[saeidghouli]

Dear CFD-online users;
I would like to have CFD & Structural analysis on a Centrifugal-Fan Impeller to find out the optimum thickness of the Hub.
To do so, somebody tolled me that I should insert my SolidWorks model of Impeller into TurboGrid and then run an steady-state CFD analysis on it (with the use of CFX). After that, I should use the Pressure contour results for running a static Structural analysis and finally find the optimum thickness of Hub.

Now, I have 2 main questions here:
1. Is the procedure mentioned above, alright?
2. How to import and make a Passage from my SolidWorks model for using in CFX? (as you know, there is always a sliced passage used for Turbomachinery analysis.)

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Saeid Ghouli

[alirezame]

Hello,

the procedure seems reasonable.
For importing the geometry into the Turbogrid, you can import curves (coordinates) of the hub, shroud and blade. also if you can model the impeller in BladeGen software, it is easy to import the blade gen file into the turbogrid. As far as I know there is not a direct interface between Solidworks and TurboGrid.

[saeidghouli]

Originally Posted by alirezame

Hello,

the procedure seems reasonable.
For importing the geometry into the Turbogrid, you can import curves (coordinates) of the hub, shroud and blade. also if you can model the impeller in BladeGen software, it is easy to import the blade gen file into the turbogrid. As far as I know there is not a direct interface between Solidworks and TurboGrid.

Dear Alirezame
Thank you for your helping statements....
But one other question: How to obtain those .curve files?

Thanks again.

[alirezame]

Unfortunately I have not worked with Solidworks, but as other CAD software, it should be a way to export a case as different curve files or coordinates.
Also you can open the exported file from Soliworks with notepad, and export curves manually.

[saeidghouli]

Originally Posted by alirezame

Unfortunately I have not worked with Solidworks, but as other CAD software, it should be a way to export a case as different curve files or coordinates.
Also you can open the exported file from Soliworks with notepad, and export curves manually.

Thank you again

[saeidghouli]

Excuse me again....
Do you happen to know how to make a blade set (i.e. a Passage) for my analysis?

[turbo]

Originally Posted by saeidghouli

Dear CFD-online users;
I would like to have CFD & Structural analysis on a Centrifugal-Fan Impeller to find out the optimum thickness of the Hub.
To do so, somebody tolled me that I should insert my SolidWorks model of Impeller into TurboGrid and then run an steady-state CFD analysis on it (with the use of CFX). After that, I should use the Pressure contour results for running a static Structural analysis and finally find the optimum thickness of Hub.

Now, I have 2 main questions here:
1. Is the procedure mentioned above, alright?
2. How to import and make a Passage from my SolidWorks model for using in CFX? (as you know, there is always a sliced passage used for Turbomachinery analysis.)

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Saeid Ghouli

From Solidworks to Turbogrid requires a complicated process because what you have now is the blade metal solid and what you want to build is an opposite fluid space. A normal route is, SW > step file > DM > export to BG > TG. However this is what Ansys recommends but no guarantee. Everything is case by case.

[saeidghouli]

Originally Posted by turbo

From Solidworks to Turbogrid requires a complicated process because what you have now is the blade metal solid and what you want to build is an opposite fluid space. A normal route is, SW > step file > DM > export to BG > TG. However this is what Ansys recommends but no guarantee. Everything is case by case.

Thank you Turbo!
Do you happen to know how to make a blade set (i.e. a Passage) out of my impeller, for my analysis?

[saeidghouli]

Thanks for all the contributions to this thread!
One more request is that doese anybodey happen to have a comprehensive document (preferably an Ansys document) on how to:
-make a passage (blade set) from our CAD model
-extract .curve files
-and how to do the rest of analysis

All the helpful answers are highly appreciated.

[turbo]

In DM, "ExportPoints" will create .curve file.

[Ahmed Saeed Mansour]

I wanna export points of a blade which has a v cut at its edge but when I export points the blade is shown in turbogrid without cut...what should I do?