Discussion Closed This discussion was created more than 6 months ago and has been closed. To start a new discussion with a link back to this one, click here.

Best way to calculate flowrate?

Please login with a confirmed email address before reporting spam

Hi all,

For fluid flow through a pipe I am currently calculating flowrate by integrating the component of velocity orthogonal to the inlet/outlet over the inlet/outlet surface. For my flow in z-direction my inlet flowrate (my inlet is orthogonal to the z-direction) is the surface integral of w (the z-component of velocity) over the inlet.

Is there an alternative way to calculate flowrate? Perhaps a default option for calculating flowrate when using the CFD module?

Cheers


5 Replies Last Post 13 gen 2011, 14:03 GMT-5
Ivar KJELBERG COMSOL Multiphysics(r) fan, retired, former "Senior Expert" at CSEM SA (CH)

Please login with a confirmed email address before reporting spam

Posted: 1 decade ago 10 gen 2011, 03:52 GMT-5
Hi

not what I know about (but I do not say I know everything, particularly not in CFD) but what is wrong with integrating velocityover the inlet/outlet area ?

--
Good luck
Ivar
Hi not what I know about (but I do not say I know everything, particularly not in CFD) but what is wrong with integrating velocityover the inlet/outlet area ? -- Good luck Ivar

Please login with a confirmed email address before reporting spam

Posted: 1 decade ago 10 gen 2011, 10:17 GMT-5
I was just wondering if this information was automatically created somewhere else in COMSOL, especially for flow through an open system. I have also run some more complicated geometries and noted slight (1-2%) differences in flow rate at inlet and outlet and wondered if that discrepancy was impacted by the accuracy of the surface integral.

Cheers, Nathan
I was just wondering if this information was automatically created somewhere else in COMSOL, especially for flow through an open system. I have also run some more complicated geometries and noted slight (1-2%) differences in flow rate at inlet and outlet and wondered if that discrepancy was impacted by the accuracy of the surface integral. Cheers, Nathan

Ivar KJELBERG COMSOL Multiphysics(r) fan, retired, former "Senior Expert" at CSEM SA (CH)

Please login with a confirmed email address before reporting spam

Posted: 1 decade ago 11 gen 2011, 01:50 GMT-5
Hi

flow rates , or in general any integration is done on the mesh ndoes with shpae function developments, so if you have a dense mesh you will get a more precise value. Anhow, for me FEM is 3-5% precise in most cases, to get < 1% you need a looot of RAM and tiiiime ;)

--
Good luck
Ivar
Hi flow rates , or in general any integration is done on the mesh ndoes with shpae function developments, so if you have a dense mesh you will get a more precise value. Anhow, for me FEM is 3-5% precise in most cases, to get < 1% you need a looot of RAM and tiiiime ;) -- Good luck Ivar

Please login with a confirmed email address before reporting spam

Posted: 1 decade ago 13 gen 2011, 13:18 GMT-5
Just curious...

If you are running a CFD flow problem what is your preferred choice of solver/solver settings?

I have a little bit of RAM at my disposal (24GB) and have been using a direct solver (mostly because I had trouble with the default settings for the iterative solver the first time I used the CFD module).

Nathan
Just curious... If you are running a CFD flow problem what is your preferred choice of solver/solver settings? I have a little bit of RAM at my disposal (24GB) and have been using a direct solver (mostly because I had trouble with the default settings for the iterative solver the first time I used the CFD module). Nathan

Ivar KJELBERG COMSOL Multiphysics(r) fan, retired, former "Senior Expert" at CSEM SA (CH)

Please login with a confirmed email address before reporting spam

Posted: 1 decade ago 13 gen 2011, 14:03 GMT-5
Hi

I usually use the default values in my patched 4.1.0.112

--
Good luck
Ivar
Hi I usually use the default values in my patched 4.1.0.112 -- Good luck Ivar

Note that while COMSOL employees may participate in the discussion forum, COMSOL® software users who are on-subscription should submit their questions via the Support Center for a more comprehensive response from the Technical Support team.