Simulation Gallery
Explore the many possibilities of what can be modeled with the FLOW-3D product family in our simulation video gallery.
Civil & Environmental Engineering Simulation Gallery
FLOW-3D HYDRO has many applications for the water and environmental industry, including modeling fish passages, dam breaks, spillways, avalanches, hydroelectric power and other civil and environmental engineering challenges. Engineers can increase the capacity of existing infrastructure in hydropower plants, develop improved designs for fish passages, intakes that minimize head loss, forebay designs and tailrace flows, and analyze scour and deposition and air entrainment.
FLOW-3D HYDRO Playlist
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This is a FLOW-3D HYDRO simulation of the Isabella Lake Dam, which features a labyrinth weir. It was created using 3D geometry made publicly available by the USACE Sacramento District. This was done to demonstrate the FLOW-3D POST rendering capabilities, first showing a combination of satellite map texture on the terrain data with velocity field, then using ray tracing for realistic rendering.
This FLOW-3D HYDRO simulation of a butterfly valve shows cavitation occurring after the valve. By activating FLOW-3D HYDRO‘s cavitation physics model, the void (vaporized water bubble) is captured in real time. On the right side, we also see the pressure distribution (top) and the velocity field with streamlines (bottom).
This simulation of a reciprocating pump features FLOW-3D HYDRO‘s General Moving Objects (GMO) physics model. The piston movement is prescribed, while the upstream and downstream check valves’ movements are coupled with the fluid, with rotational constraints. The simulation shows how the fluid is drawn in through the upstream check valve and pushed through the downstream check valve, ensuring one-way flow. A tracer (scalar) was added to the simulation to show the fluid behavior.
Here’s a simulation from a wet well improvement project by McKim & Creed. The goal of this project was to reduce floating oil & grease buildup, while maintaining good pump intake conditions. FLOW-3D HYDRO was used to simulate the oil & grease behavior in the water using the Disperse Multiphase Flow model. This video showcases 2D slices to analyze the velocity field and streamline around the pump intakes.
This video shows a comparison between the numerical and the physical world. It features a lab model of the Santiago Dam done by Verdantas, and the related FLOW-3D HYDRO model developed by GEI Consultants. CFD allows the testing of designs at a 1:1 scale for various operating conditions, extracting information that is sometimes impossible to obtain through physical methods. In essence, physical and numerical modeling approaches are complementary. FLOW-3D HYDRO helps engineers save time and lower costs on physical lab testing by evaluating designs in advance, thus enabling the construction of selected designs with minimal modifications required.
This FLOW-3D HYDRO CFD simulation uses the Hybrid 3D/Shallow Water model to better understand and more efficiently model bridge hydraulics. The simulation fully couples the 3D model with a 2D shallow water model together in one run. The surrounding areas to the bridge were modelled in full 3D, while the upstream and downstream areas of the river were modelled using a 2D shallow water model.
These FLOW-3D HYDRO simulations are comparing two serpentine contact tank designs. A scalar, or tracer dye, is introduced at the inlet of both tanks in order to compare dye distribution as the flow travels through the tanks. This is illustrated by coloring the fluid with the percentage of dye. On the upper right, we have a graph comparing the dye content at the outlet for each design, also known as a residence time distribution (RTD) curve.
Fish passages need to be designed to accommodate the local fish species and each species will have its own set of hydraulic characteristics to design for. FLOW-3D HYDRO can help you assess whether your fish passage will be suitable for all of your targeted fish species by identifying key velocity zones, as shown in the lower left corner of the video where the high velocity regions are highlighted. It can also help you inspect flow patterns throughout the structure, as illustrated by the velocity streamlines on the right side of the video.
