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Flownex can be used for academic purposes for learning and teaching the physical principles in the fields of heat transfer, fluid mechanics, and thermodynamics.
Flownex can be used as a powerful research tool and classroom teaching aid used to demonstrate the physical principles in the fields of fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and thermodynamics. Flownex determines pressure variation and heat transfer for the connected components of a complete system in steady state and transient. Students and researchers can explore how to use pumps or compressors, pipes, valves, tanks, heat exchangers, and many more components in a virtual environment.
As an example, Material on Bernoulli’s principle provides a fundamental explanation of energy conservation in fluid flow and the causes and effects of pressure loss. Also, the heat transfer through flat and cylindrical geometries is illustrated by Conduction, and the change in temperature with pressure is fundamentally explained by the Joule – Thomson effect.
From rapid rocket engine cycle designs to detailed component development: Flownex has the capability to model and simulate large interconnected rocket engine systems. Using Flownex, pre-burners with complex combustion reactions can be simulated, flow control strategies can be investigated, turbopumps with real-time power matching can be implemented and much more.
Liquid-fuelled Rocket engines have come a long way since the first-ever rocket launch by Robert Goddard on March 16th 1926. Today more sophisticated rockets have been developed, such as the SpaceX Raptor engine. Different liquid rocket cycles have been designed in the past few decades: improving efficiency, power, and safety. This has led to time-consuming and costly physical testing and design calculations. To reduce R&D cost and development time, 1D system simulation can be incorporated into the design process.
The theoretical simulation of fluid systems aims to explain the fundamental calculation of steady-state pipe flow using the Bernoulli principle with pressure loss effects. The theory includes the conservation of mass, momentum, and energy, as well as relations for static and stagnation fluid properties, Bernoulli’s principle, and the calculation of primary and secondary pressure losses.
Students can use a Flownex network example to dynamically illustrate the effect of pipe roughness and flow velocity on the energy and hydraulic grade lines.
Instructors can leverage a Flownex network with a graphical interface that dynamically illustrates the effect of pipe roughness and flow velocity on fluid transport. One example uses a short pipeline section with an elevation difference between the inlet and outlet (that holds pitot tubes and standpipes) that indicates the pressure difference.
A typical student assignment with results memorandum evaluates the knowledge and understanding of the students using either hand calculations or Flownex as a simulation tool. The assignment asks the student to calculate the flow through a flow meter using specified pressure readings from the instrumentation.
A typical theoretical summary aims to explain the fundamental calculation of conduction and convection heat transfer. The theory includes conservation of energy as well as relations for one-dimensional steady-state convection and conduction through a plane wall and cylindrical pipe geometries.
The Flownex network example and assignment dynamically illustrate the difference between plane wall and cylindrical wall heat transfer with varying wall thickness.
The Flownex network with a graphical interface can be used by the instructor to dynamically illustrates the difference between plane wall and cylindrical wall heat transfer with varying wall thickness. The example uses a heat transfer element and pipe combination, which either model a tube or plane wall with water flowing on one side and air over the other.
A student assignment with results memorandum evaluates the knowledge and understanding of the students using either hand calculations or Flownex as a software tool. The exercise expects the student to calculate and compare the air sidewall surface temperature of both the plane wall and tube scenarios using the same specified wall.
Flownex can be used to model basic thermodynamic behavior like the fundamental change in a fluid temperature with pressure. The theory includes the first law of thermodynamics, fluid property diagrams, ideal gas law relations and the Joule-Thomson coefficient.
The Flownex® SE network example and assignment dynamically illustrate the effect of varying throttling and system temperatures on pressure-temperature relations of fluids.
“Flownex is an ideal process modeling tool from an academic perspective. It solves the fundamental equations to the full degree ‒ no shortcuts. This allows us to model real physical phenomena and understand the fundamental behavior. Furthermore, the documentation is of exceptional quality, showing each and every model used with proper references. It is certainly not a “black-box” tool like so many other process modeling software on the market.”
– Prof. Wim Fuls
University of Cape Town
Associate Professor, Engineering Design
“Flownex is an invaluable tool with a multitude of useful features which makes the researcher’s life a hundred-fold easier, without sacrificing a hundred-fold inaccuracy.”
– Charl Cilliers
North-West University
M.Eng. Nuclear Engineering
Students learn by doing, and Flownex provides them with a way to intuitively explore and understand the complexities of fluid flow, heat transfer, and thermodynamics. Because the tool is so easy to use and runs so fast, they can experiment in real-time and build a real-world understanding of the physics behind fluid-thermal systems behavior.
If you are ready to make Flownex part of your simulation workflow, reach out today at info@padtinc.com
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