WHITE PAPER

5 Best Practices for Gas Turbine Combustion Meshing

Using Ansys Fluent

Combustors are complex geometries that have detailed features including fuel atomizers, swirlers, effusion
and dilution orifices. Because of the complex nature of the combustor, the meshing process can result in long
turnaround times and high costs. Ansys Fluent accelerates the meshing of large, complex geometries, like
those of combustors, giving users complete control to generate a high-quality mesh that will yield robust,
accurate results.

This paper discusses the five best practices for meshing gas turbine combustion processes using Ansys
Fluent’s patent pending mosaic meshing, which produces a hexahedral dominant mesh in the core and
mosaic polyhedral cells that extend to the inflation layers of the wall. These best practices involve:

1. Watertight Geometry Workflow

2. Mosaic Poly-Hexcore Meshing with Parallel Scalability
3. Inflation Layers
4. Mesh Resolution Per Part
5. Target quality metrics

Combustors are complex geometries that

have detailed features including fuel atomizers,
swirlers, effusion and dilution orifices. Because
of the complex nature of the combustor, the
meshing process can result in long turnaround
times and high costs. Ansys Fluent accelerates
the meshing of large, complex geometries, like
those of combustors, giving users complete
control to generate a high-quality mesh that
will yield robust, accurate results.

A fine mesh resolution is required to capture

combustor flow splits, flame shape, liner heat
transfer and emissions. Hexahedral elements
are desired for combustion simulations because
of their accuracy. Unfortunately, combustors do not lend themselves to structured hexahedral mesh. Using
a pure hexahedral mesh would normally require extensive domain decomposition or even nonconformal
mesh interfaces. Ansys Fluent has a patent pending technology, called mosaic meshing, that produces a
hexahedral dominant mesh in the core and mosaic polyhedral cells that extend to the inflation layers of the
wall. This results in a high-quality hexahedral mesh for the combustor core where large eddy simulation (LES)
prevails, and isotropic poly-prisms using a hybrid scale-resolving simulation, such as stress-blended eddy
simulation (SBES), with RANS near the walls.

5 Best Practices for Gas Turbine Combustion Meshing Using Ansys Fluent // 1
This paper details the five best practices for gas turbine combustor meshing using Ansys Fluent, which
include:

1. Watertight Geometry Workflow

This user-friendly, task-based workflow reduces the learning time required to use Fluent meshing, while
accelerating the process with embedded best practices in each task.

2. Mosaic Poly-Hexcore Meshing with Parallel Scalability

This patent pending meshing technology accelerates meshing time by using high quality hexahedral
cells in the bulk region and connecting to isotropic poly-prism layers on the walls. Mosaic poly-hexcore
can generate over 10 million cells per minute when run in parallel.

3. Inflation Layers
Inflation layers are key to capturing the aero and thermal boundary layers of the fluid flow along the
combustor liner. Using three layers will accurately and consistently capture near-wall flow features
while reducing the overall cell count.

4. Mesh Resolution Per Part

Combustors are made up of complex parts that need to have a fine mesh resolution to generate
accurate results. Following our best practice for mesh resolution for combustor parts — swirler, fuel
atomizer, combustor core, plenum, effusion holes, dilution holes and the dilution jet region — will
ensure a high-quality, CFD ready mesh.

5. Target quality metrics

This paper will help guide you to the quality metrics you need, which includes a good orthogonal
quality and aspect ratio.

/ 1. Watertight Geometry Workflow

The Ansys Fluent watertight geometry workflow accelerates meshing by

organizing the process into a user-friendly, task-based workflow that offers
relevant choices and options, but also has the flexibility to be customized.

Before importing your geometry into Fluent, you can use Ansys SpaceClaim
to apply surface and volume labeling. You can also set up your sector periodic
labels which can later be used in Fluent to create nodally conformal periodics. Figure 1.1 – Each task in Fluent’s
watertight geometry workflow
generates a symbol when com-
As you progress through the workflow and complete a task, a green checkmark pleted. Tasks with an asterisk can
appears next to that task if it completed successfully. Completed tasks that can be improved and tasks with a
be improved upon — for example, a surface mesh with a maximum skewness warning will let you know how to
fix the problem.
greater than 0.7 — will generate a green checkmark with an asterisk next to it, as
seen in Figure 1.1. Right clicking on the task will allow you to insert a new task to
improve the value to ensure best results.

Fluent’s task-based workflows have best practices embedded in each task,

for quality, in the form of default values. Advanced users can easily check a
box to reveal more advanced options. As you customize this workflow with
needed tasks and make edits to the advanced options, you can save the
workflow template (WFT), which can be re-opened and easily applied to other
geometries.
Figure 1.2 – Fluent’s task-based
You can also automate the watertight geometry workflow meshing process workflows with best practices
using a python-based journal file for batch meshing. This can be done by embedded accelerate meshing
opening Fluent and reading in the journal file. Fluent will then run through the and make sure a high-quality
whole process from CAD import to adding local sizing for body of influences to mesh is generated. You can eas-
ily insert new tasks or even run
creating the surface and volume mesh using specified minimum and maximum
a custom journal and save your
cell sizing values. Customized tasks can be specified in the script and will be customized workflow for future
use.

