈림 배열로 되어 있다. ICEMCFD 소프트웨어를 사용하여 해석영역을 정렬 격자로 모델링하였으며, 수치해석은 CFD 코드인 CFX 15.0으로 수행하였다. 본 해석 결과의 타당성은 타 연구자들의 실험 및 수치해석 결과와의 비교를 통해 검증하였다. 일열 또는 엇갈림 배열인 경우에 충돌 제트의 질량유량 및 충돌면에서의 Nusselt 수 분포에 대해 비교 분석하였다. A numerical analysis is performed to investigate the effect of a supply channel and jet hole arrangement on the heat flow characteristics of impingement jet. The jet holes in a supply channel are composed of a single or staggered array from the center of a leading edge channel. The software ICEMCFD is used to generate the structured grids for calculation domain and a CFD code CFX 15.0 to perform the simulation. The present solutions are validated by comparison with the experimental and numerical ones of others. A comparison of mass flow rates of impingement jets and Nusselt numbers on the impingement surface for the single or staggered arrays is made.

Multi-point optimization of recirculation flow type casing treatment in centrifugal compressors

High-pressure ratio and wide operating range are highly required for a turbocharger in diesel engines. A recirculation flow type casing treatment is effective for flow range enhancement of centrifugal compressors. Two ring grooves on a suction pipe and a shroud casing wall are connected by means of an annular passage and stable recirculation flow is formed at small flow rates from the downstream groove toward the upstream groove through the annular bypass. The shape of baseline recirculation flow type casing is modified and optimized by using a multi-point optimization code with a metamodel assisted evolutionary algorithm embedding a commercial CFD code CFX from ANSYS. The numerical optimization results give the optimized design of casing with improving adiabatic efficiency in wide operating flow rate range. Sensitivity analysis of design parameters as a function of efficiency has been performed. It is found that the optimized casing design provides optimized recirculation flow rate, in which an increment of entropy rise is minimized at grooves and passages of the rotating impeller.

Assessment of subcooled boiling wall boundary correlations for two-fluid model CFD

Abstract An assessment of the heat and mass transfer wall boundary conditions used for subcooled boiling simulations with a CFD two-fluid model has been performed. This assessment was focused on the wall heat flux partitioning model using the state-of-the-art multidimensional Freon experimental data available in the literature. Various constitutive relations used to close the vapor generation rate at the heated wall were studied in order to obtain the best suited combination(s). The current study was restricted to vertical flows through pipe and annulus geometries. Two Freon data sets from the literature were considered: the first with R12 at about 2.6 MPa pressure and the second with R113 at 269 kPa pressure. In these data sets, the bubble diameter distribution measurements across the ducts were available. Bubble diameter estimation is the largest uncertainty in the boiling two-fluid model predictions and hence using the data with known bubble sizes allowed to focus on the assessment of other parameters to model vapor generation rate at the wall, in particular bubble nucleation site density and bubble departure frequency. From the parametric simulations with different combinations of the nucleation site density and frequency models, the discrepancy in obtaining a consistent frequency model for Freon became evident. The state-of-the-art frequency model under consideration is a function of the wall temperature which is estimated using a well-known empirical nucleate boiling heat transfer coefficient correlation. The frequency model provided inaccurate predictions in cases where the nucleate boiling heat transfer coefficient was inadequate to predict the wall superheat. The frequency model is now improved by using a more recent nucleate boiling heat transfer coefficient correlation with wider applicability, i.e., Freon. The simulations were carried out using the CFD code CFX (version 12). The Freon data used here corresponds to fluid-vapor density ratios ranging from 6 to 76. This assessment validated a consistent site density-departure frequency correlation combination for subcooled boiling simulations which has not been used so far for CFD simulations and an extension of the applicability of the correlation combination to high pressure steam–water conditions due to the favorable scaling of Freon physical properties.

Application of a new concept for multi-scale interfacial structures to the dam-break case with an obstacle

New results of a generalized concept developed for the simulation of two-phase flows with multi-scale interfacial structures are presented in this paper. By extending the inhomogeneus Multiple Size Group-model, the concept enables transitions between dispersed and continuous gas morphologies, including the appearance and evanescence of one of these particular gas phases. Adequate interfacial transfer formulations, which are consistent with such an approach, are introduced for interfacial area density and drag. A new drag-formulation considers shear stresses occurring within the free surface area.The application of the concept to a collapsing water column demonstrates the breakup of continuous gas into a polydispersed phase forming different bubble sizes underneath the free surface. Thus, both resolved free surface structures as well as the entrainment of bubbles and their coalescence and breakup underneath the surface can be described in the same time. The simulations have been performed with the CFD-code CFX 14.0 and will be compared with experimental images.The paper will further investigate the possible improvement of such free surface simulations by including sub-grid information about small waves and instabilities at the free surface. A comparison of the results will be used for a discussion of possible new mass transfer models between filtered free surface areas and dispersed bubble size groups as part of the future work.

