Modeling Fluid Structure Interaction for Inkjet Applications

Flexing walls of an inkjet
device ejects droplet.

A new General Moving Object model was introduced with FLOW-3D Version 9.0. This robust model, the only one of its kind in commercial CFD codes, allows users to model rigid body dynamics with six-degrees-of-freedom fully coupled with fluid flow. This powerful fluid structure interaction model has many attributes that will give engineers a powerful tool:

Users can evaluate the motion of multiple objects.
There are no limitations on the geometry or range of motion.
Objects can be allowed to move freely, or the user can prescribe the motion.
Specified time-dependent thrust forces and torques can be applied to the objects.
The range of motions includes motion around a fixed axis or point.

The animation on the left depicts the motion of a printhead sliding back and forth, with FLOW-3D’s particle model initiated to show the distribution of air caused by the motion. Read more about modeling fluid structure interaction using FLOW-3D.

Read more in our Microfluidic Tech Papers