Encyclopaedia Index

CAD to SFT
The Status and Future of CFD


A lecture, with additional links, by:

Professor Brian Spalding
Concentration Heat and Momentum Ltd; May, 1998

  1. An overview of computer-aided engineering
  2. CAD to CFD via VR with a link to Hotbox
  3. SFT: simultaneous Solid-stress, Fluid-flow and Thermal analysis
  4. Modelling turbulence, radiation and chemical reaction
  5. The revival of remote computing
  6. Concluding remarks
  7. References

Summary of main themes

  1. Despite great advances in computer-aided engineering, certain deficiencies remain, of which the chief are:
  2. Some progress can be reported regarding the CAD-to-CFD difficulty, with the STL format proving to be of key importance.
  3. It will be shown that solid stress and fluid flow can be analysed by a single algorithm, a single code, and therefore a single specialist.
  4. In respect of turbulence and radiation, the LVEL and IMMERSOL models are advocated as being good compromises between economy and realism for simple circumstances; and MFM, the "multi-fluid model", promises the same for more complex ones.
  5. Remote computing-plus-advisory services reduce the expense of computer-aided engineering.