Numerical simulation of unsteady cavitating flows around a transient pitching hydrofoil

The objective of this paper is to improve the understanding of the influence of multiphase flow on the turbulent closure model, the interplay between vorticity fields and cavity dynamics around a pitching hydrofoil. The effects of pitching rate on the subcavitating and cavitating response of the pitching hydrofoil are also investigated. In particular, we focus on the interactions between cavity inception, growth, and shedding and the vortex flow structures, and their impacts on the hydrofoil performance. The calculations are 2-D and performed by solving the incompressible, multiphase Unsteady Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes (URANS) equations via the commercial CFD code CFX. The k-ω SST (Shear Stress Transport) turbulence model is used along with the transport equation-based cavitation models. The density correction function is considered to reduce the eddy viscosity according to the computed local fluid mixture density. The calculation results are validated with experiments conducted by Ducoin et al. (see Computational and experimental investigation of flow over a transient pitching hydrofoil, Eur J Mech/B Fluids, 2009, 28: 728–743 and An experimental analysis of fluid structure interaction of a flexible hydrofoil in various flow regimes including cavitating flow, Eur J Mech B/fluids, 2012, 36: 63–74). Results are shown for a NACA66 hydrofoil subject to slow (quasi static, \(\dot \alpha = {{6^ \circ } \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{6^ \circ } s}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} s}\), \(\dot \alpha ^ * = 0.18\)) and fast (dynamic, \(\dot \alpha = {{63^ \circ } \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{63^ \circ } s}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} s}\), \(\dot \alpha ^ * = 1.89\)) pitching motions from α = 0° to α = 15°. Both subcavitaing (σ=8.0) and cavitating (σ=3.0) flows are considered. For subcavitating flow (σ=8.0), low frequency fluctuations have been observed when the leading edge vortex shedding occurs during stall, and delay of stall is observed with increasing pitching velocity. For cavitating flow (σ=3.0), small leading edge cavities are observed with the slow pitching case, which significantly modified the vortex dynamics at high angles of attack, leading to high frequency fluctuations of the hydrodynamic coefficients and different stall behaviors compared to the subcavitating flow at the same pitching rate. On the other hand, for the fast pitching case at σ=3.0, large-scale sheet/cloud cavitation is observed, the cavity behavior is unsteady and has a strong impact on the hydrodynamic response, which leads to high amplitude fluctuations of the hydrodynamic coefficients, as well as significant changes in the stall and post-stall behavior. The numerical results also show that the local density modification helps to reduce turbulent eddy viscosity in the cavitating region, which significantly modifies the cavity lengths and shedding frequencies, particularly for the fast pitching case. In general, compared with the experimental visualizations, the numerical results with local density correction have been found to agree well with experimental measurements and observations for both slow and fast transient pitching cases.

Numerical Evaluation of Two-Phase Flow in Orthogonal Pipe under High Gravity

In order to follow the technical progress in the filed of aeronautics and astronautics, a numerical investigation into flow characteristic of two-phase flow under high gravity (hi-g) condition is performed. Using the CFD code CFX, the two-phase flow in orthogonal pipe under high gravity condition has been evaluated, and the effects of hi-g on two-phase flow characteristic have been analyzed. Compared with the static condition, the flow pattern, volume fraction, velocity and pressure distributions, pressure drop through the pipe are quite different under hi-g, depending on the magnitude and direction.

Numerical Investigation of Turbulence Models for Free Jet Flow

The turbulent jets with swirl are of particularly significant and practical interest in various fields of industry. The present numerical study concerns the comparison between three models of turbulence for the forecast of a turbulent free axi-symmetric jet with turbulence and his development. The software used was CFD code Fluent with his three turbulence models namely k-, k- and RSM. This different turbulence models are tested to better simulate and view the effectiveness of models in the description of the jet behaviour. The parameters of flow examined are the velocity profile of jet at Reynolds number of 22000. Comparisons between numerical predictions and experimental measurements taken from the technical literature for the case of natural jet development show that the numerical techniques of Computational Fluid Dynamics are an important tool for studying the jet’s behaviour. The results indicate that the RSM models is higher than the k- and k- models when looking at changes in velocity profile behaviour towards experimental profile, the k- model can be used for predicting re-circulating flows if we are interested in global settings only. The prediction obtained by k- model is far from experimental results. It is misadvised to use k- model for the jets analysis. The better numerical results were obtained by CFD code CFX, where results are in good agreement with the experimental results.

