There are many reasons why Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) has become a mainstay of most engineering endeavors that have a fluid flow element, but here are my top 5.

CFD Software in Action: Caedium Professional

1. Your current computing hardware is good enough

If you have a relatively recent 64-bit computer that you are using for CAD, then the chances are that it will be good enough for CFD too. While CFD can saturate the most powerful supercomputers, you can also often still perform meaningful simulations on relatively modest hardware - at least by today's standards anyway.

2. Gain detailed, in-depth knowledge of your flow problem

CFD is able to create a wide range of impressive flow visualizations thanks to the CFD solution procedure that generates fields (e.g., pressure and velocity) continuously throughout the flow domain. This level of detailed data is not easily gathered by other physical testing approaches, such as wind tunnels. Aggregated data, such as lift and drag, are also easily obtained from CFD simulations.

3. Explore your concept design space

CFD is an ideal tool for the concept design phase of a project where the geometry is relatively simple and changes rapidly. The process of creating and modifying geometry is well served by an integrated simulation environment, such as Caedium Professional, where all aspects  of a simulation (i.e., geometry, physics, and visualization) are gathered under a single unified user interface.

4. Automate your parametric testing

After configuring an initial CFD simulation it is relatively easy to then automate a parameter sweep (e.g., flow inlet rate) to gather a detailed understanding of its relationship with the overall fluid system performance (e.g., pressure drop). The same approach could also be incorporated into an optimization procedure.

5. Free trials

Symscape offers generous free CFD software trials, supported by online tutorials, so that you can get an immediate idea of how the Caedium CFD software functions and whether it will meet your fluid flow simulation needs.