Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is used to simulate the flow in LORO-X drainage systems using the Finite Volume Method (FVM) through mathematical calculation based on established model equations, for example those of Navier-Stokes and Euler.

Hydraulic calculation

The established hydraulic calculation for fully filled drainage systems divides each flow path into several sections, which can represent either running metres of pipe of a given length or a fitting. Typically, the pressure loss is then calculated for each section in order to provide the hydraulic verification. In this way it is demonstrated that the pressure loss of the entire system is not greater than the available hydrostatic pressure from the roof down to the underground drain.

Computational Fluid Dynamics

In contrast to this hydraulic calculation, the finite volume method is a numerical procedure in which the entire pipe volume is divided into millimetre-sized volumes. The flow, which is perceived as continuously flowing, is correspondingly also broken down into a large number of millimetre-sized volumes and time units (discretisation), in order to then calculate the flow in each individual volume and in each time unit.

As a result, the CFD calculation does not only represent the state at a single point in the design process, but enables the simulation of the flow through the system from the inlet to the outlet over a given period of time.