Case Study: National Defense Academy of Japan achieves more accurate fan modeling with Hexagon SC/Tetra

Combining tests and CFD analysis to solve long standing issues in pursuit of developing a highly accurate fan mode

The National Defense Academy of Japan was investigating long-standing inaccuracies in the simulation of cooling fans for electronics. The challenge was that simplified fan models, which used manufacturer-provided pressure-flow-rate (PQ) characteristics, were a significant source of error in CFD analysis, leading to unreliable results for thermal management. Professor Hajime Nakamura began using Hexagon's SC/Tetra software to compare test and analysis data to identify the root causes.

Hexagon's solution involved implementing Professor Nakamura's research directly into its software. His key findings, including a dynamic pressure correction for the PQ curve and a new non-dimensional swirl coefficient (Cθ=0.6) for modeling rotational velocity, were integrated into the SC/Tetra fan model. This resulted in a highly accurate fan model that closely matched experimental results, allowing engineers to perform more reliable CFD analysis for electronic device cooling. The vendor's swift implementation of this research provided immediate benefits to its users.

National Defense Academy of Japan

Hajime Nakamura

Professor