5 Best Practices for Gas Turbine Combustion Meshing Using Ansys Fluent // 2
added to the workflow while the journal is running.

Using this workflow ensures a high-quality mesh to generate robust results for most combustor cases.
Certain cases may require advanced options depending on your geometry.

/ 2. Mosaic Poly-hexcore Mesh with Parallel Scalability

The “Create Volume Mesh” task in the watertight geometry workflow describes the use of mosaic poly-
hexcore mesh for volume mesh generation. Mosaic poly-hexcore is a patent pending Ansys Fluent meshing
technology that accelerates meshing time and produces a faster, more accurate solution. It accelerates the
meshing process with a reduced face count, higher quality cells and efficient parallel scalability.

Using mosaic poly-hexcore for a complex combustor geometry helped a leading

aircraft engine manufacturer achieve a volume mesh generation speed up of 20X and
a 30–50% reduction in solve time compared to previous methods.

Mosaic technology enables polyhedral connections between disparate mesh types. The recently released
poly-hexcore method is the first to employ this technology and is used to connect extruded polygonal prisms
on the boundary to bulk Cartesian aligned hexahedra.

Mosaic poly-hexcore mesh is a combination of hexahedral, isotropic poly prism and mosaic polyhedral
elements, as shown in Figure 2.

Isotropic poly Mosaic Hexahedral

prism polyhedral

Figure 2.1 – Mosaic poly-hexcore combines boundary layer mesh using high quality polyhedron to hexahedron elements.

Using high-quality polyhedral to hexahedral elements in the bulk region, this mesh automatically and
conformally combines an inflation layer. Hexahedral elements are desired because of their accuracy and
efficiency. Since the core volume mesh is generated with hexahedral elements, for the same grid resolution
there is a total face count reduction. Having a lower face count will result in faster compute times with lower
memory and disk space requirements.

Using mosaic poly-hexcore mesh for your combustion application has many advantages over using full
polyhedral mesh, as listed in the Table 1.

Table 1. Comparison of Mosaic Poly-Hexcore Meshing with Standard Polyhe-

dral Meshing for Gas Turbine Combustors

5 Best Practices for Gas Turbine Combustion Meshing Using Ansys Fluent // 3
Generating the high-quality poly-hexcore volume mesh can be
drastically accelerated by taking advantage of parallel meshing.

With the use of only 64 cores, a leading manufacturer

of aircraft engines was able to generate around 7.5
million cells per minute with a maximum orthogonal
skewness below 0.7.

Running in parallel does not stop at 64 cores. Mosaic poly-hexcore

could generate a volume mesh of over 10 million cells per minute
Figure 2.2 – Mosaic poly-hexcore mesh can
when running on 256 cores.
generate over 10 million cells per minute
when running on 256 cores.
/ 3. Only Use Three Inflation Layers

For gas turbine combustion simulations in Fluent, the LES model

is used in the core domain to accurately capture mixing and flame
shape. However, LES is unable to accurately resolve the near-wall
flow features without a very high and often unaffordable mesh
resolution. Therefore, Fluent uses hybrid scale resolving simulation,
such as SBES, with RANS near the walls.
Figure 3.1 – Three inflation layers are
With RANS applied near the walls, our third best practice suggests using proven to yield accuract results because
three inflation layers. These three inflation layers have been proven to yield Fluent uses hybrid scale resolving simu-
the accurate results you need. Using three inflation layers also avoids cells lation, such as SBES, with RANS near
collapsing into each other as they go through narrow passages and small the walls.
orifices.

The results you get will accurately capture the aero and thermal boundary, which is critical for combustor
durability and the prediction of heat transfer coefficients.

/ 4. Mesh Resolution Per Part

A generic version of a combustor can be seen in Figure 4.1, detailing

the parts we recommend for using our best mesh resolution
practices. Using these best practices will result in a fine mesh
resolution to ensure that the flow splits are accurately predicted
through all parts, including:
1. Swirler and atomizer
2. Combustor core
3. Dilution holes
Figure 4.1 – A generic version of a gas
4. Dilution zone turbine combustor shows the parts we
recommend using our best practices
on: 1. Swirler and atomizer, 2. Combus-
Using the best practices below will ensure a high-quality mesh that will tor core, 3. Dilution holes and 4. Dilution
generate robust results with Fluent. zone.

