Explore how Ansys Discovery revolutionizes simulations in the biomedical field with a focus on the FDA Nozzle benchmark.
Ansys Discovery has emerged as a groundbreaking tool in the field of simulation technology. This advanced software provides engineers and designers with the ability to rapidly iterate and explore design concepts in real-time. With its intuitive interface and powerful simulation capabilities, Ansys Discovery eliminates the complexities associated with traditional simulation tools, making it accessible to a broader range of users.
The key feature that sets Ansys Discovery apart is its ability to provide instant feedback on design changes. This capability significantly reduces the time required for design validation and optimization, allowing for more innovative and efficient engineering solutions. As a result, Ansys Discovery is not just a tool but a catalyst for innovation in engineering and design.
The FDA Nozzle benchmark is a critical test case used to validate computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations in biomedical engineering. This benchmark involves simulating the flow of fluid through a nozzle with specific geometric and boundary conditions, which mimic real-world biomedical applications (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Benchmark nozzle model
The particle image velocimetry (PIV) test results of the benchmark device are published to be utilized as a reference for both CFD calculations and further PIV experiments1. Flow conditions from Reynolds numbers of 500 to 6500 were considered, and data were collected from different regions of the model (Figure 2).
Figure 2. Velocity profiles from different radial and axial location of benchmark device
Simulating the FDA Nozzle presents several challenges, including accurately capturing the complex fluid dynamics and ensuring the reliability of the simulation results. Traditional simulation tools often require extensive setup and computational resources, which can be a significant barrier for engineers.
Ansys Discovery addresses these challenges by providing streamlined workflows and advanced computational techniques. The software's automated meshing and solver setup reduce the time and effort required for simulation setup. Furthermore, its high-performance computing capabilities ensure that even complex simulations can be run efficiently. These solutions make Ansys Discovery a powerful tool for tackling the challenges associated with simulating the FDA Nozzle.
The geometry model can easily be prepared in Model mode of the Discovery. Once it is prepared, it will look like this (Figure 3):
Figure 3. FDA nozzle model in Discovery
The inlet and outlet name selections can be done by selecting the corresponding face and naming it (Figure 4):
Figure 4. Name selection
Bringing the mode to "Explore" will provide to set the physics conditions. Clicking the "Fluid Flow" will show the options to set the inlet and the outlet conditions. The "Physics" three on the left lets you to set additional conditions such as gravity and temperature (Figure 5).
Figure 5. Setting boundary conditions
The calculation type and modeling method, such as laminar and turbulent options, can be set in the "Simulation Options" (Figure 6)
Figure 6. Simulation settings.
The material can be selected from the "Materials" tab, or a new material can be defined. For this case, a new material was defined with a density of 1050kg/m3 and a viscosity of 0.0035Pa.s (Figure 7).
Figure 7. Material selection
For this demonstration, the inlet velocities of 0.046 m/s, 0.322 m/s, and 0.600 m/s were utilized for the flow conditions correspond to the Reynolds numbers of 500, 3500, and 6500 respectively. Note that, the Reynolds number is calculated using the throat diameter. Laminar flow option was selected for Reynolds number of 500, and k-w sst was applied for the Reynold numbers of 3500 and 6500.
Once everything is set, clicking the green button on the far right will initiate the simulation. The results will be ready in few seconds depending on the fidelity adjustment in the "Explore" mode (Figure 6).
Figure 8. The simulation results
The simulation results can be viewed with contours, as shown in Figure 8, streamlines, and particles. The velocity contours for all operating conditions are shown in Figure 9(left). The predicted velocity profiles are compared to the PIV measured ones in Figure 9(right).
Figure 9. Ansys Discovery predictions. Velocity contours (left), normalized velocity comparisons to PIV experiments (right).
As can be seen from the contours, the jet length and corresponding flow separation indicates the different flow conditions, as expected. Furthermore, the axial velocity profiles indicate fairly good agreement with the experimental data. Considering the time scale to achieve these results in the frame of seconds, any engineer or analyst would highly appreciate Ansys Discovery.
There is no doubt, as simulation technology continues to evolve, Ansys Discovery will remain at the forefront, driving innovation and efficiency in engineering and design.
1 Multilaboratory Particle Image Velocimetry Analysis of the FDA Benchmark Nozzle Model to Support Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulations. Hariharan et al. Journal of Biomedical Engineering, Vol 133 / 041002-1, 2011