JULY 28, 2020

CFD ANALYSIS OF PROPELLER FAN

FLUID MECHANICS

ARHAM RAHIM
2017079
Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology
Table of Contents
Abstract ................................................................................................................................................................ 2
Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................... 2
Methodology ........................................................................................................................................................ 2
Geometric Modeling........................................................................................................................................ 3
Numerical Modeling ............................................................................................................................................ 3
Enclosure .......................................................................................................................................................... 3
Meshing ............................................................................................................................................................ 3
Boundary Conditions ....................................................................................................................................... 4
1. Fluid Domain........................................................................................................................................ 4
2. Wall ...................................................................................................................................................... 4
3. Inlet ...................................................................................................................................................... 4
4. Outlet ................................................................................................................................................... 4
5. Solid Domain........................................................................................................................................ 4
Simulation ............................................................................................................................................................ 4
CFX solver ......................................................................................................................................................... 4
Results .................................................................................................................................................................. 5
1. 3-D Streamline plot ............................................................................................................................. 5
2. Eddy Viscosity ...................................................................................................................................... 5
3. Total Pressure ...................................................................................................................................... 6
4. Turbulence KE...................................................................................................................................... 6
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................................ 7
Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................................................... 7
References............................................................................................................................................................ 7

1
 CFD Analysis of Propeller fan
Arham Rahima
Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and technology
Topi, Swabi

Abstract
and in-cabin air recirculation systems. (S. Jain,
The growing demand of robust and efficient
2012).Propeller fans utilize long slender blades
cooling units by the industry leads to the
twisted in such a manner as to provide some
development of systems that are cheap and easy
angle of attack on the gas being moved. The
to install. Propeller fan is widely used in
blades are fixed to a hub, and the entire assembly
engineering applications. Propeller fans, while
rotates in a housing. The housing has little or no
incapable of developing high pressures, they are
effect on controlling the gas flow. Typical
well suitable for handling large volumes of air at
applications for propeller fans are wall- and
relatively low pressures. In general, they are low
ceiling-mounted exhausters and cooling tower
in cost and possess good efficiency. This report
and air-cooled heat exchangers. (Soares, n.d.).
consists of the analysis of fluid flow through a
propeller fan using the Computational Fluid With the expressive computer capability and
Dynamics (CFD) technique. The flow field is extensive development in the simulation field,
simulated with the finite element Computational CFD have drawn attention in recent years. With
Fluid Dynamics CFD solver Ansys WorkbenchTM the help of CFD, the complex 3-D geometries of
(CFX). The computation is carried out to analyze equipment can now be modeled with only minor
the streamline generation across the fan blades simplifications. The models, if modeled
and to obtain contour plots on the solid body. The appropriately, provide sufficiently accurate
results of the analysis are presented in this predictions over a range of operating conditions,
report. which are not possible using other methods. This
report talks through the numerical modeling and
Keywords
analysis of fluid flow though the propeller fan.
Computational fluid dynamics, streamlines, The results will be compared to previous work
contours, propeller fan. done on propeller fans.

Introduction Methodology
Propeller fan is extensively used in many The flow characteristics will be analyzed after the
engineering applications ranging from small necessary steps for CFD analysis are done. Figure.
cooling fans for electronics to the giant fans used 1 shows the brief methodology with which the
in wind tunnels. Propeller fans serve the purpose report proceeds.
of air conditioning and cooling required for
industrial processes. Its adaptability has resulted
in implementation into large scale systems, from
industrial dryers to automotive engine cooling

2
 thickness and were modeled using the spline
CAD Geometry function in Fusion 360TM. The corner edges were
filleted to generate the respective shape of the
Importing geometry blades. The fan consists of a total of 4 blades.

Enclosure

Meshing

Boundary Conditions

CFX Solver

Figure 3. Propeller fan (Side view)

Post Processor
Numerical Modeling
Results Ansys WorkbenchTM Fluid Flow (CFX) was used for
numerical modeling of the propeller fan.
Figure 1. Flowchart of Numerical Modeling Enclosure
An enclosure of appropriate shape is generated
Geometric Modeling
around the geometry through which the fluid
The propeller fan model was developed using the
flow is to be analyzed. A cylindrical geometry was
software Autodesk Fusion 360TM.
generated enclosing the propeller fan. The
cylinder was built with a radius of 40 mm and
asymmetric about the fans axis.

