Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 23 views

    TCFD POINTWISE Potsdam Propeller Benchmark

    Uploaded by

    Bhawesh Stha

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    TCFD POINTWISE Potsdam Propeller Benchmark

    Uploaded by

    Bhawesh Stha
    23 views6 pages

    Original Title

    TCFD-POINTWISE-Potsdam-Propeller-Benchmark

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    23 views6 pages

    TCFD POINTWISE Potsdam Propeller Benchmark

    Uploaded by

    Bhawesh Stha

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    You are on page 1of 6

    Potsdam Propeller CFD Benchmark

    Daniel LaCroix Radek Máca


    dlacroix@pointwise.com radek.maca@cfdsupport.com

    This report presents the benchmark validation of CFD simulation results of the ​Potsdam Propeller
    Test Case (PPTC)​, using ​TCFD®​ ​with ​POINTWISE®​ mesh. PPTC is a marine propulsor that was
    extensively measured by ​SVA Potsdam and related data were published [1] [2] [3]. The aim of this
    benchmark was to evaluate the TCFD®​ ​, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software, on the very
    advanced mesh, created in POINTWISE®​ ​, mesh generation software, and to compare the results
    with the measurement data available. The particular goal of this benchmark is to compare the
    propeller ​Efficiency, Torque Coefficient, and Thrust Coefficient ​vs. ​Advance Coefficient ​with
    the real experimental measurement of ​SVA Potsdam Laboratory​.

    KEYWORDS: POTSDAM PROPELLER, CFD, MESH, VALIDATION, BENCHMARK, TCFD,


    SIMULATION, POINTWISE, ADVANCED MESH, EXTERNAL, TURBOMACHINERY,
    HYDRODYNAMICS, PROPELLER, SHIP, PROPULSION, INCOMPRESSIBLE, FLUID, FLOW, RANS,
    WATER, STEADY-STATE, WATERFLOW, AUTOMATION

    Benchmark Parameters
    ● Mean flow speed: ​4 m/s ● Reference density: ​997.71 kg/m3​
    ● Rotation speed: ​900 RPM ● ​ ​ Pa⋅s
    Dynamic viscosity: ​9.559 × 10-4
    ● Flow model: in​compressible ● CPU Time:​ 30 core.hours/point
    ● Mesh size: ​4.1 M cells ● Turbulence: ​RANS
    ● Medium: ​water ● Turbulence model:​ kOmegaSST
    ● Speedlines: ​1 ● Simulation type: ​Propeller
    ● Simulation points:​ 11 ● Time management: ​steady-state
    ● Fluid: ​Water ● Number of components: ​2
    ● Reference pressure: ​1 atm ● Wall treatment:​ Wall functions
    Potsdam Propeller CFD Benchmark Description

    The high demand for improving the accuracy, quality, and credibility of the CFD simulation
    results, should be assessed by providing a high qualitative and intensive comparison with
    experimental measurement data.
    The purpose of this benchmark is the validation of CFD simulation software ​TCFD​® ​with the
    mesh created in high-end meshing software ​POINTWISE​® and to compare the results with the
    measurement data available. ​Potsdam Propeller Test Case (PPTC) is a marine propulsor that
    was extensively measured by ​SVA Potsdam​ and related data were published in [1], [2], and [3].
    The particular goal of this benchmark is to compare the propeller Efficiency, Torque Coefficient,
    and Thrust Coefficient vs. Advance Coefficient with the real experimental measurement of ​SVA
    Potsdam Laboratory​. The experimental investigation includes open water test and velocity field
    measurements at different operation conditions. A detailed description of the open water tests

    conducted at the towing tank of the SVA is presented in the SVA report [1], which can be found
    on the SVA website (​sva-potsdam.de​).
    At the propeller analysis, there are a few important dimensionless numbers. Those are Advance
    Coefficient, Thrust Coefficient, Torque Coefficient, and Efficiency. They are defined as
    (respectively):

    Va T Q J KT
    J= n·D , KT = ρ· n2 ·D 4 , KQ = ρ · n2 · D5
    , η0 = 2π · K Q

    Where Va is the advance speed [m/s], n is the speed of rotation [1/s], D is propeller diameter
    [m], T is thrust [N], ϱ is water density [kg/m3], Q is torque [Nm]. The measurement results are
    available for Advance coefficients from J = 0.5 to 1.6 and the simulation points are chosen
    accordingly. Altogether, 11 Advance Coefficient modes were simulated according to the
    measurements.
    Mesh
    An unstructured viscous computational mesh was constructed with Pointwise on the Potsdam
    propeller geometry as part of this TCFD validation benchmark. Pointwise, Inc. has previously
    worked with variants of the geometry for other studies. For an in-depth discussion of Pointwise
    technology and how it can be used for this particular geometry, please consult [4].

    A combination of anisotropic and isotropic triangles were used in the surface mesh
    discretization. Areas of high curvature - such as the leading edge, trailing edge, and the tip-
    were resolved by utilizing Pointwise’s T-Rex algorithm. This tool grows anisotropically
    stretched, right-angled triangles layered in the normal direction to a boundary [5], as shown
    below. Using this, areas of high curvature are able to be resolved without the need to
    isotropically refine the area. The result is an accurate adherence to the surface and a reduction
    in the point count. The interior of the surface mesh was resolved with isotropic triangles
    created using a modified Delaunay algorithm.

