Chapter 9: Flow Analysis of a Pipe using a Custom Template
This tutorial demonstrates a fluid-structure interaction analysis of a pipe assembly with both fluid and thermal loads. The simulation demonstrates the use of a custom template (developed by an expert user) and expressions to streamline the simulation process for the rapid design of a piping assembly by a non-expert user. After running the custom template, the non-expert user is only required to follow the To Fix directions in the user interface to assign locations and complete the analysis. In this tutorial you will learn how to: 1. Launch ANSYS AIM. 2. Import a template. 3. Use the template to load the geometry and evaluate the results for the fluid flow. 4. Review the script file to understand the custom template.
9.1. Prerequisites Ensure that you have SpaceClaim and Winzip.
9.2. Problem Description
This tutorial demonstrates the ability of ANSYS AIM to use a custom template.
9.3. Setup and Solution
The following sections describe the setup and solution steps for this tutorial: 9.3.1. Preparing the Working Directory 9.3.2. Starting AIM 9.3.3. Importing the Template and Geometry 9.3.4. Configuring and Solving the Flow 9.3.5. Viewing the Results
9.3.1. Preparing the Working Directory
1.
Set up a working folder on the computer you will be using.
2.
Go to the ANSYS Customer Portal, https://support.ansys.com/training.
Note If you do not have a login, you can request one by clicking Customer Registration on the log in page.
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Flow Analysis of a Pipe using a Custom Template
3.
Enter the name of this tutorial into the search bar.
4.
Select this tutorial from the list.
5.
Click the link to download the input and solution files.
6.
Unzip the file you downloaded to your working folder.
The files (ValveDesign_Template.wbjn and DiskValve_HalfSymm.scdoc) can be found in the directory created after unzipping the file.
9.3.2. Starting AIM
Start ANSYS AIM and set up a simulation process.
From the Windows Start menu, select Start > All Programs > ANSYS 17.0 > ANSYS AIM 17.0 to start a new ANSYS AIM session.
The ANSYS AIM application window will appear. The various Simulation Process Templates are displayed in the Study panel at the left. The Help window is displayed on the right-hand side. It contains links to instructional videos and the Help viewer. The Workflow tab is displayed at the bottom.
Note You will execute an AIM journal file, which has been edited to create a user defined template to automate the model setup.
9.3.3. Importing the Template and Geometry
1.
From the Study panel click on User Defined > Choose File. Select ValveDesign_Template.wbjn from your working folder and click Open.
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Setup and Solution
2.
Click on the Import cell in the Workflow tab.
a.
Right click in the graphics window and select Fix > Geometry Import Source from the context menu.
b.
In the Geometry Import Source panel, click on the browse button
next to Location and select DiskValve_HalfSymm.scdoc from your working folder and click Open.
c.
Click Import.
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Flow Analysis of a Pipe using a Custom Template
The geometry is imported and the Geometry panel shows the Up-to-date status.
9.3.4. Configuring and Solving the Flow
Click on the Flow cell in the Workflow tab. 1.
Right-click in the graphics window and click Fix > Inlet.
Ensure Face Selection ( ) is enabled. In the Inlet panel the Location is undefined, so select the face on the shorter end of the pipe as shown in Figure 9.1: Inlet Boundary Condition (p. 5) and click on the
button next to the Location text box.
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Setup and Solution
Figure 9.1: Inlet Boundary Condition
2.
Similarly, right-click in the graphics window and click Fix > Outlet. Ensure Face Selection ( ) is enabled. Select the face on the longer end of the pipe as shown in Figure 9.2: Outlet Boundary Condition (p. 6) and click on the
button next to the Location text box.
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Flow Analysis of a Pipe using a Custom Template
Figure 9.2: Outlet Boundary Condition
3.
Save the project (Pipe_assembly).
Home(
) > File > Save
9.3.5. Viewing the Results
1.
Click on the upper Results task in the Workflow tab. Right click in the graphics window and click Evaluate Results.
2.
In the Results panel expand Results and click Velocity Streamline Contour.
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Setup and Solution
3.
Now you will animate the streamlines.
a.
Click Show faces icon
b.
Click the Enable translucency icon
c.
Right click in the graphics window and click Animate in the context menu.
Note You can see the streamlines going from the inlet towards the outlet. You can also rotate the model while the animation is progressing and observe.
d. 4.
Stop the animation when you have finished observing.
Click on the Structural cell in the Workflow tab.
a.
Expand Interface Conditions and click on Intergace Generator.
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Flow Analysis of a Pipe using a Custom Template
b.
5.
Now for structural analysis, click on the lower Results cell in the Workflow tab. In the Results panel click Evaluate Results.
6.
In the Interface Generator panel select Structural, Thermal Physics Region from the Location drop-down list.
In the Results panel expand Results, click Contour. Click Equivalent Stress and observe the contours.
Periodically save the project.
Home(
) > File > Save
9.4. Further Improvements
You could see how to use a custom template. To review the custom template, open the file ValveDesign_Template.wbjn in any text editor. The following figures show how the template is designed. If you check the section on FILL PIPE WITH WATER, you can see how the default material is set.
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Further Improvements
In the SET IMPORT PREFERENCES you can check to see that the import preferences are set for linking the geometry to SpaceClaim.
In the section SET MULTIPHYSICS REGIONS you can review how the physics type and regions are set. It also includes how the number of processors are set for each region and how the number of inflation layers are set.
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Flow Analysis of a Pipe using a Custom Template
The boundary conditions for inflow are defined in the section DEFINE BOUNDARY CONDITIONS FOR FLUID FLOW.
The thermal stress conditions are defined under DEFINE BOUNDARY CONDITIONS FOR THERMAL STRESS.
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Further Improvements
As you checked the results of the tutorial you saw that some results were set by default. You can check the section SETUP DEFAULT RESULTS TYPES in the custom template to see how the default results for flow physics and structural physics are defined.
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Flow Analysis of a Pipe using a Custom Template
In the section DEFINE PARABOLIC INFLOW PROFILE you can see the expressions used to describe the inlet flow velocity profile across the pipe.
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Summary
Thus you have seen how the custom template was created.
9.5. Summary With ANSYS AIM interface you can perform a static structural analysis. You learned how to: 1. Set-up a fluid-structural analysis in AIM using a user-defined template. 2. Import a CAD geometry. 3. Use the template to load the geometry and evaluate the results for the fluid flow. 4. Review the script file to understand the custom template.
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