Development and validation of a CFD code based on the finite volume method with a graphical user interface : application to laminar, incompressible and two-dimensional flows

Abstract

The main purpose of this work is to develop a Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) code based on the Finite Volume Method (FVM) and using the Semi-Implicit Method for Pressure Linked Equations( SIMPLE algorithm). This software has a Graphical User Interface (GUI) and it is intended to be an educational tool in introductory-level fluid mechanics and CFD courses. The soft- ware is capable of solving steady-state, incompressible, Laminar problems on two-dimensional Cartesian grids. The GUI enables the user to define the fluid properties, the mesh parameters, the solver settings, and a visualization of the resulting flow fields. The philosophy of the project is to make an initial, small leap into computational science, that will be –hopefully- carried out by the next generations of students to make it a continuous learning-by-doing project.