Anyone used advanced analysis like CFD to aid in their F1 design?  Any lessons learned?

Most CFD software that a Form 1 maker has access to will make little more than pretty squiggles, or in other words you be better off drawing on the back of a kids menu with crayons.

Even with good software it's going to be a pain in the ass, as your model conditions change as the projectile travels down the bore.

I wouldn't waste my time, you are better off checking hoop stresses on as thin a build as possible to maximize usable volume without making it into a pipe bomb.

I've noted before that I use professional CFD software, in everyday life. The cost for a dedicated PC/Server and the software is north of $100k. It's taken me a long time to get computational models even remotely close to accurately representing the environment inside a suppressor. Even then, the results aren't always repeatable or qualitative. A huge issue is, if you haven't built a good amount of suppressors, how can you be certain of your results? I've seen CFD models that resulted in flat washers performing better than a highly efficient cone baffle design. In the real world, this just wouldn't have been the case. Experience, here, wins vs a computer

Wisdom here as always.

Lets just say I have access to a highly capable computer/server and the best software.  I do FEA for a living and additionally I have used CFD before though for "simple" applications.  Once was for wind turbine analysis, the other for the design of a very large sign. I also know there are limitations.  As with any computer aided analysis, crap in crap out.  My intent is to look into back pressure.  Do you any tips with regard to boundary/initial conditions or turbulence?

I have played with some suppressor models before, but using our in-house codes we have developed.

It is pretty easy to make some nice pictures, but real analysis takes more than software.

So Siemens Simcenter or ANSYS? Just curious, not authorized to use either at my current employer.

The suppressor world can hardly agree on what instrument to measure decibels with.

Truth, but that applies to everything.  


You should see how much CFD code "users" argue over which code is better.

The entity allowing me to do this uses Siemens for the most part, however he also has licenses of ANSYS and AutoDesk's CFD.  I'm most familiar with Autodesk, but will use Siemens.

I fully understand that what I'm attempting to do is extremely complex.  I don't expect to get something that is fully repeatable in a built suppressor.  I just want to have to high dollar fun on someone else's dime and a bunch of my free time.