Dam break simulations present a difficult challenge when you want to capture the intricate details of a dam release to get an accurate representation of the flow hydrograph, but have a very large runout extent to consider. In FLOW-3D HYDRO, dam break studies are a great application for its hybrid meshing capabilities. You can create a two-dimensional (2D) depth-averaged mesh for the downstream extents, but also combine that with a detailed three-dimensional (3D) mesh around the dam break location. This can all be done in the same simulation as illustrated by this example video. A 3D mesh is positioned around the initial dam break location, but the upstream and downstream river extents are handled with a 2D mesh, helping you reduce your simulation times and hardware needs.
Living shorelines are nature-inspired solutions that can help reduce wave energy and resulting erosion in coastal areas. They have an added benefit of promoting biodiversity, often acting as artificial oyster reefs! FLOW-3D HYDRO is a great tool to evaluate wave energy reduction performance of such structures. This simulation is showcasing the WAD® product from Living Shoreline Inc. We see the wave attenuation, first with ray-tracing, but also with a colormap showing flow depth. As we see with the graph, there’s 65% wave height reduction after the reef.
This FLOW-3D HYDRO simulation shows realistic rendering of water, flowing in as a nappe into a stepped chute. The tank overflow is then discharged via two sliding gates, modeled as vertically moving objects.
The San Francisco Department of Public Works used FLOW-3D HYDRO as part of an ongoing project to reduce recurrent flooding within their combined sewer system. As part of this project, the City proposed the upgrade and replacement of existing box sewers at critical junctions in the collection system network that were limiting upstream capacity. Because of unique site constraints and design requirements, 3D CFD simulations with FLOW-3D HYDRO were used to evaluate the performance of these proposed box sewer upgrades.
In combined sewer systems, baffles can be a simple, low-cost, low-maintenance option for preventing floatable debris from entering waterways during a sewer overflow event. However, for a baffle to be effective, having a good understanding of the underflow velocities is important in its ability to prevent floatables debris from being drawn under the baffle. FLOW-3D HYDRO provides an efficient way to analyze the hydraulics at diversion structures and inspect your baffle’s underflow velocities. As this video shows, you can even release floatable particles to represent floatable debris and estimate the retention of floatable materials within your diversion structure.
While FLOW-3D HYDRO‘s sediment transport physics is often applied to scour and erosion applications, it can also be useful for settling applications. In this treatment process example, sediment-laden flow enters from the top inlet pipe, and coarse grit particles deposit along the tank bottom. The “clean” water is then discharged via the weir in the side wall. For this application, the client was interested in the deposition patterns within the tank to assist with tank cleaning and maintenance schedules.
This FLOW-3D HYDRO simulation of a lock in the Champlain canal demonstrates the downstream flushing strategy designed to keep invasive species out of the lock. This animation was created with FLOW-3D POST, and features 2D slices to show the velocity field downstream of the lock. Courtesy of AnchorQEA.
Dropshaft structures are designed to take stormwater from one elevation to another while dissipating energy and allowing air to escape. Such complex hydraulics can be modeled accurately using FLOW-3D HYDRO. In this vortex dropshaft example, the intake geometry induces a spiral motion as water flows down the shaft into a stilling basin. Energy is dissipated in that basin before water flows through a screen into the lower conduit. Alternating between the velocity field and realistic rendering is a great way to share information with stakeholders.
Advanced visualization capabilities allow engineers to communicate complex hydraulic analysis results effectively by integrating multiple data sources into compelling presentations. This FLOW-3D HYDRO visualization demonstrates post-processing workflows in FLOW-3D POST, combining CFD simulation results with 3D scan data of the terrain and CAD geometry of the spillway structure. The rendering showcases ray tracing capabilities for realistic visualization followed by velocity field analysis. FLOW-3D POST enables engineers to create high-quality visualizations that integrate simulation results with real-world site data for stakeholder presentations and technical analysis.
Piano key weirs (PKW) are complex non-linear spillway structures that increase discharge capacity within constrained footprints, making accurate hydraulic analysis essential for design optimization. This FLOW-3D HYDRO simulation demonstrates flow through a PKW geometry, showcasing both realistic rendering capabilities and technical visualization options. The video presents realistic ray-traced rendering alongside 2D section cuts colored by velocity magnitude with vector displays, illustrating how engineers can extract useful technical information from simulation results. CFD modeling helps dam professionals analyze complex spillway geometries and optimize PKW designs for both existing and proposed projects.
