College of Engineering and Architecture
Mechanical Engineering Department
LABORATORY REPORT
METE 461C
Computational fluid dynamics (cfd)
TITLE PAGE
SUBMITTED BY:
YUWAN A. ADOLFO
METE 362C – P2
SUBMITTED TO:
Engr. Jeiel Uziel A. Luza, MSc.
Instructor
1
INTRODUCTION
The study of fluid mixing at varying temperatures is essential in
engineering and scientific applications, particularly in areas such as chemical
processing, environmental systems, and thermal management. When fluids
at different temperatures combine, heat transfer occurs through both
convective and conductive processes, creating complex interactions that
influence the final temperature distribution and mixing efficiency. These
outcomes are strongly affected by factors such as fluid properties, flow rates,
geometry, and turbulence. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) provides an
effective tool for analyzing these interactions by simulating fluid flow and
thermal behavior in controlled environments. In this activity, SolidWorks Flow
Simulation is used with a provided 3D model to evaluate the effects of mixing
fluids with different inlet temperatures and velocities. Through boundary
condition setup, meshing, and result interpretation using cut plots and
streamlines, the study aims to visualize and validate the temperature and
pressure distribution during mixing. This introduction establishes the
foundation for assessing how CFD can model thermal mixing phenomena
and how simulation results compare with theoretical calculations.
2
SIMULATION SETUP
3
INTERPRETATION OF THE SIMULATION RESULTS
The CFD simulation showed that three water streams entered the
junction at different temperatures and flow rates, gradually blending as they
moved through the chamber until reaching the outlet. The outlet temperature
was 331.13 K, which lies between the highest and lowest inlet values. This
agrees with theory, which states that when fluids at different temperatures
mix, heat transfer occurs due to thermal gradients, with convection and
conduction working together to equalize the temperature.
The velocity results indicated that the stream with the highest flow rate
carried the greatest momentum, resulting in quicker mixing and a stronger
directional flow at the outlet. The attached study supports this by explaining
that higher velocities promote turbulence and enhance momentum
exchange, which improves mixing efficiency. In contrast, the streams with
lower flow speeds mixed more slowly, showing that velocity directly controls
how quickly and effectively fluids combine.
The pressure analysis showed that pressure was highest at the inlets
and gradually decreased toward the outlet. This pattern matches the
theoretical understanding that energy is lost through friction, turbulence, and
mixing within the system. The maximum pressure was observed at one of
the inlets, while the outlet recorded the lowest. Overall, the results supported
the theory by clearly demonstrating the relationship between temperature,
velocity, and pressure during the mixing process.
4
CONCLUSION
The CFD study successfully demonstrated how temperature, velocity,
and pressure interact during fluid mixing. The outlet temperature of 331.13
K closely matched the theoretical expectation, confirming that proper heat
transfer occurred between the hot and cold streams. Velocity was shown to
play a key role in the mixing process, with higher flow rates providing greater
momentum and faster blending, while slower streams mixed more gradually.
Pressure results followed the expected trend, with higher values at the inlets
and a steady decrease toward the outlet due to friction, turbulence, and
energy losses within the system. Overall, the simulation results validated
theoretical principles and highlighted the effectiveness of CFD as a tool for
analyzing and understanding fluid mixing behavior.