CFD Modeling of Gas-Liquid Bubbly Flow in Horizontal Pipes: Influence of Bubble Coalescence and Breakup

Modelling of gas-liquid bubbly flows is achieved by coupling a population balance equation with the three-dimensional, two-fluid, hydrodynamic model. For gas-liquid bubbly flows, an average bubble number density transport equation has been incorporated in the CFD code CFX 5.7 to describe the temporal and spatial evolution of the gas bubbles population. The coalescence and breakage effects of the gas bubbles are modeled. The coalescence by the random collision driven by turbulence and wake entrainment is considered, while for bubble breakage, the impact of turbulent eddies is considered. Local spatial variations of the gas volume fraction, interfacial area concentration, Sauter mean bubble diameter, and liquid velocity are compared against experimental data in a horizontal pipe, covering a range of gas (0.25 to 1.34 m/s) and liquid (3.74 to 5.1 m/s) superficial velocities and average volume fractions (4% to 21%). The predicted local variations are in good agreement with the experimental measurements reported in the literature. Furthermore, the development of the flow pattern was examined at three different axial locations ofL/D= 25, 148, and 253. The first location is close to the entrance region where the flow is still developing, while the second and the third represent nearly fully developed bubbly flow patterns.

Numerical study of a bubble plume generated by bubble entrainment from an impinging jet

The current paper presents the prediction results of a bubbly flow under plunging jet conditions using multiphase mono- and poly-dispersed approaches. The models consider interfacial momentum transfer terms arising from drag, lift, and turbulent dispersion force for the different bubble sizes. The turbulence is modeled by an extended k– ɛ model which accounts for bubble induced turbulence. Furthermore in case of a poly-dispersed air–water flow the bubble size distribution, bubble break-up and coalescence processes as well as different gas velocities in dependency on the bubble diameter are taken into account using the Inhomogeneous MUSIG model. This model is a generalized inhomogeneous multiple size group model based on the Eulerian modeling framework which was developed in the framework of a cooperative work between ANSYS-CFX and Forschungszentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (FZD). The latter is now implemented into the CFD code CFX. According to the correlation on the lateral lift force obtained by Tomiyama (1998); this force changes its sign in dependence on the bubble size. Consequently the entrained small bubbles are trapped below the jet. They can escape from the bubble plume only by turbulent fluctuations or by coalescence. If the size of the bubbles generated by coalescence exceeds the size at which the lift force changes its sign these large bubbles go out from the plume and rise to the surface. A turbulent model based on an additional source term for turbulence kinetic energy and turbulence eddy dissipation equation is compared to the common concept for modeling the turbulence quantities proposed by Sato et al. (1981). It has been found that the large bubble distribution is slightly affected by the turbulence modeling which affects particularly the bubble coalescence and break-up process.

A population balance approach considering heat and mass transfer—Experiments and CFD simulations

Bubble condensation in sub-cooled water is a complex process, to which various phenomena contribute. Since the condensation rate depends on the interfacial area density, bubble size distribution changes caused by breakup and coalescence play a crucial role. Experiments on steam bubble condensation in vertical co-current steam/water flows have been carried out in an 8 m long vertical DN200 pipe. Steam is injected into the pipe and the development of the bubbly flow is measured at different distances to the injection using a pair of wire mesh sensors. By varying the steam nozzle diameter the initial bubble size can be influenced. Larger bubbles come along with a lower interfacial area density and therefore condensate slower. Steam pressures between 1 and 6.5 MPa and sub-cooling temperatures from 2 to 12 K were applied. Due to the pressure drop along the pipe, the saturation temperature falls towards the upper pipe end. This affects the sub-cooling temperature and can even cause re-evaporation in the upper part of the test section. The experimental configurations are simulated with the CFD code CFX using an extended MUSIG approach, which includes the bubble shrinking or growth due to condensation or re-evaporation. The development of the vapour phase along the pipe with respect to vapour void fractions and bubble sizes is qualitatively well reproduced in the simulations. For a better quantitative reproduction, reliable models for the heat transfer at high Reynolds number as well as for bubble breakup and coalescence are needed.

