New templates boost educational CFD tool

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Oct 21, 2003

FlowLab is a novel piece of educational software that uses the power of flow visualisation through CFD to teach basic fluid mechanics principles in the engineering classroom.

FlowLab is a novel piece of educational software that uses the power of flow visualisation through CFD to teach basic fluid mechanics principles in the engineering classroom.

The software runs Fluent's general purpose CFD code, Fluent 6.1, and preprocessor, Gambit 2.1, in the background, with a user-friendly, student-specific graphical user interface (GUI) on its front end.

Students have been using FlowLab as a complement to traditional lab exercises for two years, and the latest release provides additional features and functionality.

FlowLab 1.1 performs time dependent analysis now, such as vortex shedding behind a cylinder in crossflow.

Solutions can be saved periodically so that the user can create time-dependent animations for visualisation.

The user can inject particles into the flow fields being analysed for enhanced visualisation purposes.

FlowLab 1.1 supports Redhat Linux versions 7.1, 7.2, 7.3 and 8.0 as well as Windows XP and Windows 2000 operating systems.

A range of 11 application templates created by Fluent come with the software as standard ranging from flows over airfoils, backward facing steps, orifice flows, pipe flows, flow over a flat plate, conduction flows and cylinder cross-flows to name but a few.

In addition to these new features, the US National Science Foundation (NSF) has funded a programme where Fluent has collaborated with Iowa State University, Howard University, Cornell University and the University of Iowa to create three new FlowLab templates to be released in September over the worldwide web to FlowLab users.

These templates are tailored to engineering curricula requirements specified by the academic institutions involved.

Other templates created by European universities will also be made available on FlowLab website next month.

"FlowLab 1.0 was well received by universities in the USA and Europe", notes Shane Moeykens, Fluent's University Programme Manager.

"FlowLab 1.1 builds upon the success of the first release, takes on board feedback from university users across the world, and extends the software's capabilities to meet ever-changing curriculum needs.

We are hearing exciting things about the way FlowLab exposes students to the concepts of CFD analysis as undergraduates thus preparing them for an engineering world that's embracing CFD design and analysis methods more and more", adds Moeykens.

Fred Stern, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Iowa, and advisor to the National Science Foundation (NSF) stated: "Increasingly the undergraduate engineering curriculum in the United States is changing in response to rapid advancements in simulation technology.

We believe that the use of simulation-based design and ultimately virtual reality will eventually dominate engineering practice.

FlowLab certainly promotes the understanding of simulation-based design pedagogy and we are pleased that Fluent is taking the lead in this area".

FlowLab 1.1 is available now, starting at $1000/year for 25 concurrent users.