Chapter 8 - Some Advanced Topics in CFD

Abstract

This chapter discusses emerging new and innovative techniques that continue to revolutionize the current computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methodology. The significant advances achieved in numerical methods and computational models and successful applications of some unconventional approaches, particularly the Lattice Boltzmann Method, Direct Simulation of Monte Carlo, Vortex Method, and Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics in simulating fluid flows provides enormity of CFD in many purposeful investigations of fluid-related problems. Flow systems involving migration of strong shocks in transonic and hypersonic flows, complex bubble mechanistic behavior in multiphase flow structures, or even complicated flows that exist in human body systems that comprise trillions of cells and billions of blood vessels capable of dramatic redistribution of blood and growth over billions of cardiac cycles, are just some of the challenging fluid dynamics problems that further accentuate the demands of CFD research. Like the works of predecessors Newton, Euler, Bernoulli, Poiseuille, Young, Lighthill, and many others, the study of fluid mechanics has certainly generated decades of intense fascination. As the future unfolds, CFD methods and models will continue to remain at the forefront of intensifying research and development as long as the vast majority of fluid flows and processes remain unresolved.