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Learning Module 3
Fluid Analysis
Title Page Guide
What is a Learning Module?
A Learning Module (LM) is a structured, concise, and self-sufficient learning resource. An
LM provides the learner with the required content in a precise and concise manner, enabling
the learner to learn more efficiently and effectively. It has a number of characteristics that
distinguish it from a traditional textbook or textbook chapter:
An LM is learning objective driven, and its scope is clearly defined and bounded. The
module is compact and precise in presentation, and its core material contains only
contents essential for achieving the learning objectives. Since an LM is inherently
concise, it can be learned relatively quickly and efficiently.
An LM is independent and free-standing. Module-based learning is therefore nonsequential and flexible, and can be personalized with ease.
Presenting the material in a contained and precise fashion will allow the user to learn
effectively, reducing the time and effort spent and ultimately improving the learning
experience. This is the first module on thermal analysis and provides the user with the
necessary tools to complete a thermal FEM study with different boundary conditions. It goes
through all of the steps necessary to successfully complete an analysis, including geometry
creation, material selection, boundary condition specification, meshing, solution, and
validation. These steps are first covered conceptually and then worked through directly as
they are applied to an example problem.
Estimated Learning Time for This Module
Estimated learning time for this LM is equivalent to three 50-minute lectures, or one week of
study time for a 3 credit hour course.
How to Use This Module
The learning module is organized in sections. Each section contains a short explanation and a
link to where that section can be found. The explanation will give you an idea of what
content is in each section. The link will allow you to complete the parts of the module you
are interested in, while being able to skip any parts that you might already be familiar with.
The modularity of the LM allows for an efficient use of your time.
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Table of Contents
1. Learning Objectives ................................................................................................................ 3
2. Prerequisites ............................................................................................................................ 3
3. Pre-test .................................................................................................................................... 3
4. Tutorial Problem Statements................................................................................................... 4
5. Conceptual Analysis ............................................................................................................... 7
6. Abstract Modeling .................................................................................................................. 8
7. Software-Specific FEM Tutorials ........................................................................................... 8
8. Post-test ................................................................................................................................... 8
9. Practice Problems.................................................................................................................... 8
10. Assessment ............................................................................................................................ 9
Attachment A. Pre-Test ............................................................................................................ 10
Attachment B. Conceptual Analysis ......................................................................................... 12
Attachment C1. SolidWorks-Specific FEM Tutorial 1............................................................. 15
Attachment C2. SolidWorks-Specific FEM Tutorial 2............. Error! Bookmark not defined.
Attachment C3. SolidWorks-Specific FEM Tutorial 3............. Error! Bookmark not defined.
Attachment D. CoMetSolution-Specific FEM Tutorials .......................................................... 48
Attachment E. Post-Test ........................................................................................................... 71
Attachment F. Practice Problems .............................................................................................. 73
Attachment G. Solutions to Practice Problems ......................................................................... 79
Attachment H. Assessment ....................................................................................................... 85
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1. Learning Objectives
The objective of this module is to introduce the user to the process of fluid flow analysis using
FEM. Upon completion of the module, the user should have a good understanding of the
necessary logical steps of an FEM analysis, and be able to perform the following tasks:
2. Prerequisites
In order to complete the learning module successfully, the following prerequisites are required:
By subject area:
o Fluid mechanics
o Flow analysis
By topic:
knowledge of
o fluid boundary layer
o laminar flow
o turbulent flow
o Reynolds number
o volumetric flow rate
o pressure drop
o drag force
o fluid properties
3. Pre-test
The pre-test should be taken before taking other sections of the module. The purpose of the pretest is to assess the user's prior knowledge in subject areas relevant to fluid flow analysis.
Questions are focused towards fundamental concepts including types of flow, fluid definitions,
and various boundary conditions.
The pre-test for this module given in Attachment I.
Link to Pre-test
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4. Tutorial Problem Statements
A good tutorial problem should focus on the logical steps in FEM modeling and demonstrate as
many aspects of the FEM software as possible. It should also be simple in mechanics with an
analytical solution available for validation. Three tutorial problems are covered in this learning
module.
Tutorial Problem 1
Air flows over a long cylinder that has a diameter of 5 in at a velocity of 5 ft/s and temperature
of 75 F.
Estimate the drag force of the cylinder from the air
Find the maximum velocity of the air
Plot the flow of the air over the cylinder
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Tutorial Problem 2
Air flows through a rectangular duct at 200 cfm into a 10x10x10 room and exits through a
circular duct and releases into the atmosphere as in the figure below. The rectangular duct is
18x6 inches and the circular duct has a diameter of 12 inches.
