Decomposition of Hexahedral Block Topology to Generate Initial Tetrahedral Grids for Complex Configurations

Author(s):  
Seyed Saied Bahrainian

Most three dimensional tetrahedral grid generators can refine an initial grid in matter of seconds. But making an initial tetrahedral grid for complex geometry can be a tedious and time consuming task. This paper describes a novel procedure for generation of starting tetrahedral cells using hexahedral block topology. Hexahedral blocks are arranged around an aerodynamic body to fill-up a computational flow domain. Each of the hexahedral blocks is then decomposed into six tetrahedral elements to obtain an initial tetrahedral grid around the same aerodynamic body. This resulted in an algorithm that enables users to produce starting tetrahedral grids for variety of aerodynamic configurations. To construct an initial starting tetrahedral grid suitable for computational flow simulations, representing a solid surface geometry (fuselage or a wing section) attached to a plane-of-symmetry, a topology containing at least 5 hexahedral blocks is required. This results in an initial starting grid consisting of 30 tetrahedral cells with 74 faces and 16 vertices, which is the same number of vertices as for the hexahedral blocks. Since the number of vertices and their coordinate locations are kept the same, a connectivity matrix can be produced to describe the forming faces of the tetrahedral grid. This procedure was performed for a single block, 5-block, and 9-block topologies to produce starting tetrahedral cells for numerous domain size and shapes.

Author(s):  
Diego Micheli ◽  
Valentino Pediroda ◽  
Stefano Pieri

An automatic approach for the multi-objective shape optimization of microgas turbine heat exchangers is presented. According to the concept of multidisciplinary optimization, the methodology integrates a CAD parametric model of the heat transfer surfaces, a three-dimensional meshing tool, and a CFD solver, all managed by a design optimization platform. The repetitive pattern of the surface geometry has been exploited to reduce the computational domain size, and the constant flux boundary conditions have been imposed to better suit the real operative conditions. A new approach that couples cold and warm fluids in a periodic unitary cell is introduced. The effectiveness of the numerical procedure was verified comparing the numerical results with available literature data. The optimization objectives are maximizing the heat transfer rate and minimizing both friction factor and heat transfer surface. The paper presents the results of the optimization of a 50kWMGT recuperator. The design procedure can be effectively extended and applied to any industrial heat exchanger application.


Author(s):  
Diego Micheli ◽  
Valentino Pediroda ◽  
Stefano Pieri

An automatic approach for the multi-objective shape optimization of micro gas turbine heat exchangers is presented. According to the concept of Multi Disciplinary Optimization (MDO), the methodology integrates a CAD parametric model of the heat transfer surfaces, a three dimensional meshing tool and a CFD solver, all managed by a design optimization platform. The repetitive pattern of the surface geometry has been exploited to reduce the computational domain size, and constant flux boundary conditions have been imposed to better suit the real operative conditions. A new approach that couples cold and warm fluids in a periodic unitary cell is introduced. The effectiveness of the numerical procedure was verified comparing the numerical results with available literature data. The optimization objectives are maximizing the heat transfer rate and minimizing both friction factor and heat transfer surface. The paper presents the results of the optimization of a 50 kW MGT recuperator. The design procedure can be effectively extended and applied to any industrial heat exchanger application.


2012 ◽  
Vol 487 ◽  
pp. 855-859
Author(s):  
Shi Lun Feng ◽  
Yu Ming Zhou ◽  
Pu Lin Li ◽  
Jun Li ◽  
Zhi Yong Li ◽  
...  

Abaqus finite element software can implement three-dimensional excavation design calculation, so authors used Python of Abaqus core language made the 3D design of foundation pit supporting program come ture and also did intensive study of mesh optimization during the process. Authors also did intensive comparison and analysis about grid division of the complex geometry foundation pit, through a regularization partion about a variety of special-shaped pit, we made the automatic division about the structural grid of all kinds of shapes foundation pit successful. On this basis, we achieved better calculation effects of the model. The article will introduce problems about optimization of grid in procedure.


Author(s):  
Mirka Deza ◽  
Francine Battaglia

Fluidized beds are being used in practice to gasify biomass to create producer gas, a flammable gas that can be used for process heating. However, recent literature has identified the need to better understand and characterize biomass fluidization hydrodynamics, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is one approach in this effort. Previous work by the authors considered the validity of using two-dimensional versus three-dimensional simulations to model a cold-flow fluidizing biomass bed configured with a single side port air injection. The side port is introduced to inject air and promote mixing within the bed. Comparisons with experiments indicated that three-dimensional simulations were necessary to capture the fluidization behavior for the more complex geometry. This paper considers the effects of increasing fluidization air flow and side port air flow on the homogeneity of the bed material in a 10.2 cm diameter fluidized bed. Two air injection ports diametrically opposed to each other are also considered to determine their effects on fluidization hydrodynamics. Whenever possible, the simulations are compared to experimental data of time-averaged local gas holdup obtained using X-ray computed tomography. This study will show that increasing the fluidization and side port air flows contribute to a more homogeneous bed. Furthermore, the introduction of two side ports results in a more symmetric gas-solid distribution.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-35
Author(s):  
Chunlin Wu ◽  
Liangliang Zhang ◽  
Huiming Yin

