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FatMan
02-18-2002, 04:02 PM
OK, so I've been reading a bunch of these posts on pressure and all that. So, I'm wondering if anyone has actually built a finite-element model of a paintgun and simulated the whole process to get a REALLY accurate idea of what happens? We do CFDs around here (that's computational fluid dynamics) and I have some really big machines that can run simulations like that - at the moment I have a students who is working on developing a FEM code as part of an assignment, so I was thinking this would be a fairly easy one to do. Any interest? Has it been done before?

Of course, in the end we'll want to get some data from you guys with the crazy lab setups to tune the model. Whatcha think?

FatMan

AGD
02-19-2002, 02:25 AM
Can your software handle transonic flows? Unfortunately most of what is happening is in that regime.

AGD

FatMan
02-19-2002, 11:05 AM
Originally posted by AGD
Can your software handle transonic flows? Unfortunately most of what is happening is in that regime.

AGD

Well, I'd have to say no, since there isn't any software at the moment, but I suppose it could. Most of the stuff the CFD guys model around here is transonic. Not being a CFD expert myself (but rather a computer expert) I'd have to rely on the ME types to make sure the math we're using works in that regime.

Good thing you pointed that out. has anyone else done this before? I mean, there's no point if its a done deal. Otherwise it sounds like a good project for one of our students.

FatMan

manike
02-22-2002, 04:28 AM
It's rumoured (John Rice was looking into it a year or so back) that WDP use CFD and FEA on the design and development of their systems.

manike

AGD
02-23-2002, 03:52 AM
I don't doubt John Rice did look into it. The problem is that most of the work gets done by static pressure not dynamic and flow is less of an issue than most people think.

We spent a lot of time studying cooling drag in airplanes and motorcyles in the 80's. When we applied that to paintguns we waisted a lot of time and got very little out of it.

AGD