Graph and animate the flow trajectory of the air
Find the velocity through the rectangular and circular duct sections
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Tutorial Problem 3
Water flows through an expanding section of pipe at 100 in/s and exits to atmosphere as in the
figure below. Assume the water is fully developed and laminar at the inlet
Find the outlet velocity
Graph the velocity distribution along the three lines
Plot the flow trajectories
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5. Conceptual Analysis
Conceptual analysis is the abstraction of the logical steps in performing a task or solving a
problem. Conceptual analysis for FEM simulation is problem type dependent but softwareindependent, and is fundamental in understanding and solving the problem.
Conceptual analysis for static structural analysis reveals the following general logical steps:
1. Pre-processing
o Geometry creation
o Material property assignment
o Boundary condition specification
o Mesh generation
2. Solution
3. Post-processing
4. Validation
Attachment II discusses the conceptual analysis for the tutorial problems in this module.
Link to Conceptual Analysis
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6. Abstract Modeling
Abstract modeling is a process pioneered by CometSolutions Inc. Abstract modeling enables all
attributes of an FEM model (such as material properties, constraints, loads, mesh, etc.) to be
defined independently in an abstract fashion, thus reducing model complexity without affecting
model accuracy with respect to the simulation objective. It detaches attributes from one another,
and emphasizes conceptual understanding rather than focusing on software specifics. Evidently,
abstract modeling is independent of the specific software being used. This is a fundamental
departure from the way most FEM packages operate.
Conceptual analysis focuses on the abstraction of steps necessary for an FEM simulation, while
abstract modeling focuses on the abstraction and modularization of attributes that constitute an
FEM model. They are powerful enabling instruments in FEM teaching and learning.
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can be assigned as homework problems in teaching or self study problems to enhance learning.
These problems are similar to the tutorial problems worked in the module, but they involve
different geometries and thermal boundary conditions.
10. Assessment
The assessment is provided as a way to receive feedback about the module. The user evaluates
several categories of the learning experience, including interactive learning, the module format,
its effectiveness and efficiency, the appropriateness of the sections, and the overall learning
experience. There is also the opportunity to give suggestions or comments about the module.
Link to Assessment
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Attachment A. Pre-Test
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
3. Which of the following is true about the velocity in the boundary layer?
o
o
o
The velocity increases when the distance from the surface increases
The boundary layer thickness is the distance from the surface to the point where the fluid
reaches maximum velocity
o
o
o
o
5. What scientific principle relates a fluids speed, pressure and potential energy?
o
o
o
o
Archimedess principle
Bernoullis principle
Le Chateliers principle
Machs principle
6. Which branch of physics deals with the forces acting on bodies passing through air and other
gaseous fluids?
o
o
Thermodynamics
Dynamics
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o
o
Aerodynamics
Biomechanics
7. Which of the following values are not needed to calculate the drag force of a fluid flowing
towards a flat plate?
o
o
o
o
Fluid type
Fluid velocity
Area of the plate
Density of the plate
o
o
o
o
Lift coefficient
Mach number
Drag coefficient
Reynolds number
o
o
o
o
Reynolds number
Prandtl number
Biot number
Mach number
o
o
o
o
Click to continue
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Attachment B. Conceptual Analysis
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maximum velocity. At the surface, the velocity is zero due to shear forces but as the fluid
moves farther away from the surface the velocity increases to its maximum value.
Other boundary conditions and properties also exist in a flow analysis including:
Volumetric flow rate the rate (usually expressed in ft3/min or m3/s) at which the fluid
flows through an enclosed space. The volumetric flow rate is constant through an
enclosed volume and is found by multiplying the velocity by the cross sectional area of
the space.
Drag force the force of the object moving through a fluid. The drag force points in the
direction of the fluid velocity and can be applied situations such as a car moving though
air or a sphere moving through water. The coefficient of drag can be calculated from this
parameter and relates the drag force with the velocity of the air and other fluid factors to
reduce the number into a comparable dimensionless quantity.
Mesh generation is the process of discretizing the body into finite elements and assembling the
discrete elements into an integral structure that approximates the original body. Most FEM
packages have their own default meshing parameters to mesh the model and run the analysis
while providing ways for the user to refine the mesh.
The computational domain is the area that the simulation software runs the calculations. For
external analysis, the computational domain can be increased or reduced depending on the
amount of data required. Internal flow analysis requires the computational domain to be greater
than the enclosed volume.
2. Solution
The solution is the process of solving the governing equations resulting from the discretized
FEM model. Although the mathematics for the solution process can be quite involved, this step
is transparent to the user and is usually as simple as clicking a solution button or issuing the
solution command.
3. Post-processing
The purpose of an FEM analysis is to obtain wanted results, and this is what the post-processing
step is for. Typically, various components or goals such as flow rate, velocity, or pressure at any
given location in the model are available. The way a quantity is outputted depends on the FEM
software.
4. Validation
Although validation is not a formal part of the FEM analysis, it is important to be included.
Blindly trusting a simulation without checking its correctness can be dangerous. The validation
usually involves comparing FEM results at one or more selected positions with exact or
approximate solutions using classical approaches learned in fluid mechanics courses. Going
through validation strengthens conceptual understanding and enhances learning.
