Thermal Analysis in a Storage Tank Ansys Fluent Simulation

Thermal Analysis in a Storage Tank: ANSYS Fluent Based CFD Simulation

Understanding Storage Tank Thermal Dynamics

Crucially significant components in many different industrial applications, storage tanks hold liquids under various temperature conditions. This large-scale CFD simulation explores the thermal behavior inside a square-shaped storage tank having two inlets and a single exit with specific focus on temperature control capacities.

Geometric Configuration and Model Guidelines

The simulation makes use of a 2D square domain with following main width:

• Tank height: 2 meters
• Inlet diameters: 0.2 meters (two inlets)
• Outlet diameter: 0.3 meters (positioned at the top)
• Design software: ANSYS Design Modeler

Generation of Mesh and Computational Framework

Features of the computational domain include:

• Mesh type: Structured elements
• Element count: 10,056
• Meshing software: ANSYS Meshing

Solver Settings and Simulating Methodology

The work uses specific computing environments:

• Pressure-based solver type (considering fluid incompressibility) in accounting
• Time dependence: steady-state modeling
• Focus of the analysis: fluid mixing patterns and thermal behavior

Results and Thermal Performance Analysis Insights

Combining Dynamics and Flow Patterns

The simulation creates exhaustive two-dimensional visualizations of:

• Pressure distribution
• Temperature gradients
• Turbulence kinetic energy
• Velocity vectors

Thermal Mixing Behavior

The results show how twin inlet flows converge toward the central outlet to produce a mixing zone that greatly affects both temperature distribution and velocity profiles all across the tank.   The characteristics of the exit temperature depend considerably on this mixing phenomena.

Engineering Applications

For maximizing storage tank designs in purposes requiring accurate temperature control, this thermal analysis provides relevant information including:

• Systems of industrial process heating and cooling.
• Facilities for storage of thermal energy
• Systems for water heating
• Chemical processing tanks