FEEG2003:

Introduction to
CFD – Good
practice
Dr. Lindsay-Marie Armstrong
May 2022
Week 32
i. CFD L2.1: Grid sensitivity

Grid sensitivity - Mesh cell sizing

- Grid dependency study
- Impact of Reynolds number

Solution method - Pressure-based or density based

- Solution Methods
- Convergence Check

Good Practice Guide

2
Week 32
i. CFD L2.1: Grid sensitivity – mesh generation
LAST WEEK…. We talked about the backward step?

Recall from last week…

- Structured mesh
- Quadrilateral cells

- Uniform cell sizes – 1mm

Week 32
i. CFD L2.1: Grid sensitivity – mesh generation
How important is mesh size?

Mesh size – 1 mm

4
Week 32
i. CFD L2.1: Grid sensitivity – mesh generation
How important is mesh size?

Mesh size – 1 mm

But where do we stop with the sizing??

Week 32
i. CFD L2.1: Grid sensitivity – mesh generation
How important is mesh size?

Mesh size – 1 mm

But where do we stop with the sizing??

Mesh size – 0.5 mm

Mesh size – 0.25 mm

Mesh size – 0.10 mm

Week 32
i. CFD L2.1: Grid sensitivity – mesh generation
Difference in contours?

Mesh size – 1.00 mm

Week 32
i. CFD L2.1: Grid sensitivity – mesh generation
Difference in contours?

Mesh size – 1.00 mm

Mesh size – 0.50 mm

Difference?

• Smoother transitions
• Velocity max and min are much larger
Week 32
i. CFD L2.1: Grid sensitivity – mesh generation
Difference in contours?

Mesh size – 1.00 mm

Mesh size – 0.50 mm

Difference?

Mesh size – 0.25 mm

Week 32
i. CFD L2.1: Grid sensitivity – mesh generation
Difference in contours?

Mesh size – 1.00 mm

Mesh size – 0.50 mm

• Sharp edge changing

in corner
• Velocity max and min
are much larger

Mesh size – 0.25 mm

Week 32
i. CFD L2.1: Grid sensitivity – mesh generation
Difference in contours?

Mesh size – 1.00 mm

Mesh size – 0.50 mm

Mesh size – 0.25 mm

Mesh size – 0.10 mm

Week 32
i. CFD L2.1: Grid sensitivity – mesh dependency study
Mesh dependency studies – 1.0mm vs 0.10 mm
Mesh size – 1 mm Mesh size – 0.10 mm

6000 cells 600 000 cells

1.63 seconds 57.44 seconds

1.0 mm
0.1 mm
Week 32
i. CFD L2.1: Grid sensitivity – mesh dependency study
Mesh dependency studies – 1.0mm vs 0.50mm vs 0.10 mm
Mesh size – 1 mm Mesh size – 0.5 mm Mesh size – 0.10 mm

6000 cells 27000 cells 600 000 cells

1.63 seconds 2.75 seconds 57.44 seconds
0.1 mm
0.5 mm
1.0 mm
Week 32
i. CFD L2.1: Grid sensitivity – mesh dependency study
Mesh dependency studies – 1.0mm vs 0.50mm vs 0.10 mm
Mesh size – 0.5 mm Mesh size – 0.25 mm Mesh size – 0.10 mm

27 000 cells 96 000 cells 600 000 cells

2.75 seconds 6.05 seconds 57.44 seconds

0.1 mm
0.25 mm
0.5 mm
Week 32
i. CFD L2.1: Grid sensitivity – mesh dependency study
Focusing on key regions of interest

𝑆~0.049

𝑥𝑅 ~0.21
 Week 32
i. CFD L2.1: Grid sensitivity – experimental comparison
2D flow over a backward facing step – results: 𝑹𝒆 = 𝟖𝟎 [-]

∆𝑥 = 0.10 mm
∆𝑥 = 1.00 mm

𝑅𝑒 = 80 [-]

16
Week 32
i. CFD L2.1: Grid sensitivity – experimental comparison
2D flow over a backward facing step - results : 𝑹𝒆 = 𝟖𝟎𝟎 [-]

∆𝑥 = 0.10 mm
∆𝑥 = 1.00 mm

𝑅𝑒 = 80 [-]

17
Week 32
ii. CFD L2.2: CFD simulation

Grid sensitivity - Mesh cell sizing

- Grid dependency study
- Impact of Reynolds number

Solution method - Pressure-based or density based

- Solution Methods
- Convergence check

Good Practice Guide

18
Week 32
ii. CFD L2.2: CFD simulation – Solution Methods
Selecting the solution methods

Remember up to now we
considered just the
standard setting… what
are the options?

