The "What" question of CFD

What is CFD? 

• Computational fluid dynamics, usually abbreviated as CFD, is a branch of fluid mechanics that uses numerical analysis and algorithms to solve and analyze problems that involve fluid flows.
•  Computers are used to perform the calculations required to simulate the interaction of liquids and gases with surfaces defined by boundary conditions.
• This technique is very powerful and and spans a wide range of industrial and non-industrial application areas.
• Some of the widely used examples are as follows:

1. Aerodynamics applications:

•  Mainly used in the aerodynamics of aircraft and vehicles: Lift and Drag 

Analysis of flow over aerofoil

Analysis of flow over Aeroplane

Analysis of flow over C-D nozzle

                               

                                  

                And many more......

  2.  Automobile applications:

External flow analysis over a car

Flow analysis over a bicycle

And many more...

 3.Bio-medical applications:

Cardio-vascular CFD preparation

computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models of cerebral aneurysms are used to understand the role of blood flow in the rupture process
ref url; http://spie.org/newsroom/technical-articles-archive/07-0800/0782-the-neurist-project-towards-understanding-cerebral-aneurysms

And many more...

Apart from all these major applications, CFD is used in various other major applications as follows:

• Hydrodynamics of ships
• Power plant: Combustion in IC engines and gas turbines
• Turbo machinery: Flow inside rotating passages, diffuses etc.
• Chemical process engineering: mixing and separation, moulding  etc.,
• marine engineering: loads on off shore-structures.
• meteorology: Whether prediction
• Environmental engineering: distribution of pollutants and effluents.
• Hydrology and oceanography: Flow through rivers, estuaries, oceans etc.,