Computational Fluid Dynamics: Improving the Profitability of Automotive and Aerospace Companies

Highlights:

• Introduction
• Reasons behind the growing applicability of CFD
• Launch of innovative solutions in the sector

Computational fluid dynamics is a specialized branch of fluid mechanics that refers to the use of digital tools and computational methods to predict, analyze, and solve problems related to the physical flow of liquids and gases. CFD is used in applications wherein predicting the heat transfer and fluid flow becomes essential for ensuring the smooth functioning of the system. Hence, computational fluid dynamics involves studying various parameters impacting the flow of liquids and gases such as temperature, pressure, density, velocity, etc. Over the years, the utility of CFD has increased significantly in various end-use sectors such as aerospace and defense, automotive, energy generation, and healthcare.

Growing adoption of CFD creating new investment opportunities in the industry

A CFD analysis of a particular system essentially involves three stages, including pre-processing, problem-solving, and post-processing. In the first stage, all the necessary parameters are measured and calculated based on the flow of the liquid or gas. The main aim is to convert and feed this data into a computer model for further processing. The actual computation and data analysis is done in the next stage, while the last stage mainly deals with drawing conclusions from the obtained results.

The use of computational fluid dynamics primarily helps companies reduce their cost of planning and designing. Traditional methodologies usually involve building physical prototypes and conducting trials, which is a time and resource-consuming process. Compared to this conventional methodology, CFD analysis aids companies in studying various designs and evaluating their performance through computer simulations, thus eliminating the need to develop physical models. As a result, computational fluid dynamics allows businesses to adapt quickly to changing consumer demands. This benefit is especially important for automotive and aircraft manufacturing companies which need to design their products based on various factors like turbulence stress, temperature distribution, and flow patterns. Moreover, the use of CFD analysis increases the efficiency and accuracy of designing processes, thereby enhancing the productivity of the company.

In recent times, the deployment of CFD analytics has increased to ensure the safety of the workers involved in production processes. Simulations done with the help of CFD help designers understand the loopholes in the process and recommend measures that need to be taken to reduce the risk of potential hazards. In the last few years, the integration of automation tools in CFD has enabled companies to further reduce the time taken to run complex systems, thus accelerating the entire production lines.

Increasing investments by governmental agencies and research institutes helping the industry flourish

The computational fluid dynamics industry is expected to witness significant growth in the coming period owing to the huge investments by several research and engineering institutions across the globe. Along with this, several governmental agencies have developed products to promote the use of CFD in different end-use industries, thus expanding the scope of the market in the last few years. In May 2024, for instance, ISRO, India’s national space agency, announced the launch of Parallel RANS Solver for Aerospace Vehicle Aero-thermo-dynamic Analysis (PraVaHa), a CFD software. Developed for aerodynamic design and analysis operations, this solution will help the agency study the impact of internal and external flows on launch vehicles and non-winged and winged re-entry rockets. The press release issued by the organization highlighted that the PraVaHa system will be extensively used in the Gaganyaan space program. The agency has also declared that the product will be made available to larger sections of society to help the Government of India achieve its goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat, i.e., self-reliant India.

Similarly, in October 2024, Altair, a major software company, and the Technical University of Munich announced that they had developed a runnable computational fluid dynamics code for quantum computing applications. The researchers for the university have published a paper highlighting the various features of this solution in the Computer Physics Communications journal. As per several industry experts, this development is expected to open new avenues in the industry in the near future.

Winding up, the growing use of computational fluid dynamics in various end-use industries such as automotive manufacturing, healthcare, aerospace and defense, and energy generation is anticipated to strengthen the position of the market in the future. Additionally, the huge investments made by private companies, research organizations, and governmental agencies in CFD solutions are expected to impact the industry positively.

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