    After meshing the geometry, the outer boundary of the moving reference frame (MRF) as well as the
    outer boundary of the computational domain were meshed utilizing isotropic triangles and the Delaunay
    algorithm. The MRF is cylindrical domain approximately 4.8 D long (4.8x the propeller diameter) and 1.5 D
    in diameter. It starts just upstream of the propeller and extends downstream into the wake. A farfield
    block was generated outside of the MRF corresponding to 10 D and 2.6 D; these were the limits taken
    from the file provided.
    The volume mesh is a combination of a prismatic core surrounded by isotropic tetrahedral cells. The
    prismatic portions of the grid were initialized using T-Rex. Starting from the surface mesh, anisotropic
    tetrahedral cells were grown until reaching a desired stop criteria, colliding with another front, or
    violating quality criteria. If an element stops advancing this did not prevent adjacent elements from
    continuing. After the tetrahedral layers are grown, the cells are combined to form prisms (or hexagons if
    the surface mesh is made up of quadrilateral cells). This reduces the total cell count of the mesh without
    sacrificing quality. Once the near-wall viscous mesh was generated, the remainder of the volume was
    populated with isotropic tetrahedral cells. The total cell count was just below 4.1 million cells. The
    average maximum included angle was 101, and the maximum was 170. The average volume ratio was 1.8
    with a maximum of 28.

    The data for the mesh is included in the table.

    Mesh Elements points faces internal faces faces per cell hexahedra

    # 1018546 8753113 8434441 4.203379 2052

    Mesh Elements prisms pyramids tet wedges polyhedra cells

    # 788137 39373 0 0 4,088,985


    TCFD​®​ Simulation Setup

    The simulation run in TCFD is quite straightforward. The external mesh, created in POINTWISE,
    is simply loaded and the simulation parameters are set. The simulation type is the ​propeller​.
    Time management is ​steady-state​. The fluid flow model is ​incompressible​. The mesh has ​two

    components (the water tunnel and the cylinder with


    propeller inside) of total ​4.1M cells. The inlet flow velocity
    defines the advance coefficient and the velocity varies
    from ​1.7 to ​5.9 m/s in ​11 points. The outlet boundary
    condition is static pressure. For turbulence modeling, the
    RANS modeling approach has been used with the ​k-omega
    SST turbulence model with the wall functions. The fluid
    properties of water are selected. The density of 997.71
    kg/m3. Dynamic viscosity of 9.559e-4 Pa.s.

    TCFD​®​ Simulation Post-processing


    TCFD​® includes a built-in post-processing module that
    automatically evaluates the required total quantities, such
    as propeller efficiency, thrust coefficient, torque
    coefficient, forces, force coefficients, flow rates, and much
    more. All these quantities are evaluated throughout the
    simulation run, and all the important data is summarized in
    tabled .csv files as well as in the HTML report, which can be
    updated anytime during the simulation for every run.
    Furthermore, visual postprocessing of the volume fields
    can be done with ParaView.
    Efficiency, Thrust & Torque Coefficient vs. Advance Coefficient
    A propeller is the most common propulsor on ships, imparting momentum to a fluid which
    causes a force to act on the ship. The most comprehensive propeller performance information
    is provided by displaying all the key characteristics into one graph.

    Conclusion
    The CFD analysis of the PPTC was performed successfully. It has been shown that the TCFD​®
    in connection with POINTWISE​® provides very accurate results that are in perfect agreement
    with the measurement data.

    All the simulation and measurement data are freely available. Potential questions about
    TCFD​® are to be sent to ​info@cfdsupport.com​. Questions about POINTWISE​® are to be sent to
    pointwise@pointwise.com​.

    [1] Barkmann, U., Potsdam Propeller Test Case (PPTC) - Open Water Tests with the Model Propeller
    VP1304, Report 3752, SchiffbauVersuchsanstalt Potsdam, April 2011
    [2] Barkmann, U., Heinke, H.-J., Potsdam Propeller Test Case (PPTC) Test Case Description, Second
    International Symposium on Marine Propulsors smp’11, Hamburg, Germany, June 2011, Workshop:
    Propeller performance
    [3] Heinke, H.-J., Potsdam Propeller Test Case (PPTC), Cavitation Tests with the Model Propeller
    VP1304, Report 3753, SchiffbauVersuchsanstalt Potsdam, April 2011
    [4] Carrigan, T., Bagheri, B., “A Study of the Influence of Meshing Strategies on CFD Simulation
    Efficiency,” NAFEMS World Congress 2017, NWC17-466, 2017.
    [5] Steinbrenner, J. P. and Abelanet, J.P., "Anisotropic Tetrahedral Meshing Based on Surface
    Deformation Techniques," AIAA-20060554, AIAA 45th Aerospace Sciences Meeting, Reno, NV.

    You might also like