Lecturer: Stefano Sibilla  

Course name: Numerical methods in fluid mechanics
Course code: 504879
Degree course: Ingegneria Civile, Ingegneria per l'Ambiente e il Territorio
Disciplinary field of science: ICAR/01
University credits: ECTS 3
Course website: n.d.

Specific course objectives

The course is intended to give to the student a basic knowledge of the numerical methods applied to the hydraulic and fluid dynamic analysis, learning to apply them with awareness, also through the use of dedicated software.

Course programme

Equations of fluid mechanics
Conservation of mass and momentum. Euler equations. Navier-Stokes equations.

Discretization methods
Finite Differences method. Accuracy, stability and numerical diffusion. Finite volumes method. Evaluation of flux terms.

Numerical solution of the Navier-Stokes equations
Linearization methods for the convective terms. Projection methods for the solution of the equations of motion of incompressible fluids. SIMPLE and PISO methods. Treatment of the free surface in Eulerian schemes: the VoF (Volume of Fluid) method.

Turbulence modelling
Turbulent flow theory. Reynolds-averaged equations. Turbulent kinetic energy and its dissipation. The k-epsilon method.

Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics
Numerical techniques in a Lagrangian frame. Kerner approximation and particle approximation. SPH solution of the Navier-Stokes equations. Enforcement of boundary conditions.

Course entry requirements

Basic knowledge in Fluid Mechanics and Numerical Analysis

Course structure and teaching

Lectures (hours/year in lecture theatre): 23
Practical class (hours/year in lecture theatre): 0
Practicals / Workshops (hours/year in lecture theatre): 0

Suggested reading materials

J.H. Ferziger, M. Peric. Computational methods for fluid dynamics. Springer.

Testing and exams

The exam will consit in the discussion of a report, describing the simulations realized during the course