In this summer vacation edition newsletter read how you can slice and dice your Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) models to exploit symmetry and thereby reduce your simulation sizes by 50% or more. Do you need inspiration for what to do with your new found CFD smarts over the summer? Then take a look at the articles below on the air flow around airships and through World Cup stadiums. It's all here.

CFD Simulation of Flow Around an AirshipUsing planar symmetry

Speed Up CFD with Symmetry and Cyclic Conditions

Symmetry (or planar symmetry) and cyclic (or rotational symmetry) boundary conditions for CFD can often save you 50% or more in simulation turnaround time. Alternatively you can use the freed up memory to run more accurate simulations with more mesh cells clustered in areas of interest. Clearly these simulations are worth considering if your model satisfies the symmetry or cyclic criteria. Read more >>

Airships Rising

Airships are enjoying a renaissance of sorts. Military forces have proposed airships for surveillance and heavy lift duties. A small number of impressive prototypes have already taken to the air, but little follow-on development seems imminent. Could this renaissance be just a bli(m)p? Read more >>

World Cup Stadium Aerodynamics with CFD

The 2014 FIFA World Cup is well underway and the final match to crown the world champions will be played in the Maracanã Stadium. The stadium was originally built to host the 1950 World Cup final, but with the stadium being the focal point for the current 2014 World Cup and the upcoming 2016 Olympics it was deemed that it needed a revamp. The most striking difference between the old and newly renovated stadium is the roof that now protects 95% of the seating from rain and provides better shade. The original roof only offered minimal rain protection and shade to a few rows of seats. However, it seems little air-time has been devoted to analyzing the wind characteristics of the playing area inside the stadium due to the different roof extents, especially when you consider how much attention the aerodynamics of the match ball have garnered. Rest easy though, CFD is here to help. Read more >>