In a world where speed and efficiency are paramount, real-time Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) emerges as a game-changer for engineers and designers. Explore how AI accelerates CFD simulations, paving the way for innovative and efficient design processes.
Imagine designing a new airplane wing, a racing car, or an HVAC system without waiting days or weeks for simulation results. This isn't a distant dream—it's quickly becoming a reality thanks to the integration of machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD).
Gone are the days when engineers had to rely solely on traditional, time-consuming CFD simulations. We're entering a new era where real-time CFD is not just a possibility but an indispensable tool for enhanced decision-making and efficient design processes.
This blog post will explore how the groundbreaking blend of AI and CFD technology transforms the engineering landscape. I will outline why NAVASTO is a forerunner in real-time CFD and how it helps customers accelerate their workflows, make informed decisions, and simultaneously reduce project costs.
Learn about NAVASTO's contributions to the CFD evolution through navDesign for Blender® and navDesign for ParaView®.
The Evolution of CFD: A Race for Computing Speed
The timeline of CFD technology's inception to today's cutting-edge applications is a testament to the relentless pursuit of efficiency and accuracy in engineering.
Initially, CFD simulations were a marvel, enabling engineers to model fluid flow and heat transfer with unprecedented detail. However, the computational cost of such simulations often meant weeks of waiting and significant hardware investments, making real-time decision-making a pipe dream.
Today, sophisticated simulation models remain so complex that computation time can take hours or days, forming a bottleneck in the engineering process.
Even though many improvements have been achieved, such as better simulation hardware performance and acceleration through advancements in smart simulation software, the duration of the CFD project remains a significant portion of development costs.
This is where NAVASTO’s contribution to the CFD market comes into play. By leveraging AI for CFD, the engineering process could accelerate, reducing time to result from hours or days to seconds.
Discover how their AI-enabled CFD tools have helped customers from various industries, including automobile and aerospace.
These methods are compelling but require substantial, well-prepared data and explicit training. AI methods may not be the primary choice in scenarios where a few standard PDE simulations can do the job.
However, they shine in cases where engineering organisations must repeatedly navigate a narrow design space, offering speed and cost advantages. They integrated AI prediction capabilities right alongside their trusted PDE solver. This means that for a given problem, you can choose between AI prediction and the traditional PDE solver, depending on what best suits your needs.
The Rocket Fuel for CFD Analysis: AI Accelerated Workflows
Enter machine learning and deep learning. These AI powerhouses have turned the tide, accelerating CFD simulations by orders of magnitude. No longer are we talking about a tenfold increase in speed; we're looking at simulations that are hundreds, if not thousands, of times faster.
This quantum leap is achieved by training AI models on vast datasets of fluid dynamics problems, allowing them to predict fluid flow and other phenomena with remarkable accuracy.
Datasets for AI training can be extracted from existing data obtained by previous CFD simulations. Using this legacy data to train AI models will improve your company's efficiency by turning frozen assets into valuable insights and accessible knowledge. AI assists in streamlining the entire CFD workflow, from automating tedious tasks like mesh generation to enhancing simulation fidelity by identifying and correcting anomalies in real-time.
See NAVASTO’s partnership with INEOS Britannia for a glimpse into the future of design optimisation. Learn how analysis time and costs were reduced by 85% by leveraging AI trained on existing data.
The Impact of AI-Accelerated Simulations
The implications of this acceleration are profound. Engineers can now rapidly iterate designs, testing more variables and configurations without the bottleneck of traditional simulations.
This agility fosters innovation, enabling the exploration of novel solutions that would have been impractical or impossible.
For industries ranging from aerospace to automotive and beyond, this means shorter development cycles, reduced costs, and products that push the boundaries of what's possible.
Discover how AI technology transforms product development and EV aerodynamics with real-time insights for engineering in this blog post.
Toward Real-Time CFD Simulations
While we're on the brink of real-time CFD, challenges remain. The goal is ambitious: to simulate complex fluid dynamics scenarios instantaneously, allowing engineers to see the effects of design changes in real time.
Achieving this will require further advances in AI algorithms, hardware, and quantum computing. However, the trajectory is clear, and the progress made so far suggests that real-time CFD is not a question of if but when.
The fusion of AI and CFD is a paradigm shift in engineering. It offers a preview into a future where design processes are enormously faster, more efficient, and limited only by the imagination. Embracing real-time CFD powered by AI is more than just keeping up with technological advancements; it's about setting a new standard in engineering excellence.
By taking advantage of the speed and precision of AI-accelerated CFD, engineers are unlocking a world of possibilities, making today an exciting time to shape the future of design. The message is clear: those who embrace these technologies will be in charge of innovation and efficiency. The future of design is not just fluid - it's dynamic and now.
Don’t wait for this paradigm shift in your industry without participating and building up the necessary know-how to be prepared for the future market speed!
