Fluid Flow & Heat Transfer Analysis Flashcards
7 cards from real CPCE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Fluid Flow & Heat Transfer Analysis flashcards as text
In CFD, the SIMPLE algorithm stands for which pressure-velocity coupling method?
Answer: Semi-Implicit Method for Pressure-Linked Equations
SIMPLE (Semi-Implicit Method for Pressure-Linked Equations) is the most widely used pressure-velocity coupling algorithm in incompressible flow solvers.
What dimensionless number governs the ratio of inertial forces to viscous forces in a fluid flow?
Answer: Reynolds number
The Reynolds number Re = ρVL/μ characterizes the ratio of inertial to viscous forces and determines whether flow is laminar or turbulent.
Which boundary condition type specifies a known heat flux at a wall in a CFD heat transfer simulation?
Answer: Neumann boundary condition
A Neumann boundary condition specifies the gradient of the dependent variable (heat flux) at the boundary rather than the value itself.
In turbulent flow CFD modeling, what does the k-ε turbulence model solve for?
Answer: Turbulent kinetic energy and its dissipation rate
The k-ε model solves two transport equations: one for turbulent kinetic energy (k) and one for its dissipation rate (ε).
For a flat plate in forced convection, how does the local heat transfer coefficient vary along the plate in the laminar boundary layer regime?
Answer: It decreases with distance from the leading edge
The local heat transfer coefficient decreases along the plate as the thermal boundary layer grows thicker with downstream distance in laminar flow.
What is the primary purpose of using a staggered grid arrangement in CFD pressure-velocity coupling?
Answer: To prevent checkerboard pressure oscillations
Staggered grids store velocity components at cell faces and pressure at cell centers, preventing the checkerboard pressure-velocity decoupling problem.
Which heat transfer mechanism is dominant in liquid metals due to their very low Prandtl number?
Answer: Conductive heat transfer
Liquid metals have very low Prandtl numbers (Pr << 1), meaning thermal diffusivity dominates momentum diffusivity, making conduction the dominant heat transfer mechanism.