Introduction To CFX: Workshop 5 Cavitating Centrifugal Pump

Workshop 5
Cavitating Centrifugal Pump
Introduction to CFX
ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary April 28, 2009

© 2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. WS5-1 Inventory #002599
WS5: Cavitating Centrifugal Pump
Introduction Workshop Supplement
The Purpose of the tutorial is to model

cavitation in a centrifugal pump, which
involves the use of a rotation domain and
the cavitation model.
The problem consists of a five blade
centrifugal pump operating at 2160 rpm.
The working fluid is water and flow is
assumed to be steady and
incompressible.
Due to rotational periodicity a single
blade passage will be modeled.
The initial flow-field will be solved without
cavitation. It will be turned on later.

Workbench Workshop Supplement
1. Start Workbench and save the project as

centrifugalpump.wbpj
2. Drag CFX into the Project Schematic from the
Component Systems toolbox
3. Start CFX-Pre by double clicking Setup
4. When CFX-Pre opens, import the mesh by right-clicking
on Mesh and selecting Import Mesh > ICEM CFD
5. Browse to pump.cfx5
6. Keep Mesh units in m
7. Click Open

Creating Working Fluids Workshop Supplement
Modifying the material properties:
1. Expand Materials in the Outline tree

2. Double-click Water
3. On the Material Properties tab
change Density to 1000 [kg/m3]
4. Change Dynamic Viscosity to 0.001
[kg m^-1 s^-1] under Transport
Properties
5. Click OK

Setting up the Fluid Domain Workshop Supplement
1. Double-click on Default Domain

2. Under Fluid and Particle Definitions, delete
Fluid 1 and then create a new Fluid named
Water Liquid
3. Set Material to Water
4. Create another new Fluid named Water Vapour
5. Next to the Material drop-down list, click the “…”
icon, then the Import Library Data icon (on the
right of the form), and select Water Vapour at
25 C under the Water Data object
– Click OK
6. Back in the Material panel, select Water Vapour
at 25 C
– Click OK

Setting up the Fluid Domain Workshop Supplement
7. Set the Reference Pressure to 0 [Pa]

8. Set Domain Motion to Rotating
9. Set Angular Velocity to 2160 [rev min^-1]
10. Switch on Alternate Rotation Model
11. Make sure Rotation Axis under Axis Definition is set to Global Z
11. Switch to the Fluid Models tab, and set the following:
12. Turn on Homogeneous Model in the Multiphase section
13. Under Heat Transfer set the Option to Isothermal, with a Temperature of
25 C
14. Set Turbulence Option to Shear Stress Transport
15. Click OK

Inlet Boundary Condition Workshop Supplement
1. Insert a boundary condition named Inlet

2. On the Basic Settings tab, set Boundary Type to Inlet
3. Set Location to INLET
4. Set Frame Type to Stationary
5. Switch to the Boundary Details tab
6. Specify Mass and Momentum with a Normal Speed of 7.0455 [m/s]
7. Switch to the Fluid Values tab
8. For Water Liquid, set the Volume Fraction to a Value of 1
9. For Water Vapour, set the Volume Fraction to a Value of 0
10.Click OK

Outlet Boundary Condition Workshop Supplement
1. Inset a boundary condition named Outlet

2. On the Basic Settings tab, set Boundary Type to Opening
3. Set Location to OUT
4. Set Frame Type to Stationary
5. Switch to the Boundary Details tab
6. Specify Mass and Momentum using Entrainment, and enter a Relative
Pressure of 600,000 [Pa]
7. Enable the Pressure Option and set it to Opening Pressure
8. Set Turbulence Option to Zero Gradient
9. Switch to the Fluid Values tab
10.For Water Liquid, set the Volume Fraction to a Value of 1
11.For Water Vapour, set the Volume Fraction to a Value of 0
12.Click OK

Periodic Interface Workshop Supplement
1. Click to create an Interface, and name

it Periodic
2. Set the Interface Type to Fluid Fluid
3. For Interface Side 1, set the Region List
to DOMAIN INTERFACE 1 SIDE 1 and
DOMAIN INTERFACE 2 SIDE 1 (use the
“…” icon and the Ctrl key)
4. For Interface Side 2, set the Region List
to DOMAIN INTERFACE 1 SIDE 2 and
DOMAIN INTERFACE 2 SIDE 2
5. Set the Interface Models option to
Rotational Periodicity
6. Under Axis Definition, select Global Z
7. Set Mesh Connection Option to 1:1
8. Click OK