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Conceptual Analysis of a Given Problem
This section will give an example of conceptual analysis that will be applied to the first tutorial
problem. The goal of the FEM simulation is to correctly set up the boundary conditions and then
find the temperature at various nodes. The problem shows a table frame with a given material
and four temperature boundaries applied to the legs. Conceptual analysis of the current problem
is described as follows.
1. Pre-processing (building the model)
The geometry of the structure is first created using the design feature of the FEM package. Next,
a material is assigned to the solid model and the boundary conditions are specified. This problem
is an external analysis and has various initial parameters such as temperature, pressure and
velocity that need to be applied.
The next step is to mesh the solid to discretize it into finite elements. Generally, commercial
FEA software has automatic default meshing parameters such as average element size of the
mesh, quality of the mesh, etc. Here the default parameters provided by the software are used.
2. Solution (running the simulation)
The next step is to run the simulation and obtain a solution. Usually the software provides
several solver options. The default solver usually works well. For some problems, a particular
solver may be faster or give more accurate results.
3. Post-processing (getting results)
After the analysis is complete, the post-processing steps are performed. Results such as velocity,
pressure, force, etc. can be calculated and plotted using the simulation software. Some software
packages will also output wanted information to a spreadsheet and graph the data.
4. Validation (checking)
Validation is the final step in the analysis process. In this step, drag force and maximum velocity
are calculated and compared with the software generated results to check the validity of the
analysis.
This completes the Conceptual Analysis section. Click the link below to continue with the
learning module.
Click to continue
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Attachment C1. SolidWorks-Specific FEM Tutorial 1
Overview: In this section, three tutorial problems will be solved using the commercial FEM
software SolidWorks. Although the underlying principles and logical steps of an FEM simulation
identified in the Conceptual Analysis section are independent of any particular FEM software,
the realization of conceptual analysis steps will be software dependent. The SolidWorks-specific
steps are described in this section.
This is a step-by-step tutorial. However, it is designed such that those who are familiar with the
details in a particular step can skip it and go directly into the next step.
Tutorial Problem 1.
0. Launching SolidWorks
SolidWorks Simulation is an integral part of the SolidWorks computer aided design software
suite. The general user interface of SolidWorks is shown in Figure 1.
Main menu
Help icon
Roll over to
display
File,
Tools and
other menus
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Step 1: Enabling SolidWorks Flow Simulation
o Click Tools in the main menu and select Add-ins.... The Add-ins dialog window
appears, as shown in Figure 2.
o Check the boxes in both the Active Add-ins and Start Up columns corresponding to
SolidWorks Flow Simulation.
o Checking the Active Add-ins box enables SolidWorks to activate the Flow
Simulation package for the current session. Checking the Start Up box enables the
Flow Simulation package for all future sessions whenever SolidWorks starts up.
Figure 2: Location of the SolidWorks icon and the boxes to be checked for adding it to the
panel.
1. Pre-Processing
Purpose: The purpose of pre-processing is to create an FEM model for use in the next step of the
simulation, Solution. It consists of the following sub-steps:
Geometry creation
Material property assignment
Boundary condition specification
Mesh generation.
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o Click the
icon to create a new flow simulation study
o In the first step of the wizard, select Create new and type Airflow past cylinder
next to Configuration name and click Next >
o Select IPS (in-lb-s) in the box underneath Unit System to set the default units to
English units
o The velocity is given in units of ft/s in the problem statement, so click on the dropdown menu and select Foot/second as in Figure 3 and click Next >
o Change Analysis type to External to specify the fluid is flowing outside of the part
and click Next >
o Underneath Fluids, expand the Gases section, highlight Air and click Add
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o Once Air (Gases) is added to the Project Fluids and the Default Fluid box is
checked, click Next >
o Leave the Default wall thermal condition as Adiabatic wall and Roughness at 0
microinch and click Next >
o Change the Velocity in Z direction to -5 ft/s and Temperature to 75 F to set
the initial conditions as in Figure 4
o Click Next > and then Finish to complete the set-up
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with the inputs and results tabs. Click on the Flow Simulation analysis tree to start applying
boundary conditions.
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2. Solution
Purpose: The Solution is the step where the computer solves the simulation problem and
generates results for use in the Post-Processing step.
Step 1: Running the simulation
o At the top of the screen, click
o Make sure New calculation is selected and the Take previous results box is not
checked as in Figure 7
o Click Run
o The solver window will pop-up and notify when the simulation is finished
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3. Post-Processing
Purpose: The purpose of the Post-Processing step is to process the results of interest. For this
problem, various plot tools will be utilized and the goals will be exported to a spreadsheet.
SolidWorks Flow Simulation has multiple ways of creating charts and graphs. For example,
Figure 8 shows three different ways to insert flow trajectories into the model. All three of these
will create the same graph so feel free to use whichever is most convenient, however this module
will work from the analysis tree for consistency.
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o Underneath Starting Points, choose the Reference icon and click on the Front Plane in
the design tree
o Type 17.5 in into Offset to set the starting point at the edge of the computational
domain
o Type 100 into Number of flow trajectories
o Verify settings with Figure 9 and click
The flow trajectories are shown below in Figure 10 and are displaying the overall velocity
component. The trajectories show how the air is moving around the cylinder. In the space before
the cylinder, the air is moving very straight and with uniform velocity. When the air hits the
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cylinder, it causes sharp velocity increases in the areas immediately around it. The airflow is
very weak on the far side of the cylinder and takes awhile to level out on the other side.
The next plot to examine is a cut plot, which also displays outputs such as velocity and pressure
but in a different form than the flow trajectories. The cut plot shows a cross section of the
computational domain and plots the specified parameter at each point. This allows the user to see
things like pressure, velocity, or turbulence in areas that the flow trajectories do not cover.
Step 2: Creating a cut plot
o Right click on Cut Plots in the analysis tree
o Select Insert
o Use the Reference icon in the Selection box
o Select the Right Plane from the design tree
o Change the offset to 25 in to set the plane in the middle of the computational domain
o Select Contours from the Display section
o Verify with Figure 11 and click
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Sometimes it is useful to also display the directional velocity instead of the overall. With the
overall velocity plot, the air may be moving up or down very fast but not left to right. The drop
down menu also has other parameters that will display the velocity in a certain direction. In this
case the z-axis represents left to right movement in the graph, however the air is moving in the
negative direction. To adjust for the negative sign and make the plot easier to read, the palette
scheme can be reversed. This will change the color scheme to the traditional colors (red = higher,
blue = lower) and the directional velocity plot can be compared to the overall velocity plot
easier.
Step 4: Modifying the cut plot to show directional velocity
o Click on Velocity [ft/s] to display the drop down menu
o
o
o
o
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Figure 13: Cut plot of the directional velocity with the reversed color palette
Specific numbers can be pulled off of the above plot by using the probe tool that can help the
user find the minimum and maximum velocities on the plot.
Step 5: Probing the plot
o Click on the Flow Simulation Results
drop-down menu
o Click on Probe
o Use the probe to gather data by clicking it on the cut plot such as in Figure 14
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Figure 14: Using the probe to gather velocity data from the cut plot
The last part of the post-processing will be to calculate the goals from the pre-processing step.
SolidWorks Flow Simulation will export the data to a spreadsheet and these numbers can be
examined and some of them will be used to verify the simulation results.
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Goal Name
Unit
Value
Averaged Value Minimum Value Maximum Value Progress [%] Use In C
SG Av Static Pressure 1
[lbf/in^2]
14.69586154
14.69586147
14.69586143
14.69586154
100 Yes
SG Av Total Pressure 1
[lbf/in^2]
14.69586154
14.69586147
14.69586143
14.69586154
100 Yes
SG Av Velocity 1
[ft/s]
0
0
0
0
100 Yes
SG Av Z - Component of Velocity
[ft/s] 1
0
0
0
0
100 Yes
SG Z - Component of Normal[lbf]
Force 1
-0.006724068
-0.006761956
-0.006815139
-0.006724068
100 Yes
Iterations: 124
Analysis interval: 21
Hand Calculations
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Attachment C1. SolidWorks-Specific FEM Tutorial 2
Overview: In this section, three tutorial problems will be solved using the commercial FEM
software SolidWorks. Although the underlying principles and logical steps of an FEM simulation
identified in the Conceptual Analysis section are independent of any particular FEM software,
the realization of conceptual analysis steps will be software dependent. The SolidWorks-specific
steps are described in this section.
This is a step-by-step tutorial. However, it is designed such that those who are familiar with the
details in a particular step can skip it and go directly into the next step.
Tutorial Problem 1.
1. Launching SolidWorks
SolidWorks Simulation is an integral part of the SolidWorks computer aided design software
suite. The general user interface of SolidWorks is shown in Figure 1.
Main menu
Help icon
Roll over to
display
File,
Tools and
other menus
30
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Step 1: Enabling SolidWorks Flow Simulation
o Click Tools in the main menu and select Add-ins.... The Add-ins dialog window
appears, as shown in Figure 2.
o Check the boxes in both the Active Add-ins and Start Up columns corresponding to
SolidWorks Flow Simulation.
o Checking the Active Add-ins box enables SolidWorks to activate the Flow
Simulation package for the current session. Checking the Start Up box enables the
Flow Simulation package for all future sessions whenever SolidWorks starts up.
Figure 2: Location of the SolidWorks icon and the boxes to be checked for adding it to the
panel.
1. Pre-Processing
Purpose: The purpose of pre-processing is to create an FEM model for use in the next step of the
simulation, Solution. It consists of the following sub-steps:
Geometry creation
Material property assignment
Boundary condition specification
Mesh generation.
