The Finite Volume Method in Computational Fluid Dynamics ― An Advanced Introduction With Openfoam and Matlab

This textbook explores both the theoretical foundations of the Finite Volume Method (FVM) and its applications and implementation in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) codes. Readers will discover a thorough explanation of the FVM numerics and the algorithms used for the simulation of incompressible and compressible fluid flows, along with an examination of the various components needed to develop state-of-the-art solvers. Two particular CFD codes are explored. The first of these codes is uFVM, a three-dimensional unstructured pressure-based finite volume program, implemented within Matlab as an academic CFD tool. The second CFD code which this book elaborates on is the OpenFOAMR library, an open source framework that can be used to develop a range of CFD solvers for the simulation of industrial scale problems.

The work covers details of all the topics necessary for the development of a robust CFD code for the simulation of fluid flow at all speeds within the framework of the collocated unstructured finite volume method. Over 220 figures are included to assist the reader’s understanding of concepts and algorithms, along with numerous examples and more than a hundred exercises on FVM numerics, programming, and applications. This book is useful at many levels and is suitable to be used for an introductory course on the FVM, for an advanced course in numerics, and as a reference for CFD programmers and researchers.

Fadl Moukalled received his PhD degree in Mechanical Engineering from Louisiana State University in 1987. During that same year he joined the Mechanical Engineering Department at the American University of Beirut where currently he serves as a Professor. He is research interests cover several aspects of the finite volume method and its use in computational fluid dynamics. A founding member of the CFD Group at AUB, he worked on convection schemes, pressure based segregated algorithms for incompressible and compressible flows, adaptive grid methods, multigrid methods, transient schemes for free surface flows, multiphase flows, and fully coupled pressure based solvers for incompressible, compressible, and multiphase flows.

Luca Mangani received his PhD degree form the University of Florence in 2006, where he worked on the development of a state-of-the-art turbo machinery code in OpenFOAMR for heat transfer and combustion analysis. After three years of post-doc work, he joined the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts as Senior Research and chief engineer for CFD simulations. Since 2014 he is serving as an Associate Professor at the fluid mechanics and hydro-machines department, where he manages a variety of projects with industrial partners aimed at developing advanced and novel CFD tools. His research interests include pressure and density-based solvers, segregated and fully coupled algorithms, fluid-structure interaction (FSI), turbulence, and conjugate heat transfer modeling.

Marwan Darwish received his PhD degree in Materials Processing from BRUNEL University in 1991. He then joined the BICOM institute for one year as a post-doc before joining the Mechanical Engineering Department at the American University of Beirut in 1992, where he currently serves as a Professor. His research interest covers a range of topics including solidification, advanced numerics, free surface flow, high resolution schemes, multiphase flows, coupled algorithms, and algebraic multigrid. He is a founding member of the CFD Group at AUB.