Computational Fluid Dynamics

(MEE4006)

Dr. A. Satheesh
Professor (Grade 1)
Department of Thermal and Energy Engineering
School of Mechanical Engineering
VIT University, Vellore
10/01/20 1
“All the mathematical sciences are founded on
relations between physical laws and laws of
numbers, so that the aim of exact science is to
reduce the problems of nature to the
determination of quantities by operations with
numbers.”
James Clerk Maxwell, 1856

10/01/20 2
Importance of Heat
Transfer
Power production

Air conditioning

Furnaces, heat exchangers, reactors

Aircrafts, rockets and missiles

Storms, floods, radiation effects

……..everything is a fluid dynamics and heat

transfer process

10/01/20 3
 Nature of Prediction

Pure Experiment Pure Theory

CFD

10/01/20 4
 What is CFD
CFD is the art of solving the complex
PDE’s Numerically and computationally

• Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is

concerned with solving the governing
equations of fluid flow problems using
numerical methods and algorithms.
• Computers are used to carry out the work

10/01/20 5
 Advantages of CFD
 Low Cost
 Speed
 Complete Information
 Ability to simulate realistic and idealistic
conditions
 Optimized Predictions

10/01/20 6
 Disadvantages
 Limited objective
 Complex problems cant be solved precisely
 Extremely fast and small scale phenomena
cant be computed.
 Uncertainty.

10/01/20 7
 Applications of CFD
• Where is CFD used? Aerospace

• Aerospace
• Automotive
• Biomedical Biomedical

• Chemical
F18 Store Separation
Processing
• HVAC
• Hydraulics
• Marine
• Oil & Gas
• Power Generation
• Sports
Automotive Temperature and natural
convection currents in the eye
following laser heating.

10/01/20 8
 Applications of CFD
Chemical Processing
• Where is CFD used?
• Aerospacee
• Automotive
• Biomedical
• Chemical Processing
Polymerization reactor vessel - prediction
• HVAC of flow separation and residence time
effects.
• Hydraulics Hydraulics
• Marine
• Oil & Gas
• Power Generation
• Sports

HVAC
Streamlines for workstation
ventilation

10/01/20 9
 Applications of CFD
Marine (movie) Sports

• Where is CFD used?

• Aerospace
• Automotive
• Biomedical
• Chemical Processing
• HVAC
• Hydraulics
• Marine
• Oil & Gas
• Power Generation
• Sports

Oil & Gas Power Generation

Flow of lubricating Flow around cooling

mud over drill bit towers
10/01/20 10
 CFD as a research tool
 Aerodynamics of aircrafts and vehicles:lift and drag

10/01/20 11
10/01/20 12
 Turbo machinery, turbines and IC
engines

10/01/20 13
 Electronic circuits

10/01/20 14
10/01/20 15
 Polymer melting

10/01/20 16
 Biomedical Engg

10/01/20 17
But, How does a CFD code Work???

CFD CODE

Preprocessor Solver Post-processor

10/01/20 18
 Preprocessor
 Definition of domain
 Grid Generation
 Specification of B.C’ns

10/01/20 19
10/01/20 20
 Solver
 Definition of Fluid properties
 steady/unsteady
 Materials

 Schemes: Implicit/Explicit
 Approximation
 Discretisation
 Solution of equations

10/01/20 21
10/01/20 22
10/01/20 23
 Post-processing
 Plots: vector and/or contour
 Grid refinement
 Algorithm improvement
 Optimization

10/01/20 24
 Steps involved comprise:
• Replacement of the conservation equations
in the integral or differential form with a set
of algebraic equations (called
discretization).

• Use of various algorithms and digital

computers to solve them
Governing Approximation
PDEs & BCs Discretization System of Equations solution
Algebraic Solver u(x,y,z,t)
Equations

10/01/20 25
 CFD Process

10/01/20 26