Laminar Flow Over a Spinning Disk - Simulation Example
Overview
In many engineering applications, a spinning (or rotating) object immersed in fluid is used for, e.g., mixing systems, gear box lubrication, etc. The rotating disk flow is the most basic problem of such kind. In this simulation example, we will analyze the flow in the boundary layer of a spinning disk with finite radius at different Reynolds numbers, which all remain in the laminar flow regime. As the domain is axisymmetric while the flow is swirling, the problem is simulated by the 2D axisymmetric swirl model available in Ansys Fluent. The results will be compared to the analytical solution of Von-Karman swirl flow.
Objective
The primary objective is to model the laminar rotating disk flow with a 2D axisymmetric swirl model. We will also:
- Learn the post-process settings for axisymmetric swirl cases
- Learn how to export data at specific locations for comparison
Setup
Download the Mesh file needed for setting up the simulation and the associated Case & Data here. Follow the instructions below to set up this simulation in Ansys Fluent starting with the Mesh file. In case you face any issues setting up or running the simulation, please refer to the corresponding initial and final Case and Data files.
Results and Discussion
Let us now analyze the simulation results and understand the physics of the spinning disk flow.