Mechanical Engineering Project 4

1. To develop the ability to discretize the governing equations of fluid flow and implement computational algorithms independently.

2. To understand the physical and mathematical foundations of “numerical instability” and “computational accuracy” in numerical simulations.

3. To understand the operating principles of a general-purpose code (OpenFOAM) and become capable of setting up appropriate simulation conditions for engineering problems.

Engineering problems related to fluid flows and heat transfer by them are not limited to flow phenomena around transportation machinery and heating/cooling technologies in manufacturing processes—traditional research and development targets in mechanical engineering, but also have recently expanded to a wide range of fields including the cooling of IT equipment. However, when investigating fluid motion and the associated heat transfer under complex geometrical conditions in real industrial applications, theoretical analysis and experimental measurements are often difficult. In such cases, computer simulation is an effective approach. This academic field is known as CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics).

In this course, students will learn numerical analysis methods for solving problems in fluid mechanics and heat transfer using computers. The 14 lectures are divided into two halves. In the first half, students will construct Finite Difference Method (FDM) algorithms from scratch through programming and acquire fundamental principles of numerical computation (discretization, stability, and pressure–velocity coupling). In the second half, students will study the theory of the finite volume method (FVM), which is the mainstream approach in practical analysis for complex and practical geometries, and will practice advanced thermo-fluid analysis processes using the general-purpose simulation software OpenFOAM (meshing, boundary condition setup, and post-processing).

1. Students are able to discretize the governing equations for one- and two-dimensional thermo-fluid problems using the finite difference method (FDM) and independently implement the computational program.
2. Students are able to theoretically explain the pressure–velocity coupling algorithms (e.g., the Fractional Step method), which are central to incompressible flow analysis, as well as the mechanisms of numerical stability.
3. Students are able to complete the entire workflow using the general-purpose analysis software OpenFOAM, including mesh generation, setup of physical models and boundary conditions, execution of simulations, and post-processing/visualization.
4. Students are able to understand the characteristics of the finite volume method (FVM) and, based on this understanding, evaluate and interpret numerical results obtained with OpenFOAM from multiple physical perspectives (e.g., streamlines, isotherms, and convergence histories).

[Evaluation Method] Evaluation will be based on submissions (programs written by students and computation results).
[Evaluation Criteria] A passing score of 60% corresponds to the minimum level required to be able to perform analysis using programming and simulation techniques.

Japanese

The instructor will prepare materials and provide them as needed.

It is strongly recommended for students to familiarise themselves with how to use data analysis software ’Matlab’ by taking the tutorials available on MathWorks’ website in advance and review the contents of any courses related to thermal and fluid engineering that students have previously taken.

• Check the times assigned by each instructor using **Scombz**.

Non-regionally-oriented course

• Course that cultivates an ability for utilizing knowledge
• Course that cultivates a basic interpersonal skills
• Course that cultivates a basic problem-solving skills

Most classes are interactive

• 4.QUALITY EDUCATION
• 9.INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE