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Fluid solutions for CFD issures
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a tool to analyze and solve problems that involve fluid flows. Using CFD, accurate predictions can be made concerning the flow properties of complex systems. After a thorough discussion with the client over the CFD analysis results; realistic mitigations will be proposed to improve the systems’ reliability, safety, and performance.
Our expertise with CFD includes:
Heat exchangers facilitate the flow of thermal energy between two or more fluids at different temperatures. They are used in a wide variety of applications in the petrochemical industry. Dynaflow provides mechanical, thermal and flow analyses for heat exchangers using the latest technologies and standards.
By providing realistic information regarding the flow pattern in the system. Computational Fluids Dynamics analyses are able to predict heat transfer performance for arbitrary geometries and flow conditions. This means that non-uniform flow and unconventional geometries can also be analyzed. CFD calculations also provide vital information regarding the fluid forces acting on the system.
In some cases, performing only a CFD analysis is not sufficient to approve the design of a system or to find the root cause of a failure. Structural analysis can also be an integral part of the analysis. As Dynaflow Research Group is a multi-disciplinary engineering company. We can combine the results of a Computational Fluid Dynamics analysis with a structural analysis.
Multiphase flow is another domain where Computational Fluid Dynamics can aid in the design optimization of components. Systems containing multiple phases, like slug catchers, are difficult to capture in current 1D flow solvers, due to the three-dimensional nature of the flow. For these kinds of systems, CFD can help to provide an accurate insight into the fluid behavior.
This slug catcher design optimization is only one example of the application of Computational Fluid Dynamics to multiphase flows. Our experience has been developed into a wide range expertise: different flow regimes, different geometry complexities, multiple flow scales, exotic, non-Newtonian fluids, dynamic geometries. We are confident in our ability to provide accurate results for any type of multiphase flow problem.
There are many applications where the influence of particles in a flow cannot be neglected, such as dredging, mixing or food processing. In these cases, the interaction between the particles and the fluid should be modelled in order to provide accurate results. Dynaflow Research Group has performed both small and large-scale analyses, with the implementation of particles within the flow.
The experience from these projects have led to the development of our own particle interaction solver called HADES, which can analyze the particle-fluid interaction of complex shapes and different particle sizes. With this solver and our experience in particle-fluid interaction analyses, we are able to provide an accurate representation of your system and help to find the solution to your specific problem.
A scenario can be viewed as a context or scope in which the model parameters are defined. Multiple scenarios can be defined in order to study different variations of the piping model.
For instance, if you are interested in the effects of an orifice diameter on the flow and pressure distribution you could define multiple scenarios specifying different diameters and compare them together in a single graph.
In one study performed by Dynaflow Research Group, an installed butterfly valve was not able to fully open under operating conditions, with all pumps running. However, the valve fully opens when the system is not pressurized. Elbows were located close to both the upstream and downstream of the butterfly valve. Computational Fluid Dynamics was used to analyze the flow of water in the pipeline and through the butterfly valve.
The objective of the study was to determine the relation between the opening of the valve and the dynamic torque acting on the valve, which is the torque exerted by the fluid. The computed torque versus opening diagram is then compared to the actuator capacity. For this reason, Computational Fluid Dynamics analyses are performed for different valve angles. By inclusion of sufficient piping upstream and downstream of the elbows within the model, the effect of the elbows is taken into consideration. The CFD analysis performed on the valve under the specific operating conditions and the layout of the pipes has clearly shown that the torque acting on the valve remains within the permissible values. This means that the dynamic torque exerted by the flow was not the cause of the issues.
At Dynaflow Research Group we use Helyx-OpenFOAM for our CFD studies. HELYX is a comprehensive general-purpose CFD software package for engineering analysis and design optimization of enterprise applications, based on an advanced open-source simulation engine developed by ENGYS using OpenFOAM technology. The CFD simulation engine, HELYX, features an advanced hex-dominant automatic mesh algorithm with polyhedra support which can run in parallel to generate large computational grids.
The solver technology is based on the standard finite-volume approach, covering a wide range of physical models.
After a thorough discussion with the client over the CFD analysis results; realistic mitigations will be proposed to improve the systems’ reliability, safety, and performance.
Computational Fluid Dynamics analyses are not limited to the subjects discussed above. Many more applications are possible and are well represented in our project portfolio. These include heat transfer in burners, interference of pipe line components such as filters, valves pump inlet/outlet etc. and flow inside pumps and compressors.
For all of the complex flows discussed before, a number of types of analyses can be performed. These include:
Optimizing design to improve performance,
Validating initial design performance,
Determining the cause of performance issues or failures,
Feasibility study of new configurations, e.g. closely spaced filters or pumps,
Fluid structure interaction analysis to solve the interaction of some movable or deformable structure with an internal or surrounding fluid flow.
If you are interested in any of these options or have if you have any questions about extending the possibilities, please contact us.
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2289 CX Rijswijk
The Netherlands
© Dynaflow Research Group BV