Having performed Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations for each component of Matthias Wandel's "Small Dust Collector," the time has come to assemble and test the entire system - virtually, of course. Recall that the main components of the dust collector are a cyclone, a filter assembly, and a blower.

Dust Collector CFD Simulation

I'm sure you saw right through my April Fools' jolly jape and realized that the Navier-Stokes equations have not been renamed.

Still the Navier-Stokes Equations

The International Equation Naming Organization (IENO) has renamed the Navier-Stokes equations to the Euler-Navier-Cauchy-Poisson-Saint-Venant-Stokes equations or ENComPaSS for short. You will no doubt recall that the ENComPaSS equations are the foundation on which much of modern day fluid dynamics is based, including Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), so this is indeed a momentous event.

Euler, Navier, CauchyPoisson, Saint Venant, Stokes

You know how it is - you are away from the office and you are desperate to check in on a series of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations you are running back at your base. Then once the simulations finish you'd like to take a moment to look at each one with all the benefits of hardware accelerated graphics on your laptop, while still enjoying your latte at Starbucks. Well you can do both today without any extra outlay using Caedium and free apps from Google - let me describe how.

Caedium Professional Running Remotely in a Web Browser

After using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to simulate the blower and cyclone in Matthias Wandel's "Small Dust Collector" we next turn our attention to the last remaining major component - the twin filter assembly. The filters remove fine particles that escape the cyclone, leaving the air to pass through the blower and exit to the atmosphere.

CFD Simulation of a Filter Assembly for a Dust Collector

Hot on the heels of my recent Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis of the blower for Matthias Wandel's "Small Dust Collector" comes a new CFD study of his cyclone. Cyclones are used in many industries to separate fluids from particles. In Matthias' case he wanted to separate sawdust and wood shavings from air collected from the working area of various woodworking machines.

CFD Simulation of a Dust Collector CycloneStreamlines

I recently came across an interesting fluid dynamics project modestly titled "Small Dust Collector" by Matthias Wandel of Woodgears. The unusual twist - at least from my metal-orientated view of the world - was the use of wood as the primary construction material. The project includes the construction of a blower, cyclone, filter housing, and filter manifold - all prime candidates for Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations. I sense a series of blog posts, so first let's take a look at the blower also known as a centrifugal fan or squirrel cage fan.

CFD Simulation of a Blower

Where the action of a fluid is the primary concern in the design of a device, e.g., a cyclone, sometimes it can seem that fluid is going out of its way to be difficult - a lot like trying to herd cats. Fluid device designers have to carefully match geometry to flow rates to meet performance criteria. However, if they were to rely solely on physical testing, then their task is that much harder and more costly because they can't easily visualize the flow behavior. Let Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) save you money and time as a supplement to physical testing.

CFD Simulation of a CycloneVelocity iso-surfaces within the flow volume

Reduced complexity 3D model for Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a great way to avoid getting bogged down in details that are not relevant for a simulation. 3D video games and 3D animation applications have been using reduced complexity 3D models combined with texture maps to present rich visuals since the dawn of the digital age. These models and the concepts to build them can be extremely useful for CFD.

CFD Simulation of the Massachusetts State HouseStreamlines colored by velocity magnitude

A fresh new year is a great excuse to share with you the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations collection that starred in various 2014 blog posts. They are all here, from Tower Bridge to airships.

CFD Simulation of Tower Bridge