Computational Science and Engineering
Visualization of the unsteady pressure field occuring in a turbofan engine helps researchers Sondak and Grace better understand the sound produced by this engine component.
Increasingly, research programs include a strong computational aspect. To understand a given problem, one can approach it by simulation of the phenomena, using a computer program.
Scientific computing is often called the “third pillar of science”, standing right next to theoretical analysis and experiments for scientific discovery.
Computation becomes crucially important in situations such as:
- the problem at hand cannot be solved by traditional experimental or theoretical means, such as attempting to predict climate change;
- experimentation may be dangerous, e.g., characterization of toxic materials;
- the problem would be too expensive or time-consuming to try to solve by other avenues, e.g. determination of the structure of proteins.
Another characteristic of computational science is that it is a multi-disciplinary activity. Generally, it involves experts in the application at hand, and also applied mathematicians and computer scientists that help to implement a computational solution.
Our department carries out computational research in the following areas:
Computational Acoustics
Currently, computational modeling is being used to better understand the acoustic phenomenon in numerous systems. For example, research is being conducted to elucidate the non-linear propagation of sound waves through tissue as occurs in ultrasound and lithotripsy, the sound produced by the interaction of fluids and structures as in advanced engines and wind turbines, and the sound propagation in complex solids and fluids as related to new composite materials for naval applications.
Computational Biomechanics
Accompanying the experimental investigations in biomechanics are multiple computational projects. For example, computations are being undertaken to study bone structure, the behavior of tissue, and vessel behavior.
Computational Dynamics
The complexity of the systems we as engineers and scientists seek to understand and control continues to grow, from large scale power systems down to genetic networks inside a single cell. While theoretical methods are fundamental to studying dynamics, computation and simulation are increasingly used. These techniques help to generate intuition about a system, to explore the ramifications of parameter choices, and to guide control approaches.
Computational Fluid Dynamics
As computer power has increased, computational fluid dynamics has almost completely supplanted experimental fluid studies. Current projects in the realm of CFD vary from method development to application driven studies. For example, new mesh-free methods and new modeling methods for small scale geometries are being developed. Additionally, simulations of flows in turbofan engines, and simulations of plasma spray flows are being conducted. Traditional finite difference and finite volume methods are used as well as more recent Lattice-Boltzmann methods.
Computational Material Science
Properties of materials from the molecular scale to the larger scale are explored using computational methods. ……
For more information, please visit the faculty pages of the individuals working on computational science and engineering: