Richard Smith's blog

Physics Phun

Can physics be fun? It can be if it's Phun you're using. Phun is a 2D real-time physics sandbox developed by Emil Ernerfeldt while at VRLab, Umea University.

PhunPhunImage courtesy of Phun

Computer-Aided Engineering Industry Observers

Are you interested in staying up to date with the latest Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) news in fields such as Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)? Then consider signing up with some of the leading CAE and CFD industry observers.

Cadalyst CoversCadalyst Covers

James Bond Submarine Car

Inspired by the (fictional - yes, it was a scaled model) underwater Lotus Espirit that James Bond drove in the movie "The Spy Who Loved Me," Frank Rinderknecht of Rinspeed commissioned ESORO to build the sQuba, a concept car for the Geneva Motor Show. What's so special about the sQuba? It can really 'fly' underwater.

Car Design and CFD

I've noticed a flurry of announcements that cite the use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) in the design of new cars for public roads and race tracks. While none of these announcements say that CFD was responsible for the design of the whole car, equally they don't say, with much clarity, what exactly did CFD contribute?

Build Your Own Paper Rocket

"What's the fastest way to become a commercial space millionaire? Start as a commercial space billionaire." So goes the joke in the space industry, and some billionaires are putting this theory to the test, as I covered in "Just For Fun: The New Space Race." But if you are missing the billions and just want some inexpensive rocket fun, then consider a more earth-bound air-powered paper rocket.

The Linux Desktop and Computer-Aided Engineering

Is the Linux desktop ready for Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE)? Or, more aptly, is CAE ready for the Linux desktop?

Caedium on Ubuntu LinuxCaedium on Ubuntu Linux

Virtual Wind Turbine Breaks Betz' Law

Given the technological sophistication of today's wind turbines, it's quite humbling to think that their theoretical maximum efficiency was derived by wind turbine pioneer Albert Betz in 1920. Betz' Law, as it is now known, is a relatively simple proof that the maximum efficiency of a wind turbine, irrespective of its design, cannot exceed 59%. Still, some believe laws are there to be broken - at least in the virtual simulation world.

Horizontal-Axis Wind TurbineHorizontal-Axis Wind TurbineLicense: CC BY 2.0, Martin Laine

Future of Commercial CFD

Having covered the Origins of Commercial CFD and the Evolution of Commercial CFD it seems only fitting that I stick my neck out and provide predictions on the future of CFD. Let's start by extrapolating from recent events and use the analogous CAD market as a reference.

Evolution of Commercial CFD

The evolution of the commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) industry from the original pioneers makes for an interesting trip through time. Join me as I trace the ancestry of current day CFD vendors.

Origins of the Commercial CFD Industry

Some may remember the 1980s for its over-the-top fashion (think big shoulder pads), even bigger hair styles, action movies (who can forget The Terminator?) and the Gordon Gekko greed is good mantra. Others will remember the introduction of personal computers - a "dent in the universe" to quote Steve Jobs of Apple. A few may even remember that the origins of the commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software industry can be traced to a small number of pioneers in the 1980s. If you are one of the few then maybe you'll find this post on the origins of commercial CFD will stir a few fond memories.

Rampant ResultsRampant Results: Appeared in my EngD thesis

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