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o Click the
icon to create a new flow simulation study
o In the first step of the wizard, select Create new and type Airflow through room
next to Configuration name and click Next >
o Select IPS (in-lb-s) in the box underneath Unit System to set the default units to
English units
o The velocity is given in units of ft/s in the problem statement, so click on the dropdown menu and select Foot/second as in Figure 3 and click Next >
o Expand the Loads & Motion tab and change Volume flow rate to foot^3/minute
o Leave Analysis type as Internal to specify the fluid is flowing through the system
and click Next >
o Underneath Fluids, expand the Gases section, highlight Air and click Add
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o Once Air (Gases) is added to the Project Fluids and the Default Fluid box is
checked, click Next >
o Leave the Default wall thermal condition as Adiabatic wall and Roughness at 0
microinch and click Next >
o Use the default settings for initial conditions and click Next>
o Click Next > and then Finish to complete the set-up
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o Click Apply to accept the changes and Close
to accept
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To perform an internal flow analysis in SolidWorks, the model needs to be completely enclosed.
The software has a tool called a lid that allows the user to seal any holes that may exist in the
geometry of the part. In this case, there is an opening at the inlet of the rectangular duct as well
as an opening at the exit of the circular duct. Both of these openings need to be sealed before the
simulation can run.
Step 2: Inserting lids
o Click on the Create Lids
icon
o Zoom in on the face of the circular duct and select it as in Figure 6
o Similarly, select the face of the rectangular duct
o Click
Note: The software may prompt to reset the computational domain and mesh settings of the
project after creating the lids. Click Yes to reset the both the computational domain and mesh
settings at each face.
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The next step will set goals for the simulation before it runs. Select the applicable goals for the
simulation and any others that may be of interest. The simulation software will not output any
values not previously defined as goals in the pre-processing steps so it can be advantageous to
select more than necessary in case the values are needed later.
The next two steps will ensure the simulation calculates the velocity component in the
rectangular and circular duct sections, which will be needed in the verification section.
Step 5: Setting goals for the rectangular section
o Right click on Goals in the analysis tree
o Select Insert Surface Goals
o Click on the inner face of the rectangular lid as in Figure 8
o In the Parameter section, select Velocity and Z Component of Velocity
o Click
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2. Solution
Purpose: The Solution is the step where the computer solves the simulation problem and
generates results for use in the Post-Processing step.
Step 1: Running the simulation
o At the top of the screen, click
o Make sure New calculation is selected and the Take previous results box is not
checked as in Figure 11
o Click Run
o The solver window will pop-up and notify when the simulation is finished
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The flow trajectories are shown below in Figure 11 and are displaying the overall velocity
component. The flow is laminar and undisturbed at the entrance, but after it hits the large
opening, it becomes very chaotic. The velocity decreases sharply because of the increase in cross
sectional area and it takes some time for the air particles to exit the system through the circular
duct. This plot is effective for showing the final path, but there software has ways to examine a
plot at a certain point in time.
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The plot above shows a final view of the 15 flow trajectories inserted into the model. Notice the
high and low points in velocity and how the air is flowing through the model. To better
understand how the fluid reacts to changes in area and pressure, the model can be animated.
SolidWorks Flow Simulation will allow the user to start at the beginning of the model and watch
the flow develop.
Step 3: Animating the plot
o Right click on the flow trajectories plot, Flow Trajectories 1
o Select Animate
o Use the play
button at the bottom of the screen to start the animation
o The settings can be adjusted by clicking the More icon
o Click
The next plot to examine is a 3D-profile plot, which is similar to a cut plot except it uses a third
dimension to show contrast. This allows the user to see things like pressure, velocity, or
turbulence in areas that the flow trajectories do not cover. The next step will cover how to create
and exaggerate the distance factor for easier viewing.
Step 4: Creating a 3D-profile plot
o Right click on 3D-Profile Plots in the analysis tree
o Select Insert
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o
o
o
o
o
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Figure 13: 3D profile plot showing the effects of velocity through the system
The last part of the post-processing will be to calculate the goals from the pre-processing step.
SolidWorks Flow Simulation will export the data to a spreadsheet and these numbers can be
examined and some of them will be used to verify the simulation results.
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The Flow Simulation software should output the results to a table such as the one below in
Figure 15.
Value
Averaged Value Minimum Value Maximum Value Progress [%]
39.16903626
39.0534881
38.85221025
39.20450571
78.6
52.92655331
52.92655331
52.9265533
52.92655331
100
51.39939064
51.40152264
51.39438341
51.40751993
48
52.92655331
52.92655331
52.9265533
52.92655331
100
51.32037643
51.31730671
51.31052692
51.32508911
45.6
Hand Calculations
Since volumetric flow is conserved, verifying the velocities at different sections of the model
should be enough verification to trust the simulation results.
