Gambit and Fluent Walkthrough Example:

The Venturi Meter

Dr Andrew Garrard

Introduction
A venturi meter is a, full bore flow measurement device that combines Bernoulli's
equation with the principle of conservation of mass to allow the flow rate in a pipe to be
determined from a pressure drop. An illustration of the venturi meter is shown in figure
1.

Figure 1: Illustration of a ventri meter

The venturi meter consist of a constriction being placed into a constant cross section
area pipe. In figure 1, the inlet to the ventri meter is denonted as 1, with the cross
sectional area at this point being , and the constriction is denoted as 2, with the cross
secational area at this point being . According to the conservation of mass, shown in
equation 1,

[1]

where is the mass flow rate, is the density and is the velocity, if the density of a
fluid flowing in a pipe is constant, as the cross sectional area decreases, the velocity
must increase.

Bernoulli's principle states that, where there are no losses or change in elevation, an
increase in velocity must be assoicated with a drop in pressure. This is illustrated by
equation 2,

[2]

where is the pressure. Combining simultaneious equations 1 and 2 and re-arranging

gives equation 3,
 [3]

where is the volume flow rate. Equation 3 allows the flow rate to be calcualted from a
measured pressure drop between points 1 and 2.

Aims and Objectives

The aim of this siumulation is simulate the operation of a venturi meter and to compare
the predicted pressure drop to equation 3. A 3D ventrui meter geometry will be
constructed and meshed in a Gambit and imported into the Fluent solver. The details of
the geometry and boundary conditions are shown in figure 2.

The method described in this walkthrough tutorial is not necessarilly the best modelling
stratergy for this example and the route to create the geometry isn't the quickest
possible. However, the example has been compiled in such a way to deomstrate a
number of tools avalible in Gambit. A more suitable modelling stragegy for this simultion
would be to take advantage of the axisymmetric nature of the geometry to perform a 2D
simulation.

Figure 2: Illustration of the venturi meter to be simulated in this tutorial. Dimensions shown in black and
boundary conditions shown in grey.

Starting Gambit

The first task is to create a location on the computer's hard disk or (networked drive)
where Gambit and Fluent can store files. This windows folder is referred to as the
"working directory". This folder can be created anywhere on the computer where there is
write access.

• Open Gambit by double clicking the icon.

• In the window presented, browse to the folder just created in the Working
Directory text box.
• Wait for the Ansys splash screen to go away and Gambit to open.

Create the Geometry: A cuboid

The first task is to create a number of vertaacies (points) that can be joined together to
form lines.
• From the Operation panel, select Geometry, Vertex, right click on the Create
Vertex and select From Coordinates. Create a vertex at X=15, y=0 and z=0 by
entering the values into the textbox and clicking apply. The Create Real
Vertex window can be seen to the left of figure 3.
• Repeat the process to create 3 more verticies at coordinates (-15,0,0),
(15,-15,0), (-15,-15,0).
• In order to view the vertacies, it may be necessary to zoom in or out. From the
Global Control panel, right click Orient Model and select +Z view.
• From the Operation panel, select Geometry, Edge, and right click Create Edge
and select Straight. Shift-left click any two points (not diagonally opposite) and
click apply in order to create a straigth edge. Continue to do a further three
times to form a rectangle. At this stage the lines should appear yellow, to indicat
that they are "edges" and not a "face", as shown in the graphics window of
figure 3.

Figure 3: Creating points and lines in Gambit to form a rectangle.

• The next step is to convert the "edges" into a "face". From the Operation
panel, select Geometry, Face, right click From Face and select Wireframe. Shift-
left click the four edges and click apply in order to form a rectangular face. This
should cause the rectangle to change from yellow to cyan, indicating that the
"edges" form a "face".
• The "face" is to be extruded in the positive Z direction in order to form a 4 new
"faces". From the Operation panel, select Geometry, Face, and right click
Form Face and select Sweep Edges. Shift-left click the 4 edges of the rectange
and click Path: Vector followed by the Define button to open the Vector
Definition window. Select magnitue and entre a value of 200. Ensure Z
positive is selected and click Apply. Back in the Sweep Edges window select
Type: Ridgid and click Apply.
• At this point it may be necessar to use the mouse controls to rotate the graphics
window in order to see a 3D view of the geometry. In the Global Controls
panel, right click Render model and select Shaded. By rotating the geometry it
can be seen that there is no face in the far end of the cubiod.

Figure 4: Creating points and lines in Gambit to form a rectangle.

 Figure 5: Creating points and lines in Gambit to form a rectangle.

