Fluent Software Training

TRN-99-003

Boundary Conditions

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TRN-99-003

Outline
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Overview
Inlet and Outlet Boundaries
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Velocity
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n

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Pressure Boundaries and others...

Wall, Symmetry, Periodic and Axis Boundaries

Internal Cell Zones
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Fluid
n
n

Profiles
Turbulence Parameters

Porous Media
Moving Cell Zones

Solid

Internal Face Boundaries

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Overview
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Boundary Conditions:
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orifice_plate and
orifice_plate-shadow

outlet

e.g., mass, momentum, and energy

Fluid/Solid regions represented by cell

zones.
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Boundaries direct motion of flow.

Boundary Conditions are a required
component of mathematical model.

Specify fluxes into computational domain.

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orifice
(interior)

Material and Source terms are assigned to

cell zones.

Boundaries and internal surfaces are

represented by face zones.
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Boundary data are assigned to face zones.

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wall
inlet

fluid

Example: Face and Cell zones

associated with Pipe Flow
through orifice plate

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Setting Boundary Conditions

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Zones and zone types are initially defined in

pre-processor.
To change zone type for a particular zone:
Define Boundary Conditions...
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Choose the zone in Zone list.

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Select new zone type in Type list.

To set boundary conditions for particular zone:

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Can also select boundary zone using right

mouse button in Display Grid window.

Choose the zone in Zone list.

Click Set... button

Boundary condition data can be copied from one zone to another.

Boundary condition data can be stored and retrieved from file.
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file write-bc
file read-bc
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Flow Inlets and Outlets

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Wide range of boundary conditions types permit flow to enter and exit
solution domain:
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General
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Pressure inlet
Pressure outlet

Compressible flows
n
n

Incompressible
n

Velocity inlet
Outflow

Mass flow inlet

Pressure far-field

Special
n

Inlet vent, outlet vent,

intake fan, exhaust fan

Boundary data required depends on physical models selected.

General guidelines:
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Select boundary location and shape such that flow either goes in or out.
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Should not observe large gradients in direction normal to boundary.

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Not necessary, but will typically observe better convergence.

Indicates incorrect set-up.

Minimize grid skewness near boundary.

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Velocity Inlets
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Defines velocity vector and scalar

properties of flow at inlet boundaries.
Useful when velocity profile is
known at inlet.
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uniform profile is default

Intended for incompressible flows.

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Total (stagnation) properties of flow

are not fixed.
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Stagnation properties vary to accommodate prescribed velocity distribution.

Using in compressible flows can lead to non-physical results.

Avoid placing velocity inlet too close to a solid obstruction.

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Can force the solution to be non-physical, e.g., imposes velocity field, etc., at
boundary that may not be intended.

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Using Profiles
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Alternative to UDFs for defining

boundary profiles.
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Profiles can be generated by:

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Writing a profile from another CFD

simulation
Creating an appropriately formatted text
file with location information and
boundary condition data.

Profiles can be manipulated through:

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Profiles can define spatial and time

varying boundary conditions.

Define Profiles

Profiles data applied to boundary

through hooks.
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Determining Turbulence Parameters

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When turbulent flow enters domain at inlet, outlet, or at a far-field

boundary, FLUENT 5 requires boundary values for:
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Turbulence dissipation rate

Four methods available for specifying turbulence parameters:

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Turbulent kinetic energy k

Set k and explicitly

Set turbulence intensity and turbulence length scale
Set turbulence intensity and turbulent viscosity ratio
Set turbulence intensity and hydraulic diameter

Intensity and length scale depend on conditions upstream, e.g.:

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Exhaust of a turbine
Intensity = 20 %
Length scale = 1 - 10 % of blade span
Downstream of perforated plate or screen
Intensity = 10 %
Length scale = screen/hole size
Fully-developed flow in a duct or pipe
Intensity = 5 %
Length scale = hydraulic diameter
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Pressure Boundary Conditions

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pressure
level

Pressure boundary conditions require

gauge pressure inputs:
gauge
pressure

p absolute = p gauge + p operating

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Operating pressure input is set under:

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Define Operating Conditions

Useful when:
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flow rate and/or velocity is not

known
(e.g., buoyancy-driven flows).
free boundary in an external or
unconfined flow needs to be defined.

