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Computational Fluid Dynamics for Engineers Lecture 4: Commercial Codes. Why commercial CFD codes. > 100 man-years of CFD development Integrated grid generation, solver and post-processing Standardized tools (tested and validated) for companies Ability to handle complex geometries
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Computational Fluid Dynamics for EngineersLecture 4: Commercial Codes
Why commercial CFD codes • > 100 man-years of CFD development • Integrated grid generation, solver and post-processing • Standardized tools (tested and validated) for companies • Ability to handle complex geometries • Easy to use user interfaces • Good technical support • Ability to import information from other CAD tools and interface with other analysis tools • Faster virtual prototyping leading to quicker design times • Designed to cost, performance and quality • Extremely flexible user subroutines that allow creative problem solving
Physics modeled • Incompressible or compressible flows • Internal or external flows • Laminar or turbulent flows • Moving boundary flows • Newtonian, non-Newtonian with variable properties • Combustion, chemical kinetics, plasma chemistry • Multiphase flows
Limitations • Learning curve related to user interfaces • Makes users regard it as a black box • Solutions look realistic enough to be believable • Move toward reducing the number of solution variables or algorithms removed from the user • Defaults for algorithm, convergence etc. • Codes – too robust or too stable ? (always guaranteed a solution – even with incorrect boundary conditions or problem set-up)
Suggestions • Always know what to expect from the solution • Compare with analytical solutions for ‘simplified’ scenarios • Need for good experimental data and validation • Always question the results • Use the most accurate (even if time consuming) algorithms • Work with tighter tolerances, finer mesh • Verify if solutions are mesh-converged • Review cell reynolds number, mesh skewness (compute CFL limit) • Do not believe the absolute numbers ! • Let simulations suggest trends and simplifications for analytical solutions