PHYSICAL APPROACH OF COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS FOR UNDERGRADUATE ENGINEERING STUDENTS

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose Miguel Pérez Pérez ◽  
Soledad Le Clainche ◽  
Roque Corral
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Physical Approach

Learning by Doing on Computational Fluid Dynamics

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa Parra-Santos ◽  
José M. Molina Jordá ◽  
Gabriel Luna-Sandoval ◽  
Mariano Cacho-Perez ◽  
J. Rubén Pérez
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Learning By Doing ◽  
Critical Thought ◽  
Multimedia Material ◽  
Technical Report ◽  
Scale Down ◽  
The University

This work involves the methodology used in the University of Valladolid for Mechanical Engineering students to learn Computational Fluid Dynamics playing an active role. Students pretend to be engineers in a consulting or design office carrying out a fluid mechanics scale down projects. Later they act as reviewers evaluating a project from a colleague. There is a deeper understanding of the topic when they need to discuss the strategies to accomplish the project, to write a technical report and finally to justify the evaluation of other works. Furthermore, they develop their critical thought, writing skills and synthesis capacity. Multimedia material from other institutions that review the concepts learned in the course can be a suitable way to improve the understanding of concepts.

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Within Undergraduate Programs

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim A. Shollenberger
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Manufacturing Industry ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Geographic Location ◽  
Undergraduate Curriculum ◽  
The United States ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics Cfd

There has been a rapid increase over the past three decades in the use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis by industry as a tool to design and manufacture products. It is currently a vital part of the engineering process for many companies around the world, and utilized in nearly every manufacturing industry. Employers of engineering students who perform this type of analysis have expressed the need for students at the undergraduate or B.S. level to have some CFD experience. As a result, engineering programs in the United States have begun to respond to this need by developing new curriculum and by exposing students to the use of CFD for research. The level of incorporation and implementation of CFD into the undergraduate curriculum and research at institutions varies widely. The objective of this paper is to conduct a survey of the current use of CFD in the undergraduate curriculum within mechanical engineering departments in the United States. Twenty ABET accredited U.S. schools that offer a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering are investigated in this study that are a representative sample of engineering schools in the U.S. today in terms of admission standards, private versus public, predominate terminal degree, size, and geographic location. Topics investigated include if CFD classes are offered to undergraduates whether they are required or optional, when they are first introduced into the curriculum, number of credit hours dedicated to CFD, types of courses that include CFD, and whether commercial or in-house codes are utilized.

Computational Fluid Dynamics in Undergraduate Engineering Education: A Short Introductory Tutorial to OpenFOAM

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivaylo Nedyalkov ◽  
Martin Wosnik
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Open Source ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Turbulence Modeling ◽  
Initial Conditions ◽  
Specific Flow ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Cost

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) has become a widely used tool in industry as the cost for simulations is usually lower than the cost for multiple experiments. CFD is an effective tool for comparing design alternatives, investigating specific flow features and in some cases it may be the only feasible option for studying engineering flows. As a result, the demand for mechanical engineers with CFD skills keeps increasing. Nevertheless CFD is still not adequately presented in undergraduate engineering curricula, which can lead to expensive mistakes, if for example it is relied on without understanding its limitations. One excellent platform for CFD, which can be introduced to fluid mechanics classes, is the open-source environment OpenFOAM, which is widely used in both academia and industry. In addition to being open-source, OpenFOAM code can be viewed and modified by the user, and a wide range of modules for OpenFOAM are available with new modules being developed constantly. One major disadvantage, however, is that OpenFOAM has a rather steep learning curve and although there are many resources available online, it is difficult to find short introductory courses. A tutorial was developed to provide a brief introduction to OpenFOAM and allow the students to perform simple simulations. Upon completing the tutorial, the students can build their own simulations. The tutorial covers geometry, mesh, boundary and initial conditions, solvers, schemes, post processing, and some additional features, such as shell scripts and parallel processing. A large portion of the tutorial is devoted to the geometry and mesh generation as this is one of the more challenging aspects of OpenFOAM compared to conventional graphical user interface CFD packages. Nevertheless, the students are exposed to the importance of properly setting the other simulation parameters through simple examples — e.g., comparing 2D channel flow simulations using potential flow and using turbulence modeling. One crucial aspect of the tutorial is that students are encouraged to experiment with deliberate modifications of the simulations to experience and understand how some of them do not provide reasonable results. Although the tutorial is rather brief and does not cover the topics in much detail, it aims to familiarize students with the basics of OpenFOAM, so that they can better understand other relevant resources. The OpenFOAM tutorial offers an alternative introduction to CFD compared to commercial CFD packages, which may not be readily available. The tutorial has already been utilized for three consecutive years at the University of New Hampshire, mostly by undergraduate students who worked/are working on senior projects involving CFD. The feedback has been generally positive.

