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January 12, 2010, 12:06 Propeller dynamics/body force model #1
SD@TUB
Member
Stefan
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Kiel, Germany
Posts: 61
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Hello Folks,
i'm investigate some elementary dynamics of submerged cylindrical bodies including propulsion
units, i.e. ductet propellers. Therefore i have to approximate the propeller dynamics
using a body force model. A 'real' simulation (describing the propulsion unit in detail)
using moving meshes isn't intended for this thesis? Are there any experiences doing that
with OpenFOAM?
In my estimation i need to integrate a 'black box' in my meshed domain, within a dynamic
boundary condition have to implemented!? The 'black box' got to be an arc disk with a
diameter according to the propeller one (momentum disk). Thus i'll have a prop inlet/outlet
and a disk surface certainly.
On the prop inlet i need to specify the pressure and velocity (wake) vectors in cartesian
co-ordinates. With these parameters i'm able to calculate the dynamics using i.e. a simple
approximation like the 'actuator disc theory' or any further. On the prop outlet i need to
commit the new calculated parameters to the simulation.
Has anybody helpful suggestions (or references) to perform such procedures usually?
Thx,
/Stefan
PS:
I'm using OF-1.6 on a multicore node. (Perhaps other OF versions are needed?)

January 12, 2010, 12:21 #2
linnemann
Senior Member
Hi Stefan
look here for starters Fan type BC in OF15
Propeller dynamics/body force model -- CFD Online Disc... http://www.cfd-online.com/Forums/openfoam-solving/71...
1 of 11 08/08/12 14:33
Niels Nielsen
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Denmark
Posts: 353
Rep Power: 9
Our company has paid for development of a more advanced model which uses non-uniform pressure
and angle distribution based on the radial coordinates.
This will be a part of the 1.5-dev version when we decide to release it as Open Source, don't ask me
when this will happen as it's not up to me.
__________________
Linnemann

January 13, 2010, 03:36 #3
linnemann
Senior Member
Niels Nielsen
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Denmark
Posts: 353
Rep Power: 9
Hi again
Just talked it over with my company and it will released as a part of the 1.5-dev edition when Hrv has
time to include it.
The thing it lacks is the non-uniform wake-field as we did not need it, but you can surely base you work
on this and then add some form of wake-field code to it.
Some tutorials of the use will also be available when it is released.
__________________
Linnemann

January 13, 2010, 05:07 #4
SD@TUB
Member
Stefan
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 61
Rep Power: 4
This is a interesting information! I exactly need the non-uniform pressure and velocity distribution
based on the radial coordinates of the disk area.
Currently i'm looking for a principal way of implenting a body force model.
Which model i choose isn't decided yet. A suitable model would be a standard propeller series to be
approximated (i.e. Wageningen B-Series)!
My idea was to calculate the propeller dynamics in a uniform stream condition to validate the body
force model with given propeller characteristics (K_T, K_Q, eta). Following that, i want to join the
momentum disc with the hull to investigate the powering performance. Just like the standard
proceeding on naval architecture.
I'm sure that will be a time-consuming work, but i see no alternatives!
/Stefan

