In 2024, Cyient commissioned the project "Ventilation Design of a 24-Cylinder Gas-Engine Enclosure" to address a defined challenge in the energy sector. The assignment combined computational fluid dynamics (CFD) with a decision-focused engineering study. Its purpose was to explain the governing physical behaviour, identify the variables controlling performance, and convert the findings into practical recommendations for design, operation and future development.

In this project, generating sets (Genset), installed in a pre-cast concrete enclosure complete with a forced draught ventilation system was modelled using CFD. The engine in the Genset was a 24-cylinder Jenbacher (J624) and there were multiple strict design criteria in this project which had to be satisfied by accurate CFD simulations. After developing a detailed model of the engine, its components and the ventilation system in the enclosure, various scenarios were modelled to identify any potential Genset de-rating due to excursions beyond operational envelope limits. Other key metrics such as air change per hour, maximum temperature and gas concentration were also obtained and were used to optimize the design of the plant. The CFD model was designed carefully to ensure all the heat sources within the domain are captured accurately by incorporating a series of customised functions and boundary conditions for key heat generation components such as the generator and air intake pipes. The results enabled the client to make crucial design modifications to ensure safety and compliance with appropriate standards and regulations.

The methodology centred on a detailed three-dimensional thermal-ventilation CFD model of the 24-cylinder generating set and concrete enclosure. The representation retained the engine, generator, intake and exhaust-related heat sources, forced-draught ventilation system and the restricted flow paths inside the enclosure. Boundary and operating conditions covered relevant ambient temperatures, ventilation duties, engine loads and credible operating conditions associated with de-rating or elevated gas concentration, with material, fluid and equipment properties assigned from the available design information. Resolution was concentrated in regions where steep velocity, thermal, concentration or phase gradients were expected, while the overall model remained efficient enough to compare several credible configurations. This balance allowed system-level performance to be linked to the local mechanisms responsible for it.

The assessment compared ventilation layout, flow distribution and practical enclosure modifications. Performance was judged using air changes, component and air temperature, inlet conditions, hot spots, gas concentration, recirculation and compliance with engine operating limits. Results were reviewed through quantitative summaries and engineering visualisations, such as contours, vectors, streamlines, sections and time histories, selected to suit the physics. Important assumptions and operating uncertainties were considered so that the recommendations relied on repeatable comparative trends rather than a single nominal case.

For Cyient, the principal value was design modifications that protected engine performance, safety and regulatory compliance. The final evidence linked each recommendation to the relevant model or process output, making it suitable for internal design reviews, supplier or contractor discussions and, where applicable, planning, safety or regulatory dialogue. The work also created a reusable baseline that can be updated as geometry, operating data or test results become available, reducing the cost and risk of later design iterations.