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absolute
pressure

operating
pressure
operating
pressure

vacuum

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Pressure Inlet Boundary (1)

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Defines total pressure, temperature,

and other scalar quantities at flow
inlets.
ptotal = pstatic +

1 2
v
2

ptotal = pstatic (1 +
u

k 1 2 k /( k 1)
M )
2

compressible flows

Supersonic/Initial Gauge Pressure:

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incompressible flows

Defines static pressure at boundary

for locally supersonic flows.
Used, if necessary, to initialize flow field for incompressible flows.

Total temperature:
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must be defined for compressible flows.

is used, if necessary, to set static temperature for incompressible flows.

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Pressure Inlet Boundary (2)

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Flow Direction must be defined.

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Suitable for compressible and incompressible flows.

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Can get non-physical results if you dont specify a reasonable direction.

Pressure inlet boundary is treated as loss-free transition from stagnation
to inlet conditions.
Mass flux through boundary varies depending on interior solution and
specified flow direction.

Outflow can occur at pressure inlet boundaries.

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Flow direction taken from interior solution.

Exhaust static pressure is defined by value specified for gauge total
pressure wherever outflow occurs.

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Pressure Outlet Boundary (1)

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Defines static (gauge) pressure at

the outlet boundary.
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Interpreted as static pressure of

environment into which flow
exhausts.

Radial equilibrium pressure

distribution option available.
Backflow can occur at pressure
outlet boundaries:
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during solution process or as part of solution.

Backflow is assumed to be normal to the boundary.
Convergence difficulties minimized by realistic values for backflow quantities.
Value specified for static pressure used as total pressure wherever backflow
occurs.
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Pressure Outlet Boundary (2)

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For incompressible flows:

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For compressible flows:

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The static pressure input defines the boundary pressure

All other flow quantities are extrapolated from the interior.
The static pressure input is ignored if locally supersonic.
All flow quantities are extrapolated from interior.

Pressure Outlet must be used when problem is set up with Pressure

Inlet.

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Outflow Boundary
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Flow exiting domain at Outflow boundary has zero normal

gradients for all flow variables except pressure.
FLUENT extrapolates required information from interior.
Useful when:
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Details of flow velocity and pressure not known prior to solution of

flow problem.
Appropriate where exit flow is close to fully developed condition.

Note: Use of Pressure Outlet (instead of Outflow) often results in

better rate of convergence when backflow occurs during
iteration.

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Restrictions on Outflow Boundaries

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Outflow Boundaries cannot be used:

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with compressible flows.

with the Pressure Inlet boundary condition (use Velocity Inlet instead):
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Combination does not uniquely set a pressure gradient over the whole domain.

in unsteady flows with variable density.

Do not use outflow

boundaries where:
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Flow enters domain

Gradients in flow
direction are significant
Conditions downstream
of exit plane impact
flow in domain

outflow
condition
ill-posed

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outflow
condition
not obeyed

outflow
condition
obeyed

outflow
condition
closely
obeyed

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Modeling Multiple Exits

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Using Outflow boundary condition:

l Mass flow divided equally among all
outflow boundaries by default.
l Flow Rate Weighting (FRW) set to 1 by
default.
l For uneven flow distribution:
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specify Flow Rate Weighting for each

outflow boundary: mi=FRWi/FRWi.
static pressure varies among exits to
accommodate flow distribution.

Can also use Pressure Outlet boundaries

to define exits.
velocity-inlet (v,T0)
or
pressure-inlet (p0,T0)

FRW1

velocity
inlet
FRW2

pressure-outlet
(ps)1
pressure-outlet
(ps)2

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Other Inlet/Outlet Boundary Conditions

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Mass Flow Inlet

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Pressure Far Field

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Available when density is calculated from the ideal gas law.

Used to model free-stream compressible flow at infinity, with free-stream
Mach number and static conditions specified.

Exhaust Fan/Outlet Vent

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Used in compressible flows to prescribe mass flow rate at inlet.

Not required for incompressible flows.

Model external exhaust fan/outlet vent with specified pressure jump/loss

coefficient and ambient (discharge) pressure and temperature.

Inlet Vent/Intake Fan

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Model inlet vent/external intake fan with specified loss coefficient/

pressure jump, flow direction, and ambient (inlet) pressure and
temperature.
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Wall Boundaries
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Used to bound fluid and solid regions.

