DynamFluid: development and validation of a new GUI-based CFD tool for the analysis of incompressible non-isothermal flows

Abstract

A computational fluid dynamics software (DynamFluid) based on the application of the finite element method with the characteristic-based-split algorithm is presented and validated. The software is used to numerically integrate the steady and unsteady Navier-Stokes equations for both constant-density and Boussinesq non-isothermal flows. Benchmark two-dimensional computations carried out with DynamFluid show good agreement with previous results reported in the literature. Test cases used for validation include (i) the lid-driven cavity flow, (ii) mixed convection flow in a vertical channel with asymmetric wall temperatures, (iii) unsteady incompressible flow past a circular cylinder, and (iv) steady non-isothermal flow past a circular cylinder with negligible buoyancy effects. The new software is equipped with a graphical user interface that facilitates the definition of the fluid properties, the discretization of the physical domain, the definition of the boundary conditions, and the post-processing of the computed velocity, pressure and temperature fields.