The objective of the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) group at CERFACS is to solve problems involving both CFD and High Performance Computing (HPC). Despite the recent progresses observed in CFD, the solution of many flows of interest is still beyond present capabilities and the challenge of HPC for CFD remains as open and difficult as it ever was. In most CFD problems, brute force approaches still fail and advances in this field rely on defining proper compromises between physics and numerics.
This is especially true in the fields of CFD chosen at CERFACS: aerodynamics, turbulence, combustion, unsteady flows, coupled phenomena between fluid mechanics and other mechanisms (fluid structure interaction, optimization, two-phase flows, radiation, etc).
In the last years, the requests of CERFACS partners as well as the general orientation of the CFD community have lead the CFD project to a deeper implication in Direct Numerical Simulation tools, especially for reacting flows or for flows in complex geometries as well as to the development of new aspects of CFD such as multiphysics or active control. This has been done through an increase of the CFD staff so that the classical expertise of the CFD team (aerodynamics, turbulence modeling, optimization and parallelization, combustion) has been maintained or even reinforced. An important new field of application for CERFACS is Large Eddy Simulation (LES). The role of the CFD team and of its partners in the development of Large Eddy Simulation is now significant through multiple collaborations, contracts and dissemination of information and tools. The LES approach has emerged as a prospective technique for problems associated with time dependent phenomena and coherent eddy structures. This leading edge CFD technology can nowadays be applied to geometries of reasonable complexity (such as a combustion chambers in gas turbines but also in piston engines), which is the result of both constantly increasing computer capacities along with improved underlying numerical methods and grid techniques. In 2005, more than 50 scientists were working in the CFD project at CERFACS.
This is especially true in the fields of CFD chosen at CERFACS: aerodynamics, turbulence, combustion, unsteady flows, coupled phenomena between fluid mechanics and other mechanisms (fluid structure interaction, optimization, two-phase flows, radiation, etc).
In the last years, the requests of CERFACS partners as well as the general orientation of the CFD community have lead the CFD project to a deeper implication in Direct Numerical Simulation tools, especially for reacting flows or for flows in complex geometries as well as to the development of new aspects of CFD such as multiphysics or active control. This has been done through an increase of the CFD staff so that the classical expertise of the CFD team (aerodynamics, turbulence modeling, optimization and parallelization, combustion) has been maintained or even reinforced. An important new field of application for CERFACS is Large Eddy Simulation (LES). The role of the CFD team and of its partners in the development of Large Eddy Simulation is now significant through multiple collaborations, contracts and dissemination of information and tools. The LES approach has emerged as a prospective technique for problems associated with time dependent phenomena and coherent eddy structures. This leading edge CFD technology can nowadays be applied to geometries of reasonable complexity (such as a combustion chambers in gas turbines but also in piston engines), which is the result of both constantly increasing computer capacities along with improved underlying numerical methods and grid techniques. In 2005, more than 50 scientists were working in the CFD project at CERFACS.
International workshop on "multiphisics and unsteady flows for aircraft" at CERFACS in september 2010
CERFACS, jointly with ONERA, AIRBUS, SAFRAN, ERCOFTAC and the European Commission will organize the first MUSAF meeting (Multiphysics and Unsteady Simulations for Aeronautical Flows) at CERFACS in Toulouse (France), on September 27 - 29, 2010.
The conference will focus on coupled problems arounf aircraft (aerodynamics, aeroacoustics, fluid structure) but also within engines (noise, combustion, instabilities, coupling between compressor, chamber and turbine) and on the use of High Performance Computing (HPC) to address these issues. By bringing together the communities working on the different elements of aircraft and engine designs, the most important issues in the flield of HPC in these fields will be adressed.
The MUSAF programme will be available at the end of October 2009.
http://www.cerfacs.fr/musaf
The conference will focus on coupled problems arounf aircraft (aerodynamics, aeroacoustics, fluid structure) but also within engines (noise, combustion, instabilities, coupling between compressor, chamber and turbine) and on the use of High Performance Computing (HPC) to address these issues. By bringing together the communities working on the different elements of aircraft and engine designs, the most important issues in the flield of HPC in these fields will be adressed.
The MUSAF programme will be available at the end of October 2009.
http://www.cerfacs.fr/musaf
CERFACS award in INCITE program (Department of Energy) renewed
8 million CPU hours have been awarded to CERFACS in 2010 to continue studying combustion in gas turbines using Large Eddy Simulation (LES). CERFACS is one of the only non american groups working in INCITE and this award confirms the unique place of CERFACS tools for reacting flows.