Understanding the hydraulic losses at junction manholes can be very important when designing sewer infrastructure and assessing hydraulic grade lines in the system. Three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics modeling can help you estimate these losses and evaluate design alternatives. This FLOW-3D HYDRO example compares three design options for a junction manhole: 1) base model with no benching, 2) benching halfway up the pipe diameter, and 3) benching that goes above the pipe crown. For this particular flow rate and downstream water level, the half-pipe benching results in a head loss reduction of 28% while the taller benching case reduces the head loss by 33% when compared to the base case without benching.
Laser Welding Simulation Gallery
FLOW-3D WELD provides powerful insights into laser welding processes to achieve process optimization. With better process control it is possible to minimize porosity, heat affected zones and control microstructure evolution. To accurately simulate laser welding processes, FLOW-3D WELD features laser heat sources, laser-material interaction, fluid flow, heat transfer, surface tension, solidification, multiple laser reflections and phase change.
FLOW-3D WELD Playlist
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FLOW-3D WELD is a powerful simulation tool for industrial precision welding with accurate modeling of material behaviors during melting and solidification. Providing insights into joining complex, multi-alloy parts, FLOW-3D WELD enables engineers to predict critical defects and optimize process parameters for improved quality and productivity. In this example, the same part is welded at the same laser speed, but two different laser intensities are simulated. CFD simulation can help you optimize your manufacturing processes prior to undertaking a trial and error approach on the shop floor.
Welding cylindrical components requires careful consideration of surface geometry and heat distribution to achieve consistent weld quality around curved surfaces. This FLOW-3D WELD simulation demonstrates laser welding along the side of a cylindrical piece, showing how the laser interacts with the curved geometry during the welding process. CFD modeling helps engineers optimize laser parameters and predict thermal behavior for welding on cylindrical parts common in automotive, aerospace, and manufacturing applications.
In this video, we can observe mixing of steel with aluminum during pulsed laser welding in lap configuration. Clusters of aluminum are lifted upwards due to buoyancy and recoil pressure. Control of alloy mixing in dissimilar welds is important for minimizing formation of intermetallics that lead to brittleness of joints.
Porosity is a critical defect in aluminum laser welding that can compromise joint strength and electrical conductivity. This FLOW-3D WELD simulation demonstrates laser welding of aluminum with visualization of porosity evolution throughout the welding process. CFD modeling helps engineers understand how gas bubbles form, grow, and become trapped during solidification, enabling optimization of process parameters to minimize porosity in aluminum welds.
Laser cutting requires precise control of process parameters to achieve clean cuts with minimal heat affected zones and edge quality issues. This FLOW-3D WELD simulation demonstrates laser cutting through a 1 mm steel sheet, capturing the material removal process and thermal dynamics during cutting. CFD modeling helps engineers optimize laser power, cutting speed, and assist gas parameters for improved cut quality and efficiency in steel sheet processing.
This FLOW-3D WELD keyhole welding simulation showcases the unique post-processing capabilities available with FLOW-3D POST. In this animation, the laser interacts with the base metal with enough energy to create a deep, unstable keyhole which leads to pore formation as it moves along the track. Ray tracing is used in the lower image to visualize the dynamic nature of the melt pool while the temperature is shown above. Simulating the melt pool with a high-fidelity CFD software code provides valuable insight into the formation mechanisms of porosity that are difficult to see experimentally.
Lap weld quality depends on multiple factors including thermal management, penetration depth, and defect formation throughout the welding process. This FLOW-3D WELD simulation demonstrates laser lap welding with visualization of thermal evolution, porosity formation, bead dimensions, and melt volume. CFD modeling helps engineers assess joint quality and optimize process parameters to achieve desired weld characteristics while minimizing defects in lap joint configurations.