• In order to form a closed volume, all the faces of the cuboid must be complete
and joined. From the Operation panel, select Geometry, Face, right click From
Face and select Wireframe. Shift-left click the four open edges at the end of the
cuboid and click apply in order to form a rectangular face.
• From the operation panel, select Geometry, Volume, and right click Form
Volume and select Stitch Faces. Shift-left click the 6 faces that comprise the
cuboid and click Apply. This should cause the cuboid to turn green, indicating
that a volume has been formed.
• From the Operation panel, select Geometry, Volume, and right click Move/
Copy/Align Volumes and select Move/Copy. Shift-left click the cuboid, Select
Move, Operation: Translate and enter a value of -55 in the z textbox. Click
Apply.
• In the Global Cotrols panel, right click Render model and select Wireframe.

Create the Geometry: A venturi meter

The cuboid will be used to slice the venturi-meter geometery in half. The following steps
will create the whole venturi meter geometry.

• From the Operation panel, select Geometry, Face, and right click Create Face
and select Circle. Enter a Radius of 10, ensure Plane: XY is selected and click
Apply.
 • From the Operation panel, select Geometry, Volume, and right click Form
Volume and select Sweep Faces. Shift-left click the circle and click Path: Vector
followed by the Define button to open the Vector Definition window. Select
magnitue and enter a value of 30. Ensure Z positive is selected and click Apply.
Back in the Sweep Edges window Select Type: Perpendicular, Option: Draft,
Angle: enter a value of -10 in the textbox and click Apply.
• Follow the same procedure to sweep the newly created smaller circle a distance
of 30 in the positive Z direct with Type: Rigid. Then sweep the end of the newly
created cylinder a distance of 30 with Type: Perpendicular, Option: Draft,
Angle:+10, to create a geometry similar to that shown in figure 6.
• Now extend the length of the pipe. From the operation panel, select Geometry,
Volume, and right click Form Volume and select Sweep Faces. Shift-left click the
one of the large circle. Perfrom a Type: Rigid sweep with magnitude of + or - 50,
depending on which circle has been selected, to create the pipe shown in figure
6.

Figure 6: The cuboid and the Venturi meter

Split Geometry: Use the cuboid to cut the Venturi meter in half.

The next step is to sacrificially use the cuboid to slice in half the newly created ventrui
meter.

• From the Operation panel, select Geometry, Volume, and right click Boolean
Operation and select Subtract. Hightlight textbox Volume, and Shift-left click
any of the circular pipes. Highlight the Subtract Volumes textbox and Shift-left
click the cuboid. Click the second Retain button, in order to ensure the cuboid is
not deleted after the operation, and click Apply. Repeat the Procedue for the
remaining circular pipes.
• To finally delete the now unneeded cuboid, from the Operation panel, select
Geometry, Volume, Delete Volumes. Shift-left click the cuboid and click Apply to
leave the half Ventri meter shown in figure 7.
 Figure 7: The geometry of the Venturi meter sliced in half by the cuboid.

Mesh Geometry

The next stage is to mesh the half venturi meter. The first stage is to create a boundary
layer that is attached to the inside wall, then create an edge mesh and finally to sweep a
volume hex mesh though the remainder of the pipe.
• To create the boundary layer mesh, from the Operation panel, select Mesh,
Boundary Layer. Click the Attatchments box and change from Edges to Faces.
Shift-left click all the curved surfaces (not edges) and enter the following into the
textboxes, First Row: 0.05, Growth Factor: 1.5, Rows: 4. Click Apply.
• The add the edge mesh. From the Operation panel, select Mesh, Edge Mesh
Command Button. Shift-left click all the curved edges (semi circles). Ensure
Ratio is set to 1. Change the spacing type from Interval Size to Interval count
and set to 40. Click Apply.
• Finally, to produce the volume mesh, from the Operation panel, select Mesh,
Volume Mesh Command Button. Shift-left click all the volumes and ensure that
Elements: Hex/Wedge and Type: Cooper is selected. Click Apply and wait. A
mesh should be prodcued. A shaded render may help to visualise the result, as
shown in figure 8.
• The visiblity of the mesh can be turned off to help with further work. It is not
erased, but just not visible. From the Global Contols panel, select Specifiy
Display Attributes. Click the box next to Mesh and Select Off. Click Apply.
 Figure 8: The boundary and volume mesh of the half Venturi meter.

Define the Boundary and Continuum Conditions

The final step in the Gambit process is to assign names to the bondaries and continuum
so that they can be identified once imported into Fluent.

• Firstly, name the wall of the pipe. From the Operation panel, select Zones,
Specify Bounday Types. Ensure Add is selected and shift-left click the outer
curved faces of the Venturi. Do not select the internal faces. The shift-middle
click may be useful here. Enter "Venturi wall" in the Name: textbox and ensure
Type: WALL is selected. Click Apply.
• The create by symmetry wall. Shift-left click the flat faces under the curved
venturi walls, name these "ventrui symm" and set Type: SYMMETRY. Click Apply.
• Shift-left click one semi-circular end, name this "inlet" and set Type:
MASS_FLOW_INLET. Shift-left click the other semi-circular end, name this
"outlet" and set Type: OUTFLOW.
• Clicking the Show colors box can help visualise the geometry and boundary
conditions, as shown in Figure 9.
• To create the continuum type, from the Operation panel, select Zones, Specify
Continuum Types. Shift-left click all volumes, enter "fluid" in the Name:
textbox. Ensure Entity: Fluid is selected and click Apply.
 Figure 9: The boundary conditions shown in colour for the half-venturi pipe.