January 21,
2010, 06:01
egp
Senior Member
Eric Paterson
Stefan,
There are two approaches to introducing momentum sources:
1. explicit introduction of a pressure jump as a boundary condition, such as fanFvPatchField.
2. addition of a localized momentum source (propeller) or sink (turbine) as a body force.
2 of 11 08/08/12 14:33
Join Date: Mar
2009
Location:
Blacksburg, VA
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Rep Power: 5
Personally, I prefer the latter. For complex geometries, I'd rather not have the constraint of gridding a disc in the middle of an already complex
problem. Instead, we specify (in constant/bodyForceDict) the swept volume of the propeller (hub radius, tip radius, chord), and then search for
all of the cells which lay within this volume. This is very general and easily permits modeling of multiple propellers, and even control surfaces.
The final step is to decide on a loading distribution.
First-order approach for loading is to uniformly distribution the total thrust and torque over the volume. If you are doing self-propulsion
simulations, you will need the open-water curves of Kt and Kq vs. J so that you can specify loading as a function of speed.
Second-order approach would be to use something like the Hough and Ordway circulation distribution which unloads the root and tips.
Want more? Then couple to either a blade-element model or a panel code. Just depends on your objectives.
I should note that in the process of developing this capability, it is a good idea to use basic momentum analysis to verify your implementation.
You can derive the velocity jump for a specified body force, and then grid up a simple propeller-in-a-box test case as shown in the image below
To modify simpleFoam, do the following:
1. create the file createBodyForce.H. For the simple case of a single prescribed and uniform body force, it might look something like:
Info<< "Creating body force" << endl;
// Allocate the body force vector field and initialize it to zero
volVectorField bodyForce
(
IOobject
(
"bodyForce",
runTime.timeName(),
mesh,
IOobject::NO_READ
),
mesh,
dimensionedVector("zero",
3 of 11 08/08/12 14:33
dimForce/dimVolume/dimDensity,
vector::zero)
);
// Read a dictionary to configure the body force
IOdictionary bodyForceDict
(
IOobject
(
"bodyForceDict",
runTime.time().constant(),
runTime,
IOobject::MUST_READ,
IOobject::NO_WRITE
)
);
// Define the (cylindrical) region for the body force from dictionary values
const scalar xo (readScalar(bodyForceDict.lookup("xo")));
const scalar yo (readScalar(bodyForceDict.lookup("yo")));
const scalar zmin (readScalar(bodyForceDict.lookup("zmin")));
const scalar zmax (readScalar(bodyForceDict.lookup("zmax")));
const scalar tipRadius (readScalar(bodyForceDict.lookup("tipRadius")));
const scalar hubRadius (readScalar(bodyForceDict.lookup("hubRadius")));
// Define the body force magnitude and direction
vector unitVector(bodyForceDict.lookup("directionVector") );
unitVector /= mag(unitVector);
const scalar magnitude(readScalar(bodyForceDict.lookup("magnitu de")));
label numCells(0),numInside(0);
scalar totalVolume(0.0);
forAll(mesh.cells(),cellI)
{
// Loop over all the cells in the mesh
++numCells;
// Check containment of each cell center
const vector& cellCenter = mesh.C()[cellI];
const scalar dx = cellCenter[0] - xo;
const scalar dy = cellCenter[1] - yo;
const vector r(dx,dy,0);
if ((cellCenter[2] < zmax) &&
(cellCenter[2] > zmin) &&
(mag(r) < tipRadius) &&
(mag(r) > hubRadius)) {
++numInside;
totalVolume += mesh.V()[cellI];
bodyForce[cellI] = unitVector;
}
}
// Reduce values for parallel execution
reduce(numInside,sumOp<label>());
reduce(numCells,sumOp<label>());
reduce(totalVolume,sumOp<scalar>());
Info << "total volume = " << totalVolume << endl;
Info << numInside << " of " << numCells << " cells are inside" << endl;
// Set the body force magnitude
if (totalVolume > 0) {
4 of 11 08/08/12 14:33
bodyForce *= magnitude/totalVolume;
}
// Write the resulting field to a file
bodyForce.write();
2. Add the bodyforce to UEqn.H
tmp<fvVectorMatrix> UEqn
(
fvm::div(phi, U)
+ turbulence->divDevReff(U)
- bodyForce
);
3. make sure to include "createBodyForce.H" in simpleFoam.C
Good luck

January 21, 2010, 15:52 #6
SD@TUB
Member
Stefan
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 61
Rep Power: 4
These are quite helpful lines. I'm still new of implenting code in solver sources. I'll take up my
employment next days (probably for weeks, indeed) and report about the progress.
Your suggested way of proceeding seems to be rational, thanks for that!
/Stefan

January 22, 2010, 07:24 #7
vinz
Senior Member
Vincent RIVOLA
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: France
Posts: 229
Rep Power: 6
Hi everybody,
Very interesting your post Eric, I chose the same approach to model an actuator disk inside
simpleFoam, and it works very well. However I don't use the part where you look for the cells which are
inside the "propeler" volume, I get those cells directly from my grid generator, create a cellZone file,
then I use funkySetFields to impose a specific value to those cells to a variable force that I add the
same way you do in the equation.
Each selection method has its advantages I think. For example, with your method, how do you select
cells if you want to model a disk (propeler, turbine...) which is not aligned with one of the directions? If
you only use the method you described here with Zmin and Zmax, you select too many cells, right? So
I guess you are doing something else?
Regards,
Vincent

February 3, 2010, 06:23 #8
5 of 11 08/08/12 14:33
SD@TUB
Member
Stefan
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 61
Rep Power: 4
@Eric
Quote:
// Reduce values for parallel execution
reduce(numInside,sumOp<label>());
reduce(numCells,sumOp<label>());
reduce(totalVolume,sumOp<scalar>());
What is the reason for reducing these values in case for parallel execution?
Are the equations solved in simpleFoam cell centre based?
@Vincent
Quote:
I get those cells directly from my grid generator, create a cellZone file, then I use
funkySetFields to impose a specific value to those cells to a variable force
Which grid generaor do you use and what is the structure of the extracted cellZone file? Is
'funkySetFields' a standard function included in OF?
I use 'snappyHexMesh' for meshing my domain, so i'll need to specify my designated cells located at
propeller position in your case, afterwards. Which utility is suggested for that (i.e setFields, cellSet)?

