LinkedIn CFD Group Newsletter.

1. September 2008
Issue 5
L INKED I N CFD
A networking forum for CFD professionals
Membership Report Inside This Issue
We are more than 500 members strong! About six months ago, Membership Report 1
my company was conducting a CFD survey and we were LinkedIn Discussion 1
desperate to find more CFD researchers and engineers to take Your Input 1
our survey. Then, a friend suggested that I use LinkedIn to find U.S. FDA 1
more CFDers. My search did not turn up any group that was Open FOAM 2
focused on CFD. So, in March 2008, I started the CFD group and
Pointwise User Meeting 3
invited a few of my CFD connections to join the group. In less
than 5 months, that small group has grown to over 500 Let if Flow 3
Collaborate with U.S. FDA
Discussions on LinkedIn
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration invites you to
LinkedIn has been upgrading in recent month and they are collaborate in a unique project, "Standardization of
adding feature to groups for better collaborations for group Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) Techniques Used to
members. LinkedIn has already enabled the discussion bulletin Evaluate Performance and Blood Damage Safety in Medical
board and all members are now able to start a discussion right Devices."
in LinkedIn. So for us, there is no more need for the Google (http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/cfd/index.html)
group we started. Another good news is that LinkedIn will
enable home pages for all groups in a very near future. The purpose of this project is to determine how
computational fluid dynamics can be effectively used to
characterize fluid flow and to predict blood damage in
medical devices. To address this complex issue, FDA has
partnered with academia and industry under the Critical
Your Input for Newsletter Path Initiative program to advance the application of CFD
technology in the development and evaluation of medical
devices. This project is open to anyone who wishes to
Do you have something to say to the CFD group? Then, say it participate (in part or in full), comment, or provide
here. suggestions.
Following is our current guidelines for your input: In order to better understand the current state of the
• Inputs should be no more than 500 words art of how CFD is applied to medical devices, a practical
• Inputs should be in Microsoft Word format evaluation will be conducted of two different flow models,
• Inputs should exclude any direct sales pitch (we don’t which were developed by the project’s Technical Steering
want to turn this into a billboard) Committee. Anyone who wishes to participate in the
• Inputs can include a link to send interested readers project may perform computational simulations of the two
to the full story (pitch) models using the parameters described in the detailed
• Inputs can include one or two small images project plan; this is essentially a Round Robin investigation
of virtual models. For comparison and validation of the
Email us at: cfdlinkd@gmail.com computational simulations, three select laboratories will
perform quantitative flow visualization measurements on
physical models. The FDA will collect the data, analyze the
results in a blinded fashion (i.e. the identification of the
person who sent in the data will be removed and replaced
with a unique identifier), and then compare and present
(continue on page 2)

2.
OpenFOAM Want to learn more? Want to meet the people who created
this fantastic tool? Why not visit the annual OpenFOAM
An Alternative or the Future? conference (www.openfoam‐conference.com) or workshop
(www.openfoamworkshop.org)?
Here is a brilliant example of the power of Open Source
software. Since the beginning of 2005, there exists an Open
Source CFD Toolbox that has reached for the sky!
FDA Collaboration (Cont.)
The OpenFOAM (Open Field Operation and Manipulation)
CFD Toolbox can simulate anything from complex fluid flows the collective results. The results will be available in a public
involving chemical reactions, turbulence and heat transfer, database. Hence, the two models will also serve as
to solid dynamics, electromagnetics and the pricing of benchmarks for future CFD evaluations.
financial options. OpenFOAM is produced by OpenCFD Ltd
and is freely available and open source, licensed under the Participants will also be invited to predict the amount of
GNU General Public Licence. blood damage (i.e. hemolysis) which might occur in the
models under different flow conditions. For comparison to
The core technology of OpenFOAM is a flexible set of the computational predictions, in vitro blood damage
efficient C++ modules. These are used to build a wealth of: experiments will be performed on the models at three
• Solvers, to simulate specific problems in different laboratories. This important comparison will help
engineering mechanics; to correlate computational predictions to actual biological
• Utilities, to perform pre‐ and post‐processing tasks results and safety assessments.
ranging from simple data manipulations to
visualisation and mesh processing; One goal of the project is to develop an FDA Guidance
• Libraries, to create toolboxes that are accessible to Document (and provide information for standard’s
the solvers/utilities, such as libraries of physical organizations) on the valid use of CFD in the evaluation of
models. medical devices. This will be based on the techniques
utilized, the results obtained, and the suggestions made by
OpenFOAM is supplied with numerous pre‐configured researchers in the performance of the CFD, flow
solvers, utilities and libraries and so can be used like any visualization, and blood damage experiments for this
typical simulation package. However, it is open, not only in project. Please navigate to the CFD/Blood Damage Website
terms of source code, but also in its structure and to find updated information. We value your participation
hierarchical design, so that its solvers, utilities and libraries and suggestions, so please email us to find out more
are fully extensible. information on how to collaborate in the first Round robin,
now underway.
OpenFOAM uses finite volume numerics to solve systems of
partial differential equations ascribed on any 3D Project Timeline:
unstructured mesh of polyhedral cells. The fluid flow solvers Round Robin #1: ‐ Conduct the first round robin test on the
are developed within a robust, implicit, pressure‐velocity, nozzle design (Sept. 2008 – Nov. 2008).
iterative solution framework, although alternative
techniques are applied to other continuum mechanics
solvers. Domain decomposition parallelism is fundamental
to the design of OpenFOAM and integrated at a low level so
that solvers can generally be developed without the need
for any parallel‐specific coding.
Round Robin #2: ‐ Conduct the second round robin test on
With a rapid growing community all over the world and a the simple ventricular assist design (starting summer 2009).
mentality moving away from pure CFD analyst and academic
point of view to an integrated “Upfront” tool for the design On behalf of the CFD/Blood Damage Technical Steering
engineer (see also July 2008 Newsletter: Upfront CFD). Committee, thank you for your support of this project.
Interested? Just download the package at SourceForge Rich Malinauskas, Ph.D.
(http://sourceforge.net/projects/foam/) and get started. For Sandy Stewart, Ph.D.
questions on the installation or the use of the program, just
visit the following websites: U.S. Food & Drug Administration
• http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenFOAM (German) Center for Devices & Radiological Health
• http://openfoam.cfd‐online.com/cgi‐ Office of Science & Engineering Laboratories
bin/forum/discus.cgi (English)

