Home - Tideflex Mixing Systems (TMS)  - CFD Modeling

Figure 1: CFD Model
Circular Reservoir

Figure 2: CFD Model
Elevated Tank

Figure 3: CFD Model
Rectangular Reservoir

Figure 4: CFD Model
Standpipe

Figure 5: CFD Model
Existing Configuration Comparison

CFD Modeling

    Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a three-dimensional finite element model that solves the equations of mass, momentum and heat transfer for fluid flow. CFD has proven to be an effective tool for analyzing and understanding of mixing characteristics of water storage and reservoirs.

    Red Valve conducts CFD modeling on a continuous basis to optimize TMS configurations and to date has conducted hundreds of models on all styles of storage tanks including circular and rectangular reservoirs, standpipes, and dry and wet riser elevated tanks. Models are run on single inlet and outlet pipes and multiport configurations for isothermal, negatively buoyant (colder inlet water), and positively buoyant (warmer inlet water) conditions.   Modeling has confirmed that multiple ports with variable orifice Tideflex Nozzles have proven to provide much more rapid mixing than a single inlet and multiple ports can completely mix a tank in summer, when inlet water is colder and negatively buoyant, when a single inlet results in stratification.

    Independent consultants have also utilized CFD to compare conventional inlet/outlet pipe designs with the TMS. Their modeling validated the increased mixing efficiency of the TMS, refer to Figure 5.

    Based on the extensive scale modeling completed with the (WRF) project, and the extensive CFD modeling that we have conducted, Red Valve designs TMS manifold configurations for all tank styles that were identified to produce the fastest mixing. The TMS has been field validated in every tank style with sampling and monitoring studies conducted by water utilities.

US Patent No. 7,104,279
Canada Patent No. 2,409,009