Conventional wisdom has it that the best place to put a radiator in a room is under the window. However, there’s nothing conventional about wisdom and one should be obliged to question and verify those facts that we take for granted. CFD and its ability to predict air flow and heat transfer offers an unrivalled efficient method to study such applications. Using the concept of PPD (percentage people … Read More
I know I promised that the next blog would be a BBQ CFD analysis, but I came across this model and it was too interesting to pass up. A number of years ago, I was flipping through the channel guide and saw a show about choppers. At first, I thought I read copters, and being an aerospace engineer, watching a show on helicopters was something I was interested in. Of course the show was about … Read More
Sometime between 40 and 100 thousand years ago humans started to wear clothes, an estimate as accurate as you’d expect for something that wasn’t documented at the time. Earliest estimate of humans documenting language are a mere 5000 years ago. One can only assume that it wasn’t modesty or fashion that drove the adoption of clothing, but comfort. Much of what we still do today, frequently … Read More
thermal comfort, Fanger, FloVENT, CFD, PPD, radiator, HVAC, PMV
Automotive systems are increasingly complex and time-to-market deadlines are increasingly tight. Design engineers face relentless pressure to develop consistently reliable products quickly, so it’s not surprising that virtual prototyping is popular. The technology supports the “What if?” thinking that leads to innovation. It’s the way Thomas Edison worked, but much faster, and faster still when … Read More
CIMdata, FloEFD, 1D and 3D models, Thomas Edison, Flomaster, Mentor Graphics
With the gulf stream having shifted south and now flowing happily somewhere high over Paris, the summer weather in the UK has been ‘unseasonably’ (literally) wet and miserable. People’s heating has been thermostatically popping back on all over the country which for July is unheard of. So with this as the background and in the context of a stagnating world economy, ever continuing … Read More
Downdraft Range Vent Hood Flow Analysis
One of the cool kitchen features that caught our attention when we saw what would become our house was that the stove had a retractable range vent. It would pop up behind the stove, and sucks the air away from the side, then down through the counter, down through the floor, and out the side of the wall. What really makes these things great is they open up … Read More
Stove, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Concentration, CFD, Range, Steam, Downdraft Vent, FloEFD
I’m not a fan of soccer (urm I mean football). I’m more of a Rugby gal myself. But on Saturday I along with 100+ fans played sardines in a small pub and jostled for the best viewing position in front of one of the handful of TVs to watch the European Cup game. The pub erupted when England scored the winning penalty shot. I had not seen so many grown men scream, dance and cry with joy at the same time. … Read More
Bronswerk Heat Transfer, CFD, Air-Cooled Cooler, ROI, Whizz-Wheel, fans, FloEFD
Hockey Puck Aerodynamics
This blog has been in the works for about a year. I think it was worth the wait. Let me explain, as a number of things were at play here. First, I had just attended a Siemens NX CAD system training in advance of our release of FloEFD for NX last year. So I was looking for an application I could cut my teeth on for my first FloEFD for NX analysis. Something with CAD … Read More
Computational Fluid Dynamics, FloEFD for NX, CFD, Puck, Flow, Hockey
I admire mechanical engineers. I really mean it. If the world ever implodes, then I want to be hanging out with you guys. You know how to build and fix things. I on the other hand can probably contribute to the betterment of future society by picking berries (so long as I don’t have to deal with any creepy crawlies) or by spreading good cheer – I can’t help it I’ve got a sunny disposition (that … Read More
Smoke, Smoke, Everywhere?
This has the possibility to be my most unpopular blog ever, which I’m ok with. The topic of this blog is smoking, specifically the second hand kind. Let me start by saying I am not a smoker. I don’t care for the smell, and am happy that it is not allowed in most building, Vegas casino’s being the main exception. My mom was for a long time though, and in general it seems … Read More
Smoke, parts per million, CFD, Computational Fluid Dynamics, California, isosurfaces, Park, Concentration, FloEFD
From a software user’s perspective it really doesn’t matter exactly how that application was developed. A user is concerned with functional capability (what the software does), non-functional performance (how the software behaves) and ultimately their personal experience when using the software. Those tasked with creating the application though need to meet such user expectations whilst … Read More
It has been almost 3 years since I started this blog and I hope you’ve found it as interesting as I have cathartic. Although I’m not as yet bereft of topic ideas, I thought this would be a good time to solicit a guest blog from industry. It was either that or a Simponsesque montage of previous posts. I covered the highly successful provision of FloTHERM models of power packages from NXP … Read More
One of the more significant obstacles to automotive start-stop systems is how to keep the car comfy with the engine off. Saving fuel is great, but not if the infotainment system, HVAC et al were to shut down at every red light.
At the SAE World Congress in Detroit last week, Delphi Automotive introduced a Phase Change Material (PCM) Evaporator that it said will keep start/stop vehicle cabins cooler … Read More
phase change material evaporator, hybrid vehicles CO2 emissions, SAE World Congress, Delphi automotive, Delphi Thermal Systems, Delphi, start-stop systems, heat pump air conditioner, HVAC, exhaust gas heat exchanger, Fuel Economy
A virtual version of one of the MGC data center representing one of the configurations tested. Image courtesy of Mentor Graphics.
Over the weekend I realized I have become English. No, I haven’t picked up the accent. Nor do I eat Marmite. Actually eating Marmite can be relegated to one of those things I’d never do. Never, ever. So why have I become English? I tend to discuss the weather and temperature … Read More
In 1989 Flomerics was the first organisation to provide application specific CFD based simulation software where all pre and post-processing capabilities were contained within a single WIMP based graphical user interface. That pioneering period involved missionary sales to add simulation to the arsenal of the design engineer, enabling virtual prototyping to be used as a precursor to physical build and … Read More