Computational fluid dynamics: A tool for the materials technology

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) has matured over the past two decades as an analysis tool for conducting virtual experiments with significant time and cost savings. It complements and reduces physical testing. CFD has penetrated the diverse materials industry in much the same way as Computer Aided Design (CAD) did more than a decade ago. As the basic numerical algorithms used in CFD have steadily improved, so have the reliability, consistency and user-friendliness improved significantly, too. Other recent trends have also contributed to the rapid growth and widespread adoption of CFD. In this presentation, CFD applications from several materials processing industries will be presented using case studies. Emphasis will be on metals, glass and semiconductor applications.