What is CFD?
  1. Definition of CFD
  2. Where is CFD used?
  3. How is CFD used?
  4. The basic CFD process
  5. How can CFD help me?

4. What is the basic CFD process?

  1. Pre-processing
    • Geometry/CAD/Solid model definition of domain
    • Surface cleanup/preparation
    • Volume mesh generation
    • Definition of boundaries and conditions
    • Physical property settings
    • Numerical controls
  2. Solving
    • Perform computation using STAR-CCM+
  3. Post-processing
    • Analysis of CFD results
    • Export results/Improve analysis

5. How can CFD help me?

Improved product quality
Increasing product quality is a strategic objective of every company involved in product design or manufacture. Despite the fact that improvements in product quality are notoriously hard-won, increased product quality is the most frequently achieved benefit of using CD-adapco's CFD technology.

Reduction in the number of physical prototypes
The traditional product development process is built upon on an iterative "design-build-test" principle in which the influence of successive design changes is quantified by experimentation on a physical mock-up of the product. Increasingly, CFD is being used to replace some of these physical tests, reducing the number of physical prototypes required in the product development process and replacing a number of 'design-build-test' iterations with much quicker 'design-simulate' iterations.

A faster time to market
A faster-time-to-market is an obvious benefit of reducing the amount of physical prototyping required to bring a product to fruition, but also a direct benefit of the availability of CFD simulation data early in the design process. This allows designers to rapidly eliminate poor design variants, allowing them to focus their efforts on a smaller number of potentially more productive designs.

Fewer field failures and avoided product recalls
Although product recalls are rare, when they do occur, the cost can be enormous, in direct financial terms (the cost of executing the recall, performing repairs, providing replacements and compensating consumers), but more importantly in terms of lost reputation. CD-adapco's clients indicate that they have reported fewer product failures as a result of applying CFD.

Increased satisfaction of external customers
Customer satisfaction is the bigger picture. While the benefits of CFD listed above might help to increase margins and satisfy internal customers, the biggest benefit of any process improvement occurs when it makes a tangible difference to the end user of the product.

Multiple benefits
Realised individually, any of the benefits described above is likely to yield significant bottom-line benefits for an organization that successfully adopts CFD or CAE technology. However, the real benefit of CFD simulation is that even if you are seeking to realise a single specific benefit, the ancillary benefits of increased engineering insight will inevitably lead to a better overall product.