CFD Simulation of Flow Over a Cylinder Using ANSYS Fluent

Hiawata A. Pratama
Kunsan National University

1. Introduction
Computational Fluid Dynamics, often shortened to CFD is a field of study that predicts
fluid flow, heat, mass transfer and other related phenomenon. CFD is used to generate flow
simulation with the help of a computer. Through simulation it numerically solves equations
such as conservation of mass and other governing laws of fluid dynamics. The set of
complex partial differential equations are solved in a geometrical domain that is divided
into small volumes that are usually called mesh (grid).

ANSYS Fluent is a software that contains the physical modelling capabilities to model flow,
heat transfer, and any other reactions related to CFD. It is integrated into the software
environment called ANSYS Workbench that provides a two directional connection with
any other ANSYS software such as ANSYS DesignModeler for geometry creation and
modification and ANSYS Meshing for designing the mesh. Both are very important
software to use prior to the CFD simulation with ANSYS Fluent. Nowadays, companies
throughout the world are using ANSYS FLUENT software as the integral part of design
and optimization phases in product development.

Figure 1.1 ANSYS Workbench Interface

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The study of flow over a cylinder is a basic fluid mechanic problem in practical application.
This study has been very helpful in examining the effect of Reynolds number on the
aerodynamic or hydrodynamic forces acting on a blunt object. Theoretically, when a
circular cylinder is projected with a laminar flow field, a significant amount of drag is
produced. As the Reynolds number increased, the flow moving past the cylinder starts to
behave strangely and mixed together resulting a repeating swirling vortices. This
phenomenon is widely known as Kármán Vortex Street, named after the engineer and fluid
dynamicist Theodore Von Kármán.

Figure 1.2 Regimes of fluid flow across a smooth tube.

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2. Simulation Process
This CFD simulation aims to show the effect of Reynolds Number (RE) variations to the
flow around a 2 dimensional cylinder using ANSYS Fluent. This simulation will be carried
out in 4 RE variations; RE = 5; RE = 75; RE = 250; and RE = 500. The output of the
simulation will be in the form of velocity contour, pressure contour, velocity streamline,
and drag coefficient (Cd) plot. After that, an analysis will be carried out to all the output on
each Reynolds number. Furthermore, the simulation steps will refer to the default steps of
ANSYS Fluent, that is geometry design, mesh generation, setup (pre-processing), solution
(processing), and result (post-processing).

First, after launching ANSYS Workbench double click at the “Fluid Flow (Fluent)” menu
in the left menu bar, this will launch a project schematic of ANSYS Fluent as shown in
picture 1.1. For geometry design, click the geometry menu on the project schematic and
since the simulation is a 2 dimensional, change the analysis type to 2D from the right menu
bar. After that, double click at the geometry menu to launch the DesignModeler. The
geometry form of this simulation is the base of a cylinder placed inside a rectangular fluid
domain and drawn on the XY Plane. The diameter of the cylinder base is 1 meter and the
fluid domain’s length and width are 30 meter and 15 meter respectively.

Figure 2.1 Geometry

The next step of the simulation is mesh generation. The reason why mesh or grid are
required in CFD simulation is because the partial differential equations that will determine
the fluid flow are only applicable to a very simple case. That is why splitting the area where
the fluid is going to be inside the fluid domain into a lot of mesh (grid) is needed. Clicking
the “Mesh” menu on project schematic will launch the Meshing software. generating the
mesh without applying any settings will make the shape of the mesh too coarse, and the

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shape of the mesh will not be uniform, therefore it will make the simulation result less
precise. Too overcome this problem, inserting “method” and “sizing” to the mesh design is
required. Choose a triangle method to make the shape of all mesh triangular. And then for

Figure 2.2 Generated Mesh

sizing, the size of the mesh especially near the edge of the cylinder. In this case, the size of
the mesh around the cylinder is set to be 0.025 meter. Next, it is recommended to make the
mesh around the cylinder uniform for a better result by inserting “inflate” to the mesh
design. Inflate the mesh around the cylinder with the size of 0.025 meter, growth rate of
2.5, and the number of inflation is 40. Finally, to limit the size of the rest of the mesh, go
to ‘Max Face Size’ and set the maximum size of 0.3 meter.

