A Machine Design article explores the use of CFD by designers at Delphi-Harrison Thermal Systems, Lockport, N.Y. to develop a thermal-comfort model that accurately and quickly evaluates automotive HVAC systems.

The model uses computational-fluid dynamics (CFD) to calculate local thermal comfort as a function of air temperature, surrounding surface temperatures, air velocity, humidity, direct solar heating, as well as the activity level and clothing of each individual. The model takes climactic conditions in which the vehicle is operating to develop a thermal model of the passenger compartment. Results serve as inputs to the model of the human thermal regulatory system, which predicts human comfort.

Special Gridgen training seminars are scheduled for Monday, April 5. The morning session, Gridgen V15 New Features, will cover features in the latest Gridgen release. The afternoon training session, Gridgen Tips and Tricks, will be an overview of many helpful Gridgen V15 techniques used by experts to acheive the most efficient use of the software.

An e4engineering article describes Schneider's system that combined propulsion and steering in a single unit and allowed thrust of varying magnitude to be generated in any direction.

Until recently all knowledge of the hydrodynamic behaviour of the propeller was based on extensive model testing. However, the adoption of CFD software by propeller manufacturer Voith has enabled its design team to improve its behaviour substantially.

If you have a 64-bit ready PC with an AMD Opteron or Athlon 64 processor, you now have the option to receive trial software for Windows XP 64-Bit Edition for 64-Bit Extended Systems via CD or download. Please note that in either case, the pre-release software is time-limited and will expire in 360 days.

Windows XP 64-Bit Edition is designed to address the most demanding business needs of technical workstation users who require large amounts of memory and floating point performance in areas such as mechanical design and analysis, digital content creation and scientific and high-performance computing applications.

Experts from around the world will discuss the use and application of the computational fluid dynamics programs PHOENICS and FLAIR, with presentations covering car park ventilation systems, fire and smoke modelling, pollution in and around buildings, building services air flow and heat transmission problems, combustion, safety analyses of offshore and underground constructions and other relevant applications.

Conference spokesman Murray Mason says that computational fluid dynamics has an enormous diversity of applications in building, construction, engineering and environmental projects. “CFD is typically used for internal flows in modelling air conditioning and ventilation systems, cool and cold rooms,” he says. “It is also used for fire engineering to model fires in buildings, smoke spread and ventilation, as well as external flows in modelling including the flow of wind around a building, urban and industrial pollution studies, contaminant spread and containment, wind loads on buildings, pipe and duct design and numerous other applications.”

The grant was proposed to develop a computational fluid dynamics model of pulverized coal injection for the blast furnaces. The project will lay a solid foundation to develop a long-term R&D steel program as well as to expand applications to other industries, the proposal says.

In 2003, the university received a $1.29 million state grant develop a program that predicts where erosion is likely to occur in the lining of blast furnaces, allowing repairs to be made before a complete reline -- an extremely expensive process -- is needed.

The recent award will cover half the cost of the $400,500 project. Another half will be covered by the American Iron and Steel Institute. AISI, U.S. Steel and Ispat Inland Inc. are partnering on the project headed by Chenn Zhou, a Purdue Calumet professor of mechanical engineering.