Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Challenges for Fall 2010

The AguaClara team is looking for M. Eng. students who are interested in using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to analyze and model different components of our water treatment plant. The CFD team's work will provide design guidance for the water treatment plants that are being built in Honduras. The chief goal is to discover the relationship between flow rate and energy dissipation rate in the channels that are transferring fragile particle aggregates, flocs, from the flocculator to the sedimentation tank. The analysis will require 3-D modeling of a channel system and a baffled reactor. The focus will be on interrogating the limitations of turbulence models and initiating computational studies based on Large Eddy Simulation. The results from the CFD analysis will be used to create design algorithms that scale correctly over a wide range of flows. The CFD simulations will be performed using FLUENT, an industry-standard package. The CFD team will have access to the state-of-the-art computing hardware and software in the Swanson Lab. This work will help students pick up skills valued by employers and could also lead to a publication.