Research in

Computational Fluid Dynamics

(CFD)

Department of Mechanical Engineering

R.K. Jaiman, B.C. Khoo, H.P. Lee, N. Phan-Thien,

C. Shu, D.S. Tan, C.J. Teo, K.S. Yeo
Background
• Fluid Mechanics plays an extremely crucial role in a wide
variety of commercial and military applications, and in our
everyday lives.
• The governing equations in Fluid Mechanics are typically
non-linear, time and history dependent.
• Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD): the sub-branch of
Fluid Mechanics which employs numerical tools for solving
fluid flow problems
• The NUS Mechanical Engineering (ME) Department has
built up a critical mass, with
• sustainable research funding
• international visibility
• industry-based research and outcomes
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CFD Research Objectives (1)
(A) Development of novel and efficient numerical methods and
algorithms to solve a wide variety of fluid flow problems.
• Examples:
(i) Lattice Boltzmann Flux Solver method (LBFS) for solving
multiphase flow problems;
(ii) Immersed boundary method (IBM) for solving moving
boundary problems in aquatic swimming and insect flight;
(iii) Completed double layer boundary element method for
problems involving suspensions;
(iv) Dissipative Particle Dynamics (DPD) method for solving
mesoscale problems and macroscale problems
(v) Continuous Boltzmann equation-based flux solvers (gas
kinetic schemes) for low- and high-speed flows
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CFD Research Objectives (2)
(B) Application of CFD for fundamental research:
 To develop new insights in physical flow processes;
 To complement experimental research work.

(C) Application of CFD for a diverse range of applied

commercial and defense-related research involving fluid
flow processes, especially in the Singapore context.
• Examples of funded research topics/projects:
(i) Aerodynamics and hydrodynamics of Wing-in-Ground
(WIG) craft;
(ii) Turbulent drag reduction using dimpled surfaces;
(iii) Novel aerospace propulsion systems, such as Pulse
Detonation Engines, cross-flow fans and ducted fans;
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CFD Research Objectives (3)
(iv) Flapping wing aerodynamics for application to Unmanned
Aerial Vehicles (UAV);
(v) Supercavitation for high-speed marine craft;
(vi) Fluid flow processes of importance to the Offshore Oil and
Gas Industry, such as multiphase flows, flow induced
vibration, sedimentation processes, modelling of colloidal,
bubble and droplet suspensions and porous media;
(vii) Biofluid dynamics involving applications such as the flow
and deformation of red blood cells;
(viii)Hydrodynamics of water and ocean waves, with
application to liquid sloshing problems and the dynamic
response of marine craft.

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CFD Track Record (1)
(A) Publication in Top-Tier Journals related to Fluid
Mechanics and computational methods:
• Examples: Journal of Computational Physics,
International Journal for Numerical Methods in Fluids,
Journal of Fluid Mechanics, Physics of Fluids,
Computers and Fluids.
 Many research publications have received high
citations.
(B) Securing of Competitive External Research Grants:
• Funding Agencies: NRF (NUS-Keppel Corporate Lab),
A*Star, MINDEF, MOE, MPA, Airbus, Office of Naval
Research (ONR), ONR Global, Wigetworks Pte Ltd.
 Attracted a total of more than $15 million of research
funding.
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CFD Track Record (2)
(C) Members of Editorial Boards:
• Examples: Editor-in-chief for Advances in Applied
Mathematics and Mechanics, Editor-in-chief for book
series of “Advances in Computational Fluid Dynamics”,
Associate Editor for Communications in Computational
Physics, Editorial board member for International
Journal for Numerical Methods in Fluids and The Open
Mechanical Engineering Journal.

(D) Awards and Prizes:

• Examples: Silver Prize, Centenary Medal, Gordon Bell
Prize, Australian Society of Rheology Medal,
Edgeworth David Medal

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Numerical Simulation of
Unsteady Cavitating Flow

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Dissipative Particle Dynamics in
Biophysics

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 Flow Over Dimpled Surfaces

Turbulent flow structure inside multiple Close-up of particle trajectories in

dimpled channel (streaklines) dimple - turbulent flow

Flow structures inside a single dimple: laminar flow

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Numerical Simulation of Fish Swimming

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Numerical Simulation of Insect Flight

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Development and Applications
of Lattice Boltzmann Method

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Development and Applications
of Lattice Boltzmann Method

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 Numerical Simulation of Detonation
Waves in Pulse Detonation Engines

The mixture behind the shock wave is self-ignited, which makes the
pressure rise and the flow accelerate.
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 Computational Aerodynamics of Wing-In-
Ground (WIG) Craft
Wing • Wing-In-Ground (WIG)
Effect Craft potentially
experience higher lift and
lower induced drag than
conventional aircraft
Normalized Pressure • Investigate aerodynamics
Tail Distribution at H/C = 0.1 and performance of WIG-
AoA = 2° craft
CL VS H/C of simplified NAVION wing + Induced Drag Cd_i VS H/C for simplified
1.2 tail configuration 0.030 NAVION wing +Tail configuration

1.0 0.025
AoA=6de AoA=6d
0.8 g 0.020 eg
CL 0.6 AoA=5de AoA=5d
g Cd_i0.015 eg
0.4 AoA=4de 0.010 AoA=4d
g eg
0.2 0.005

0.0 0.000
0.00 0.10 0.20 0.30 0.40 0.50 0.60 0.00 0.10 0.20 0.30 0.40 0.50 0.60
H/C H/C
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Numerical Simulations of Cross Flow Fan
for Propulsion

Static Pressure Total Temperature

Relative Mach Number Velocity Vectors 17

 Wavy Microchannel Heat Sinks For Electronic
Cooling Applications

Signature of
chaotic mixing

Poincaré sections obtained from tracking 20,000 tracer

particles for a wavy channel with A = 260 μm at Re = 600

Re = 600

x = 5L x = 5.5L x = 6L
Velocity vectors along cross sections of wavy microchannel with wavy amplitude A = 260 μm at Re = 600 for
various axial locations. Lower boundaries correspond to reflection symmetric x-y planes at half depth of channel.
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Corrugated Pipe for LNG
Transfer
Wall-bounded turbulent flows
Hybrid RANS/LES (DES) & (DDES) models
Critical pressure drop

Jaiman and Oakley, OMAE 2010

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 High Fidelity Transient Solution
of Flow Past Circular Cylinder

Flow over a Cylinder at Reynolds number =140K

Drag coefficient RMS Lift Coefficient Strouhal Number

Experiment (CC) 1.24 - 0.18
Experiment (WA) 1.3 0.58 -
Experiment (SB) 1.35 0.5 -
AcuSolve LES 1.27 0.58 0.2

Corson and Jaiman, IJCFD 2009

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