Flownex Simulation Environment

Please can you explain the basic concept of a systems CFD code and how Flownex as a Systems CFD code can aid a engineering consulting firm in the power industry?

The ability to model the complete integrated system gives engineers the capability to quickly and accurately size components, do flow balancing and test different control methodologies in real time. Standard components with different levels of complexity are linked together in an arbitrary way to build any flow system. Two phase steam, water, gas mixtures and compressible fluids can be used in one integrated network to get a true dynamic integrated response of a plant.

Flownex’s implicit solution algorithm is fast, accurate and robust and resembles that of a conventional CFD code. The system is discretized into a number of spatial or conceptual control volumes to which a set of conservation equations are applied and then solved. This fundamental approach allows the prediction of phenomena such as choking, pressure surging, natural convection, Joule heating and buoyancy effects in packed beds.

In the quest to repower retired power stations, Steinmüller used Flownex to successfully solve, simulate & predict the implications of repowering a boiler plant. Using Flownex the engineering team was able to do what-if studies and to make decisions such as whether to remove the evaporative platens to optimize the plant in terms of reliability, plant availability and overall plant efficiency. Flownex proved valuable in the investigation by providing the new flow distribution in the water walls and super heaters based on design changes and also the steam condition that is provided to the turbines.

Another example; Platen Evaporator Header cracking in the boiler can cause unnecessary and costly down time due to maintenance of the power plant. Steinmüller used Flownex to dynamically simulate the flow and heat transfer over the platen evaporator and determine the reasons for header cracking.