Wall Boundary Conditions Workshop Supplement
1. Insert a boundary condition named Stationary

2. Set it to be a Wall, using the STATIONARY location
3. On the Boundary Details tab, enable a Wall Velocity and set it to
Counter Rotating Wall
4. Click OK
5. In the Outline Tree, right-click on the Default Domain Default boundary

and rename it to Moving
– The default behavior for the Moving boundary condition is to move with the
rotating domain, so there is nothing that needs to be set

Initialization Workshop Supplement
1. Click to initialize the solution

2. On the Fluid Settings form, set Water Liquid Volume Fraction to
Automatic with Value, and set the Volume Fraction to 1
3. Set Water Vapour Volume Fraction to Automatic with Value, and set the
Volume Fraction to 0
4. Click OK

Solver Control Workshop Supplement
1. Double click Solver Control in the Outline tree

2. Set Timescale Control to Physical timescale
A commonly used timescale in turbomachinery is 1/omega, where

omega is the rotation rate in radians per second. You can use an
expression to determine a timestep from this. In this case, 2/omega will
be used to achieve faster convergence.
3. Enter the following expression in the Physical Timescale box:

1/(pi*2160 [min^-1])
4. Set Residual Target to 1e-5
5. On the Advanced Options tab, turn on Multiphase Control, then turn on
Volume Fraction Coupling and set the Option to Coupled
6. Click OK

Output Control Workshop Supplement
1. Double Click on Output Control in the Outline tree

2. On the Monitor tab, turn on Monitor Options
3. Under Monitor Points and Expressions, create a new object and call it
InletPTotalAbs
4. Set Option to Expression
5. Specify the following expression:
massFlowAve(Total Pressure in Stn Frame )@Inlet
6. Create a new object called InletPStatic, and set Option to Expression
7. Specify the following expression:
areaAve(Pressure )@Inlet
8. Click OK

Solver Workshop Supplement
1. Close CFX-Pre and switch to the

Workbench Project window
2. Save the project
3. Now double click on Solution in
the Project Schematic to start the
Solver Manager
4. When the Solver Manager
opens, click Start Run
5. When the solution has
completed, close the Solver
Manager and return to the
Project window
6. Save the project

Post-processing Workshop Supplement
1. View the results in CFD-Post

by double clicking Results in
the Project Schematic
2. Insert a Contour by clicking
3. For the Location, click ,
expand Regions and then
select BLADE
4. Set Variable to Absolute
Pressure from the extended
list
5. Set Range to Global
6. On the Render tab switch off
Lighting and Show contour
Lines
7. Click Apply

9. Insert another Contour on the HUB

location, using the variable Absolute
Pressure coloured by Local Range. Turn off
Lighting and Show Contour Lines.
10. Insert another Contour on the SHROUD

location, using the variable Absolute
Pressure coloured by Local Range. Turn off
Lighting and Show Contour Lines.
The minimum pressure is above the

Saturation Pressure of 2650 Pa for Water
here. In the next step, the outlet pressure
will be reduced enough to initiate
Cavitation.
Adding another Analysis Workshop Supplement
1. Close CFD-Post and return to the Project

Schematic
2. Click the arrow next to the A cell and
select Duplicate
– A new CFX project is created as a copy of
the first
3. Change the name of the new Simulation to
Cavitation
4. Use the arrow next to the A cell to
Rename it to No Cavitation
5. Save the Project
6. Double-click Setup for the Cavitation
simulation to open CFX-Pre

Physics Modifications Workshop Supplement
1. Edit the Default Domain

2. On the Fluid Pair Models tab set Mass Transfer to Cavitation
3. Set Option to Rayleigh Plesset
4. Turn on Saturation Pressure
5. Set a Saturation Pressure of 2650 [Pa]
6. Click OK
7. Edit the Outlet Boundary Condition
8. On the Boundary Details tab, set the Relative Pressure to 300,000 [Pa]
9. Click OK
Most cavitation solutions should be performed by turning

cavitation on and then successively lowering the system
pressure over several runs to more gradually induce cavitation.
To speed up this workshop, a sudden change in pressure is
introduced. Note that this approach may not be suitable for
modelling some industrial cases.

