Developing Guidelines for Two-Dimensional Model Review and Acceptance

Two independent modelers ran two hydraulic models, SRH-2D and HEC-RAS 2D. The models were applied to the Lakina River (MP 44 McCarthy Road) and to Quartz Creek (MP 0.7 Quartz Creek Road), which approximately represent straight and bend flow conditions, respectively. We compared the results, including water depth, depth averaged velocity, and bed shear stress, from the two models for both modelers. We found that the extent and density of survey data were insufficient for Quartz Creek. Neither model was calibrated due to the lack of basic field data (i.e., discharge, water surface elevation, and sediment characteristics). Consequently, we were unable to draw any conclusion about the accuracy of the models. Concerning the time step and the equations used (simplified or full) to solve the momentum equation in the HEC-RAS 2D model, we found that the minimum time step allowed by the model must be used if the diffusion wave equation is used in the simulations. A greater time step can be used if the full momentum equation is used in the simulations. We developed a set of guidelines for reviewing model results, and developed and provided a two-day training workshop on the two models for ADOT&PF hydraulic engineers

Prediction of risk of fracture in the tibia due to altered bone mineral density distribution resulting from disuse : a finite element study

The disuse-related bone loss that results from immobilisation following injury shares characteristics with osteoporosis in postmenopausal women and the aged, with decreases in bone mineral density (BMD) leading to weakening of the bone and increased risk of fracture. The aim of the study was to use the finite element method to: (i) calculate the mechanical response of the tibia under mechanical load and (ii) estimate the risk of fracture; comparing between two groups, an able bodied (AB) group and spinal cord injury (SCI) patients group suffering from varying degree of bone loss. The tibiae of eight male subjects with chronic SCI and those of four able-bodied (AB) age-matched controls were scanned using multi-slice peripheral Quantitative Computed Tomography. Images were used to develop full three-dimensional models of the tibiae in Mimics (Materialise) and exported into Abaqus (Simulia) for calculation of stress distribution and fracture risk in response to specified loading conditions – compression, bending and torsion. The percentage of elements that exceeded a calculated value of the ultimate stress provided an estimate of the risk of fracture for each subject, which differed between SCI subjects and their controls. The differences in BMD distribution along the tibia in different subjects resulted in different regions of the bone being at high risk of fracture under set loading conditions, illustrating the benefit of creating individual material distribution models. A predictive tool can be developed based on these models, to enable clinicians to estimate the amount of loading that can be safely allowed onto the skeletal frame of individual patients who suffer from extensive musculoskeletal degeneration (including SCI, multiple sclerosis and the ageing population). The ultimate aim would be to reduce fracture occurrence in these vulnerable groups

Parallel Anisotropic Unstructured Grid Adaptation

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) has become critical to the design and analysis of aerospace vehicles. Parallel grid adaptation that resolves multiple scales with anisotropy is identified as one of the challenges in the CFD Vision 2030 Study to increase the capacity and capability of CFD simulation. The Study also cautions that computer architectures are undergoing a radical change and dramatic increases in algorithm concurrency will be required to exploit full performance. This paper reviews four different methods to parallel anisotropic grid generation. They cover both ends of the spectrum: (i) using existing state-of-the-art software optimized for a single core and modifying it for parallel platforms and (ii) designing and implementing scalable software with incomplete, but rapidly maturating functionality. A brief overview for each grid adaptation system is presented in the context of a telescopic approach for multilevel concurrency. These methods employ different approaches to enable parallel execution, which provides a unique opportunity to illustrate the relative behavior of each approach. Qualitative and quantitative metric evaluations are used to draw lessons for future developments in this critical area for parallel CFD simulation

Grid simulation services for the medical community

The first part of this paper presents a selection of medical simulation applications, including image reconstruction, near real-time registration for neuro-surgery, enhanced dose distribution calculation for radio-therapy, inhaled drug delivery prediction, plastic surgery planning and cardio-vascular system simulation. The latter two topics are discussed in some detail. In the second part, we show how such services can be made available to the clinical practitioner using Grid technology. We discuss the developments and experience made during the EU project GEMSS, which provides reliable, efficient, secure and lawful medical Grid services

State of the Art in the Optimisation of Wind Turbine Performance Using CFD

Wind energy has received increasing attention in recent years due to its sustainability and geographically wide availability. The efficiency of wind energy utilisation highly depends on the performance of wind turbines, which convert the kinetic energy in wind into electrical energy. In order to optimise wind turbine performance and reduce the cost of next-generation wind turbines, it is crucial to have a view of the state of the art in the key aspects on the performance optimisation of wind turbines using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), which has attracted enormous interest in the development of next-generation wind turbines in recent years. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art progress on optimisation of wind turbine performance using CFD, reviewing the objective functions to judge the performance of wind turbine, CFD approaches applied in the simulation of wind turbines and optimisation algorithms for wind turbine performance. This paper has been written for both researchers new to this research area by summarising underlying theory whilst presenting a comprehensive review on the up-to-date studies, and experts in the field of study by collecting a comprehensive list of related references where the details of computational methods that have been employed lately can be obtained