Practical Learning on Computational Fluid Dynamics at Undergraduate Level

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa Parra-Santos ◽  
José M. Molina Jordá ◽  
Gabriel Luna-Sandoval ◽  
Mariano Cacho-Perez ◽  
J. Rubén Pérez
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Flow Patterns ◽  
Industrial Applications ◽  
Similar Degree ◽  
Test Cases ◽  
Critical Thought ◽  
Grid Points

This work involves a methodology for Mechanical Engineering students to learn Computational Fluid Dynamics playing an active role. Students carry out a fluid mechanics down scaled projects with the steps of sensibility of mesh, convergence of numerical algorithm, validation of turbulence model and description of flow patterns. Furthermore, they develop their critical thought when they identify weak points susceptible for improvement. The offer of benchmark test cases ranges from head loses, driven cavities, swirling flows, to external aerodynamics. Simplifications to the level of undergraduate courses imply two dimensional simulations and a limited number of grid points. Hence, the assessment is based in coherence of decisions and efficient use of limited resources. A review of the offer of workshops is supplied, such as the Ahmed car, the Roback and Johnson burner, aerodynamics of different NACA airfoils, and different geometries of driven cavities. These are classical test cases of numerical research and a sample of applications in wind energy, industrial furnaces, and lubrication. Parametrization based in geometry, Reynolds number, Pitch angle among other, let simulate different flow patterns with similar degree of difficulty. There is a deeper understanding of the topic when students need to discuss the strategies to accomplish the project, they need to write a technical report and finally they need to justify the evaluation of other works. Also, it is important to link the simplified projects of the workshop with the real world and the industrial applications.

scholarly journals Integrated Image-Based Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling Software as an Instructional Tool

2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly A. Stevens Boster ◽  
Melody Dong ◽  
Jessica M. Oakes ◽  
Chiara Bellini ◽  
Vitaliy L. Rayz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Computational Modeling ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Integrated Modeling ◽  
Instructional Tool ◽  
Dynamics Modeling ◽  
Study Abroad Programs ◽  
Modeling Software ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics Cfd

Abstract Computational modeling of cardiovascular flows is becoming increasingly important in a range of biomedical applications, and understanding the fundamentals of computational modeling is important for engineering students. In addition to their purpose as research tools, integrated image-based computational fluid dynamics (CFD) platforms can be used to teach the fundamental principles involved in computational modeling and generate interest in studying cardiovascular disease. We report the results of a study performed at five institutions designed to investigate the effectiveness of an integrated modeling platform as an instructional tool and describe “best practices” for using an integrated modeling platform in the classroom. Use of an integrated modeling platform as an instructional tool in nontraditional educational settings (workshops, study abroad programs, in outreach) is also discussed. Results of the study show statistically significant improvements in understanding after using the integrated modeling platform, suggesting such platforms can be effective tools for teaching fundamental cardiovascular computational modeling principles.