Abstract The paper extends the recent work (JAM, 88, 061002, 2021) of the Eshelby's tensors for polynomial eigenstrains from a two dimensional (2D) to three dimensional (3D) domain, which provides the solution to the elastic field with continuously distributed eigenstrain on a polyhedral inclusion approximated by the Taylor series of polynomials. Similarly, the polynomial eigenstrain is expanded at the centroid of the polyhedral inclusion with uniform, linear and quadratic order terms, which provides tailorable accuracy of the elastic solutions of polyhedral inhomogeneity by using Eshelby's equivalent inclusion method. However, for both 2D and 3D cases, the stress distribution in the inhomogeneity exhibits a certain discrepancy from the finite element results at the neighborhood of the vertices due to the singularity of Eshelby's tensors, which makes it inaccurate to use the Taylor series of polynomials at the centroid to catch the eigenstrain at the vertices. This paper formulates the domain discretization with tetrahedral elements to accurately solve for eigenstrain distribution and predict the stress field. With the eigenstrain determined at each node, the elastic field can be predicted with the closed-form domain integral of Green's function. The parametric analysis shows the performance difference between the polynomial eigenstrain by the Taylor expansion at the centroid and the 𝐶0 continuous eigenstrain by particle discretization. Because the stress singularity is evaluated by the analytical form of the Eshelby's tensor, the elastic analysis is robust, stable and efficient.


Author(s):  
Ethan R Pedneau ◽  
Su Su Wang

Abstract Determination of permeability of thick-section glass fabric preforms with fabric layers of different architectures is critical for manufacturing large, thick composite structures with complex geometry, such as wind turbine blades. The thick-section reinforcement permeability is inherently three-dimensional and needs to be obtained for accurate composite processing modeling and analysis. Numerical simulation of the liquid stage of vacuum-assisted resin infusion molding (VARIM) is important to advance the composite manufacturing process and reduce processing-induced defects. In this research, the 3D permeability of thick-section E-glass fabric reinforcement preforms is determined and the results are validated by a comparison between flow front progressions from experiments and from numerical simulations using ANSYS Fluent software. The orientation of the principal permeability axes were unknown prior to experiments. The approach used in this research differs from those in literature in that the through-thickness permeability is determined as a function of flow front positions along the principal axes and the in-plane permeabilities and is not dependent on the inlet radius. The approach was tested on reinforcements with fabric architectures which vary through-the-thickness direction, such as those in a spar cap of a wind turbine blade. The computational simulations of the flow-front progression through-the-thickness were consistent with experimental observations.


Author(s):  
Frank Wagner ◽  
Arnold Kühhorn ◽  
Thomas Weiss ◽  
Dierk Otto

Today the design processes in the aero industry face many challenges. Apart from automation itself, a suitable parametric geometry setup plays a significant role in making workflows usable for optimization. At the same time there are tough requirements against the parametric model. For the lowest number of possible parameters, which should be intuitively ascertainable, a high flexibility has to be ensured. Within the parameter range an acceptable stability is necessary. Under these constraints the creation of such parametric models is a challenge, which should not be underestimated especially for a complex geometry. In this work different kinds of parametrization with different levels of complexity will be introduced and compared. Thereby several geometry elements will be used to handle the critical regions of the geometry. In the simplest case a combination of lines and arcs will be applied. These will be replaced by superior elements like a double arc construct or different formulations of b-splines. There will be an additional focus on the variation of spline degree and control points. To guarantee consistency a set of general parameters will be used next to the specific ones at the critical regions. The different parameter boundaries have a influence on the possible geometries and should therefore be tested separately before an optimization run. The analysis of the particular parametrization should be compared against the following points: • effort for the creation of the parametrization in theory • required time for the implementation in the CAD software • error-proneness/robustness of the parametrization • flexibility of the possible geometries • accuracy of the results • influence of the number of runs on the optimization • comparison of the best results Even though this assessment matrix is only valid for the considered case, it should show the general trend for the creation of these kinds of parametric models. This case takes a look at a firtree of a high pressure turbine blade, which is a scaled version of the first row from a small to medium aero engine. The failure of such a component can lead to a critical engine failure. For that reason, the modeling/meshing must be done very carefully and the contact between the blade and the disc is of crucial importance. It is possible to use scaling factors for three dimensional effects to reduce the problem to a two dimensional problem. Therefore the contact description is shortened from face-to-line to line-to-point. The main aim of the optimization is the minimization of the tension (notch stress) at the inner bends of the blade respectively at the outer bends of the disc. This has been the limiting factor in previous investigations. At this part of the geometry the biggest improvement are expected from a superior parametrization. Another important constraint in the optimization is the pressure contact (crushing stress) between blade and disc. Additionally the geometry is restricted with measurements of the lowest diameter at specific fillets to fulfill manufacturing requirements.


2015 ◽  
Vol 1737 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristiano F. Woellner ◽  
Leonardo D. Machado ◽  
Pedro A. S. Autreto ◽  
José A. Freire ◽  
Douglas S. Galvão

ABSTRACTIn this work we use a three-dimensional Pauli master equation to investigate the charge carrier mobility of a two-phase system, which can mimic donor-acceptor and amorphous-crystalline bulk heterojunctions. Our approach can be separated into two parts: the morphology generation and the charge transport modeling in the generated blend. The morphology part is based on a Monte Carlo simulation of binary mixtures (donor/acceptor). The second part is carried out by numerically solving the steady-state Pauli master equation. By taking the energetic disorder of each phase, their energy offset and domain morphology into consideration, we show that the carrier mobility can have a significant different behavior when compared to a one-phase system. When the energy offset is non-zero, we show that the mobility electric field dependence switches from negative to positive at a threshold field proportional to the energy offset. Additionally, the influence of morphology, through the domain size and the interfacial roughness parameters, on the transport was also investigated.


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