[vindiggity]

First of all, these forums are a blessing and have been super useful while learning ansys so thanks to everyone who keeps this community running. I'm just getting used to ansys and have a pretty simple question that I can't seem to find an answer to anywhere. I'm looking to simulate liquid flow through a square pipe, and I want to know thermal solutions for both the fluid and pipe as well as the structural stress solution for the pipe. (see current model picture). It seems there are multiple ways to get the same result and I want to make sure I have some real justification for using one method vs another.

So far in setting up some basic examples, I found out about coupled analysis which seemed the way to go and I ran one successfully that couples fluent to thermal, then I put the data into structural and got what I wanted but it got a bit complicated with all the simulations (see coupled ansys picture). I then realized that within fluent it seems you can do all of that without the need for any coupling, so I made another with just fluent and put that into structural and it seems like I'm getting the same results (see simple ansys picture). I'd like to know some more experienced users thoughts on the difference between these two methods and when to use one vs the other? I'm leaning towards dropping the coupling just to simplify things but my project will be getting more complicated in the future and so I could see the need for a coupled system.

In the future, I'll be putting some turbulence-inducing structures inside the pipe that I would like to parametrize if possible, and I'll also have solid plates that are different materials above and below the pipe that have certain temperature and heat flux conditions (see future model picture). On the sides of the pipe will be a symmetry condition. Hope that helps give some scope for the future of my project.

I just want to make sure I set out in the right direction before making some super complicated web of simulations only to find out it can be done much more simply. Any guidance would be much appreciated!