CFD Analysis Process

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 CFD Analysis Process
1. Formulate the Flow Problem
2. Model the Geometry
3. Model the Flow (Computational) Domain
4. Generate the Grid
5. Specify the Boundary Conditions
6. Specify the Initial Conditions
7. Set up the CFD Simulation
8. Perform and Monitor the CFD Simulation
9. Examine and Process the CFD Results
10. Further Analysis?
11. Report the Findings

The objective is confidence that the CFD results provide

accurate, credible, and useful information.
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 Formulate the Flow Problem

Determine the following:

1. What is the objective?
Engineering quantities
Performance
Proof of concept
2. What is known?
Freestream conditions ONERA M6 Wing
Geometry - Section coordinates and wing tip shape
Configuration - Tunnel test section: M, Re, Tt
- Wing: 
3. What is best analysis approach? - Aerodynamics quantities to determine:
Steady or unsteady flow? Static pressure distributions (loading)
Are viscous forces important? Lift and drag coefficients
Are shocks present?
What equations to solve?
What other flow models are needed?
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 Model the Geometry

Determine the following:

1. What geometric features are significant?
Steps, leading edges, trailing edges
2. Any simplification of the geometry needed?
Smooth over small steps
3. What computational format for geometry?
Lines, curves, surfaces
CAD file format (IGES, Step, …)

ONERA M6 Wing
- Table of airfoil coordinates
- Drawing of planform shape
- Develop a CAD model of wing 4
 Model the Flow Domain
The flow (computational) domain is the
Wing
control volume (bounded by the control
surface) in which the flow field is computed. Reflection
Plane Outflow
• Body is part of surface of flow domain.
• The geometry of the flow domain is also
computationally modeled (CAD).
• Shape of the flow domain usually considers
the grid topology (this is especially true of
structured grids).
• Extent of flow domain depends on choice of
boundary conditions. Farfield
- Subsonic flow boundaries need to be farther out
since waves travel in all directions. ONERA M6 Wing
- Wing surface part of domain boundary
- Supersonic flow boundaries can be closer to
- Reflection plane at root of wing
body if one considers wave motion.
- Farfield boundaries out 15 chord lengths
- Reflection (flow symmetry) planes can
- Outflow boundary downstream
effectively reduce the size of the flow domain.
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 Generate the Grid
A grid is generated within the flow domain.
• The grid consists of finite-volume cells on
which the CFD equations are approximated.
• The flow domain may be divided into zones
for various reasons:
- Simplify grid generation.
- Reduce memory requirements.
- Divide grid for parallel computation.
• Grids can be structured or unstructured.
• Software packages are available for grid
generation: Gridgen, ICEM CFD, VGRID.
• WIND assumes grid has been generated.
ONERA M6 Wing
- Single-zone C-grid wrapped about the wing
- Cluster grid normal to wall (y+30)
- Clustering downstream helps resolve wake
- Stretch grid away from wing (15-20%) 6
 Specify the Boundary Conditions
Numerical conditions need to be applied at Viscous Wall BC
the boundaries of the flow domain and
zones. Reflection BC
Outflow BC
• Specify types of boundary condition:
Viscous (no-slip) wall
Inflow / outflow
Reflection
Coupled

• Zone-to-zone boundaries and overlapped

zones require topology and coupling
specifications. Freestream BC
• Specification of boundary conditions may be ONERA M6 Wing
part of grid generation package. - Freestream BC at farfield boundary
• Additional inputs may be required in the - Outflow BC at outflow boundary
- No-slip, adiabatic wall BC at wing surface
flow code input process (i.e. flow rates, - Reflection BC at reflection plane
pressures,…).
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 Specify the Initial Conditions
Marching numerical methods require
a flow field from which to start.
• One choice is to start with a uniform flow
field with conditions of the freestream or
inflow conditions.
• Initial transients in the flow at the start of
the marching may inhibit convergence and
perhaps cause the simulation to fail.
• An auxiliary program can be developed to
approximate the final solution to enhance
convergence.
• An initial solution that satisfies mass ONERA M6 Wing
conservation helps simulations of internal - Initialize flow with tunnel flow conditions
flows.

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 Set Up the CFD Simulation
The simulation requires several input files:
Grid file
Initial solution file
Input data file
Auxiliary files (i.e. multi-processor, local boundary
conditions, chemistry,…)

Input Data File

Reference state Numerical algorithm inputs
Freestream flow conditions (Mach, p, T, Re) Time-marching / space-marching
Configuration (angle-of-attack & sideslip) Explicit / implicit operators
Damping schemes
Physical model inputs
Convergence acceleration
Dimensionality (3D, 2D, axisymmetric)
Convergence monitoring
Flow equations (RANS, PNS, Euler)
Turbulence model
Gas model / chemistry ONERA M6 Wing
Common Grid File ([Link])
Common Solution File ([Link])
Input Data File ([Link])
Multi-Processor Control File ([Link]) 9
 Perform and Monitor the CFD Simulation
• Simulations typically require CPU
times on the order of hours and days.
• Marching methods are monitored to
determine iterative convergence.
• Residuals of conservation equations
should approach zero as the number of Lift on the M6 wing
iterations increases.
• Satisfaction of conservation statements
(mass, momentum, energy, …) are also
useful for monitoring iterative
convergence. ONERA M6 Wing
• Convergence to design / performance Monitored the residuals, as well as, the
lift and drag on the wing with number of
quantity (lift, drag, recovery) is often a
iterations.
critical test for iterative convergence.

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 Examine and Process the CFD Results
Visualization: Static pressures on the M6 wing
• View flow properties (Mach, pressure, vectors) to get
overall view of flow (CFD: Colorful Fluid Dynamics).
• Various packages: FAST, Fieldview, Ensight, TecPlot,
CFPOST.

Solution Processing:
• Extract data (lift, drag, recovery, spillage, etc…) useful
for iterative convergence monitoring and engineering
design (CFPOST).

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 Further Analysis?
Once a simulation has reached iterative convergence and the results examined
and processed, there may be various reasons to make changes and continue
with another simulation:
• Change of physical model parameters to examine sensitivity.
Turbulence model / parameters
Gas / chemistry model
• Change of numerical algorithm parameters to examine sensitivity.
Implicit or explicit method
Time step parameters
Numerical flux parameters
• Change or refine the grid to examine grid sensitivity.
• Change the geometry as part of design parametric study.
• Change initial solution to examine iterative convergence.

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 Report the Findings
CFD results, like any other data, should be reported along with some idea of
the level of error that it contains and indications of how much confidence
one has in the data.
• What are engineering results and uncertainty of those results?
• How much error is there in the iterative convergence?
• How much error is there in the grid convergence?
• How sensitive are the results to model parameters (turbulence, etc…)
• How sensitive are the results to algorithm parameters (CFL, etc…)
• How do the results compare to similar experimental or theoretical data?
• Statistical analysis may be useful for reporting such information.

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