MSc Thermal Power & Fluid Engineering

The unit gives a basic overview of the processes and approximations involved in CFD. This should give students an understanding of the important factors affecting accuracy and stability when using a genral purpose CFD code, and of how these issues can be addressed in practical calculations.
 

Equip students with an introductory knowledge of computational fluid dynamics. 

Introduce students to the concepts of discretization, numerical accuracy, boundedness and stability in the numerical solution of steady state and time-dependent flows, and how to analyse these for simple problems.

Make students aware of how the above concepts relate to the use of typical general-purpose CFD codes, and gain practical experience in how they can be assessed and addressed in typical computational studies using commercial CFD solvers.

Summary of content:

- Review of basic fluid mechanics and governing equations. ( approx. 4 hours)

- Finite difference methods - upwinding and centred differences: stability and accuracy. (approx. 5 hours)

- Finite volume schemes, including approximation of convection terms. (approx. 4 hours)

- Pressure-velocity coupling: SIMPLE and related methods. (approx. 3 hours)

- Linear systems: direct and iterative methods. (approx. 3 hours)

- Unsteady problems: implicit/explicit schemes and associated stability/accuracy issues. (approx. 5 hours)

- Body-fitted coordinate discretization. (approx. 3 hours)

- General CFD code strategies. (approx. 3 hours)

- Physical modelling considerations, including some turbulence modelling choices. (approx. 3 hours)

Labs./Coursework

One spreadsheet-based exercise to explore convection/diffusion discretization, and one computer lab session using a commercial code, to gain experience using that and to explore some of the accuracy and stability issues met in lectures. 

1. Spreadsheet-based coursework exercise allowing students to assemble a simple discretized system for a convection/diffusion problem and explore boundedness and accuracy issues (approx. 2 hours to complete).

2. Using a commercial CFD code to examine flow around an airfoil, under both laminar and turbulent flow conditions. Explores issues related to grid independence and use of convection discretization schemes, as well as validation by comparison of simulation data with existing measurements (typically 3 hour timetabled slot).

Exam - via script viewing

Marked reports returned with individual comments/feedbac later in the semester