| KIVA-3V is a widely used CFD code for the analysis of transient, 2-D or 3-D, chemically reactive flows with spray. KIVA-3V also has deforming mesh capability for the analysis of geometries with moving boundaries. The most popular application of the KIVA-3V code is the analysis of IC engine in-cylinder flows. Though KIVA-3V is a very useful tool for the analysis of in-cylinder flows, the code possesses a few characteristics that limit its application in this field. In particular, K3VPREP, the pre-processor used to generate the computational mesh for KIVA-3V, can generate only simple, pre-determined shapes that are hard coded in the pre-processor program. Complicated geometries found in modern IC engines cannot be created using the K3VPREP pre-processor. Even if a grid can be generated by K3VPREP, control of vertex distribution in the mesh is very limited. In addition, the H-H structured grid requirement in KIVA-3V causes the y+ values near grid “corners” to fall below the acceptable range for the standard k-ϵ turbulence model with wall functions to be valid. This is a potential source of error in the computed solution. This thesis describes and documents a procedure developed at Michigan State University's Engine Research Lab that overcomes the limitations in mesh generation in KIVA-3V. Modifications made to this procedure that allow the creation of canted valve engine geometries are also described in this thesis. Finally, the effect of the H-H grid on y+ and subsequently on the computed solution is investigated and possible solutions to this problem are provided. |