Physics Modifications Workshop Supplement
1. Edit Solver Control

2. Set the Max. Iterations to 150
3. Set the Residual Target to 1e-4
4. Click OK
5. Close CFX-Pre and save the project
6. In the Project Schematic, drag cell A3
onto cell B3
– The non-cavitating solution will be
used as the initial guess for the
cavitating solution
7. Double-click Solution for the
Cavitation system
– In the Solver Manager note that the
initial conditions have been provided
from the project schematic
8. Click Start Run

Cavitation Solution Workshop Supplement
There is a significant spike in

residuals, in part due to the
outlet pressure difference, but
also due to the fact that the
absolute pressure is low enough
to induce cavitation.
1. When the run completes, close

the Solver Manager and return
to the Project Schematic
2. Save the project
3. Double-click Results for the
Cavitation project to open
CFD-Post

1. If it is not enabled, turn on visibility for

the Wireframe and turn off visibility for
any User Locations and Plots
2. Create an XY Plane at Z = 0.01 [m]
3. Colour it by Absolute Pressure (the
variable is available in the Extended List
by clicking ). Use a Global Range
– The minimum absolute pressure is
equivalent to the Saturation Pressure
specified earlier, which is a strong hint
that some cavitation has occurred
4. Change the Colour Variable to Water
Vapour.Volume Fraction
5. Change the Colour Map to Blue to White

1. Turn off visibility for Plane 1

2. Create a Volume using the Isovolume
method
3. Set the Variable to Water Vapour.Volume
Fraction
4. Set Mode to Above Value, and enter a
value of 0.5
5. To view 360 degrees of the model,

double-click Default Transform
6. Uncheck Instancing Info from Domain
7. Set # of copies to 5
8. Set # of Passages to 5
9. Click OK

The main area of cavitation exists between the suction side of the blade
and the shroud in this geometry. A secondary area of cavitation is just
behind the leading edge of the blade on the pressure side
Further steps to try:
1. Calculate torque on the BLADE using the function calculator (hint, use
the extended region list to find the BLADE, and use Global Z axis)
2. Plot velocity Vectors on Plane 1, using the variable
Water Liquid.Velocity in Stn. Frame
3. Calculate the mass flow through the pump (hint: use the function
calculator to evaluate massFlow at the Outlet region)
4. Using a similar method to step 2, calculate the drop in Total Pressure
from Inlet to Outlet
5. Plot Streamlines, starting from the Inlet location


Introduction To CFX: Workshop 5 Cavitating Centrifugal Pump

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Workshop 5

Cavitating Centrifugal Pump

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary April 28, 2009

The Purpose of the tutorial is to model

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary April 28, 2009

1. Start Workbench and save the project as

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary April 28, 2009

Modifying the material properties:

1. Expand Materials in the Outline tree

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary April 28, 2009

1. Double-click on Default Domain

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary April 28, 2009

7. Set the Reference Pressure to 0 [Pa]

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary April 28, 2009

1. Insert a boundary condition named Inlet

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary April 28, 2009

1. Inset a boundary condition named Outlet

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary April 28, 2009

1. Click to create an Interface, and name

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary April 28, 2009

1. Insert a boundary condition named Stationary

5. In the Outline Tree, right-click on the Default Domain Default boundary

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary April 28, 2009

1. Click to initialize the solution

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary April 28, 2009

1. Double click Solver Control in the Outline tree

A commonly used timescale in turbomachinery is 1/omega, where

3. Enter the following expression in the Physical Timescale box:

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary April 28, 2009

1. Double Click on Output Control in the Outline tree

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary April 28, 2009

1. Close CFX-Pre and switch to the

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary April 28, 2009

1. View the results in CFD-Post

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary April 28, 2009

9. Insert another Contour on the HUB

10. Insert another Contour on the SHROUD

The minimum pressure is above the

1. Close CFD-Post and return to the Project

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary April 28, 2009

1. Edit the Default Domain

Most cavitation solutions should be performed by turning

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary April 28, 2009

1. Edit Solver Control

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary April 28, 2009

There is a significant spike in

1. When the run completes, close

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary April 28, 2009

1. If it is not enabled, turn on visibility for

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary April 28, 2009

1. Turn off visibility for Plane 1

5. To view 360 degrees of the model,

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary April 28, 2009

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary April 28, 2009

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