Extension of the inhomogeneous MUSIG model for bubble condensation

Bubble condensation plays an important role, e.g. in sub-cooled boiling or steam injection into pools. Since the condensation rate is proportional to the interfacial area density, bubble size distributions have to be considered in an adequate modeling of the condensation process. The effect of bubble sizes was clearly shown in experimental investigations done previously at the TOPFLOW facility of FZD. Steam bubbles were injected into a sub-cooled upward pipe flow via orifices in the pipe wall located at different distances from measuring plane. 1 mm and 4 mm injection orifices were used to vary the initial bubble size distribution. Measurements were done using a wire-mesh sensor. Condensation is clearly faster in case of the injection via the smaller orifices, i.e. in case of smaller bubble sizes. Recently the Inhomogeneous MUSIG model was implemented into the CFD code CFX from ANSYS enabling the simulation of poly-dispersed flows including the effects of separation of small and large bubbles due to bubble size dependent lift force inversion. It allows to divide the dispersed phase into size classes regarding the mass as well as regarding the momentum balance. Up to now transfers between the classes in the mass balance can be considered only by bubble coalescence and breakup (population balance). Here an extension of the model is proposed to include the effects due to phase transfer. The paper focuses on the derivation of equations for the extension of the Inhomogeneous MUSIG model and presents some first results for verification and validation.

Appropriate boundary conditions for computational wind engineering models revisited

At the first Computational Wind Engineering conference in 1992 “Appropriate boundary conditions for computational wind engineering models using the k–ε turbulence model” were proposed. In this paper it is shown that these conditions can be directly derived by treating the onset flow as a horizontally homogeneous turbulent surface layer, with the flow being driven by a shear stress at the top boundary. This approach is extended to provide the inlet profiles and boundary conditions appropriate for modelling the flow using the standard k–ε, RNG k–ε, Wilcox k–ω and LRR QI turbulence models. Means for their application within the commercial CFD code CFX 12.0 are given. It is shown that within the flow the various turbulence model constants set the effective value of von Kármán's constant, which does vary slightly between models. The discrepancy between the turbulence level set by the standard turbulence model constants and that observed in the atmosphere is discussed. Problems with excessive turbulence generation near the ground and the over-prediction of stagnation pressures are discussed and possible solutions proposed.

3-Dimensional Coupled Neutronic and Thermal-Hydraulic Calculations for a Compact Core Combining MCNPX and CFX

The neutronic Monte Carlo code MCNPX and the thermal-hydraulic CFD code CFX have been coupled to satisfy the increasing demand for 3-dimensional results with high spatial resolution in nuclear reactor physics. In a first step, results for an evolute shaped fuel plate of a symmetric compact core and an attached cooling channel in the fuel element of FRM II were regarded.

Simulation of containment jet flows including condensation

The validation of a CFD code for light-water reactor containment applications requires among others the presence of steam in the different flow types like jets or buoyant plumes and leads to the need to simulate condensation phenomena. In this context the paper addresses the simulation of two “HYJET” experiments from the former Battelle Model Containment by the CFD code CFX. These experiments involve jet releases into the multi-compartment geometry of the test facility accompanied by condensation of steam at walls and in the bulk gas. In both experiments mixtures of helium and steam are injected. Helium is used to simulate hydrogen. One experiment represents a fast jet whereas in the second test a slow release of helium and steam is investigated. CFX was earlier extended by bulk and wall condensation models and is able to model all relevant phenomena observed during the experiments. The paper focuses on the simulation of the two experiments employing an identical model set-up. This provides together with other validation exercises the information on how well a wider range of flowing conditions in a full containment simulation can be covered with a single set of models (e.g. turbulence and condensation model). Some aspects related to numerical and modelling uncertainties of CFD calculations are included in the paper by investigating different turbulence models together with the modelling errors of the differencing schemes applied.