Laser brazing dissimilar metals like copper and steel requires precise control of multiple process parameters to achieve reliable joints across varying manufacturing conditions. This FLOW-3D WELD simulation demonstrates laser brazing of copper onto steel, capturing the complex thermal and fluid dynamics during the joining process. CFD modeling helps engineers optimize wire feed speed and orientation, laser power and speed for variable joint fit-up and dimensional tolerances.
Pulsed laser welding creates distinct weld bead patterns that require careful control of process parameters to achieve consistent joint quality. This FLOW-3D WELD simulation demonstrates pulsed laser welding of a T-joint, capturing the characteristic stacked dime effect created by individual laser pulses. CFD modeling helps engineers optimize energy density and pulse duration for improved fusion, reduced defects, and better penetration depth in T-joint configurations.
Wobble welding strategies can significantly affect penetration consistency and fusion quality in butt joint configurations. This FLOW-3D WELD simulation demonstrates laser welding with wobbling across a butt joint, visualizing variability in penetration depth and fusion that can impact joint quality. CFD modeling helps engineers understand how wobble parameters influence melt pool behavior and optimize scan patterns to achieve consistent penetration and reliable fusion in butt joint welding.
Metal Casting Simulation Gallery
FLOW-3D CAST contains extensive and robust physical models specially designed for casting. These special models include algorithms for lost foam casting, non-Newtonian fluids, and die cycling. FLOW-3D CAST’s robust simulation engine and new tools for predicting defects provide insights that will shorten design cycles and reduce cost.
FLOW-3D CAST Playlist
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FLOW-3D CAST is used to accurately simulate the complex process of pouring into a shot sleeve using a ladle. Here, the thermal contours indicate pouring temperature vs. thermal loss in the dosing process. The wave propagation within the shot sleeve is accurately captured with the momentum transfer from pouring through ladle spout and the back fill from biscuit. This is crucial in computing the thermal loss and movement within the shot sleeve before the plunger pushes the metal into the casting. The heat generated in the shot sleeve can also be evaluated depending on duration of dosing and slow shot in tooling design for heating or cooling lines, thereby managing optimal thermal energy.
This FLOW-3D CAST simulation using the Continuous Casting Workspace shows adequate heat transfer in the transition zone to maintain the thermal energy required for molten metal to solidify and reach steady state. The simulation also shows die and metal temperatures, state of solidifying metal in transient zone and plots of thermocouple temperatures, which provide further insight into the continuous casting process.
This high pressure die casting simulation shows filling of an aluminum alloy casting. FLOW-3D CAST is used to calculate the complex filling of a thin part and separation of the metal front as it climbs the two boss features in the casting geometry. The thermal contours indicate a 20degC drop in temperature between flow through ingates and complete fill of casting (without overflows). The illustrated free surface defect oxide contours identify areas where overflows can be added to remove oxides trapped in the metal. The animation showing pressure of gas trapped in the casting cavity is useful to see pressurization and last regions to fill, indicating the need for overflow vents to avoid gas porosity.
This simulated entrained air filling is a comparison of the casting with engine cylinders oriented up and down. The key observation here is that entrained air (gas porosity) collects towards the end of runner and backfills into the casting in addition to significant recirculation of air. Further, the sprue flow shows additional air building and transferring into the casting later in fill. While the orientation of cylinders downward helps in reducing the highest concentration of air in comparison to the cylinders up, the sprue and runner design leaves room for improvement.
FLOW-3D CAST offers a unique combination of accurate flow simulations, defect detection, optimization capabilities and support for large, complex castings, making it the ideal choice for the simulation of HPDC structural components. The modeling of the mold filling through the realistic movement of the plunger provides exact results of the melt temperature. This enables associated problems, such as cold running, to be predicted precisely.