In viscous flows, no-slip condition
enforced at walls:
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Thermal boundary conditions:

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several types available.

Wall material and thickness can be defined for 1-D or in-plane thin plate heat
transfer calculations.

Wall roughness can be defined for turbulent flows.

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Tangential fluid velocity equal

to wall velocity.
Normal velocity component = 0

Wall shear stress and heat transfer based on local flow field.

Translational or rotational velocity can be assigned to wall.

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Shear stress can also be specified.

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Symmetry Boundaries
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Used to reduce computational effort in problem.

Flow field and geometry must be symmetric:
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No inputs required.
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Zero normal velocity at symmetry plane

Zero normal gradients of all variables at symmetry plane

Must take care to correctly define symmetry boundary locations.

Also used to model slip walls in viscous flow

symmetry
planes
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Periodic Boundaries
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Used when physical geometry of interest and expected pattern of

flow/thermal solution have periodically repeating nature.
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Reduces computational effort in problem.

Two types available in FLUENT 5.

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p = 0 across periodic planes.

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p is finite across periodic planes.

n
n
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Rotationally or translationally periodic.

s Rotationally periodic boundaries require axis of rotation be defined in
fluid zone.
Translationally periodic only.
Models fully developed conditions.
Specify either mean p per period or net mass flow rate.

By default, periodic boundaries defined in Gambit are assumed to be

translational in FLUENT 5.
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Periodic Boundaries: Examples

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p = 0:

p > 0:

4 tangential
inlets

computational
domain

flow
direction

Rotationally periodic boundaries

Streamlines in
a 2D tube heat
exchanger
Translationally periodic boundaries
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Axis Boundaries
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Used:
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At centerline (y=0) of an
axisymmetric grid
Where multiple grid lines meet
at a point in a 3D O-type grid

Specify:
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No inputs required

AXIS
boundary
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Cell Zones: Fluid

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Fluid zone = group of cells for

which all active equations are
solved.
Fluid material input required.
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Optional inputs allow setting

of source terms:
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Single species, phase.

mass, momentum, energy, etc.

Define fluid zone as laminar flow

region if modeling transitional flow.
Can define zone as porous media.
Define axis of rotation for rotationally periodic flows.
Can define motion for fluid zone.

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Porous Media Conditions

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Porous zone modeled as special type of fluid zone.

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Enable Porous Zone option in Fluid panel.

Pressure loss in flow determined via user inputs
of resistance coefficients to lumped parameter
model.

Used to model flow through porous media

and other distributed resistances, e.g.,
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Packed beds
Filter papers
Perforated plates
Flow distributors
Tube banks

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Moving Zones
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Single Zone Problems:

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Rotating Reference Frame Model

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define zone as Moving Reference Frame

limited applicability

Multiple Zone Problems:

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Each zone defined as moving reference frame:

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Multiple Reference Frame Model

s least accurate, least demanding on CPU
Mixing Plane Model
s field data are averaged at the outlet of one zone
and used as inlet boundary data to adjacent zone.

Each zone defined as Moving Mesh:

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Sliding Mesh Model

s must also define interface.
s Mesh positions are calculated; time-accurate simulations
s relative motion must be tangential (no normal translation)
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Cell Zones: Solid

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Solid zone = group of cells for which only

heat conduction problem solved.
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Material being treated as solid may actually be

fluid, but it is assumed that no convection
takes place.
Only required input is material type
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No flow equations solved

So appropriate material properties used.

Optional inputs allow you to set volumetric

heat generation rate (heat source).
Need to specify rotation axis if rotationally
periodic boundaries adjacent to solid zone.
Can define motion for solid zone

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Internal Face Boundaries

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Defined on cell faces

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Do not have finite thickness

Provide means of introducing step change in flow properties.

Used to implement physical models representing:

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Fans
Radiators
Porous jump
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Preferable over porous media- exhibits better convergence behavior.

Interior wall

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Summary
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Zones are used to assign boundary conditions.

Wide range of boundary conditions permit flow to enter and exit
solution domain.
Wall boundary conditions used to bound fluid and solid regions.
Repeating boundaries used to reduce computational effort.
Internal cell zones used to specify fluid, solid, and porous regions.
Internal face boundaries provide way to introduce step change in flow
properties.

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