FEEG2003:

Introduction to
CFD – A base
case
Dr. Lindsay-Marie Armstrong
May 2022
Week 31
i. CFD L1.1: Benchmark case

Bench case discussion - Backwards step

Pre-processing - mesh generation

CFD simulation - model set up

- boundary conditions
- solution methods
- initialisation and GO!
- monitoring and convergence

Post-processing - contour plots

- vector plots
- xy plots

2
CFD L1.1: Base case discussion – Backward facing step
Why the backward facing step?

3
CFD L1.1: Base case discussion – Backward facing step
Experimental investigation

4
Week 31
ii. CFD L1.2: Pre-processing

Bench case discussion - Backwards step

Pre-processing - mesh generation

CFD simulation - model set up

- boundary conditions
- solution methods
- initialisation and GO!
- monitoring and convergence

Post-processing - contour plots

- vector plots
- xy plots

5
Week 31
ii. CFD L1.2: Pre-processing – mesh generation
Why do we need a mesh?

Question: what do we actually need the mesh for?

Week 31
ii. CFD L1.2: Pre-processing – mesh generation
Why do we need a mesh?

Question: what do we actually need the mesh for?

➢ In CFD the meshing provides the critical template to solve the
governing partial differential equations.

➢ A full domain can be incredibly complex so solving the partial

differential equations within smaller, individual cell captures the
physics within specific regions.

➢ Bringing information from neighbouring cells drives the solution from

the bigger picture thus providing a solution for the complete simulation
Week 31
ii. CFD L1.2: Pre-processing – mesh generation
What is a mesh?

Cells

8
Week 31
ii. CFD L1.2: Pre-processing – mesh generation
What is a mesh?

Cell centres Cells

9
Week 31
ii. CFD L1.2: Pre-processing – mesh generation
What is a mesh?

Cell centres Cells

Nodes
10
Week 31
ii. CFD L1.2: Pre-processing – mesh generation
What is a mesh?

Cell centres Cells

Edge
3D - make up Nodes
a face 11
Week 31
ii. CFD L1.2: Pre-processing – mesh generation
Why do we need a mesh?

𝑝𝑐

𝜌𝑐

𝑥𝑐

𝑦𝑐

Etc.

12
Week 31
ii. CFD L1.2: Pre-processing – mesh generation
How important is mesh size?

Mesh size – 1 mm

13
Week 31
ii. CFD L1.2: Pre-processing – mesh generation
How important is mesh size?

Mesh size – 1 mm

Mesh size – 0.5 mm

We will explore this more next week! 14

Week 31
iii. CFD L1.3: CFD simulation

Bench case discussion - Backwards step

Pre-processing - mesh generation

CFD simulation - model set up

- boundary conditions
- solution methods
- initialisation and GO!

Post-processing - contour plots

- vector plots
- xy plots

15
Week 31
iii. CFD L1.3: CFD simulation – ANSYS FLUENT
Introducing… ANSYS Fluent

16
Week 31
iii. CFD L1.3: CFD simulation – ANSYS FLUENT
Introducing… ANSYS Fluent GUI
Graphic User
Interface

Model Set Up
- Sets up models Screen
- Defined - displays the mesh, boundaries, etc,
materials and - Visualises results
boundaries - Shows the residuals (i.e., errors
- Initialises and after iterations)
starts
simulations

Command Prompt
- useful for reading status
- Critical for working with
17
supercomputers
Week 31
iii. CFD L1.3: CFD simulation – Model setup
Setting up the model

18
Week 31
iii. CFD L1.3: CFD simulation – Model setup
Setting up the model

19
Week 31
iii. CFD L1.3: CFD simulation – Model setup
Setting up the model

20
Week 31
iii. CFD L1.3: CFD simulation – Boundary Conditions
Setting up the boundary conditions

Let’s try for: 𝑅𝑒 = 80 [-]

𝜌 = 1.225 kg/m3

𝜇 = 1.7894 × 10−5 kg/m.s

21
Week 31
iii. CFD L1.3: CFD simulation – Solution Methods
Selecting the solution methods

Remember for now we

are considering just the
standard setting… next
week we will explore
some different methods!

22
Week 31
iii. CFD L1.3: CFD simulation – Initialisation and Solve
Initialise and GO!

Before initialisation

After initialisation
Week 31
iii. CFD L1.3: CFD simulation – Initialisation and Solve
Initialise and GO!

After 2 iterations
Week 31
iii. CFD L1.3: CFD simulation – Initialisation and Solve
Initialise and GO!

After 2 iterations

After 30 iterations

Observations??
Week 31
iii. CFD L1.3: CFD simulation – Monitoring and Convergence
Monitoring and convergence

Change in
value from
the previous
iteration! 26
Week 31
iii. CFD L1.3: CFD simulation – Monitoring and Convergence
Monitoring and convergence

Be careful though as
these are the default
values… why 0.001?
Change in
Are these sensitive value from
enough?? the previous
iteration! 27
Week 31
iv. CFD L1.4: Post-processing

Bench case discussion - Backwards step

Pre-processing - mesh generation

CFD simulation - model set up

- boundary conditions
- solution methods
- initialisation and GO!
- monitoring and convergence

Post-processing - contour plots

- vector plots
- xy plots

28
Week 31
iv. CFD L1.4: Post-processing – Contour plots
Visualising the flow

Velocity magnitude – can we actually tell there is a

circulation zone?

29
Week 31
iv. CFD L1.4: Post-processing – Contour plots
Visualising the flow

Velocity magnitude – can we actually tell there is a

circulation zone?

X - velocity – shows a negative value indicating flow

in the reverse direction!

Is there another way to look at the flow?

30
Week 31
iv. CFD L1.4: Post-processing – Vector plots
Visualising the vectors

Not easy to see so let’s tweak the scales a bit!

31
Week 31
iv. CFD L1.4: Post-processing – Vector plots
Visualising the vectors

Not easy to see so let’s tweak the scales a bit!

32
Week 31
iv. CFD L1.4: Post-processing – XY plots
Focusing on key regions of interest

33
Week 31
iv. CFD L1.4: Post-processing – XY plots
Focusing on key regions of interest

34
Week 31
iv. CFD L1.4: Post-processing – XY plots
Focusing on key regions of interest

Another way to
visualise where
the flow is
circulating 35
Week 31
iv. CFD L1.4: Post-processing – XY plots
Focusing on key regions of interest

36
Week 31
iv. CFD L1.4: Post-processing – XY plots
Focusing on key regions of interest
Week 31
iv. CFD L1.4: Post-processing – XY plots
Focusing on key regions of interest

𝑆~0.049

𝑥𝑅 ~0.21
Week 31
iv. CFD L1.4: Post-processing – experimental comparison
2D flow over a backward facing step - results

39
Week 31
iv. CFD L1.4: Post-processing – experimental comparison
2D flow over a backward facing step - results

𝑅𝑒 = 80 [-]

40
Week 31
iv. CFD L1.4: Post-processing – experimental comparison
2D flow over a backward facing step - results

BUT…. How much do we trust

these results?!

𝑅𝑒 = 80 [-]

41
Week 31
v. Conclusions

Conclusions
During this lecture you have help me to:
- Discuss a simple 2D case study
- Introduced you to setting up a case
- Captured some initial CFD results
Next week we will:
- Test sensitivities
- Introduced you to some CFD good
practice

Have a good week!

Think about interesting projects you think

might be fun to explore and happy to chat…
Hey… you may even think of an IP project ;)