After the mesh is generated, it is essential to name every side of the geometry (i.e inlet for
the left side, outlet for the right, upper and lower side, and cylinder for the cylinder). It
would set the boundary conditions as well as making sure that the flow will run along the
X axis.

Figure 2.3 Named Selection

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The next step is setup or pre-processing. Clicking the “setup” menu will launch the Fluent
software. Before the software is launched, a dialog box will appear. We have to set the
calculation type to single precision and set the number of processor core to compute the
task. The Fluent software will be launched afterward. This analysis will be pressure based
and the time will be transient. The fluid model of this simulation is Viscous Laminar. For
this simulation, make an arbitrary fluid with density of 𝜌 =1 kg/m3 and viscosity of 𝜇 =1
kg/m.s. If the length is l = 1 m according to the Reynolds Number equation:

𝜌𝑣𝑙
𝑅𝐸 =
𝜇

𝑅𝐸 = 𝑣

Hence, the Reynolds Number will be equal to the velocity. Therefore, it is possible to vary
the Reynolds Number in the Fluent setup by inputting the amount of velocity in the inlet
that is equal to the Reynolds Number. As can be seen in the “Boundary Condition” menu
they are automatically set according to the parts named during the mesh generation.

Figure 2.4 Automatically Set Boundary Conditions

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3. Simulation Result and Analysis
After the calculation is finished, the plot of drag coefficient will appear. And from the
Workbench, click “result’ to launch the CFD Post application. CFD Post is an application
that show the final result of a simulation. From the CFD Post we can obtain the velocity
contour, pressure contour, and velocity streamline including the animations. The obtained
result from calculation and CFD Post are as follows:

 Velocity Contour and Streamline

(a) (b)
Figure 3.1 (a) Velocity Contour and (b) velocity streamline of RE = 5

(a) (b)
Figure 3.2 (a) Velocity Contour and (b) velocity streamline of RE = 75

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 (a) (b)

Figure 3.3 (a) Velocity Contour and (b) velocity streamline of RE = 250

(a) (b)

Figure 3.4 (a) Velocity Contour and (b) velocity streamline of RE = 500

Looking at the velocity contour shown in figure 3.1(a). The velocity all over the fluid
domain is approximately 5 m/s. As the fluid flow approaches the cylinder, the velocity
decreases and will be 0 m/s right the wall of the cylinder. The maximum value of velocity
is located on the top and bottom of the cylinder. Furthermore, the shape of streamlines in
figure 3.1(b) shows that they are all symmetrical both on the upper and lower side of the
cylinder and also the front and rear of the cylinder. There is no vortex formed. Therefore,
the fluid flow past the cylinder are steady.

In figure 3.2(a) at the RE = 75 the contour shows that the blue coloured zone with the low
velocity is longer than the previous case (RE = 5). In figure 3.2(b) the no longer
symmetrical streamlines shows that the flow at the back of the cylinder started to develop
a vortex in the same position as the blue coloured zone in the velocity contour. However,
after sometimes the streamlines past the cylinder will be symmetrical again with the

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streamlines in front of the cylinder. Hence, the fluid flow past the cylinder is still
considered as steady.

In contrast, in figure 3.3(b) it can be seen that at the higher Reynolds number (RE = 250),
there will no longer be any symmetrical streamlines left. The length of the vortex formed
in the back of the cylinder is increased and it will start to oscillate in an up and down
direction. If we take a look at the animation generated in CFD Post, it is shown that the
swirling movement of the vortex will be disconnected after sometimes. However, since
the velocity of fluid flow past the cylinder changed all the way along the x axis, the flow
is declared as unsteady.

Similarly, at the highest Reynolds number of the simulation. From the animation in CFD
Post we could see that the oscillating movement of the vortex started to run continuously
and constant until the end of the simulation. This means at this Reynolds number, the
Kármán Vortex Street is occurring. Furthermore, due to the velocity of fluid flow past the
cylinder changed all the way along the x axis, the flow is also declared as unsteady.

