Rephrased article:

Three Distinct Questions to Ask before Outsourcing CFD Analysis Services CFD analysis has become one of the distinct features for mechanical engineers. Now we are seeing a potential increase in the number of CFD modeling being done across the globe. Hence; there is an acute need for outsourcing CFD services. But before taking this crucial decision it is very important to answer five distinct questions that will help you in outsourcing your CFD services effectively. In this article we discuss about these questions and the respective elements that can help you determine the necessary steps to be taken before taking the decision to outsource CFD analysis services. Let us look these questions now: What is the design of your product?: Generally a product carries a specific design pattern. But for that there is a need for thorough research and conceptualization. There is also a need to gauge whether the product can enter the design phase or not. The design requirements have to be understood and then the general framework of the product is decided. The next step is to determine the process, tools, design and prototype of the product. Once this is completed production can start. What role does CFD play and how is it important?:The next question is regarding the role of CFD in the process of establishing of physical product. Now since you know that the cost of testing a prototype is generally higher so it is not always possible to opt for it. In such scenarios; CFD comes to the rescue. In this process; a CFD expert tries to stimulate the flow condition around the design in such a manner that irrespective of the product the realistic operating conditions on a full scale can be employed. In which industries is CFD services useful?: CFD services are highly efficient for particular industries pertaining to aerospace, marine, industrial fluid dynamics, turbo machinery, heat transfers, and construction & civil architecture. With the help of CFD services it is possible to predict the design weaknesses, optimize design that are tough to prototype and test by experimentation at early stages of the product.

To conclude, the high accurateness of results obtained from CFD analysis, cost-effectiveness of running calculations, detailed flow field data obtained, convenience of design handling, and time savings has made engineers across the industry to frequent this technique.

===================================================================================== Five Crucial Questions to Respond before Outsourcing CFD Services

When it comes to CFD analysis, you are faced with three obvious choices. You can utilize a member already within the company. You can hire an additional member of your team to set up, run, and evaluate CFD models or, you can outsource a CFD contractor. Utilizing a member of the team or hiring an additional CFD engineer to join your company may seem like the more viable options initially. However, it is important to understand that there are innumerable benefits included when outsourcing to a CFD contractor, which you may not acquire when working with somebody directly within your company. So what are the questions that you should respond before outsourcing your CFD services? Let us look at these questions and answers in detail: What is a design?: Generally a design approach consists of the following elements: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Research (literature, existing solutions, costs, and market requirement) Conceptualization (problem statement is defined, solution of the goals identified) Feasibility / practicality (can the product enter the design phase?) Design requirements (key elements in design process) Preliminary design (general framework of the product) Detailed design (operating environment, parameters, life reliability etc.) Production planning (determining process, tool designs, prototyping) Prototype testing Qualification testing Optimization after experiments Certification Finally, production

Why and where CFD plays a key role?:We can generalize the process built up on two elements:

Pure theory Experiments After the prototype is released and is tested either by specialist testing procedures such as wind tunnel or destructive and or non-destructive testing or merely trial and error method to establish the proximity of the physical product with the initial theory and or concept. Now, for this type of testing a specialist laboratory or testing analyst need to be employed and often this could be expensive, to the level that could dictate the crucial part of the budget. Based on the nature of operation and domain it could determine the nature of testing required. For example, an aeroplane wing or formula one racing car shape could be needed to be tested into a huge wind tunnel by experts. Moreover, other secondary effects such as the scale effect (as a scale model could be tested, not possible to house the actual 747!) and wall effects(limitation of the flow field due to the walls or die of the tunnel) could yet make the final report non-realistic; even after the mammoth cost of the stunt. CFD comes to rescue here Welcome to CFD!

Basically, a CFD expert will simulate the flow conditions around the design under the conditions of interest irrespective of the domain, may it be a speed boat, gas flow in multi-spool turbine engine, cylinder head temperatures in a piston engine or just a flow past an offshore tidal turbine or a wind mill, realistic operating conditions on a full scale model could be employed. How do I know if I need CFD services?: If you are into engineering design, product development and technology consulting,operating in the challenging domains like aerospace, marine,industrial fluid dynamics, heat transfers, turbo machinery,construction, and civil architecture; CFD analysis services could provide an immense leverage. Thus greatly insulating the exposure to mechanical risks; and deeper insight all the way through the design process by early prediction, absent during the expensive testing investments. Individuals having employed CFD analysis services have enjoyed the benefits of being able to predict beforehand design weaknesses, susceptibility to failures, project fool proof design characteristics, and to design optimize even complex systems tough to prototype, and test by experimentation at early design phases. How current is my design technique?: CFD analysis have carved a permanent abode in all facets of fluid dynamics supporting ground breaking research findings to elementary engineering designs. The fuel behind this bright flame is the constant development in the computational power available from the digital computers. What has CFD analysis changed in the industry: cost wise and everything else?: One of the greatest accomplishments of CFD in engineering design is its influences on the testing methods,and the boon of cost reduction that follows. For instance, it has been observed over the ages; as computers became more and more computationally powerful there was a speedy decrease in the computational cost compared to the higher increasing cost of the wind tunnel tests depicted in the survey along the right which gives the relative computational cost as a function of years. The milestones events on the graph are the inventions of various supercomputerssuch as CRAY, STAR IBM etc. Consequently, the determination of aerodynamic characteristics of new automotive and aircraft designs using CFD analysis is much more cost effective; than performing the same in wind tunnel experiments, plus considerable time saving and detailed flow field data obtained as well. It is much more time saving to run simulation on the preliminary designs under the conditions of interest in a CFD package than performing several wind tunnel experiments. However, the wind tunnels have not lost their significance completely as they aid in fine tune up the model in its last design phases. To conclude, the high accuracy results obtained from CFD analysis, cost-effectiveness of running computations, detailed flow field data obtained, convenience of design handling,and time savings has made engineers across the industry to frequent this technique.