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Boundary conditions for 'wind tunnel'

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Old   November 4, 2013, 13:11
Default Boundary conditions for 'wind tunnel'
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Olie
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Hi all,

I'm trying to set up a simulation that acts as a 'wind tunnel', with a backward facing step in the test section.

I'm using a RANS solver (pisoFoam) with k-epsilon turbulence model.

I've got it all to solve but the results aren't believable - so I think it's to do with my boundary/initial conditions - so here's what I've got at the moment:

Inlet:
U - uniform 30m/s field:
Code:
inlet
    {
        type            fixedValue;
        value           uniform (30 0 0);
    }
p - allow solver to compute required pressure at inlet in order to produce sufficient pressure gradient across test section:
Code:
 inlet
    {
        type            zeroGradient;
    }
Outlet:
U - fully developed, so dU/dx = 0:
Code:
outlet
    {
        type            zeroGradient;
    }
p - fixed at 0 (relative pressure):
Code:
outlet
    {
        type            fixedValue;
        value           uniform 0;
    }
Fixed walls: U and p, zeroGradient.

Initial k and epsilon for the inlet were calculated, and outlet set to zeroGradient. Fixed walls use k and epsilon wall functions.

Now when the flow reaches steady state I'd expect there to be a higher pressure at the inlet than outlet in order to drive the flow, but a significant drop in pressure just aft of the step in the recirculation region - in the first image I've posted you can see the velocity contours/stream tracer looks as you'd expect - 30m/s at the inlet, about 15m/s at the outlet, and there's the recirculation region just aft of the step. However in the second image the pressure distribution looks all wrong.. The high pressure is at the outlet, not the inlet, and there doesn't seem to be any drop in pressure in the recirculation region.

Please help!

Thanks a lot,
Olie
Attached Images
File Type: jpg velocity_contours.jpg (25.3 KB, 178 views)
File Type: jpg pressure_distribution.jpg (15.4 KB, 161 views)
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Old   November 5, 2013, 03:41
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Tom Fahner
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Hi Odellar,

I think you should keep pressure indeed at zeroGradient for the walls, but for the velocity you should use a fixedValue with a velocity of uniform (0 0 0). Otherwise there is no reason why your pressure would drop (no friction).

Regards.
Tom
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Old   November 5, 2013, 07:10
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[QUOTE=tomf;460581]Hi Odellar,

I think you should keep pressure indeed at zeroGradient for the walls, but for the velocity you should use a fixedValue with a velocity of uniform (0 0 0). Otherwise there is no reason why your pressure would drop (no friction).

Regards.
Tom[/QUOTE

Hi Tom,

I'd actually made a mistake typing that - yes I have set the walls to U (0 0 0) (no-slip boundary condition).

Thanks anyway!!
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Old   November 5, 2013, 08:31
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Hi,

Ah, I've looked at it more closely now. You are plotting static pressure, which will drop with the velocity (Bernoulli's principle). If you calculate total pressure (p+0.5*mag(U)^2) you will probably see the drop you expect.

Regards,
Tom
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Old   November 5, 2013, 09:08
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tomf View Post
Hi,

Ah, I've looked at it more closely now. You are plotting static pressure, which will drop with the velocity (Bernoulli's principle). If you calculate total pressure (p+0.5*mag(U)^2) you will probably see the drop you expect.

Regards,
Tom
OH I assumed it was plotting total pressure - do you know how I set it to display total pressure?

Thanks,
Olie
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Old   November 5, 2013, 10:32
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Hi,

You can either use the ptot OpenFOAM utility or use the calculator in paraView to get the total pressure. Than you have this as an additional variable in paraView.

Regards,
Tom
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Old   November 5, 2013, 11:31
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tomf View Post
Hi,

You can either use the ptot OpenFOAM utility or use the calculator in paraView to get the total pressure. Than you have this as an additional variable in paraView.

Regards,
Tom
Oh excellent yes, now getting the results I was after - thanks a lot!!!
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