Multiscale Graph Neural Network for Turbulent Flow-Thermal Prediction Around a Complex-Shaped Pin-Fin

Abstract

This study presents the development of a domain-responsive edge-aware multiscale Graph Neural Network for predicting steady, turbulent flow and thermal behavior in a two-dimensional channel containing arbitrarily shaped complex pin-fin geometries. The training dataset was constructed through an automated framework that integrated geometry generation, meshing, and flow-field solutions in ANSYS Fluent. The pin-fin geometry was parameterized using piecewise cubic splines, producing 1,000 diverse configurations through Latin Hypercube Sampling. Each simulation was converted into a graph structure, where nodes carried a feature vector containing spatial coordinates, a normalized streamwise position, one-hot boundary indicators, and a signed distance to the nearest boundary such as wall. This graph structure served as input to the newly developed Graph Neural Network, which was trained to predict temperature, velocity magnitude, and pressure at each node using data from ANSYS. The network predicted fields with outstanding accuracy, capturing boundary layers, recirculation, and the stagnation region upstream of the pin-fins while reducing wall time by 2-3 orders of magnitude. In conclusion, the novel graph neural network offered a fast and reliable surrogate for simulations in complex flow configurations.