Improvement in Learning on Fluid Mechanics and Heat Transfer Courses Using Computational Fluid Dynamics

2010 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Blas Zamora ◽  
Antonio S. Kaiser ◽  
Pedro G. Vicente
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Fluid Mechanics ◽  
Engineering Education ◽  
Professional Training ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
General Purpose ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics Cfd

This paper is concerned with the teaching of fluid mechanics and heat transfer on courses for the industrial engineer degree at the Polytechnic University of Cartagena (Spain). In order to improve the engineering education, a pedagogical method that involves project-based learning, using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), was applied. The project-based learning works well for mechanical engineering education, since it prepares students for their later professional training. The courses combined applied and advanced concepts of fluid mechanics with the basic numerical aspects of CFD, including validation of the results obtained. In this approach, the physical understanding of practical problems of fluid mechanics and heat transfer played an important role. Satisfactory numerical results were obtained by using both Phoenics and Fluent finite-volume codes. Some cases were solved using the well known Matlab software. Comparisons were made between the results obtained by analytical solutions (if any) with those reached by CFD general-purpose codes and with those obtained by Matlab. This system provides engineering students with a solid comprehension of several aspects of thermal and fluids engineering.

Enhancing the Teaching of Fluid Mechanics and Transport Phenomena via FlowLab: A Computational Fluid Dynamics Tool

Volume 1 ◽  
2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Sinclair Curtis ◽  
Kimberly Henthorn ◽  
Shane Moeykens ◽  
Murali Krishnan
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Fluid Mechanics ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Chemical Engineering ◽  
Transport Phenomena ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Structured Learning ◽  
Post Processing ◽  
Engineering Problems

Introducing Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to engineering students at the undergraduate level has become more common in recent years, although there are significant barriers for doing so using a generalized CFD solver. A common constraint is the quantity of material to be covered in a fixed amount of time in a given course, which leaves little time left for learning the use of a generalized CFD package. With this consideration in mind, FlowLab (www.flowlab.fluent.com) was introduced by Fluent Inc. FlowLab may be described as a virtual fluids laboratory—a computer based analysis and visualization package. Using FlowLab, students solve predefined CFD exercises. These predefined exercises facilitate teaching and provide students with hands-on CFD experience. Through the design of each FlowLab exercise, students are introduced to engineering problems and concepts as well as CFD via a structured learning process. In the fall 2003 semester at Purdue University, FlowLab was used in CHE 540, a transport phenomena course offered within the School of Chemical Engineering. This course is open to advanced undergraduate engineering students and graduate students. Students were exposed to eight separate FlowLab exercises in this course. This paper gives a detailed summary of one of these specific exercises, developing flow in a pipe with and without heat transfer. The paper emphasizes how the use of CFD via FlowLab enhanced the teaching of specific concepts in transport phenomena as well as concepts in CFD such as creating a parametric geometry, discretizing the geometry, specifying boundary conditions, material properties and operating conditions, numerical solution techniques and post-processing. Experiences from this course are that FlowLab is a positive force for creating student interest and excitement in the area of fluid mechanics and transport phenomena. Using FlowLab’s post-processing capabilities, students were able to visualize complex flow fields and make direct comparison to analytical theory and experimental correlation. In addition, FlowLab provided a structured learning experience which reinforced proper pedagogy for applying CFD to engineering problems. Upon completion of the course, a student survey was performed in CHE 540 focusing on FlowLab integration and usage, and survey responses are summarized in this paper.

The Fluids Rap: It’s All About Flow

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivaylo Nedyalkov
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Fluid Mechanics ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Video Production ◽  
Experimental Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Experimental Facilities ◽  
American Society ◽  
Experimental Fluid

Abstract Most of the currently-enrolled undergraduate engineering students grew up with exposure to social media websites like Facebook and Youtube. Making sure that students are not distracted by their mobile devices in class has become more challenging, and one way to address the issue is to present engineering in a more entertaining and engaging way. A rap song about fluid mechanics was created by the author for entrainment, outreach, and education purposes. The song covers the fundamentals of fluid mechanics and mentions some theoretical basics, as well as some of the most widely used computational fluid dynamics and experimental fluid dynamics techniques. The song was written with the intention to be entertaining and educational — the goal was that someone with no prior fluid mechanics background will be able to understand it after spending 10–20 minutes reading through the lyrics explanations. A music video was produced for the song. The video production was sponsored by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and includes visuals of experimental facilities and equipment. The paper provides the background of the project, marketing plans, some of the lessons learned, the lyrics, and the explanations of the lyrics.

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