Modelling of Unsteady Gas-Dynamic Flow in a Pipe and at Its Exit using CFD

Abstract

Traditionally the simulation of the thermodynamic aspects of the internal combustion engine has been undertaken using one-dimensional gas-dynamic models to represent the intake and exhaust systems. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis of engines has been restricted to modelling of in-cylinder flow structures. With the increasing accessibility of CFD software it is now worth considering its use for complete gas-dynamic engine simulation. This paper appraises the accuracy of various CFD models in comparison with a one-dimensional gas-dynamic simulation. All of the models are compared to experimental data acquired on an apparatus that generates a single gas-dynamic pressure wave. The progress of the wave along a constant area pipe and its subsequent reflection from the open pipe end are recorded with a number of high-speed pressure transducers.

It was found that there was little to choose between the accuracy of the one-dimensional model and the best CFD model. The CFD model did not require experimentally derived loss coefficients to represent accurately the open pipe end; however, it took several hundred times longer to complete its analysis. The best congruency between the CFD models and the experimental data was achieved using the RNG k-∊ turbulence model. The open end of the pipe was most effectively represented by surrounding it with a relatively small volume of cells connected to the rest of the environment using a pressure boundary.