Exploring an Intake Manifold Operating Space in the Fidelity CFD Platform

Equipment designs are never static; they are altered to meet the needs of a process. An engine intake manifold, for example, consists of several valves, each with different operating conditions. Engineers must understand what happens under various operating conditions to make informed design choices. This can be time-consuming when small changes such as opening or closing a valve, must be made to the original CAD model. However, with the Fidelity CFD platform, multiple design options can be created to achieve the desired design objective in the user-defined domain. Having multiple designs allows for flexibility when meshing and solving a model. Whether you need to adjust the placement of a part or remove it entirely, the design options streamline the process, making it as simple as a few clicks.

Engine intake manifold with valves rotated at (i) 45 degrees (left), (ii) 90 degrees (right).

First, you must create different valve positions to explore the operating space for an intake manifold. You can do this by duplicating the existing positions in the positions folder and renaming them accordingly. To create a "half-open" position, rotate the valve by 45 degrees; for a "fully-open" position, rotate the valve by 90 degrees. Once the valve positions are created, start with a new domain and select the assembly to be added to it. You can specify multiple design options for each domain.

When starting out in the domain, only one design choice is available. However, testing out multiple design options is beneficial to achieve the desired outcome. This is why the platform offers the option to duplicate design choices. Additionally, users can make changes to a design choice, providing flexibility to include or exclude certain parts of the geometry that were initially added to the domain. For example, you could create a new design choice called "no valve," where the valves are removed from the geometry domain altogether. This allows for greater customization and control over the design process.

When exploring different design choices or operating conditions, starting from scratch on mesh settings is often unnecessary since the geometry remains relatively consistent. Reusing previous mesh setups is a smart approach. The figure below shows the mesh generated for two different design choices or valve operating conditions with identical mesh settings.

Mesh generated for the half-open valve (left) and the fully open valve (right).

When simulating various design options, it's helpful to replicate the mesh setup and simulation settings. This makes it easy to study different operating conditions for a design model without much extra effort. You can explore various possibilities and make informed design decisions with just a few clicks.

Simulation results for the half-open valve (left) and fully open valve (right).

In short, the Fidelity CFD platform provides a user-friendly and efficient way to create multiple design options for complex geometries. The ability to customize design choices in the domain context and easily make changes streamlines the process and saves time. This software allows designers to quickly create various design choices without repeatedly changing the mesh setup or other CFD settings. Overall, this integrated environment is a powerful tool for designers looking to optimize their design model.

---

Watch the Tutorial Tuesday video to learn how to use the Fidelity CFD platform to create, manage, mesh, and solve multiple design variations in the same geometry.