This is a three-part simulation setup in FLOW-3D CAST for a tilt pour aluminum casting of a piston. This simulation uses insulated risers and cooling channels. The first simulation is a thermal die cycling to find the steady state level of heat saturation in the mold. Once the thermal data is accessed, a filling simulation is done to access filling behavior and defects. Lastly, a solidification simulation is run to assess shrinkage porosity and microstructure. The NIRF model is implemented for fast and easy setup of the tilt pour process. Surface tension is modeled to be temperature-dependent. The rotation of the furnace is described as a moving object. The full chemistry solidification model provides accurate results of microstructure and mechanical properties.
Courtesy of CM Tarrico, this is a gravity die casting simulation of two components in FLOW-3D CAST, showing local temperature distribution in the mold during filling. Based on the results, the TDC model can be implemented to condition the die for a solidification simulation to analyze porosity and other solidification-related defects.
FLOW-3D CAST helps to establish robust process conditions and optimized solutions for sand core production including the shooting, gassing and curing of organic and inorganic binders for cold and heated core boxes. The animation shows the prediction of the filling patterns and sand packing densities during the shooting process. Based on these results, the number, dimensions, and positions of the shooting nozzles and core box vents can be optimized. By using FLOW-3D CAST to simulate this process, customers can produce flawless, high-quality sand cores.
This FLOW-3D CAST simulation is a two-cavity high pressure die casting filling for an automotive instrument panel. The color shows air entrained in the metal as it violently moves through the cavity. Note that the movement of the piston in the slow stage of the filling is suboptimal since it traps a volume of air that is then pushed into the cavity.
This FLOW-3D CAST simulation demonstrates the mold erosion calculation and sand inclusions generation/tracking for a gravity sand casting. Sand inclusions are generated at high mold erosion potential regions, where the mold will likely be damaged due to long exposure to high-velocity metal flow. However, the sand inclusions generated in the pouring basin and on the down sprue surface are eliminated by the filter at the bottom, and thus will not go into the casting. The sand inclusions generated in the runner after the filter may end up in the casting depending on the metal flow. The sand inclusions are marked by the mold erosion potential region label, which can be used to trace their origins.
Platinum is poured into a ceramic investment flask to fill the sprue, runners and multiple rings in a jewelry tree casting. The pouring rate is varied to slowly fill the sprue, showing flow dynamics at the sprue bottom on impact and resulting turbulence entraining air. Solidification analysis follows end of fill to show shrinkage porosity and melt feeding.
For this validation, an aluminum casting was selected which showed significant porosity defects. The extent of the porosities meant that the casting would not fulfill the functional specification and hence would be rejected. In order to verify that FLOW-3D CAST can reliably predict such casting defects, the existing casting was simulated and the results compared with the real casting defects. The simulation shows the defect analysis which correctly reproduced the defects and their position.
The mechanical properties of aluminum can be negatively affected by dissolved hydrogen in the metal. To mitigate this, a rotary degassing process introduces an inert purge gas (in this case, nitrogen) into the melt. The circulation created by the rotor allows the hydrogen to diffuse into the inert gas bubbles. FLOW-3D CAST allows the process engineer to model process parameters such as rotor design and speed to achieve optimal mixing and cast quality.
Additive Manufacturing Simulation Gallery
FLOW-3D AM simulates and analyzes additive manufacturing processes such as laser powder bed fusion, binder jetting, and direct energy deposition. FLOW-3D AM’s multiphysics capabilities offer highly-accurate simulations of powder spreading and compaction, melt pool dynamics, porosity formation for L-PBF and DED, and resin penetration and spreading for binder jetting processes, for analysis and optimization of process parameters.
FLOW-3D AM Playlist
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Simulation of laser powder bed fusion with IN718 powder. This CFD analysis provides detail on lack of fusion porosity for 10 layers including thermal gradients and cooling rates for microstructure prediction, and surface topology for predicting surface roughness.
This is a simulation of LPBF with IN718 using a zig-zag scan strategy. This simulation captures remelting from multiple passes predicting thermal gradients and cooling rates which effect microstructure and columnar-to-equiaxed transition zones. Controlling grain evolution is imperative for achieving desired mechanical properties in AM parts. Learn more about how advanced simulation software FLOW-3D AM analyzes and predicts melt-pool dynamics and solidification in AM processes such as laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) and directed energy deposition (DED).
