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Which Symscape product is correct for multi inlet and outlet air plenum studies?

Submitted by Apex Design on March 1, 2014 - 19:06

I have a project to study/design a system that closely resembles an air hockey table.

The system will have several air inputs, and thousands of outputs. I wish to analyze the pressure drop from the input points to the most distant output ports. I want to verify a balanced even flow across the array of output ports.

My intention is to model the system in 3D and provide the model to the simulator software in *.step or *.stl.

Which if any Symscape product is suitable for this study? What issues should I be prepared to come up. How much computer will I need in order to run this study?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Matt

‹ Conjugate Heat Transfer- Future Capability? Exporting Data to Structural Models ›

Options to simplify your geometry

Submitted by symscape on March 3, 2014 - 10:03.

You could model thousands of passages individually but it would be tedious, instead consider:

  • Using symmetry and only model a small section of the passages
  • Position a single output away from the passages and model the passages at a reduced geometric level
  • Use porous media with directional resistance to model the passages in bulk rather than individually

STEP (.stp) is the best format to exchange geometry, it retains geometry and topology descriptions, whereas as STL does not.

Caedium Professional can import STEP and simulate viscous flow and would be suitable for this type of application.

The higher the spec of your computer the better in terms of CPU cores and RAM. However, you'd get a better idea of what to expect by just using your existing 64-bit computer, and then making a decision on more optimal hardware. A typical CAD workstation (e.g., 4xCPU cores, 12 GB, dedicated graphics card) specification is usually adequate for most internal flow CFD applications.

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