Simulating the effect of two cylinders on the air flow movement inside a duct using CFD

Nov 13, 2025 - Nov 15, 2025

Country Turkiye

Location

This study investigates the impact of placing two cylindrical obstacles inside a rectangular air duct on airflow behavior using Computational Fluid Dynamics simulations via ANSYS Fluent. The primary aim was to analyze how different spacing configurations between the cylinders (35 mm, 40 mm, 45 mm, and 55 mm) affect key aerodynamic parameters, including velocity distribution, pressure variation, and vortex formation, ultimately assessing overall flow stability. A laminar flow model without heat transfer was adopted to isolate pure aerodynamic effects within a 100x100 mm duct containing 10 mm diameter cylinders. Results showed that smaller spacing (35 mm) yielded stable but restricted flow with increased drag, and was less effective for deliberate vortex generation. The 40 mm spacing offered a good balance of stability and moderate vortex formation, though some wake and drag persisted. Conversely, larger spacings (45 mm and 55 mm) introduced significant flow irregularities and turbulence. While the 45 mm configuration allowed more airflow and promoted vortex formation, it also led to increased instability and larger, energy-losing vortices behind the second cylinder. The 55 mm spacing facilitated the largest airflow volume but resulted in significantly more turbulent, unstable flow with strong pressure and velocity oscillations and heightened aerodynamic losses. These findings highlight the critical trade-offs between flow volume, stability, and energy dissipation dictated by inter-cylinder spacing.

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