Comparison of flow characteristics of self-supporting internal channel structures in hydraulic manifolds optimized for additive manufacturing

Bartolj, Jan (author), Trajkovski, Ana (author), Schmitz, Katharina (author), Vukašinović, Nikola (author), Majdič, Franc (author)

The design of internal channels in hydraulic components requires a balance between low pressure losses and manufacturability. Additive manufacturing (AM) offers substantial design freedom but introduces challenges related to internal support structures, which are difficult or impossible to remove from enclosed cavities. This study focuses on the optimization of internal flow channels for AM by comparing self-supporting geometries that eliminate the need for internal supports. A total of 12 self-supporting cross-sectional shapes were defined and analysed using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations over a range of volumetric flow rates. Pressure drop (Δp), flow velocity, and turbulent kinetic energy dissipation were used as evaluation metrics. The results show that some self-supporting geometries achieved lower pressure losses, indicating their suitability for hydraulic applications. The findings highlight the trade-off between structural printability and flow performance in the AM design space. This work establishes a comparative CFD framework for evaluating self-supporting AM channel cross-sections in hydraulic manifolds and identifies geometry-dependent trade-offs between pressure loss, turbulence dissipation, and manufacturability.

• Language: English
• Keywords: additive manufacturing, hydraulics, channel, self-supporting structure, optimisation, mechanical engineering design, mechanical engineering, fluid mechanics
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FS - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: 22 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 13, iss. 1, art. 2726261
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-188476
• UDC: 621.22:532.2
• ISSN on article: 2331-1916
• DOI: 10.1080/23311916.2026.2726261
• COBISS.SI-ID: 292123395
• Publication date in RUL: 23.09.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Cogent engineering
• Shortened title: Cogent eng.
• Publisher: Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis
• ISSN: 2331-1916
• COBISS.SI-ID: 523037721

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: dodajalne tehnologije, hidravlika, kanali, samonosne strukture, optimizacija, strojništvo, mehanika tekočin

Projects

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: P2-0231
• Name: Tribologija