February 3, 2010, 09:41 #9
vinz
Senior Member
Vincent RIVOLA
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: France
Posts: 229
Rep Power: 6
Quote:
Which grid generaor do you use and what is the structure of the extracted cellZone file? Is
'funkySetFields' a standard function included in OF?
Hi Stephan,
I use GridPro to generate my grids for the actuator disk. The cellZone file is simply a list of the cells
adjacent to the disk. FunkySetFields is not directly included in the OF distribution but search for the
term on the forum or on google you will find the wiki page dealing with it where you can download the
sources and find some tutorials.
Hope this helps.
Vincent

February 4, 2010, 06:42 #10
egp
Senior Member
Eric Paterson
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Blacksburg, VA
Posts: 180
Rep Power: 5
Hi Vincent,
I agree that the posted code snippet is not general. Note the wording in my post, "...it might look
something like..." I wanted to give a simple example.
Of course, this can be generalized for any direction and loading distribution.
Eric
Quote:
Originally Posted by vinz
6 of 11 08/08/12 14:33
Hi everybody,
Very interesting your post Eric, I chose the same approach to model an actuator disk inside
simpleFoam, and it works very well. However I don't use the part where you look for the cells
which are inside the "propeler" volume, I get those cells directly from my grid generator,
create a cellZone file, then I use funkySetFields to impose a specific value to those cells to a
variable force that I add the same way you do in the equation.
Each selection method has its advantages I think. For example, with your method, how do
you select cells if you want to model a disk (propeler, turbine...) which is not aligned with one
of the directions? If you only use the method you described here with Zmin and Zmax, you
select too many cells, right? So I guess you are doing something else?
Regards,
Vincent

February 4, 2010, 06:55 #11
vinz
Senior Member
Vincent RIVOLA
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: France
Posts: 229
Rep Power: 6
Hi Eric,
Yes, don't worry I understood what you meant.
But I am still wondering, don't you get a kind of "ladder" effect when you impose a value to cells which
are crossed by your "virtual" disk? Or you use a very fine mesh so you can simply say that this effect is
negligeable?
Or how do you avoid that?
Would you happend to have an image of what I am talking about?
Thanks for the information.
Vincent

February 4, 2010, 07:05 #12
egp
Senior Member
Eric Paterson
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 180
Rep Power: 5
Vincent,
If the grid is very poor, then this stair-stepping effect can be seen. However, in practice, the grid is
typically clustered near the outer radius of the turbomachine (e.g., due to geometry or meshing
technique). Therefore, it is not a big deal.
Eric

February 4, 2010, 07:08 #13
7 of 11 08/08/12 14:33
vinz
Senior Member
Vincent RIVOLA
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: France
Posts: 229
Rep Power: 6
Ok I see. Thanks for your reply.
Vincent

February 25,
2010, 17:19
#14
SD@TUB
Member
Stefan
Join Date: Jan
2010
Location: Kiel,
Germany
Posts: 61
Rep Power: 4
Hello again,
last days i did some work on the body force modell. First i have to say, that the posted lines by Eric above still work
with any major issue. Now i'm facing some tricky things and got some questions?
For what stands the number in
Code:
cellCenter[?]
(cartesian co-ordinate directions ?)
I'm looking for a viable possibility of indicating the collected cells due to e.g. visualize them in paraFoam. I'm reading
some details of cellSet via dictionary. Is this wokable for that?
Further issues are reading some data of interest. In the same way of marking' cells i want to read the velocity vectors
in each of the collected cells. Same routine i'll use to implement a non-uniform thrust loading. Therefor i've got a
function of thrust distribution. (BTW: The work of 'Hough and Ordway' seems to be a fundamental investigation of
approximate propellers. Does anybody hold this paper, 'cause it is not provided online!?)
Additionally as input value for the iteration, i have to put the net thrust according to the resistance of investigated body.
In the source of force function (forces.C) the summarized pressure and viscous forces are stored by
Code:
fm.first().first()
or
Code:
fm.first().second()
What would be the best way of reading the forces every time step. When i put the fm.* in my createBodyForce.H i
get the message, that fm ist not declared.
/Stefan

