Getting started with Flow SImulation in SolidWorks

This project was all about simulating the flow of water inside a pipe.

In this project, a pipe was created using solid works CAD software and then the flow inside the pipe was simulated using SolidWorks flow simulation.

Geometry creation-

The pipe created was a hollow pipe having Outside diameter of 60 mm and inside diameter of 58 mm and the length 1000 mm. Also, three line probes were created at 95% ( 950 mm from the origin), 90% ( 900 mm from the origin), and 85%( 850 mm from the origin), of the length of the pipe to simulate the normalize velocity at these three probe lines. The liquid which was used for the flow simulation is water. Firstly, Lids were created at both the ends of the pipe, and then the boundary conditions were provided.

Boundary Conditions –

In boundary condition one of the ends of the pipe was given inlet velocity (origin end) and another end was given the static pressure condition (the end opposite to origin) and the pipe wall was defined as the real wall.

The inlet velocity provided at the inlet was derived from the Reynolds number. The simulation was done at three different inlet velocity and at each velocity normalize velocity plot was created at all three line probes.

PARAMETERS OF THE PIPE-

Outside Diameter :- 60mm

Inside diameter :- 50 mm

length :- 1000mm

• LIQUID

Liquid name :- Water

Density(rho) :- 1000 kg/m^3

Viscosity :- 8.90 x 10^-4 pa.s

Reynolds number(Re):- 100, 1000, 10000

• Re = rho x inlet velocity x inside diameter / viscosity

Velocity at Re(100) :- 0.00178 – design ploint 1

Velocity at Re(1000) :- 0.0178 - design ploint 2

Velocity at Re(10000) :- 0.178 - design ploint 3

Meshing -

The meshing is done manually and used advance refinement option for a refined mesh near the curve face of the pipe

• Results

1] Plots at prob line 85% with inlet velocities (0.00178, 0.0178, 0.178)

2] lots at prob line 90% wwith inlet velocities (0.00178, 0.0178, 0.178)

3] Plots at prob line 95% wwith inlet velocities (0.00178, 0.0178, 0.178)

velocity comparison between velocity plots at 3 probes –

Cut Plot for velocity distribution over the length of the whole pipe –

For velocity = 0.00178 m/s

For velocity = 0.0178 m/s

For velocity = 0.178 m/s

Cut Plot for velocity near the outlet [cross section ] of the pipe –

For velocity = 0.00178 m/s

For velocity = 0.0178 m/s

For velocity = 0.178 m/s