Swirler and Atomizer Resolution

Accurately capturing the flow splits and the 20–30% of the air that
passes through the combustor dome is critical. Having the correct
mesh resolution in the swirler and atomizer area will help to ensure
there is a proper fuel–air mixture, which will result in accurate
ignition and emission predictions. To get the results you need, our
best practice is to have 10–15 cells across the diameter of the swirler.
This resolution will allow you to predict the primary zone loading and
ensure that you have the right fuel–air mixture, as intended for the Figure 4.2 – Having the correct mesh
design of the swirler. resolution in the swirler and atomizer
area will ensure a proper fuel-air mixture.

5 Best Practices for Gas Turbine Combustion Meshing Using Ansys Fluent // 4
Combustor Core Resolution
A uniform mesh is needed in the core of the combustor to accurately predict the mixing, flame shape
and emissions. Our best practice is to use a body of influence (boi) in the core to generate a high-quality
uniform mesh. The hexahedral dominant boi will accurately predict
the mixing from the swirler and atomizer, and the dilution jet
penetration into the primary zone. This boi ensures a smooth mesh
transition from the dome into the core of the combustor, with the
accurate resolution needed so cell size does not change, reduce or
increase rapidly.

Mosaic mesh allows the core of the combustor to be hexahedral

dominant by using the mosaic technology to connect these
hexahedral cells to the poly-prism cell on the walls.
Figure 4.3 – A hexahedral dominant
Dilution Hole Resolution mesh in the core of the combustor will
In order to accurately capture the vena contracta and jet penetration ensure uniformity for accurate simula-
through the dilution holes, we recommend having eight to 10 cells across tion.
the diameter of the dilution hole. Having this mesh resolution will help
to accurately predict the quenching effects of the dilution holes and
their placement in the combustion liner.

Outside of Combustion Zone Resolution

Mesh resolution in the combustor plenum can be coarser than in the
primary zone. If needed, you can apply RANS type mesh resolution to
reduce the cell count. However, we do recommend applying enough
resolution in this area to accurately capture the flow splits and having Figure 4.4 – Mesh resolution coarsening
a finer mesh near the walls for heat transfer. in the combustor plenum to reduce cell
count while still accurately capturing the
flow splits
/ 5. Target Mesh Quality

The quality of your mesh plays a significant role in the accuracy and
stability of the numerical computation. Fluent allows you to check the
mesh quality to ensure metrics like a good orthogonal quality and low
aspect ratio. If the values reported do not meet the requirements of what
we recommend for our best practices, we suggest inserting a new task
after meshing to improve the mesh quality. Using the best practices
listed in this paper should result in a high-quality, simulation ready mesh.

Cell orthogonal quality is computed using cell skewness, the vector from
the cell centroid to each of its faces, the corresponding face area vector
and the vector from the cell centroid to the centroids of each of the
adjacent cells. With a range from 1 to 0, 1 being perfect and 0 being poor,
we recommend targeting an orthogonal quality higher than 0.1. Having
a high orthogonal quality ensures that the Fluent solution is robust. The Figure 5.1 – This image shows how cell
orthogonal quality is computed.
orthogonal quality will be reported in the console after volume meshing,
and if the value needs to be improved, you can easily insert a new task. The
new task will be “Improve Volume Mesh,” in which you can specify the target
cell quality limit and minimum angle to which you would like the mesh
to improve.

Aspect ratio is a measure of the stretching of a cell. It is computed as

the ratio of the maximum value to the minimum value of any of the
following distances: normal distances between the cell centroid and
face centroids, and the distances between the cell centroid and nodes.
For a unit cube, the maximum distance is 0.866 and the minimum
distance is 0.5, so the aspect ratio is 1.732. It is best to avoid sudden
and large changes in the cell aspect ratio in areas where the flow
field exhibits large changes or strong gradients. When meshing your Figure 5.2 – This image shows how
aspect ratio is computed.

5 Best Practices for Gas Turbine Combustion Meshing Using Ansys Fluent // 5
combustor, using our best practices you should target a maximum aspect ratio less than 100.

Conjugate Heat Transfer for Durability

This paper describes the best practices for combustor meshing
using Ansys Fluent, but it is important to note that Fluent can
also mesh conjugate heat transfer (CHT) models. All layers
of the liner, including metal, bond coat and thermal barrier
coating (TBC) can be meshed with a conformal interface at
the fluid–solid interface. CHT analysis can be performed with
the scale resolving simulation, which will lead to a streamlined
one-way fluid-structure interaction simulation with the thermo-
structural analysis. Figure 5.3 shows the conformal connection
between the metal meshed with polyhedra and the core of the
Figure 5.3 – Conformal meshing between the
combustor meshed with poly-hexcore. The general CHT workflow fluid–structure interface of the generic gas
can be seen in Figure 5.4 turbine for a CHT simulation.

Figure 5.4 – The general CHT workflow model for durability and life prediction.

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