February 26, 2010, 06:10 #15
egp
Senior Member
Hough and Ordway paper: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2182201/1029317.pdf
Nice to have for historical reasons, but it take some work to read and then create a model for body
forces.
8 of 11 08/08/12 14:33
Eric Paterson
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 180
Rep Power: 5
CFDSHIP-IOWA report:
http://www.iihr.uiowa.edu/~shiphydro...Report_TOC.pdf
http://www.iihr.uiowa.edu/~shiphydro...3_Modeling.pdf
Good example if you want to see the equations for implementation (equations 36 and 37 of the second
pdf)

February 26, 2010, 17:22 #16
SD@TUB
Member
Stefan
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 61
Rep Power: 4
Thank you for the papers!
Three things that were coming in my mind reviewing the equations (36) and (37) (knowing these are
technical questions, not a problem of OF):
The functions of distribution in eq. (36) seems to be non-dimensionalized. But with division by DXPROP
in eq. (37) there will be a dimension [1/m] left!?
The terms of A_x and A_phi are functions of T or C_T respectively Q or K_Q. Isn't it a conflict, if the
results towards integration in eq. (38) over distribution volume are coupled with T an Q (by rho*L^2*U^2
and rho*L^2*U^3) as well?
The maximum of f_bphi(r/R) in eq. (36) is near to the hub in opposite to the known maximum of f_bx or
T with r/R=0.7!? I guessed equal positions (r/R) of maxima for T and Q.
Back to OF:
In your screenshot you visualize the included cells collected by the loop. Could you give me a hint how
to do that? I'm not sure if cellSet works for that, cause the cellSetDict do not provide cylindrical
boundings.
Additionally i want to use such construct to read out velocities (i.e. input value for iteration and to
produce isotach lines to expose typical wake fractions afterwards).
Thanks in advance!
/Stefan
Last edited by SD@TUB; February 28, 2010 at 12:27.

March 15, 2010, 12:50 #17
tstovall
New Member
Tim Stovall
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 12
Rep Power: 5
Eric,
I've added a force to the pisoFoam solver based on the above procedure. I'm getting some oscillations
in the flow velocity through the center of the turbine, not at the edges of the turbine. I've refined the
mesh 4 levels and am still getting oscillations. I've experimented with the differencing schemes for the
div(phi,U) term in the fvSchemes files. The Gauss upwind scheme seems to work the best, while any
linear scheme produces oscillations that extend from the disc to the inlet of the domain. What schemes
are you using in your test simulation? From the picture above, it doesn't look like you have any of these
oscillations.
Thanks,
Tim

9 of 11 08/08/12 14:33
March 15, 2010, 16:39 #18
vinz
Senior Member
Vincent RIVOLA
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: France
Posts: 229
Rep Power: 6
Hi,
I don't know what Eric will say, but for me it is normal that you make the oscillations Disappear when
you refine the mesh, it should be even worse actually. The coarsest your mesh, the more dissipation
you get which is damping your solution. So what I usually do, I start with a coarse mesh, converge on
this one and then refine, converge, and refine again.
Normally I use three levels of refinement, coarse medium fine.
For the schemes, I noticed the same behavior than you did. The upwind scheme is a first order scheme
from what I understood in the user guide. So it is easier to get convergence with it. So with the same
idea than before, I do the same, I start with the upwind scheme to get a converged solution and then
switch to another linear scheme which is more precise.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Vincent

March 15, 2010, 17:02 #19
egp
Senior Member
Eric Paterson
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 180
Rep Power: 5
For the test problem, I used
div(phi,U) Gauss limitedLinearV 0.5;
It looked pretty smooth, so I'm not sure why you are seeing oscillations. Did you use
div(phi,U) Gauss linear;
If so, this would definitely lead to oscillations in the flow field for convection dominated flows.

March 16, 2010, 12:26 #20
tstovall
New Member
Tim Stovall
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 12
Rep Power: 5
I have been using div(phi,U) upwind; but I switched and tried div(phi,U) LimitedlinearV 0.5; and got the
same oscillations. I've included a contour and line plot of the flow. Are you able to get runs without this
level of oscillations?
Would you be willing to post your test case so I can verify if the issue is in my solver implimentation or
case setup?
Thanks,
Tim
Attached Images
T428R03wake.jpg (72.6 KB, 556 views)
10 of 11 08/08/12 14:33

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