The volumetric flow rate, Q, is 200 cfm (5760 in3/s).
Rectangular section
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The cross sectional area, A, of the rectangular duct is 18x6 = 108 in2. The velocity through that
section should be
Circular section
The cross sectional area, A, of the circular duct is 113.1 in2. The velocity can then be calculated
as
SolidWorks
Hand Calculations
% Difference
Circular
51.3
50.93
0.7
Rectangular
52.9
53.33
0.8
The simulation results compare nicely with the hand calculations for velocity in the two different
sections.
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Attachment C1. SolidWorks-Specific FEM Tutorial 3
Overview: In this section, three tutorial problems will be solved using the commercial FEM
software SolidWorks. Although the underlying principles and logical steps of an FEM simulation
identified in the Conceptual Analysis section are independent of any particular FEM software,
the realization of conceptual analysis steps will be software dependent. The SolidWorks-specific
steps are described in this section.
This is a step-by-step tutorial. However, it is designed such that those who are familiar with the
details in a particular step can skip it and go directly into the next step.
Tutorial Problem 1.
2. Launching SolidWorks
SolidWorks Simulation is an integral part of the SolidWorks computer aided design software
suite. The general user interface of SolidWorks is shown in Figure 1.
Main menu
Help icon
Roll over to
display
File,
Tools and
other menus
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Step 1: Enabling SolidWorks Flow Simulation
o Click Tools in the main menu and select Add-ins.... The Add-ins dialog window
appears, as shown in Figure 2.
o Check the boxes in both the Active Add-ins and Start Up columns corresponding to
SolidWorks Flow Simulation.
o Checking the Active Add-ins box enables SolidWorks to activate the Flow
Simulation package for the current session. Checking the Start Up box enables the
Flow Simulation package for all future sessions whenever SolidWorks starts up.
Figure 2: Location of the SolidWorks icon and the boxes to be checked for adding it to the
panel.
1. Pre-Processing
Purpose: The purpose of pre-processing is to create an FEM model for use in the next step of the
simulation, Solution. It consists of the following sub-steps:
Geometry creation
Material property assignment
Boundary condition specification
Mesh generation.
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o Click the
icon to create a new flow simulation study
o In the first step of the wizard, select Create new and type Expanding Flow next to
Configuration name and click Next >
o Select IPS (in-lb-s) in the box underneath Unit System to set the default units to
English units
o Leave Analysis type as Internal to specify the fluid is flowing through the system
and click Next >
o Underneath Fluids, expand the Liquids section, highlight Water and click Add
o Once Water (Liquids) is added to the Project Fluids and the Default Fluid box is
checked, click Next >
o Leave the Default wall thermal condition as Adiabatic wall and Roughness at 0
microinch and click Next >
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o Use the default settings for initial conditions and click Next>
o Click Next > and then Finish to complete the set-up
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o Click on the Edit Appearance
icon
o If Thin Walled Cylinder.SLDPRT does not appear underneath Selected Geometry,
expand the model tree and select it
o Adjust the Transparency meter in the Optical Properties section to 0.50 as in Figure 6
o Click
to accept
To perform an internal flow analysis in SolidWorks, the model needs to be completely enclosed.
The software has a tool called a lid that allows the user to seal any holes that may exist in the
geometry of the part. This part has two openings that need to be closed before the simulation can
run.
Step 2: Inserting lids
o Click on the Create Lids
icon
o Select the two openings as in Figure 7
o Click
Note: The software may prompt to reset the computational domain and mesh settings of the
project after creating the lids. Click Yes to reset the both the computational domain and mesh
settings at each face.
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o Click
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The next step will set goals for the simulation before it runs, which allows the user to select the
exact goals they are interested in and decreases the calculation time for the software. Flow
Simulation can be used to find goals such as velocity, mass flow, etc. at a point, surface, volume,
or globally. In this case,
Step 5: Setting goals for the software
o Right click on Goals in the analysis tree
o Select Insert Global Goals
o Check the box representing Mass Flow Rate
o
o
o
o
o
Click
to apply the goal
Right click on Goals and Insert Surface Goals
Select the outlet of the model
Check the box for Mass Flow Rate
Check the box for X-Component of Velocity
o Click
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The only step in this section will be to adjust the mesh to a slightly finer setting to illustrate how
to acquire more accurate results.
Step 9: Adjusting the mesh
o Click on the Initial Mesh
icon
o Adjust the Level of initial mesh dial to 6
o Click OK to accept the changes
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o Make sure New calculation is selected and the Take previous results box is not
checked as in Figure 11
o Click Run
o The solver window will pop-up and notify when the simulation is finished
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The flow trajectories are shown below in Figure 14 and are displaying the overall velocity
component. The trajectories show how the air is moving through the object.
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The plot above shows a final view of the 20 flow trajectories inserted into the model. The
spheres give a different look to the flow trajectories than the arrows or pipes, but the data is the
same. Animating the plot can illustrate how the particles move through the model slightly better.