3. Chief Test Pilot to Keynote Let It Flow
Pointwise User Meeting Flow analysis for the better part of last century was considered
more of an art than science. Aerospace needs paved the way to
Pointwise is pleased to announce that Mr. Jon Beesley, Director put logic into art. They followed the Olympic motto to go
and Chief Test Pilot at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, will swifter, higher and stronger. Software companies realized
deliver the keynote address at the Pointwise User Group potential and started developing algorithms that made artists
Meeting 2008 on 06 November 2008. out of design engineers. The advances in Aerospace industry
are testimony to success of flow analysis tools. With
development costs in millions, how many designs you think
Aerospace Engineers go through? My guess is just one!
Commercial world couldn’t stay far behind. Fuel efficient cars,
!
Mr. Beesley is currently the Chief Test Pilot for the F‐35 Joint energy saving light bulbs, super fast computers, Gas Grills,
Strike Fighter program and piloted that aircraft on its first flight artificial heart pumps, swim suits all took a leap forward in
on 15 December 2006. Mr Beesley has also contributed to the being swifter, higher, stronger.
F‐22 Raptor flight test program and was one of the first test FloWorks from Solidworks Corporation offers intelligent, easy‐
pilots to fly the F‐117 stealth fighter. He is the recipient of to‐use CFD tool for engineers. Engineers no matter how geeky
numerous awards including two Ivan C. Kincheloe Awards from they may be, like to follow the KISS principle…..”Keep it Simple”
the Society of Experimental Test Pilots and the Chuck Yeager
Award from the Engineers Council of Southern California. "We
are extremely honored and excited to have Jon Beesley give the
keynote presentation at the Pointwise UGM this year" said
John Chawner, Pointwise's president."We in the computational
fluid dynamics community write our software and run our
simulations to improve the design of engineered products like
automobiles, submarines, and aircraft. Jon's presentation will
provide us with unique perspective and insight into the FloWorks has a wizard that walks through all steps needed to
ultimate use of our designs.” set the problem. This is extremely useful for expert as well as
The Pointwise User Group Meeting 2008 will be held at the novice users. Values important to designer can be set as
Embassy Suites Hotel in Downtown Fort Worth on 5‐6 engineering goals. These may be tracked as the software is
November 2008.The meeting will include presentations by chugging through numbers. Users can track goals or see a
customers on their applications of meshing and CFD, special graphical representation of flow as it is being solved for.
Pointwise and Gridgen training seminars, presentations on new Enabling, qualitative as well as, quantitative tracking.
product developments, exhibits by our partners, and Single window Single interface: Floworks being a SolidWorks
opportunities to network with CFD experts from around the product, takes advantages of parametric modeling. So any
world. change made to 3D geometry is reflected in flow tests. Besides,
Contact Heather McCoy, 817‐377‐2807, news@pointwise.com users don’t need to export geometry to a preprocessor or
solver. Pre‐Processing (set geometry, boundary conditions) to
About Pointwise: Pointwise is solving the top problem facing Post Processing (results) is done using SolidWorks interface.
engineering analysts today: mesh generation for computational Animations: Ability to set analysis and run them efficiently is
fluid dynamics (CFD). Pointwise, Inc.’s Gridgen and Pointwise only half the battle. Present results in a fashion that make
software generate structured, unstructured, and hybrid sense unfolds the big picture. Floworks animations are the
meshes; interface with CFD solvers such as FLUENT, STAR‐CD, coolest ways to explain complex flow phenomenon.
and ANSYS CFX as well as many neutral formats such as CGNS; Fellow flow enthusiasts can solve engineering problems like…
run on Windows (Intel and AMD), Linux (Intel and AMD), Mac, • Incompressible (liquid) and Compressible (gas)
and Unix; and have scripting languages that can automate CFD • Ideal and Real Gas
meshing. Large manufacturing firms and research
• Subsonic, transonic and supersonic regimes
organizations worldwide rely on Pointwise for their complete
• Viscous, pure laminar and turbulent flow
CFD preprocessing solution. More information about Gridgen
• Conjugate heat transfer
and Pointwise is available on Pointwise's web site,
• Porous media
www.pointwise.com.
• Non Newtonian Fluid
• Solar Radiation
• Rotating Reference Frame
• Moving walls
Floworks Seminars and Presentations organized by Computer
Aided Technology Inc. http://www.cati.com/cosmos_event.html
Rajat Trehan, Product Manager – Design Validation
Computer Aided Technology Inc.

4. LinkedIn CFD
cfdlinked@gmail.com
Group Manager
Kamran Fouladi
fouladi@infomec.cc
Phone:
610-291-6642
E-Mail:
CFDlinked@gmail.com
Past issues
Past issues of this newsletter can be accessed at:
http://www.infomec.cc/news.htm
Joining Us
Please encourage your CFD friends or colleagues to join our
LinkedIn CFD group. Please note that LinkedIn membership
is required for joining. To join, applicants should first sign in
on LinkedIn and then do a search in LinkedIn using
Keywords: CFD in Category: Professional Group. Our group
should be the first on the list. Look for our logo.