What is CFD ?

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) has grown from a mathematical curiosity to

become an essential tool in almost every branch of fluid dynamics, from aerospace
propulsion to weather prediction. CFD is commonly accepted as referring to the broad
topic encompassing the numerical solution, by computational methods, of the governing
equations which describe fluid flow, the set of the Navier-Stokes equations, continuity
and any additional conservation equations, for example energy or species
concentrations.
As a developing science, Computational Fluid Dynamics has received extensive
attention throughout the international community since the advent of the digital
computer. The attraction of the subject is twofold. Firstly, the desire to be able to model
physical fluid phenomena that cannot be easily simulated or measured with a physical
experiment, for example weather systems or hypersonic aerospace vehicles. Secondly,
the desire to be able to investigate physical fluid systems more cost effectively and more
rapidly than with experimental procedures.
There has been considerable growth in the development and application of
Computational Fluid Dynamics to all aspects of fluid dynamics. In design and
development, CFD programs are now considered to be standard numerical tools, widely
utilised within industry. As a consequence there is a considerable demand for specialists
in the subject, to apply and develop CFD methods throughout engineering companies
and research organisations.
For more information, see for example the January 1997 Scientific American Article,
'Tackling Turbulence with Supercomputers'

Introduction to Computational Fluid Dynamics

What is fluid flow?

What is CFD?
How old is CFD?
What use is CFD?
How does CFD make predictions?
Can CFD be trusted?
What CFD can and can NOT do
How does one become a CFD User?
Where do CHAM, and PHOENICS, fit in?
The PHOENICS computer-code family

What is fluid flow?

Fluid flow is:

breathing, drinking, digesting, washing, swimming,

smoking;
laundering clothes, and hanging them out to dry;
heating or ventilating a room; extinguishing a fire with
water;
burning gasoline in an automobile engine to create
power and (unfortunately) pollution;
making soup, creating plastics from petroleum;
flying an airplane, parachuting, surfing, sailing;
soldering, making steel, electrolysing water;.... and so
on ....

What is CFD?
CFD is predicting what will happen, quantitatively, when
fluids flow, often with the complications of:

Home

simultaneous flow of heat,

mass transfer (eg perspiration, dissolution),
phase change (eg melting, freezing, boiling),
chemical reaction (eg combustion, rusting),
mechanical movement (eg of pistons, fans, rudders),
stresses in and displacement of immersed or
surrounding solids.

Click here to see some examples of CFD predictions

How old is CFD?

Its early beginnings were in the 1960's.

Its first successes came to prominence in the 1970's.

The creation of the CFD-service industry started in
the 1980's.
The industry expanded significantly in the 1990's.
Expansion continued in the Second Millennium as
CFD packages devloped easier connexions with
those for CAD and solid-stress analysis.
A significant change of the near future is likely to
involve the use of pay-as-you go remote computing,
via Internet.

What use is CFD?

Knowing how fluids will flow, and what will be their
quantitative effects on the solids with which they are in
contact, assists:-

building-services engineers and architects to provide

comfortable and safe human environments;
power-plant designers to attain maximum efficiency,
and reduce release of pollutants;
chemical engineers to maximize the yields from their
reactors and processing equipment;
land-, air- and marine-vehicle designers to achieve
maximum performance, at least cost;
risk-and-hazard analysts, and safety engineers, to
predict how much damage to structures, equipment,
human beings, animals and vegetation will be caused
by fires, explosions and blast waves.

CFD-based flow simulations enable:

metropolitan authorities need to determine where

pollutant-emitting industrial plant may be safely
located, and under what conditions motor-vehicle
access must be restricted so as to preserve air
quality;

meteorologists and oceanographers to foretell winds

and water currents; - hydrologists and others
concerned with ground-water to forecast the effects
of changes to ground-surface cover, of the creation of
dams and aquaducts on the quantity and quality of
water supplies;

petroleum engineers to design optimum oil-recovery

strategies, and the equipment for putting them into
practice;

... and so on.

Within a few years, it is to be expected, surgeons will

conduct operations which may affect the flow of fluids within
the human body (blood, urine, air, the fluid within the brain)
only after their probable effects have been predicted by
CFD methods.

How does CFD make predictions?

CFD uses a computer to solve the relevant science-based
mathematical equations, using information about the
circumstances in question.
Its components are therefore:

the human being who states the problem,

scientific knowledge expressed mathematically,

the computer code (ie software) which embodies

this knowledge and expresses the stated problem in
scientific terms,

the computer hardware which performs the

calculations dictated by the software,

and

the human being who inspects and interprets their

results.

Can CFD be trusted?

Click here to read a more extended discussion of validation
CFD-based predictions are never 100%-reliable, because:

the input data may involve too much guess-work or

imprecision;
the available computer power may be too small for
high numerical accuracy (this is often the case);
the scientific knowledge base may be inadequate (so
is this).

The reliability is greater:

- for laminar flows rather than turbulent ones
- for single-phase flows rather than multi-phase flows;
- for chemically-inert rather than chemically-reactive
materials;
- for single chemical reactions rather than multiple ones;
- for simple fluids rather than those of complex composition.
Therefore, coal-fired furnaces represent an extreme of
uncertainty; but CFD is nevertheless used increasingly in
their design because the uncertainties resulting from its
non-use is even greater.
Click here to see some "validation" results
Click here for a more extended account of what CFD can
and cannot do

How does one become a CFD User?

In the past, there have been three methods for obtaining
the benefits of CFD:
1. Purchase (or rent) a suitable computer code, and
learn how to use it for yourself.
2. Hire a consultant to use the code for you and to
provide you with the results of the predictions.
3. Avail yourself of remote computing power, and
expertise, via Internet (coming shortly).
However, nowadays there are intermediate methods also.
Click here to see the spectrum of services offered by
CHAM

Where do CHAM, and PHOENICS, fit in?

CHAM was the first provider of general-purpose CFD

software. The original PHOENICS appeared in 1981.

CHAM has also originated many of the mathematical

techniques and physical models which have become
generally adopted by the industry, especially in
connexion with turbulence, multi-phase flow and
chemical reaction.

The innovating tradition continues, with the result that

today's PHOENICS contains many unique features,
eg:
- simultaneous stresses in solids;
- multi-fluid turbulence models;
- the LVEL and IMMERSOL models for interspersed
solids and fluids;
- the virtual-reality user interface;
- use via Internet ; etc.

However, CHAM also includes public-domain models and

features which it has not invented, if its users appear to
want them. This is why PHOENICS has more models of
turbulence and two-phase flow than any other code on the
market.

The PHOENICS computer-code family.

Few CFD users require the full power of PHOENICS;

for most are concerned with only narrow sectors of
engineering or science, in which only a restricted
number of types of phenomena play a part.
For this reason, the general-purpose PHOENICS can
be packaged and accessed in special-purpose form,
so that its user is not distracted (or daunted) by
features which are of no concern.
Currently available special-purpose versions of
PHOENICS include:
- FLAIR for heating and ventilating of buildings;
- HOTBOX for electronics-cooling applications;
- CVD for chemical-vapour-deposition reactors;
- ROSA for river-oil-spill analysis;
- SCONES for steam-condenser simulation;
- TACT for natural-draught cooling-tower design.

Click here for more information

Because each has the same "CFD-engine" inside,

users can call on more power, and rely on more
quality assurance, than any one-purpose-only code
can provide; and at a lower cost.