Step 2: Animating the plot
o Right click on the flow trajectories plot, Flow Trajectories 1
o Select Animate
o Use the play
button at the bottom of the screen to start the animation
o The settings can be adjusted by clicking the More icon
o Click
The next plot to examine is a cut plot, which will be used to show the velocity all along the
model. This plot can also be animated and can be very useful if animated from different
directions such as from the front, right, and top planes.
Step 3: Creating a cut plot
o Hide the flow trajectories plot by right clicking on it and selecting Hide
o Right click on Cut Plots in the analysis tree
o Select Insert
o Use the Reference icon in the Selection box
o Select the Front Plane from the design tree
o Verify with Figure 15 and click
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The last part of the post-processing will be to calculate the goals from the pre-processing step.
SolidWorks Flow Simulation will export the data to a spreadsheet and these numbers can be
examined and some of them will be used to verify the simulation results.
Value
Averaged Value Minimum Value Maximum Value
-0.001283216
0.000302377
-0.005424332
0.007280021
-4463.997289
-4463.995703
-4464.00143
-4463.988726
23.71444109
23.76478746
23.71444109
23.78371166
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Click
to open up the general settings menu
Click on Fluids in the Navigator section
Highlight Water (Liquids) in the Project Fluids section and click Remove
Expand the Liquids section and highlight Ethylene
Click Add and verify the settings with Figure 17
Click OK to accept the settings
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o Select Insert
o In the Selection box, select the vertical line in the smaller section
o Click the boxes next to Velocity and X-Component of Velocity as in Figure 18
o Click
to create the plot
o Repeat for the larger section
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Figure 19: Velocity in the x-direction for the fully developed flow in the smaller section
The differences in velocity distribution can be seen in Figure 19, above, and Figure 20, below.
The above graph is showing the velocity of a fully developed, laminar flow through a section of
pipe. When the pipe expands, the flow is disrupted and needs time and distance to develop fully
and have a defined boundary layer. The below graph shows the velocity rapidly coming to a
point in the center instead of having a forward pointing curve such as the one above.
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Figure 20: Velocity distribution in the x-direction for the large section
Hand Calculations
The mass flow rate of the water can be found by multiplying the volumetric flow rate by the
density of the fluid. The density of water is approximately 62.4 lbm/ft3.
Since volumetric flow rate is conserved, the outlet velocity can be compared to the inlet by
SolidWorks
Hand Calculations
% Difference
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Mass flow rate
4464
4536.5
1.6
Velocity
23.7
25
5.5
The simulation results are close to the hand calculations for the mass flow rate and velocity. The
velocity is slightly more inaccurate than the mass flow rate, and this could be due to the uneven
flow through the larger section of pipe. The global results for mass flow rate were very
inaccurate for this example and surface goals should be used whenever possible.
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Attachment D. CoMetSolution-Specific FEM Tutorials
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Attachment E. Post-Test
1. Which of the following is true about setting goals in Flow Simulation?
o
o
o
o
Goals must be defined before the simulation has run to acquire results
Goals allow the user to acquire specific data from the simulation
The user can set global goals as well as goals for a surface or point
All the above
2. If an internal flow analysis has an inlet velocity, what other boundary condition must be
applied for a proper simulation to run?
o
o
o
o
Outlet velocity
Pressure
Inlet volumetric flow rate
Outlet mass flow rate
3. Which of the following situations would not be suitable for internal analysis?
o
o
o
o
4. The area in which the flow simulation carries out the calculations is called the
o
o
o
o
Computational domain
Mesh
Flow space
Calculation control
5. Which of the following are user-specified initial conditions in an external flow analysis?
o
o
o
o
Velocity
Pressure
Temperature
All the above
o
o
o
Environmental pressure
Mass flow rate
Static pressure
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Fluid viscosity
7. What parameter would be adjusted to discretize the model into smaller parts for
computation?
o
o
o
o
Computational domain
Mesh
Fluid sub-domain
Initial goals
o
o
o
o
9. Which plot is ideal for looking at how the fluid flows through the model?
o
o
o
o
Cut plot
3-D surface plot
Flow trajectories plot
XY plot
10. What tool is used to cover any openings in an internal fluid analysis and create a fully
enclosed volume?
o
o
o
o
Computational domain
Boundary conditions
Lids
Mesh
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Attachment F. Practice Problems
Problem 1:
Water passes through a rectangular box at 15 m/s and the flow is fully developed. Calculate the
volumetric flow rate and plot the velocity along the y direction.
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Problem 2:
A 12x24 billboard is exposed to wind at 40 mph. Find the normal force (lbf) in the x-direction
on the billboard from the air.
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Problem 3:
A truck is driving down the highway at 70 mph. Calculate the average drag force on each of the
two surfaces shown below and plot two flow trajectories: one with velocity and one with
pressure.
