A simplified model for simulating flow around automotive fans using computational fluid dynamics (CFD)
Author ORCID Identifier
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8753-2381 : Palak Saini
Standing
Graduate (Masters)
Type of Proposal
Oral Presentation
Faculty
Faculty of Engineering
Faculty Sponsor
Jeff Defoe
Proposal
Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is a field which makes use of mathematics, physics and computer softwares to predict the flow of a gas or liquid - and also how these fluids affect the objects around them. For automotive engineers, CFD provides an easier way to evaluate the performance of automotive fans. It does so by eliminating the necessity of physically constructing fan models for experimental testing, saving time and money. A “CFD simulation” usually involves constructing a computer-aided design (CAD) model of an object and then using software to compute the flow field around it under some specified conditions. The complexity of the simulation depends on the complexity of the object being investigated. Building a CAD model of a fan with complex blade shapes (such as the ones found in car radiators) can prove to be a computationally expensive and time-consuming task. However, this work presents an alternative CFD approach to simulating fan flows using the concept of “body forces”. A body force model-based simulation calculates the flow field through a fan by approximating the forces that a given fan design would exert on the fluid. By eliminating the need to construct 3D CAD models, this approach greatly simplifies the process of evaluating the fan performance thus making simulations even faster, allowing better design decision to be made.
Location
Windsor
Grand Challenges
Sustainable Industry
A simplified model for simulating flow around automotive fans using computational fluid dynamics (CFD)
Windsor
Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is a field which makes use of mathematics, physics and computer softwares to predict the flow of a gas or liquid - and also how these fluids affect the objects around them. For automotive engineers, CFD provides an easier way to evaluate the performance of automotive fans. It does so by eliminating the necessity of physically constructing fan models for experimental testing, saving time and money. A “CFD simulation” usually involves constructing a computer-aided design (CAD) model of an object and then using software to compute the flow field around it under some specified conditions. The complexity of the simulation depends on the complexity of the object being investigated. Building a CAD model of a fan with complex blade shapes (such as the ones found in car radiators) can prove to be a computationally expensive and time-consuming task. However, this work presents an alternative CFD approach to simulating fan flows using the concept of “body forces”. A body force model-based simulation calculates the flow field through a fan by approximating the forces that a given fan design would exert on the fluid. By eliminating the need to construct 3D CAD models, this approach greatly simplifies the process of evaluating the fan performance thus making simulations even faster, allowing better design decision to be made.