The discretization methods will

follow in detail due course!! 19
Week 32
ii. CFD L2.2: CFD simulation – Pressure-Velocity coupling
Pressure-based Density-based
Segregated Coupled Coupled

Solve U-momentum

Solve V-momentum

Solve W-momentum

Solve Mass continuity

Solve Energy Equation

𝜕𝜌 𝜕 𝜌𝑢𝑖
+ =0
𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑥𝑖
Solve Species Equation
𝜕𝑢𝑖 𝜕𝑢𝑖 1 𝜕𝑝 𝜕 2 𝑢𝑖
+ 𝑢𝑗 =− +𝜈 + 𝑔𝑖 20
𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑥𝑗 𝜌 𝜕𝑥𝑖 𝜕𝑥𝑗 𝜕𝑥𝑗 Solve Turbulence Equation(s)
Week 32
ii. CFD L2.2: CFD simulation – Pressure-Velocity coupling
Pressure-based Density-based
Segregated Coupled Coupled

Solve U-momentum

Solve V-momentum Solve Mass and

momentum
equations
Solve W-momentum together

Solve Mass continuity

Solve Energy Equation

𝜕𝜌 𝜕 𝜌𝑢𝑖
+ =0
𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑥𝑖
Solve Species Equation
𝜕𝑢𝑖 𝜕𝑢𝑖 1 𝜕𝑝 𝜕 2 𝑢𝑖
+ 𝑢𝑗 =− +𝜈 + 𝑔𝑖 21
𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑥𝑗 𝜌 𝜕𝑥𝑖 𝜕𝑥𝑗 𝜕𝑥𝑗 Solve Turbulence Equation(s)
Week 32
ii. CFD L2.2: CFD simulation – Pressure-Velocity coupling
Pressure-based Density-based
Segregated Coupled Coupled

Solve U-momentum

Solve Mass,
Solve V-momentum Solve Mass and momentum,
momentum energy and
equations species
Solve W-momentum together equations
together

Solve Mass continuity

Solve Energy Equation

𝜕𝜌 𝜕 𝜌𝑢𝑖
+ =0
𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑥𝑖
Solve Species Equation
𝜕𝑢𝑖 𝜕𝑢𝑖 1 𝜕𝑝 𝜕 2 𝑢𝑖
+ 𝑢𝑗 =− +𝜈 + 𝑔𝑖 22
𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑥𝑗 𝜌 𝜕𝑥𝑖 𝜕𝑥𝑗 𝜕𝑥𝑗 Solve Turbulence Equation(s)
Week 32
ii. CFD L2.2: CFD simulation – Pressure-Velocity coupling
Pressure-based Density-based
Segregated Coupled Coupled

Suitable for analysing slow flows

• Faster per • Fewer iterations Suitable for
iteration but to converge so is transonic
more iterations more robust and
to converge supersonic
• Can lead to • recommended flows
faster solutions for steady-state
overall for solutions
transient
simulations

Solve Energy Equation

Solve Species Equation

Solve Turbulence Equation(s) 23

Week 32
ii. CFD L2.2: CFD simulation – Solution methodology
Difference in contours?

Pressure-based
Coupled
24 iterations

Pressure-based
SIMPLE 174 iterations!

Pressure-based
SIMPLEC
405 iterations!!
Week 32
iii. CFD L2.3: Good practice guide

Grid sensitivity - Mesh cell sizing

- Grid dependency study
- Impact of Reynolds number

Solution method - Pressure-based or density based

- Solution Methods
- Convergence check

Good Practice Guide

25
Week 32
iii. CFD L2.3: Good practice guide
Take home good practice

• Mesh dependence

➢ Consider at least four mesh resolutions

➢ Halve the mesh spacing each time

• Pressure-velocity coupling
➢ Coupled solver is more robust and is recommended for steady-state
solutions

➢ N.B. only incompressible flow considered here

➢ Density-based for compressible flows in transonic and supersonic flows

• Check convergence

➢ N.B. aim for at least three orders of magnitude

Week 32
iii. CFD L2.3: Good practice guide
More exciting things to explore…

• Discretisation
➢ Use at least 2nd order discretisation schemes
• 2D vs 3D

➢ Increases number of cells significantly

➢ Increases time to simulate extra w-equation

• Cell shape variation

➢ Hex mesh vs tetrahedral mesh vs polygon mesh
• Boundary Layers
➢ Bringing in the boundary layer behaviour!

• Turbulent flows
More details further down the
➢ Types of methods line! – Especially if you end up
working on an IP project
Week 32
iv. Conclusions

Conclusions
Up to this point you have had a mere taster of the world of CFD… if
you want to find out more some information can be found here:

- Professors Neil Bressloff’s course materials:

http://www.southampton.ac.uk/~nwb/lectures/GoodPracticeCFD/Articles/

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 ;)