Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is an engineering method for simulating the behavior of systems, processes and equipment involving flow of gases and liquids, heat and mass transfer, chemical reactions and related physical phenomena.
More specifically CFD, or fluid simulation, can be used to
- calculate pressure drops through flow meters, valves, etc.
- predict aerodynamic lift or drag Calculate the effects of subsonic/transonic/supersonic flow transitions
- predict rotor thrust
- calculate the airflow in air conditioned rooms
- ensure adequate cooling
- optimize mixing rates
- determine the forces exerted by fluids on solid bodies (Fluid –Solid Interactions)
- Visualize airflow and calculate pressures around single buildings or a cityscape
This is but a small sample…
Fluid flow analysis technology allows for an in-depth analysis of the fluid mechanics in many types of products and processes. Not only does it reduce the need for expensive prototypes, it provides comprehensive data that is not easily obtainable from experimental tests.
Fluid simulation can be used to complement physical testing. Some designers use it to analyze new systems before deciding which validation tests, and how many, need to be performed. When troubleshooting, problems are solved faster and more reliably because fluid dynamics analysis highlights the root cause, not just the effect.
When optimizing new equipment designs, many what-if scenarios can be analyzed in a short time. This can result in improved performance, reliability and product consistency.
The software we use- ANSYS – continues to innovate and integrate so our customers can replace more of their traditional capital-intensive design processes with a Simulation Driven Product Development method.
General-Purpose CFD Solvers
ANSYS fluid dynamics technology provides access to both the well-known ANSYS FLUENT and ANSYS CFX products. These are the general-purpose fluid simulation products we use to expertly address your evolving CFD needs at a time when product reliability, safety and market performance are paramount.
ANSYS offers the most complete suite of advanced CFD software tools available, coupled with unrivaled modeling capabilities, to help you achieve a faster total time to solution.
More product development leaders worldwide trust ANSYS software as their fluid dynamics simulation platform for its accuracy, reliability and speed.
The ANSYS fluid simulation solvers represent more than 1,000 person-years of research and development. The CFD core solvers from ANSYS are trusted, used and relied upon by companies worldwide.
Productivity Increase
The CFD tools we use deliver unprecedented productivity to help us analyze multiple, automated parametric design variations, all without complex programming. ANSYS provides integrated tools that not only help us understand which parameters your design is most sensitive to, but also determine which design parameters require the tightest control.
Integrated tools for design optimization and Six Sigma analysis are also available. ANSYS simulation software gives you the power to design for robust performance and deliver better products, faster.
With CFD tools, we have the power to create better products more profitably for our customers because they can yield significant benefits such as more innovation, cost savings, reduced development time, and higher quality.
They have become an integral part of the engineering design and analysis environment of companies in a range of industries.
Industry Solutions
In addition to providing general-purpose fluid simulation, ANSYS makes fluid simulation even more accessible and focused with its specialty fluid analysis tools.
These products are often called vertical applications because of the way they integrate all the steps for the analysis of a specific type of system into one package.
The technologies offer industry-specific functions as well as employ the language of the industry in which they are used.
Turbomachinery is one of the world’s single-most successful fluid dynamics vertical applications due to the similarity of the geometry and physics across a broad range of rotating machinery sectors.
Turbo-system technology from ANSYS includes custom geometry and meshing tools as well as special modes within the general-purpose fluid simulation tools.
Norman Neher
Analytical Engineering Services, inc
Elko New Market, MN
www.aesmn.org