This CFD simulation shows a material extrusion process of metal-based fused deposition modeling where a binder material carries metal powder for printing parts. Simulation gives insights into how the particles affect flowability through the nozzle, impacting bead dimensions.
This is a FLOW-3D AM simulation of laser wire-based directed energy deposition with IN718.In this example, you can see the complex interplay of heat transfer, surface tension, viscosity, and phase change for consistent bead deposition. Learn more about how CFD software is useful for understanding the processing windows for wire-based DED and allows for optimization studies to find the best processing parameters such as wire feed rate and diameter for a build.
This FLOW-3D AM simulation of a wire arc additive manufacturing process with SS304 helps us understand the complex interplay of heat transfer, surface tension, viscosity, and phase change for achieving consistent bead deposition.
Here you can see a FLOW-3D AM simulation of laser wire-based directed energy deposition with SS304 that shows the complex interplay of heat transfer, surface tension, viscosity, and phase change for consistent bead deposition.
This powder settling simulation in FLOW-3D AM provides insight into the effects of powder size distribution and material properties on powder packing. The results of a powder settling simulation such as this one would then be used in subsequent powder spreading simulations.
In this CFD simulation, a viscous material is extruded and deposited by a moving nozzle on a flat substrate. Next to mass and momentum conservation, the energy conservation equation is solved providing the temperature profile of the printed strand. Material density is evaluated as a function of temperature, hence as the strand cools down due to convection, its dimensions and cross-sectional area are decreasing. A model like this can be used to improve strand representation in slicing software or to design more accurate control algorithms for extrusion 3D printing.
This FLOW-3D AM simulation of IN718 processed via laser powder bed fusion shows temperature field and dynamic velocity vectors. Many aspects of the LPBF process can be better understood and optimized through CFD simulations, including powder laying, spreading and bed compaction, laser-powder interaction, solidification, and fusion between layers.
This example demonstrates FLOW-3D AM ‘s capabilities for simulating a material extrusion AM process. In this simulation, the material is approximated as a highly viscous fluid with constant material properties. Four layers with zig-zag filling are printed and the deformations of already deposited material under the newly extruded strands can be observed.
This FLOW-3D AM simulation demonstrates melting stainless steel 316 particles to form three side-to-side tracks and a second layer on a copper substrate. Because of its high thermal diffusivity, the copper substrate is harder to melt, which makes the hatching of the first 3 track layer quite noticeable (bottom right). The top view shows the instantaneous velocity vector field of the melt pool, as well as the melted volume. The bottom views show a high-resolution description of the temperature field and geometry of the track formation.
Multiphysics Simulation Gallery
FLOW-3D provides a complete and versatile CFD simulation platform for engineers investigating the dynamic behavior of liquids and gas in a wide range of industrial applications and physical processes. FLOW-3D focuses on free surface and multi-phase applications, serving a broad range of industries including microfluidics, bio-medical devices, water civil infrastructure, aerospace, consumer products, additive manufacturing, inkjet printing, laser welding, automotive, offshore, energy and automotive.
FLOW-3D Playlist
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This FLOW-3D simulation of a forward roll coating process captures a ribbing defect due to a high capillary number. The model incorporates the effects of surface tension and viscosity as the backing rollers draw the fluid through a 400 micron nip. The simulation is based on research described in the paper ‘Ribbing instability in rigid and deformable forward roll coating flows’ presented in the Korea-Australia Rheology Journal Vol. 22. The accurate prediction of the onset of ribbing allows for researchers to identify optimal process parameters to avoid defects.
This simulation shows a single-layer curtain coating process. FLOW-3D can be used to investigate the stability of the coating process under different process parameters such as flow rate, flow width, and substrate speed, as well as changes to the liquid’s physical properties like viscosity, surface tension, and adhesion force.
