The ball valve model in this tutorial introduces you to:

Starting SolidWorks FloXpress Preparing the geometry for calculation Defining the boundary conditions Viewing results Documenting your project

To be able to repeat this tutorial with the original files, create a backup copy of the source files in a different location.

open ball_valve.sldasm,

SolidWorks FloXpress can only analyze fluid flow in a fully enclosed volume that includes at least one inlet and one outlet. Before you analyze the flow, you need to close all the model's openings by adding lids.

1. Click Insert, Component, New Part .

A new Part1^Ball Valve component appears in the FeatureManager design tree.

2. Select the face from Side<1> as shown.

A sketch opens on the face.

3. Click Convert Entities (Sketch toolbar).

The Convert Entities PropertyManager opens.

3. Select the edge as shown.

4. In the PropertyManager, click to convert the entity, then click to close the PropertyManager.

5. Click Extruded Boss/Base (Features toolbar).6. In the PropertyManager under Direction 1:

a. Click Reverse Direction , so the arrow points to the center of the assembly.

b. Set Depth to 2 mm.

7. Click .8. Right-click Part1^Ball Valve, select Rename Part, and rename it to Lid1.

Creating the Lids (continued)

9. Click Edit Component to end editing of the component.

10. Click File, Save. Agree to save the new part internally.

11. Repeat steps 1 - 10 to create the other lid. In steps 2 and 3, select the corresponding face and edge from Side<2>, as shown.

For step 8, rename the part to Lid2.

The model is ready for flow analysis.

SolidWorks FloXpress can check your model for possible geometry problems, but to facilitate the analysis, you change the appearance of the model.

1. In the FeatureManager design tree, press Ctrl and select Lid1 and Lid2.

2. Click the Appearances/Scenes tab.

3. In the Appearances/Scenes Task Manager, expand Appearances and browse to

Plastic, Clear Plastic, translucent plastic .

4. Double-click translucent plastic to apply the appearance to the pre-selected entities.5. In the FeatureManager design tree, press Ctrl and select Side<1>, Side<2>, and Ball<1>.6. Repeat steps 2 and 3, and browse to Plastic, Medium Gloss, red medium gloss plastic

.

7. Press Alt and double-click red medium gloss plastic .8. In the Appearances PropertyManager, under Appearance, set Transparency to .80 and then

click .9. In the FeatureManager design tree expand Lid1, right-click Origin and select Hide.

10. Repeat for Lid2.11. Change to an isometric view.

1. Click Tools, FloXpress.

Read the Welcome the Check Geometry PropertyManager:

A message verifies that you created the lids properly. If there are problems with the geometry, you must remake the lids.

1. Under Fluid Volume, click View fluid volume .

Use View fluid volume to ensure that the fluid volume is specified correctly. If the openings were properly enclosed by the lids, but there are some small internal spaces in the model, SolidWorks FloXpress still validates the geometry. However, if internal spaces exist, you can only analyze the flow in that small internal volume.

2. If necessary, click Zoom to Fit and click Shaded with Edges (View toolbar).

If there are internal spaces in the model, SolidWorks FloXpress displays another message that the model is not ready for flow analysis.

3. Click Smallest Flow Passage and type 9.3.

  If the fluid passes through a gap that is smaller then the default Smallest Flow Passage,

set the Smallest Flow Passage to equal the width of that gap. Smallest Flow Passage uses the units set as the default in SolidWorks. If your SolidWorks application is set to units other than mm, specify mm when you type 9.3.

4. Click

2. me text and click .

1. Select Water for Fluids.

SolidWorks Flow Simulation includes a  variety of gases, liquids, compressible liquids, non-Newtonian liquids, real gases, and steam, as well the capability to create custom fluids.

2. Click .

You can only specify boundary conditions for a face that allows the fluid to enter the model (inlet), and another face that allows the fluid to exit the model (outlet).

You cannot apply each boundary condition (inlet and outlet) to multiple faces.

1. Under Inlet, click the Mass flow rate .

2. Right-click the inlet and choose Select Other.

3. In the Select Other dialog box, choose Face@[Lid1<1>] for Face to Apply Inlet .

4. Set the Mass Flow Rate to 0.5 kg/s.

Depending on the default length unit set in Solidworks, FloXpress uses units from SI or IPS unit systems for all other parameters.

5. Click  Next .

1. Right-click the outlet and choose Select Other.

2. From the Select Other dialog box, choose Face@[Lid2<1>] for Face to Apply Outlet .

You cannot select Volume Flow Rate as an outlet boundary condition when you select the Mass Flow Rate as an inlet boundary condition.

3. Accept the default value for Environment Pressure .

4. Click .

5. Click Solve .6. If the Save As dialog opens, click OK to save the virtual components internally.

After the calculation finishes, SolidWorks FloXpress shifts to the View Results.

The time required for the calculations and quality of solutions depend on settings to the overall resolution and to the global and local mesh.

SolidWorks FloXpress uses Trajectories to display results as flow streamlines. The colors represent changes in velocity along the trajectories. Based on your input, the color of the trajectories shows how any parameter changes along the trajectories.

SolidWorks Flow Simulation includes numerous result visualization tools. For example, you can export numerical data to Microsoft Excel™, visualize the mesh, and show isosurfaces, cut, and surface plots for any parameter.

1. Under Report, click Snap Image .

2. Click Balls and then Animate to illustrate the flow.

Flow Trajectories

3. Press Stop  .

4. Browse to your project directory and expand the fxp1 folder to display:

Files with the results of calculation.

You can load the SolidWorks FloXpress project and the results of the calculation using SolidWorks Flow Simulation.

A snapshot of the analysis, FloXpress_snap1.jpg, created when you clicked Snap Image.

If you have Microsoft Word™ 2000, 2002 (XP), 2003, or 2007 installed on your computer, when you click

Generate Report , SolidWorks FloXpress launches the application and creates a report that includes:

Information about the project file The value of the smallest flow passage (if specified manually) All the information about inlet and outlet boundary conditions The value of the maximum velocity The snapped images (if any)

SolidWorks Flow Simulation can provide numerical data about any parameter, not only velocity.

If you do not have any of the supported versions of Microsoft Word installed, a *.txt report file is generated that contains only text information about the project.

Click to close SolidWorks FloXpress.

Congratulations! You have completed this tutorial.