Figure 2. Propeller Fan design (Fusion 360)

The dimensions for the respective model were

Figure 4. Cylindrical Enclosure
chosen to make a prototype model of the fan for
analysis purposes only. The diameter of the Meshing
central shaft is 32 mm. The diameter of the fan is Meshing is a process where we discretize the
150 mm. The blades of the fan are 1.5 mm in computational domain into finite elements or

3
cells where the flow variables are solved at the 3. Inlet
discretized elements. Hence dividing the physical The velocity of water at the inlet was selected to
domain into sub-domains is referred as meshing. be 50 m/s under the subsonic fluid regime. 5%
The system was meshed into discrete tetrahedral turbulence was set for the inlet flow.
shapes. The element size for the selected mesh
was 2.0191e-002 m. 4. Outlet

The fluid was set to exit with a velocity of 40 m/s.

5. Solid Domain
The propeller was set as a solid. The material
selected for the fan was Aluminum. The
propeller’s motion is rotational, rotating at a
speed of 150 rev/min.

Figure 5. Meshed Geometry

Boundary Conditions

1. Fluid Domain
For flow analysis, a fluid domain was setup. Air at
25o was selected as the fluid with a reference
Figure 6. Geometry with boundary conditions applied
pressure of 1 atm. The domain motion was kept
stationary.

2. Wall Mesh Size 2.0191e-002 m

The wall boundary condition was selected to be a Fluid Domain Air at 25o, stationary
smooth, no slip wall. Reference Pressure 1 atm
Wall Smooth, no slip
No slip wall condition means that the particles
Inlet 50 m/s
close to a surface do not move along with a flow
Turbulence 5%
when adhesion is stronger than cohesion. At the Outlet 40 m/s
fluid-solid interface, the force of attraction Solid Domain Aluminum, Rotating
between the fluid particles and solid particles body
(Adhesive forces) is greater than that between Angular velocity 150 rev/sec
the fluid particles (Cohesive forces). This force Table 1. Solver Setup Summary
imbalance brings down the fluid velocity to zero.
The no slip condition is only defined for viscous Simulation
flows. (Day, 2004) CFX solver
The interface of CFX solver manager of Ansys
displays the following plots:

4
 1. Momentum and Mass 1. 3-D Streamline plot
A 3-D streamline plot for 110 points was
obtained.

Figure 9. 3D Streamlines

Figure 7. Variable vs. Time

2. Turbulence (KE)

Figure 10. Streamlines starting from the fan blades. (Aspect

ratio = 0.1)

The flow separation over the fan blade generates a stalled

condition where the lift force is restricted. As the
Reynolds number of flow past fan increases, the flow
tends to be more random and chaotic.
Figure 8. Variable vs. Time

The solver uses computational techniques to 2. Eddy Viscosity

solve the Navier Stokes and other related
The viscosity contours for the enclosure were obtained.
equations to generate results.
The figure indicates that the viscosity is maximum at the
exit side of the fan.
Results
The CFD post processor provides with the results
generated for the fluid flow through the propeller
fan.

5
 Figure 11. Eddy viscosity contours on wall Figure 13. Total Pressure (Suction side)

The viscosity contours on the fan body can be seen from

the figure 12.

Figure 14. Total Pressure (Exit side)

4. Turbulence KE
The turbulence kinetic energy is greater at the inner
Figure 12. Eddy viscosity contours on fan edges of the fan blades, where the fluid exits. At that
point, the particle streamline motion transitions from
3. Total Pressure straight to helix, which increases the turbulence kinetic
The total pressure contours obtained are shown in the energy.
figures below. The contours indicate that the pressure at
the suction side of the fan (figure 13) is greater than the
exit side (figure 14). The uniform distribution of pressure
on the fan blades indicates the flow regime is below stall.
The flow past through leading edge of fan blade shows
maximum pressure where the flow is chaotic and
unstable.

Figure 15. Turbulence KE contours on fan

6
Conclusion
The CFD modeling shown in this study proved to be
very helpful in understanding the fluid flow through
the propeller fan blades and how different
parameters vary from the inlet to the exit. CFD results
were presented in the form of 3-D streamlines, which
provided actual flow characteristics of air around a
fan with four blades.

Acknowledgments
I thank the faculty of mechanical engineering at
Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences
and Technology for their support. A special thanks to
our course instructor for introducing us to CFD
analysis and the relevant soft-wares.

References
Day, M. A. (2004). The no-slip condition of fluid
dynamics. Retrieved from Erkenntnis. 33 (3): 285–
296. doi:10.1007/BF00717588.

S. Jain, a. Y. (2012). CFD Modeling of a Radiator Axial

Fan for.

Soares, H. P. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.sciencedirect.com/.