CFD Investigations of Lid Driven Cavity Flow using Ansys Fluent Software

A lid driven cavity is a well-studied fluid dynamics problem involving a square or rectangular enclosure with a moving lid (top wall) that induces a flow within the cavity. The lid-driven cavity is a benchmark problem in computational fluid dynamics (CFD), where a fluid filled square cavity has one wall, i.e. the lid moving at a constant velocity. Flow behavior inside the cavity is investigated computationally using Ansys Fluent®, computational fluid dynamics software. The investigations are performed over three different Reynolds numbers , to explore and visualize different aspects of flow such as primary and secondary vortices and how that is influenced by Reynolds number. The distinct aspects of flow are shown through visualization using velocity contours, additionally streamline and velocity vector plots are also shown for enhanced understanding of the underlying physics.

Learning Outcomes

• Understand basic application of CFD for internal flow.
• Investigate the effect of Reynolds number on flow separation and vortex formation.
• Observe the flow behavior through visualization using contour and vector plots.

Applicable Courses for Use

• Fluid Mechanics
• Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
• Advanced Fluid Mechanics

Downloadable Content

• Case Study Report
• LDC_Re=5000 - case, data and mesh files.

Related Resources

Exact solutions of Navier-Stokes equations using Ansys Fluent® Software

CFD Investigations of Backward Facing Step Flow using Ansys Fluent