CFD is the acronym for ‘computational fluid dynamics‘ and, as the name suggests, is

the branch of fluid mechanics that makes use of computers to analyze the behavior of
fluids and physical systems. CFD modeling and analysis became a popular online
simulation solution as the difficulty grew in applying the laws of physics directly to
real-life scenarios in order to make analytical predictions. This fact became especially
prevalent for fluid flow and heat transfer engineering problems.
Introduction to Fluid Mechanics
CFD ANALYSIS BASICS

and Heat Transfer

Fluid mechanics is the science that studies the physical behavior of fluids: liquids,
gases, and plasmas. As such, it relates the forces acting on a fluid body and the
consequent changes in internal fields such as velocities, pressure, density, and
temperature. These relations are mathematically stated through differential equations,
the Navier-Stokes equations being the corollary of the known laws for the behavior of
viscous fluids:

The
Navier-Stokes equations, in simplified vector form
On the other hand, heat transfer is the study of how thermal energy gets generated,
stored, transported, and transformed. The main mechanisms it analyzes are:
  Thermal Conduction: (Diffusion) The spread of heat across materials such
as solids or fluids, from regions of high temperature to regions of lower
temperatures.
 Thermal Convection: The transport of heat with the flow of a fluid. Fluid
flow can be driven by external work (forced convection) or by buoyancy,
which is the movement of fluid with varying density in the presence of
gravity (natural convection).
 Thermal Radiation: The generation and absorption of heat through
electromagnetic waves.
 Phase Changes: The release or absorption of heat through transitions such
as boiling, melting, condensation, etc.
Laws of physics for fluid flow and heat transfer are expressed in terms of differential
equations, most of the time with many related variables. It happens to be that some of
the equations for both fields are similar; for example, the diffusion of a scalar through
a flow field and the diffusion of temperature.

CFD simulation of convective heat transfer in a light bulb. Source: SimScale.

The most general of these laws for the flow of fluids is the set of Navier-Stokes
equations. Yet due to their complexity, solving these equations for exact solutions can
only be achieved for the simplest of cases.
How Does Computational Fluid
Dynamics Work?
This is where numerical analysis and computers come in to play; online simulation.
By using numerical approximations, CFD turns the full differential equations into
systems of linear equations, which are then solved to obtain field values such as
velocities, pressures, and temperatures on a finite (but often large) number of points in
the domain of the problem.
Although numerical methods for obtaining approximate solutions to differential
equations have existed for many centuries, the ability of computers to store large
amounts of numerical data and perform fast operations on them is what has turned
technology into the most practical tool for physicists and engineers. At the same time,
this means that one often finds that the application of CFD to practical problems is
limited by the computational power available.

Simulation of incompressible airflow through a wind turbine

CFD analysis allows for the modeling of fluid because of its versatility in numerically
solving equations of state and physical behavior, expressed in differential or explicit
form. Also, CFD modeling analyses as heat transfer problems are of paramount
practical relevance, any competent simulation tool includes modules to calculate
temperature distributions alongside pressure and velocities. Also, some applications
can also include analysis of solids for elastic deformation or chemical reactions,
among other non-fluid applications.
Some typical use cases for CFD modeling and CFD online simulation
include:
 Flow through piping and accessories such as valves, tees, and reductions, in
order to predict pressure drops, velocities, and vortex formations.
 Vehicle aerodynamics, including automotive and aircraft, in order to predict
drag, lift, and downforce.
 Wind engineering for buildings and wind analysis, to predict wind forces,
vortex formation, and pedestrian comfort.
 HVAC systems, to assess the performance of ducts or optimize thermal
comfort for artificial or natural ventilation and for energy consumption.
 Heat exchangers, to predict heat transfer and pressure drops.
 Electronics cooling, to predict natural and forced cooling strategies
performance.
 Windmills, to predict blade lift, velocity, and power generation at given
wind speeds.
 Pollution dispersion and airborne contamination control, cleanroom design.
 Ship and offshore structures for hydrodynamic performance.
In order to begin understanding how CFD modeling and analysis
works, here is a list of typical characteristics of a CFD problem:
 The problem is defined over a closed geometry, referred to as the ‘domain’
enclosed by its ‘boundary’.
 The phenomena to be simulated is well defined, such as the presence of heat
transfer, turbulent flow, chemical reactions, multiple phases, multiple
bodies, etc., with known material properties and coefficients for state
equations.
 Initial values, as well as values on the boundaries for the considered fields,
are known. This might include pressures, flow velocities, walls,
temperatures, heat sources, etc.
 The geometry of the domain is split into small basic shapes known as
‘cells’. The set of all cells is known as the ‘mesh’. The size of cells will
determine the precision of the solution (the smaller the better), but the
number used will define the demand for computer memory (the smaller
 cells, the higher count, the more memory will be consumed, the longer time
the solution process will take).

Typical workflow
for a CFD simulation
What Commercial CFD Software Is Available?
There are many CFD software offerings in the market, some of them of general-
purpose with many capabilities and some tailored for specific applications.
Companies even develop their own in-house codes for specific engineering tasks.
Here is a list of the most used, general-purpose suites in the industry:
 ANSYS Fluent and CFX
 STAR-CCM
 COMSOL
 OpenFOAM (Free, Open-Source)
 CAD-integrated tools in SolidWorks/Autodesk (basic functionalities)

A very good alternative to traditional, desktop workstation-based suites is the online

simulation platform SimScale. It is built upon established solvers including
OpenFOAM, providing an easy workflow, a modern user interface ran from the web
browser with computations run from remote servers and relieving your local machines
from intensive and lengthy tasks.

Key Industries Using CFD Analysis

Here are some of the most representative industrial sectors leveraging the power of
CFD analysis, and a short description of why they do it:
Automotive
The automotive industry makes use of CFD for many applications, with the most
important being vehicle aerodynamics. CFD analysis is used to predict drag,
downforce, and stability against cornering/crosswind flow. Other automotive
applications include engine combustion and thermal performance, ventilation, exhaust
fumes, and more. Here is a link to an example project simulating the aerodynamics of
an F1 car.

Simulation of airflow around a complex F1 vehicle

Aviation
In the aviation industry, the main application of CFD is also aerodynamics, with the
aim of optimizing the lift/drag ratio and to study instabilities. Here is an example
project on airplane aerodynamics, that touches on how simulation can give valuable
insights into airflow and aircraft performance. Other important fields for online
simulation within the aviation industry include ventilation and air filtration.

CFD simulation of airflow around a commercial airplane. Source: SimScale

Manufacturing
In the manufacturing industry, CFD is used to study the performance of the cooling
system in consumer products, especially those making use of electronics. Here is an
example project—enclosure design for a Raspberry Pi.
Passive and active convection cooling of a Raspberry Pi PCB
LEARN COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS Why Is It Important?
As product development cycles are getting shorter in time, and as more and more
products rely on precise performance to achieve success, numerical online simulation
is always gaining more relevance. Its ability to make precise performance predictions
with fast, reliable, and easy workflows unleashes the possibility of carrying
optimization right from the engineer’s workstation, even before the first prototypes
are built.
CFD simulation is not the exception to this trend and with online simulation offerings
such as SimScale, which brings lots of computational power and optimal workflow at
affordable prices, without the hassle of complex CFD software and hardware
installations, these advantages are reachable to a larger number of companies, even
those on tight budgets.