A pragmatic coupling strategy between commercial CFD and structure analysis codes

The paper describes how a simple link has been established between the commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code CFX-4 and the two commercial structural analysis software packages ABAQUS and ANSYS. The interface has enabled separate, specialist groups to perform conjugate heat transfer and stress analysis computation within a common project, without the need to lease expensive interface software. The fluid/structure coupling operates primarily in steady-state mode, though transient coupling is possible at specified time intervals, provided there is no feed-back of the structural displacement on the thermal hydraulics. Illustrative examples are presented in the paper of how the coupled codes are being used to aid the design of a pilot spallation source target, and to analyze operational transients and accident sequences.Copyright © 2004 by ASME