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Problem 4:
A container (D = 3m, h = 5m) has a small hole in the bottom with a diameter of 10 cm. Water is
spilling out of the hole at 3 m/s and the pressure at the top of the cylinder is 101.325 kPa. Find
the pressure difference between the top of the cylinder and the outlet.
D=3m
h=5m
d = 10 cm
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Problem 5:
Liquid nitrogen at 40 ft/s and -320 F flows through a pipe with a diameter of 20, which reduces
to 10 in the middle.
Calculate the velocity in the second half of the section
Plot the velocity distribution
Does the flow ever fully develop in the second section?
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Problem 6:
Water at 20 m/s flows past a sphere with a diameter of 50 cm. Find the drag coefficient of the
water on the sphere and the maximum velocity of the flow past the sphere.
40 m/s
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Attachment G. Solutions to Practice Problems
Solution Problem 1:
Volumetric flow rate
Use the Measure tool and select the inner face of the box to calculate the cross sectional area.
Value
Averaged Value Minimum Value Maximum Value
-2.935417194
-2.935417186
-2.935417238
-2.935417146
Velocity (m/s)
13
Sketch2@Line1_1
0
-2
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
Length (m)
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Solution Problem 2:
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Solution Problem 3:
512
409
Goal Name
Unit
Value
Averaged Value Minimum Value Maximum Value Progress [%]
SG Z - Component of Normal[lbf]
Force 1
111.2262265
91.05407138
77.688517
111.2262265
100
SG Z - Component of Normal[lbf]
Force 2
366.2681883
338.7550808
319.9936201
366.2681883
100
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Solution Problem 4:
Bernoullis equation reduces to
If position 1 is taken at the top the velocity at that section is much smaller than position 2, so it
can be ignored. Solving for the pressure at position 2 gives
(
Unit
[Pa]
[Pa]
[m^3/s]
[m/s]
[Pa]
Value
Averaged Value Minimum Value Maximum Value Progress [%]
96029.72023
96049.63086
95988.90972
96089.84989
100
101324.9998
101324.9997
101324.9985
101325.0007
100
-0.000367428
-0.000367428
-0.000367428
-0.000367428
100
3.05609718
3.055612673
3.052500612
3.056660883
100
101325.4936
101325.4863
101325.4773
101325.4936
100
The static pressure at the bottom outlet is given in the first row so the percent difference is
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Solution Problem 5:
Velocity in the smaller section
Simulation results
Goal Name
SG Av Velocity 1
Unit
[ft/s]
Value
Averaged Value Minimum Value Maximum Value Progress [%]
159.8035183
159.8009586
159.7991559
159.8035183
100
Velocity (ft/s)
150
100
Sketch3@Line1_1
Sketch3@Line2_1
50
0
0
-50
10
20
30
40
50
Length (in)
The simulation and hand calculations are within a percent. The flow in the smaller section does
have a regularly shaped curve, but not as defined as in the first section.
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Solution Problem 6:
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Attachment H. Assessment
Please rank the following 3 questions on the order of 1 to 5
1- Little or no experience
2- Some experience
3- Moderate experience
4- Much experience
5- Used almost daily
Before completing this learning module:
1
o
o
o
o
No improvement
Minor improvements, still have many questions
Moderate improvements, still have few questions
Major improvements
Do you feel the pre and post test questions accurately tested the most important learning topics in
this subject?
o
o
o
Yes
No
Neutral
o
o
o
o
o
Very helpful
Helpful
Indifferent
Unhelpful
Very unhelpful
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Do you feel there was sufficient material contained in the learning module to answer all the post
test questions and complete the FEM analysis of the practice problems?
o
o
Yes
No
If yes, did you acquire help from an outside source or complete the module on your
own?
Do you feel it was bad to not have a teacher there to answer any questions you might have?
o
o
o
It didnt matter
It would have been nice
I really wanted to ask a question
o
o
o
o
o
Improved it a lot
Improved it some
No difference
Hurt it some
Hurt it a lot
The six levels of Blooms Taxonomy are listed below. Rank how well this learning module
covers each level, with 5 meaning exceptionally well and 1 meaning very poor.
1. Knowledge (remembering previously learned material)
O 5
O 4
O 3
O 2
O 1
2. Comprehension (the ability to grasp the meaning of the material and give examples)
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O
O
O
O
O
5
4
3
2
1
Do you think the mixed text and video format works well?
o
o
o
Yes
Indifferent
No
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o
o
o
Yes
Indifferent
No
Did you prefer this module over the traditional classroom learning experience? Why or why not.
o
o
o
o
o
Very accurate
Accurate
Indifferent
Inaccurate
Very inaccurate
What specifically did you like and/or dislike about the module.
Was there any part of the module that you felt was unnecessary of redundant? Was there a need
for any additional parts?
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Overall, how would you rate your experience taking this module?
o
o
o
o
o
Excellent
Fair
Average
Poor
Awful
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