Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is an area of ​​fluid mechanics, based on numerical methods and algorithms for solving problems that involve fluid flows. Engineers are using computers to simulate the behavior of fluids by solving the equations of continuity and momentum (Navier-Stokes equations) in conjunction with the equation of mass and energy conservation, having the geometry and boundary conditions defined by the user. It is an effective and handy engineering tool and can be used to study the effect of various parameters (geometry, fluid properties, boundary conditions, etc.) on flow characteristics (velocity distribution, pressure drop, heat/mass transfer, etc.).

A water turbine	LDL-cholesterol on a bifurcation
Wind-turbine simulation	Solar-panel simulation

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To solve a physical problem using CFD, the basic steps are:

• to design the physical boundaries of the problem (ie, geometry) and to define the boundary conditions,
• to divide the physical space of the flow in a network of cells (grid) where the equations describing the transport phenomena are discretized. In this way, non-linear differential equations are converted to algebraic equations, which are then sequentially solved in the cells of the grid.

Results can be presented in terms of flow characteristics (eg speed, pressure, shear stress) in various figure types (eg contours, iso-, streamlines, etc.), either as an animation.

In our Laboratory, we are working on the study and design of efficient process equipment using the commercial codes ANSYS CFX και FLUENT. 

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Wavy Stratified Gas-Liquid Flow.