Advanced CFD
Dr Tegegn Dejene
Lecture 1
Chapter 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Introduction to CFD
• There are three basic approaches or methods
to solve a problem in a fluid mechanics and
heat transfer
• Experimental method
• Theoretical or analytical method
• Computational(Numerical) method
The three approaches that are strongly
interlinked do not work in isolation
Cont’d
• The three basic approaches to solve problems
in fluid dynamics and heat transfer.
Cont’d
• Experimental method-the most expensive
method of determining the fluid and heat
transfer parameters using appropriate
instruments
• Theoretical or analytical method-is method of
determining the fluid and heat transfer
parameters by analytically by making some
simplifications or assumptions
Computational Fluid dynamics
• CFD- is the study of fluid flow and heat
transfer by using numerical simulation with
help of computers
• CFD is fundamentally based on the governing
equations of fluid dynamics and heat transfer.
• Numerical simulation involves employing
computer programs or soft ware packages
using high speed digital computers
Conservation of law of physics
• Mass is conserved for the fluid.
• Newton’s second law: The rate of change of
momentum equals the sum of forces acting on
the fluid.
• First law of thermodynamics: The rate of
change of energy equals the sum of the rate of
heat addition to the fluid and the rate of work
done on the fluid.
Cont’d
CFD techniques
• The process of obtaining the computational
solution consists of two stages.
• The first stage involves the conversion of the
partial differential equations and auxiliary
(boundary and initial) conditions into a system
of discrete algebraic equations.
• This stage is commonly known as the
discretization stage.
Cont’d
• partial differential Navier–Stokes equations-
closed form expressions of u, v, w, p, etc., as
functions of one of the spatial locations x, y, and z,
• Solving N-S equations in 2-D and 3-D is extremely
difficult
• Instead of closed-form expressions, the respective
values of u, v, w, p, etc., were obtained at discrete
locations within the flow domain by the CFD
solver, and the original Navier–Stokes equations
were approximated by algebraic derivatives.
Cont’d
• The partial differential equations, totally replaced by a system
of algebraic equations, solved the discrete values of the flow-
field variables.
• For such a solution, the original partial differential equations
were considered to be discretized in order to yield the values
at the discrete locations.
• Discritization methods
Finite difference method
Finite volume method
Finite element method
Spectral method
Cont’d
• The second stage of the solution process
involves the implementation of numerical
methods to provide a solution to the system
of algebraic equations.
Cont’d
Cont’d
• The different disciplines involved in fluid
dynamics.
ADVANTAGES OF COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS
• A means of solving fluid flow and heat transfer by
numerical approximations
• CFD complements experimental and analytical
approaches by providing an alternative cost-effective
means of simulating real fluid flows.
• CFD substantially reduces lead times and costs in design
and production compared with experimentally based
approaches
• CFD has the capacity to simulate flow conditions that are
not reproducible in experimental tests found in
geophysical and biological fluid dynamics,
APPLICATION OF COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS
• As a Research Tool
CFD, analogous to wind-tunnel tests, can be employed as
a research tool to perform numerical experiments.
• As an Educational Tool in basic thermal and fluid science
greatly enriches students’ understandingof fluid-flow
phenomena
• As a Design Tool
CFD is becoming an integral part of the engineering
design and analysis environment in prominent industries.
CFD application areas or disciplines
• Aerospace
• Automotive
• Biomedical science and engineering
• Chemical and mineral engineering
• Power generation
• Civil and environmental engineering
Limitations of CFD
• Numerical errors exist in computations;
therefore, there will be differences between
computed results and reality.
• CFD may give an erroneous solution, which
may look good, will not correspond to the
expected flow behavior!
• Any numerical results obtained must always
be thoroughly examined before they are
believed.
CFD solution Process
a complete CFD analysis consists of three main
elements:
• Pre-processor
• Solver
• Post-processor
Problem setup –pre processor
• Pre-processor consists of:
• Creation of the geometry
• Mesh generation
• Setting or selection of physics and fluid
properties
• Specification of Boundary Conditions
• Flow chart encapsulating various flow physics
of CFD
NUMERICAL SOLUTION—CFD SOLVER
• An overview of the solution procedure.
Result review and visualization-post process
• X-Y plots
• Vector plots
• Contour plots
