CFD In Excel
Int. J. Engng Ed. Vol. 20, No. 6, pp. 974±983, 2004
Printed in Great Britain.
0949-149X/91 $3.00+0.00
# 2004 TEMPUS Publications.
Use of a Spreadsheet Package to
Demonstrate Fundamentals of
Computational Fluid Dynamics and
Heat Transfer*
MARK SCHUMACK
University of Detroit Mercy, Mechanical Engineering Department, P.O. Box 19900, Detroit, MI 48219,
USA. E-mail: schumamr@udmercy.edu
This paper describes how the Solver tool in Microsoft Excel can be used to solve nonlinear systems of equations resulting from finite difference discretization of the governing equations for fluid dynamics and heat transfer. Students learning computational fluid dynamics and heat transfer for the first time typically spend an inordinate amount of time struggling with algorithm development and programming issues. The use of the visual presentation and automated solution capabilities of
Excel can help bolster the student 's understanding of basic discretization issues unencumbered by programming details. Cell formatting can be used to visualize the geometry and how the grid variables interact with one another, a feature that is particularly helpful when dealing with irregular geometries or staggered grids. Results can be easily shown on contour or x-y plots. Although the number of grid points and thus accuracy is limited by the number of equations that the Solver tool can handle, a spreadsheet model is nevertheless valuable for giving students an intuitive feel for discretization before going on to write code. Two applications are described. The first is a twodimensional conduction problem that is introduced to show how Solver can be used to solve systems of finite difference equations. The second demonstrates the solution of the incompressible NavierStokes equations using the staggered grid formulation. The conduction problem is one that is easily incorporated into an undergraduate heat transfer class, while the flow problem is appropriate for a graduate level course.
values interact
Printed in Great Britain.
0949-149X/91 $3.00+0.00
# 2004 TEMPUS Publications.
Use of a Spreadsheet Package to
Demonstrate Fundamentals of
Computational Fluid Dynamics and
Heat Transfer*
MARK SCHUMACK
University of Detroit Mercy, Mechanical Engineering Department, P.O. Box 19900, Detroit, MI 48219,
USA. E-mail: schumamr@udmercy.edu
This paper describes how the Solver tool in Microsoft Excel can be used to solve nonlinear systems of equations resulting from finite difference discretization of the governing equations for fluid dynamics and heat transfer. Students learning computational fluid dynamics and heat transfer for the first time typically spend an inordinate amount of time struggling with algorithm development and programming issues. The use of the visual presentation and automated solution capabilities of
Excel can help bolster the student 's understanding of basic discretization issues unencumbered by programming details. Cell formatting can be used to visualize the geometry and how the grid variables interact with one another, a feature that is particularly helpful when dealing with irregular geometries or staggered grids. Results can be easily shown on contour or x-y plots. Although the number of grid points and thus accuracy is limited by the number of equations that the Solver tool can handle, a spreadsheet model is nevertheless valuable for giving students an intuitive feel for discretization before going on to write code. Two applications are described. The first is a twodimensional conduction problem that is introduced to show how Solver can be used to solve systems of finite difference equations. The second demonstrates the solution of the incompressible NavierStokes equations using the staggered grid formulation. The conduction problem is one that is easily incorporated into an undergraduate heat transfer class, while the flow problem is appropriate for a graduate level course.
values interact
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