In this simulation of a multi-layer slide curtain coating process, three layers of liquid are ejected from a slot die and allowed to flow under gravity to a substrate. FLOW-3D can be used to investigate the stability of curtain coating processes under different process parameters such as flow rate, flow width, and substrate speed, as well as changes to the liquid’s physical properties like viscosity, surface tension, and adhesion force.
In this example, FLOW-3D is used to simulate drop impingement on a fibrous bed, looking at the propagation of the fluid front as it relates to surface tension, contact angle, and viscosity.
To highlight FLOW-3D’s NIRF module capabilities, a sample simulation showing the fuel sloshing in the space shuttle is set up. The space shuttle accelerates upwards for initial 25 seconds and then de-accelerates by the same amount for the next 25 seconds. After that, using angular acceleration, the shuttle rotates by 90 degrees and then continues to accelerate linearly again. It is interesting to see the complex free surface fluid motion during this complicated space shuttle maneuver. The RNG turbulence model is used to estimate the turbulent kinetic energy of the fluid.
Deformation of the combustible component (in red) of a rocket part using the Combustible objects model in FLOW-3D. The combustible object gets converted into gas creating pressure inside the combustion chamber. Pressure evolution is shown at the right in the simulation.
In this example, a pump (dark grey rectangle) in a cryogenic tank feed pipe pulls liquid oxygen from a propellant tank at a constant flow rate. As the liquid oxygen drains, a mass/momentum source (grey bar at top) is triggered by Active Simulation Control when the pressure in the ullage drops below a specified value. Pressurization is turned off when the ullage pressure rises above a specified value.
In this hydrodynamic microfluidic separation simulation, you can see particle sorting based on varying diameters. The technique works on the principle that a particle will follow a streamline. Particles with the smallest diameter (blue) get easily carried towards the top of the constriction and hence at the divergence follow the streamlines that diverge upwards. Particles with the largest diameter (green) stay their course and move towards the bottom of the constriction. Upon exiting the constriction, these particles follow the streamlines that diverge downwards.
Electrowetting is a technique used to change the apparent contact angle of a dielectric fluid under the influence of electric potential. In this example, the fluid is originally hydrophobic and beads on the surface. However, when a 50V potential difference is applied, the fluid is forced to wet the surface becoming hydrophilic.
Joule heating occurs when an electric current passes through a conducting material, such as a fluid. At a microscopic level, Joule heating is caused by interactions between moving charged particles. Additionally, if the fluid is dielectric, polarization will happen in the presence of an electric field causing fluid flow. FLOW-3D can capture all such effects, which is demonstrated by the simulation, which highlights the software‘s ability to accurately capture electro-kinetics physics.
Automotive fuel tanks hold significant fuel mass and are subject to constant vehicle accelerations and decelerations. This presents a structural issue for tank material due to the impact forces. Additionally, sloshing of fuel can cause incorrect reading or damage to measurement devices. Shown here is a simulation in FLOW-3D of fuel sloshing under acceleration plotting velocity contours. The graph shows transient force magnitude on fuel tank.
This FLOW-3D simulation depicts gear-gear and gear-oil interactions in a gear box as an example of fluid-structure interaction. The left gear possesses prescribed rotation. The two gears undergo a series of collisions with each other on their teeth causing rotation of the right gear. The right gear’s rotation is also affected by its interaction with the motion of the oil.
Simulation of a non-Newtonian, ketchup-like fluid through a nozzle. Velocity animations indicate maximum speed and steady profile through the dispenser based on upstream pressure or flow rate.
A bottle filling example uses the dynamic droplet model for highly viscous flows. These results compare three simulations that use different values of the critical capillary number, which defines the necessary shear stress for droplet breakup.
The new DEM model in FLOW-3D 2025R1 allows engineers to accurately model particle-particle and fluid-particle interactions for granular and particle-laden flows. Whether improving the cleanout rate of a cyclonic separator or testing how process conditions affect throughput, this fully coupled model supports data-driven decisions that reduce risk for high-value projects and improve system performance.