Course 22 | Advanced Engineering Methods
Computational Fluid Dynamics
Turn fluid and heat-transfer models into checked simulations.
Course snapshot
- Purpose
- Integrates fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and numerical methods into checked flow and thermal simulations.
- Related advanced methods
- Used in Career Directions
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How to study this course
- Define geometry and flow assumptions
- Choose boundary conditions
- Mesh responsibly
- Select solver settings
- Monitor residuals and physical quantities
- Validate against theory, experiment, or a simple estimate
- Check mesh sensitivity
How this course is designed
Original course map
This course uses an original MechCompass module order using prerequisite logic, standard engineering practice, and evidence tasks. Suggested references are optional and listed separately.
The finite volume method
Almost every commercial CFD code integrates the conservation laws over control volumes, so a balance holds on every cell. This course builds that method from one dimension up.
Verify before you trust
A converged, good-looking solution can still be wrong. The habit is to check mesh independence, residuals, and a validation case before believing any number.
The 10 modules
01 | Module
Introduction to CFD
What CFD is, how a code works, and when to use it.
02 | Module
The Governing Equations
Continuity, Navier-Stokes, and the general transport equation.
03 | Module
The Finite Volume Method for Diffusion
Discretizing a control volume and assembling the equations.
04 | Module
Convection-Diffusion and Schemes
The cell Peclet number, central versus upwind, and false diffusion.
05 | Module
Pressure-Velocity Coupling: SIMPLE
The staggered grid, pressure correction, and the SIMPLE algorithm.
06 | Module
Solving the Discretized Equations
The TDMA, iterative solvers, residuals, and convergence.
07 | Module
Unsteady Flows and Time Stepping
Explicit and implicit schemes and the Courant number.
08 | Module
Turbulence Modeling
RANS, the k-epsilon model, and near-wall treatment with y+.
09 | Module
Meshing and Boundary Conditions
Mesh quality, inflation layers, and setting boundary conditions.
10 | Module
Errors, Verification, and Validation
Discretization error, grid convergence, and the GCI.