The motion of liquids and gases plays a significant role in a large number of scientific and engineering fields. The theoretical description of such motion is a branch of continuum mechanics that has evolved substantially with the development of efficient numerical methods to solve the complex governing partial differential equations. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is employed in a wide range of industrial fields, including the traditional aeronautical and automotive areas as well as in energy, biomedical, sports, computer graphics, etc.
At EPFL, research is undertaken in the development of advanced numerical algorithms for resolving the fluid equations, enhanced physical modeling to broaden their applicability, improved efficiency on high performance computer systems, and the implementation of these advances for the analysis of complex multi-disciplinary flow problems.
Specific STI and ENAC laboratories involved in CFD activities include:
- CGD – Computational Granular Dynamics Group (Dr Mark Sawley)
- CRYOS – Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences (Prof. Michael Lehning)
- EFLUM – Environmental Fluid Mechanics Laboratory (Prof. Marc Parlange)
- GTT – Thermal Turbomachinery Group (Dr Peter Ott)
- LAMD – Laboratory for Applied Mechanical Design (Prof. Jürg Schiffmann)
- LFMI – Laboratory of Fluid Mechanics and Instabilities (Prof. François Gallaire)
- LHTC – Hemodynamics and Cardiovascular Technology Laboratory (Prof. Nikolaos Stergiopulos)
- LMH – Hydraulic Machines Laboratory (Prof. François Avellan)
- LRESE – Laboratory of Renewable Energy Science and Engineering (Prof. Sophia Haussener)
- LTCM – Heat and Mass Transfer Laboratory (Prof. John Thome)
- WIRE – Wind Engineering and Renewable Energy Laboratory (Prof. Fernando Porté-Agel)