Multiscale computational fluid dynamics

Abstract

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) has numerous applications in the field of energy research, in modelling the basic physics of combustion, multiphase flow and heat transfer; and in the simulation of mechanical devices such as turbines, wind wave and tidal devices, and other devices for energy generation. With the constant increase in available computing power, the fidelity and accuracy of CFD simulations have constantly improved, and the technique is now an integral part of research and development. In the past few years, the development of multiscale methods has emerged as a topic of intensive research. The variable scales may be associated with scales of turbulence, or other physical processes which operate across a range of different scales, and often lead to spatial and temporal scales crossing the boundaries of continuum and molecular mechanics. In this paper, we present a short review of multiscale CFD frameworks with potential applications to energy problems.