Tutorial: Setting Up a Fluid Flow Simulation

Set up and run a fluids analysis.

Inspire Fluids supports internal flow and thermal-related simulations. In this tutorial, you will learn how to:

  • Import geometry
  • Designate fluid domains
  • Set up inlets and outlets
  • Set up solver settings
  • View run status and plots
  • Post-process results

Import Geometry

First, download and unzip this file: Fluids_ExhaustManifold.zip.
  1. On the File menu, select Import.
  2. Browse to the Fluids_ExhaustManifold file.
    The model is loaded.

Designate the Fluid Domain

  1. Click the Designate Fluid Domain icon.
  2. Select the part.
    The fluid domain is automatically detected and turns red.
  3. Choose a fluid from the dropdown microdialog.
  4. Right-click and mouse through the check mark to exit, or double-right-click.

Set Up Inlets

  1. Click the Inlet icon.

  2. Select a face in the model where you would like to define an inlet. An arrow appears at each defined inlet.

  3. In the microdialog, enter 1 m/s for the Average Velocity and 320K for the temperature.
  4. Right-click and mouse through the check mark to exit, or double-right-click.

Set Up Outlets

  1. Click the Outlet icon.

  2. Select a face in the model where you would like to define an outlet.

    An arrow appears at each defined outlet.

    Note: By default, all unassigned surfaces are considered walls.
  3. Right-click and mouse through the check mark to exit, or double-right-click.

Set Up Solver Settings

  1. Click the Custom Fluids Run icon.

  2. Select the Simulation tab.

  3. Enter a Name for the simulation.
  4. Set the Resolution to Low.
  5. Set the Voxel size to 0.0025m.
  6. Set the Number of voxels to 100000.
  7. Click the Zone Refinement icon, then use the white arrows to adjust the refinement box to specify critical regions of the flow geometry for the analysis.

  8. Optional: Turn on Show Grid to visualize the grid spacing around the geometry.
  9. Select the Advanced tab.

  10. Set the Termination criteria to Physics or Equations.
  11. Set the Output freq. steps to 500.
  12. Set the Max. time steps to 2000.
  13. Set the Flow type to Turbulent.
  14. Click Run to start the simulation.
  15. Once the simulation is complete, a green flag will appear on the Show Fluids Results icon.

View Run Status and Plots

  1. Click the View Convergence Plot satellite icon to view the plots from your analysis.

    Note: If you click the Show Convergence Table icon, the data in the Convergence Plot window will display as a table in the modeling window.

  2. In the Run Status window, double-click the project.

    The Analysis Explorer appears, and the modeling window displays the results.

Post-Processing

The Analysis Explorer shows contours of flow parameters, streamlines, animations, and vectors for your analysis results.