Can You Trust the Accuracy of FEA or CFD Simulations?

An important part of most industries in today’s advanced world is accuracy. Whether this is achieving the correct dimensions for an aviation part or performing heat simulations correctly when researching a new mobile phone. No matter what technological industry you look at, maintaining accuracy in your calculations is essential.

Thankfully, many advanced systems and software are present for various purposes to meet this requirement. In particular, two of the most commonly used types of simulation of flow and related problems are FEA and CFD simulations.

However, can you trust their accuracy? Well, before that, let’s understand what exactly these terms mean.

What are FEA and CFD simulations?

While they are used in various parallel applications, FEA and CFD are two varying terms that refer to different processes.

FEA (Finite Element Analysis)

The term FEA stands for Finite Element Analysis; a simulation completed using FEM (Finite Element Method). These simulations optimize products in their R&D phase and help achieve maximum utility with minimum expenditure.

FEA simulations are quite complex and involve many mathematical equations, algorithms, and calculations to be completed correctly.

Moreover, they go over various data points ranging from fluid behavior to wave propagation and even organic factors such as the growth of cells.

CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics)

Computational Fluid Dynamics is a branch of fluid mechanics that analyzes numerical values and data structures to solve fluid flow problems. These simulations allow users to understand the interaction of fluids with their surroundings and under various conditions.

CFD simulations warrant large amounts of calculations, often performed on high-speed devices to obtain maximum accuracy and efficiency. That being said, even with such requirements, FEA & CFD simulations are still used in various industries.

Real-world applications of CFD and FEA

Some of the most common real-world applications of CFD and FEA are:

CFD simulations are utilized to study airflow around objects to understand the aerodynamic features of automobiles, aircraft, rockets, etc.
One of the most effective methods to analyze and simulate heat transfer to obtain efficient thermal management is using CFD.
FEA simulations are utilized to understand fatigue and fracture mechanics to ensure solids can hold up against extreme pressures.

Why You Should Trust CFD and FEA?

While these simulations may be used throughout various applications, the question arises, how reliable and accurate are the results of these tests? After all, in some industries, accuracy in these results could cause dissonance and harmony.

So, to help understand why CFD and FEA provide accurate results, here are some reasons, you can trust their simulations:

1. Various pivotal data input points

When performing a CFD or FEA simulation for a solid or flow problem, you must provide the software with many data inputs to commence the calculations.

For example, some inputs needed for accurate simulations are:

Material properties
Experimental data for material use
Loading conditions
Application of the required components

Simulations can realistically recreate your desired conditions to obtain accurate results using these and many others. So, as long as you provide the software with accurate inputs, you can trust that it will give you accurate simulations.

2. Meshing for simulations

Meshing is an integral part of FEA and CFD simulations and involves discretizing a complex geometrical structure into cells with distinct nodes. These cells can then be shaped in a pattern that best represents the physical object’s shape, appropriately recreated in the simulation.

This meshing process can improve the accuracy of simulation manifolds if done properly. In particular, a high-quality mesh will provide you with accurate and fast simulations that you can trust for detailed results.

3. Robust & cautionary algorithms

Focusing more on the developer’s end of such software, a large part of their correct simulation depends on the algorithms developed to run them. So, people might have a common doubt: ‘ How do I know that these algorithms are functioning correctly?’

When CFD and FEA software are being designed, most developers will integrate cautionary limits that allow for accurate simulations. Going beyond this will cause an error message to pop up, which will let you know that there is a risk of inaccuracy due to a certain value or input. So, you will know if the software can provide accurate results or not.

4. Validation with previous information

Each simulation within the scope of these applications goes under rigorous validation before it can be considered a complete simulation. This involves asking various questions and comparing data that can signify how well a simulation has been conducted and the validity of its outcome.

For example, when completing a fluid problem with a CFD simulation, professionals will often compare it to similar problems to understand the level of accuracy and the presence of mistakes.

So, you can reduce the room for error and improve the accuracy of simulations with verification that your data points are reliable and realistic.

Final Thoughts

With these measures in place, FEA and CFD simulations can provide robust, efficient, and accurate calculations for various industries and applications. Moreover, using aspects such as meshing correctly can ensure that your simulations produce realistic and quality results.

Mechartes is here to assist you in making your job easier. Our professional team can guide you through the entire process to ensure that you understand your simulations and can run them optimally.

So, if you want to ensure that your CFD and FEA simulations are accurate, give us a call today!