Computational Fluid Dynamics Center

History

The CFD Center is an interdisciplinary research center at Iowa State University.

The mission of the Center is to coordinate research and interdepartmental course offerings in the area of numerical simulation of fluid flow and related physical phenomenon.

Iowa State University has been a leader in Computational Fluid Dynamics for over three decades. Formal graduate coursework has been offered in the subject since 1972. This early teaching activity stimulated the development of one of the first engineering textbooks on the subject. In 1980 NASA designated Iowa State University (ISU) as a center of excellence in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and provided funding over three and one-half years to expand educational activities in CFD. With this funding, a Computational Fluid Dynamics Center was formed at ISU to coordinate and promote interdisciplinary activities in this subject area. At present, 10 faculty members and 38 graduate students in the departments of Aerospace Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil and Construction Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering participate in educational and research activities coordinated by the CFD Center.

Funding:

The CFD Center was officially recognized as a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) center of excellence in 1980. Since 1986, CFD Center researchers have received over $6,000,000 in research funding from sources that include: the National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA: Ames, Langley and Lewis), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), Sandia National Labs, the Boeing Company, the General Electric Corporation, Calspan, General Motors - Allison, the Office of Naval Research (ONR), the Army Research Office (ARO), the Iowa Energy Center and the United Technologies Corporation. 

History:

• 1964-65 Research in CFD begins at Iowa State University
• 1968 First research grant in CFD (sponsored by NASA Ames)
• 1972 CFD courses first offered (by Tannehill, Anderson & Pletcher)
• 1980-83 NASA CFD training grant
• 1983 Dedicated Perkin-Elmer (Concurrent) 3242 computer system purchased
• 1984 Textbook based on CFD courses is published by McGraw-Hill/Hemisphere
• 1985 CFD Center officially recognized by the State Board of Regents
• 1987 Dedicated line installed to NAS computers at NASA-Ames
• 1990-94 DEC and SGI workstations replace outdated APOLLO workstations
• 1997 2nd Edition of CFD Textbook published by Taylor & Francis