CFD consulting for airflow, internal flow and pressure drop

What this CFD work covers

SH Consulting’s CFD work centres on internal flow and airflow, where pressure drop, flow distribution and velocity decide the design. The model is a computational fluid dynamics simulation of the 3-D geometry, set up at the operating points that matter and checked before its numbers are used. Typical applications:

• Engine intake and exhaust systemsBack pressure and intake restriction through piping, bends, filters, silencers and rain caps.
• Generator enclosure and generator room ventilationRadiator airflow and the cooling-air restriction of louvers, splitter silencers, attenuators and discharge ducts.
• Equipment and enclosure airflowCooling-airflow distribution, pressure drop and fan inflow inside fan-cooled equipment and machinery.
• Silencers, ducts and other internal flow pathsPressure loss and flow distribution through silencer internals, ducts, transitions, branches and outlets.

Not covered: combustion and sprays, electronics thermal design (component temperatures and heat sinks), external aerodynamics of vehicles, aircraft or buildings, and building HVAC.

Questions a CFD study answers

• How much pressure does this layout lose at each operating point, and is it within the limit?
• Which component is responsible for most of the loss?
• Does the flow divide evenly between parallel passages, across a filter or radiator face, or across an outlet?
• Where does the flow speed up, separate or recirculate, and does it matter for the design?
• Which of these design variants performs best, and by how much?
• Will a silencer, louver or fitting add flow-generated noise of its own at the design velocity?
• Does an in-house or supplier CFD model hold up to an independent check?

How a CFD consulting study runs

1. Scope the question. Agree the decision the study supports, the operating points and the limit the answer is judged against. Each study is scoped to that question before work starts.
2. Prepare the geometry. Simplify the CAD while keeping the passages, perforations and edges that control the flow.
3. Build and solve the model. Mesh the flow domain and solve, representing perforated, porous and filter elements with sub-models suited to the design.
4. Check it. Compare with hand calculations, supplier data or test results before trusting the numbers.
5. Compare and recommend. Run the design variants, rank them, and explain what drives the difference.

What to send, and what comes back

What you send

• 3-D geometry of the flow path, CAD preferred, at whatever maturity exists
• Operating conditions: flow rates and temperatures and, for fan-driven systems, fan data where available
• The limits or targets: allowable pressure drop, back pressure or restriction, required airflow
• Any test data, supplier data or earlier simulation results for comparison

What comes back

• Predicted pressure drop or restriction at each operating point, against the limit
• A breakdown of where the losses occur
• Velocity and pressure visualizations, including flow distribution where it matters
• A comparison of the design variants, with recommendations and the model’s limitations stated

Please don’t send CAD through the website form. Files are exchanged after first contact.

How accurate is the answer?

As accurate as the inputs and the checks allow, and the report says which is which. Turbulence models and sub-models for perforated or porous parts are approximations, so results are compared with hand calculations, supplier data or test results where those exist. Differences between design variants run on the same model are usually more reliable than a single absolute number. More on CFD accuracy

CFD consulting or in-house simulation?

In-house CFD makes sense when simulation is a daily activity and the team has the software, hardware and experience to keep its models honest. An outside specialist makes sense when CFD is occasional, when a decision needs an independent check of an in-house model, or when the problem involves parts that are hard to model well, such as perforated tubes, packing or filter media. Many teams use both: in-house for routine work, a consultant for the questions that carry the most risk.

Common questions

What does a CFD consultant do?

Turns a flow question into a model that can answer it: agrees the operating points and limits, prepares the geometry, builds and checks the simulation, and reports the result as a decision with its limitations stated, not just a set of contour plots.

How much does CFD consulting cost?

Pricing follows from the scope: mainly the question being answered, the maturity of the geometry and inputs, and the number of operating points and design variants. Describing the problem in the inquiry form is enough to start that conversation.

Is CFD the right tool for my problem?

Not always. A hand calculation answers many pressure-drop questions on simple layouts, and an existing prototype can sometimes be tested faster. Part of scoping is saying so.

Do you work with teams outside Minnesota?

Yes. SH Consulting is based in Plymouth, Minnesota, and works remotely with engineering teams across the United States. A CFD study runs on geometry and operating data, so it doesn’t depend on where the team is.

Related services

• CFD Flow & Pressure DropEngine intake, exhaust and silencer flow paths, where back pressure is the limit.
• Aerodynamic Modeling & SimulationAirflow through and around equipment: distribution, separation and fan inflow.
• Acoustic Modeling & SimulationThe noise side of the same geometry: silencer attenuation and enclosure levels.