 Pressure Contour

(a) (b)

(c) (d)

Figure 3.5 Pressure Contour (a) RE = 5 (b) RE = 75 (c) RE = 250 (d) RE = 500 8
The pressure contours shown in figure 3.5 (a) and (b) show that for RE = 5 and RE = 75
the pressure highest value is at the wall of the cylinder and pressure at the back of the
cylinder is the lowest. Since the flow is steady the pressure past the cylinder is constant
and unchanged. Similarly, the pressure contours shown at figure 3.5 (c) and (d) show that
for higher Reynold Number Value the pressure highest value are still at the wall of the
cylinder and pressure at the back of the cylinder is the lowest. However, Since the flow is
unsteady, the pressure past the cylinder is changing all the time along the x axis.

 Drag Coefficient Plot

Figure 3.5(a) Cd Plot RE = 5

Figure 3.5(b) Cd Plot RE = 75

In figure 3.5(a) (RE = 5) it can be seen that the Cd at the beginning (time 0.00 s) is 0.9.
However, the Cd started to increase gradually and stabilize at 13.00 s with the Cd value of
3.8 until the end of the simulation (time 25.00 s). Then in figure 3.5(b) (RE = 75) it can be
seen that the Cd value at the beginning (time 0.00 s) is 0. However, it is increased
drastically and stabilize quite rapidly compared to the previous simulation (RE = 5) with

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the Cd value of 1.2 until the end. Moreover, at this Reynolds number the drag line starts
to oscillates slightly in a short period but it is not affecting the value of Cd.

Figure 3.5(c) Cd Plot RE = 250

Figure 3.5(d) Cd Plot RE = 500

In figure 3.5(c) (RE = 250) the Cd value stabilize at the value of 1. However, by looking
to the drag line, it can be seen that the period of the oscillations is increasing and start to
fluctuate the Cd value. Similarly, in figure 3.5(d) (RE = 500) the Cd value also stabilize at
the value of 1. Moreover, the oscillation of drag line is more severe than the previous due
to the longer period of each oscillation. Therefore, the Cd value is fluctuating even more
compared to the previous simulation. The oscillation of the drag line for are likely caused
by the increment of the Reynolds number which caused by the increasing input of inlet
velocity value.

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4. Conclusion
All of the carried out simulations have successfully accomplished all the objective set for
the simulations. There are 4 Reynolds Number variation RE = 5, RE = 75, RE = 250, and
RE = 500. From all 4 simulations it can be concluded that the fluid flow over a 2
dimensional cylinder are depending on the value of the Reynolds number. The lower
Reynolds Number will generate no vortex (or a limited amount of vortex) on the back of
the cylinder. Moreover, the fluid flow is steady which means the fluid do not change along
the X axis.

The higher Reynolds Number on viscous laminar fluid will generate a continuously
oscillating vortex at the back of the cylinder known as The Kármán Vortex Street. In this
simulation, Kármán Vortex Street will appear in the Reynolds Number value of 500.
Moreover, Kármán Vortex Street has made the fluid flow changing along the X axis which
means the fluid flow is unsteady.

In terms of drag coefficient (Cd), the lower Reynolds number will produce a bigger drag
coefficient whereas the higher Reynolds number will produce a smaller drag coefficient.
The effect of Reynolds number increment will also produce an oscillation in the drag force
line to the higher Reynolds number which will result a fluctuation in drag coefficient value.

5. References
Kulkarni, A., Moeykens, S. Flow Over a Cylinder. 1-7, 2005
Sato, M., Kobayashi, T. A fundamental study of the flow past a circular cylinder using
Abaqus/CFD. 1-3, 2012
Introduction to CFD. https://www.cfd-online.com/Wiki/Introduction_to_CFD

Meshing. https://www.cfd-online.com/Wiki/Meshing

Computational Fluid Dynamics. ANSYS CFX and FLUENT CFD Software.

https://caeai.com/ansys-software-support/ansys-software/computational-fluid-dynamics-
ansys-cfx-and-fluent-cfd-software

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