Fluid Structure Interaction

The hydraulic oil tank has multiple inlets and outlets with defined mass flow rates and mass flow rate varies with respect to time for each opening. Because of this tank oil level fluctuates continuously. A level set method is used simulate this kind of flow. Variation in flow rate modeled by multiplier functions. Pressure fluctuation on tank walls was reported.

Flapper valve FSI. In oil coolers, there is a flapper valve placed at the bottom to bypass excess oil. The flapper valve is nothing but a simple plate which is always closed and deforms when oil pressure exceeds a certain limit. So structural part was modeled by Abaqus and fluid part by FlowVision/StarCCM+. Deformation of the plate under different pressure conditions was calculated by setting up bidirectional coupling analysis.

The objective of this project is to develop an advanced computational tool that could simulate a full vehicle under rainy conditions. We want to create an environment that could replace expensive wind-tunnel experiments. We develop both Eulerian and Lagrangian multiphase models to simulate rain condition and water flow over the full car. Detached eddy simulation is used to model the flow over the car along with VOF and fluid film models.

Current commercial and open source software such as StarCCM+ and OpenFOAM lack the necessary tools to perfect simulation these complex multiphase phenomenon. Our team has developed new models in this CFD software to simulate the physics relevant to us.

Simulation Objective: Numerical simulation of a Supersonic missile using HPC Architecture

Methodology: A supersonic tank barrel launched a missile which is in the conceptual design phase, is modeled and then meshed in ICEM-CFD, with unstructured grids, and then subjected to a Supersonic simulation in Ansys fluent, to ascertain the flow streamlining of the external surface of its missile, including all its protrusions. This solution was run using a 20 TF HPC Machine, with 140 cores, which was also a demonstration study, to compare the solution time with a conventional parallel core workstation.

Result: This study was carried out to check the flow streamlining in presence of external protrusions. At speeds of Mach -2, the wire channel and fasteners used for the Airframe structure showed slight separation of the flow from the missile body. This detachment of the flow is corrected by suitably changing the location of the wire channel and smoothing out the leading edge. Further design changes are warranted, which will be carried out in the upcoming Analysis.

Investigation of heat transfer and friction characteristics of the asymmetrically heated duct, with an array of cylinders as passive turbulators. This work involves exploiting von-Karman effect to obtain heat transfer enhancement near a heated plate with an array of cylinders used as passive turbulators.

The forces developed due to periodic vortex shedding behind the cylinders will lead to vibration in the cylindrical structure (FSI) and this can be used to disturb the boundary layer close the heated wall. Thus causing heat transfer enhancement.