CFD modelling of polydispersed bubbly two-phase flow around an obstacle

A population balance model (the Inhomogeneous MUSIG model) has recently been developed in close cooperation between ANSYS-CFX and Forschungszentrum Dresden-Rossendorf and implemented into the CFD-Code CFX [Krepper, E., Lucas, D., Prasser, H.-M, 2005. On the modelling of bubbly flow in vertical pipes. Nucl. Eng. Des. 235, 597–611; Frank, T., Zwart, P.J., Shi, J.-M., Krepper, E., Rohde, U., 2005. Inhomogeneous MUSIG Model—a population balance approach for polydispersed bubbly flows, International Conference “Nuclear Energy for New Europe 2005”, Bled, Slovenia, September 5–8, 2005; Krepper, E., Beyer, M., Frank, Th., Lucas, D., Prasser, H.-M., 2007. Application of a population balance approach for polydispersed bubbly flows, 6th Int. Conf. on Multiphase Flow Leipzig 2007, (paper 378)]. The current paper presents a brief description of the model principles. The capabilities of this model are discussed via the example of a bubbly flow around a half-moon shaped obstacle arranged in a 200 mm pipe. In applying the Inhomogeneous MUSIG approach, a deeper understanding of the flow structures is possible and the model allows effects of polydispersion to be investigated. For the complex flow around the obstacle, the general structure of the flow was well reproduced in the simulations. This test case demonstrates the complicated interplay between size dependent bubble migration and the effects of bubble coalescence and breakup on real flows. The closure models that characterize the bubble forces responsible for the simulation of bubble migration show agreement with the experimental observations. However, clear deviations occur for bubble coalescence and fragmentation. The models applied here, which describe bubble fragmentation and coalescence could be proved as a weakness in the validity of numerous CFD analyses of vertical upward two-phase pipe flow. Further work on this topic is under way.

Mathematical modelling of an industrial furnace for high‐temperature heat treatment of wood

AbstractThere are various high‐temperature treatment methods for wood. In the “Bois Perdure” process, the thermal treatment of wood is carried out in a furnace by contacting it with hot combustion gases over 200°C without the addition of any chemicals in order to improve its dimensional stability and durability. The treatment eliminates free and bound water in the wood and modifies its molecular structure. In this study, a mathematical model describing the industrial furnace has been developed. The overall model consists of a 3‐D unsteady‐state sub‐model which solves for the flow, heat, and mass transfer in the gas coupled with a 1‐D unsteady‐state sub‐model which calculates the heat and mass transfer in the wood. The 3‐D gas sub‐model was developed using the commercial CFD code CFX. The 1‐D wood sub‐model is based on the solution of simultaneous heat and mass transfer equations (Luikov equations) using the implicit finite difference formulation. The model predicts the temperature and moisture distributions in the wood as well as the flow, heat, and moisture profiles in the gas. The model results are compared with the data obtained from the industrial furnace, and a good agreement was found between them.

The inhomogeneous MUSIG model for the simulation of polydispersed flows

A generalized inhomogeneous multiple size group (MUSIG) model based on the Eulerian modeling framework was developed in close cooperation of ANSYS-CFX and Forschungszentrum Dresden-Rossendorf and implemented into the CFD code CFX. The model enables the subdivision of the dispersed phase into a number of size groups regarding the mass balance as well as regarding the momentum balance. In this work, the special case of polydispersed bubbly flow is considered. By simulating such flows, the mass exchanged between bubble size classes by bubble coalescence and bubble fragmentation, as well as the momentum transfer between the bubbles and the surrounding liquid due to bubble size dependent interfacial forces have to be considered. Particularly the lift force has been proven to play an important role in establishing a certain bubble size distribution dependent flow regime. In a previous study [Krepper, E., Lucas, D., Prasser, H.-M., 2005. On the modeling of bubbly flow in vertical pipes. Nucl. Eng. Des. 235, 597–611] the application of such effects were considered and justified and a general outline of such a model concept was given. In this paper the model and its validation for several vertical pipe flow situations is presented. The experimental data were obtained from the TOPFLOW test facility at the Forschungszentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (FZD). The wire-mesh technology measuring local gas volume fractions, bubble size distributions and velocities of gas and liquid phases were employed. The inhomogeneous MUSIG model approach was shown as capable of describing bubbly flows with higher gas content. Particularly the separation phenomenon of small and large bubbles is well described. This separation has been proven as a key phenomenon in the establishment of the corresponding flow regime. Weaknesses in this approach can be attributed to the characterization of bubble coalescence and bubble fragmentation, which must be further investigated.

입구부 형상이 수중 카고 펌프의 성능에 미치는 영향

In this paper, effects of inlet shape on the performance of a submerged cargo pump were numerically studied using a commercial CFD code CFX. The inlet shape, especially the gap between pump and suction well, is an important parameter in a point of view of performances of submerged cargo pump due to its effects on the residual and also hydraulic performance of the pump, respectively. To know the optimized gap, the overall performance degradations were calculated with the gap. In addition to that, the flow field through the gap was investigated to explain the effect of velocity non-uniformity on the performance of the pump impeller.