Save the file and import into Fluent

• From the Main Menu, select File, Save. Enter a meaningful name and click
Accept. Then, select File, Export, Mesh.... Give the mesh file a name (or use the
default) with a .msh extension. Click Accept. Close Gambit with File, Exit. Gambit
always asks to save the current work, even if the latest version is already saved.
• Open Fluent 6.3 by double clicking on the icon. Select 3d and click Run.
• Select File, Read, Case and browse to the .msh file previously created.

Displaying and checking the grid.

• Ensure the mesh has no major errors by selecting Grid, Check. Grid, Info,
Size also displays some useful information, such as the meseh having 75,000
cells. Select Grid, Scale. Change Grid Was Created In from m to mm and click
Scale (ONCE!). Close the Scale Grid window.
• To display the imported grid, select Disply, Grid to open the Grid Display
window. Click Display to open a graphics window displaying the venturi meter.
Close the Grid Display window.

Defining the physics of the system

• As the flow is turbulent, this Select Define, Models, Viscous... to display the
Viscous Model window. Select K-epsilon model and accept the default values.
Click OK.
• The next step is to ensure the simulation is conducted using the correct fluid in
the Venturi pipe. Click Define, Materials... to display the display the
Materials window. Ensure that Air is selected and the density to a value of 1
-3
kg.m and leave the default value for viscosity. Close the Materials window.
• The boundary condistions should be set for each of the faces that surround the
continuum. Click Define, Boundary Conditions... to display the Boundary
Conditions window. The names that appear as Zones should be those that
 were named in Gambit, as well as "default-interior". Select fluid, click Set...
and ensure that air is selected. Click OK to close the fluid window. Repeat with
outlet, venturi_symm and venturi_wall. Open these Boundary condition panels to
examine the contence. This is for interest only, leave the default values as these
are correct.
• Finally, set the mass flow inlet boundary condition so that the flow is parallel to
the walls of the pipe and at a value of 0.5 kg per second. As the density is set to
-3
kg.m , the value of mass flow rate and volumentric flow rate will be identical. In
the mass flow inlet the Boundary Conditions window, firstly ensure that Mass
flow Specification Method is set to "Mass Flow Rate". Secondly, set Mass Flow-
Rate (kg/s) to 0.001 and ensure that Supersonic/Initial Gauge Pressure (pascal)
is set to 0 Pa. Then, set the Direction Specification Method to "Normal to
Boundary". This should cause an number of options to disappear. Finally, set the
Turbulence Specification Method to "Intensity and Length Scale" and set the
"Turbulence Intensity" to 5% (this is the velocity fluctuations compared to the
time averaged value) and the length scale to 5mm (based on a value simlar to
the inlet length scale.
• The result should be a Boundary conditions window such as that if figure 10.

Figure 10: The mass inlet boundary condition window

Running the simulation.

To run the simulation, a initial solution needs to be set as well as any necessary
monitoring to ensure the calculations are progressing well.
• From the main menu, select Solve, Initialize, Initialize... from where
the inital soluation for every cell in the grid can be set. As the flow is going in the
+ve Z direction, set this value to 5 m/s, while leaving the value for X and Y
velocity at 0 and click Init and Apply then close the window.
• To set the convergance and monitors, select Solve, Monitors, Residuals...
and check that the "Absolute Convergence Critera" are all set to 0.001. Check
the box labelled "Plot" under "Options" in the top right hand corner. Click OK to
close the window.
• To run the simulation select Solve, Iterate and set the number of iterations to
200. Click "Iterate" and watch as the residuals converge in the display window,
 such as those shown in figure 11. The process of convergence may take several
minutes.

Figure 11: Residuals for the convergence of the venturi meter simulation.

Post processing the results.

The final stage in this tutorial is to post process the results and compare them to those
predicted to the theory given in equations 1, 2 and 3.
• Firstly, to display the results as contours, select Display, Contours. Ensure
that "Filled" is checked, change the number of levels to "100" and select
"venturi_symm" form the "Surfaces" list. This will allow contours at the centre
of the venturi meter to be displayed. To display the velocity in the pipe, select
"Velocity..." and "Velocity Magnitude" from "Contours of" and Click "Display".
This should produce a result like that shown in Figure 12.
• To display contours of static pressure, in the "Contours of" dropdown, select
"Pressure" and "Static Pressure".
• In order to get a numerical value of Pressure or Velocity, right clicking on the
display window to probe the contours. The numerical value should appear in the
main FLUENT window.
• Now, obtain values of the pressure drop in the Venturi meter and compare this
to the predicted value of volume flow rate. Why might the values differ?
Figure 12: Displaying contours of velocity magnitude