ME 7310 – Winter 2021; Page 1 of 3

Computational Fluid Dynamics

& Heat Transfer Syllabus
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48202

Term: Winter 2021

Class Schedule: Monday and Wednesday, 5:30 PM – 7:10 PM, Synchronous / Main Campus
CRN (ME 4300): 23466 – Synchronous / Main Campus
Course Website: Canvas (http://canvas.wayne.edu)

Instructor: Prof. Ming-Chia Lai, Ph.D. Fellow ASME, Fellow SAE

Campus Office: Rm 2123, Engg. Bldg.
Phone: (313) 577-3893
E-Mail Address: mclai@wayne.edu
(Any email from students not initiated from Canvas should have ME 4300 in the Subject
heading to ensure prompt reply)
Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday, 3:30 PM – 5:20 PM or by appointment

GTA: Tanner Liu

Campus Office: Room 1348, Engg. Bldg.
E-Mail Address: fz4782@wayne.edu
Cell Phone: (248) 251-2732
Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday, 3:30 PM – 5:20 PM or by appointment

Textbook : Computational Fluid Dynamics for Engineers, by Bengt Andersson, Ronnie

Andersson, Love Håkansson, Mikael Mortensen, Rahman Sudiyo, Berend van
Wachem, 2012, Cambridge University Press, 978-1107018952.
Software:
 Primary: ANSYS/FLUENT: Free student license download:
http://www.ansys.com/Student
 Possible Auxiliary:
o CONVERGE: WSU VPN via license server.
o SIMSCALE: cloud student license: https://www.simscale.com/
o POWERFLOW: TBD

References :
 A First Course in Computational Fluid Dynamics, by H. Aref and S. Blachandar,
Cambridge University Press, 2018An Introduction to Computational Fluid
Dynamics: The Finite Volume Method, by H. Henk Kaarle Versteeg, Weeratunge
Malalasekera, Prentice Hall, 2007 (2nd ed).
 CONVERGE 2.4 Training Materials on Internal Combustion Engine Modeling,
2017, Convergence Science, Inc.
 A First Course in Turbulence, by Tennekes H. and Lumley J.L., MIT Press, 1972.
 Turbulent Flows, by Stephen B. Pope, Cambridge University Press, 2000.
 Engines: An Introduction, by Lumley J.L., Cambridge University Press, 1999.
 Mixture Formation in Internal Combustion Engines, by Carsten Baumgarten,
Springer, 2006.
 ME 7310 – Winter 2021; Page 2 of 3

Prerequisites: ME5300 Intermediate Fluid Dynamics, (Thermodynamics, Fluid Mechanics, Heat-

and Mass-Transfer, Partial Differential Equations, Navier-Stokes Equations,
Vector-Tensor Analysis, Boundary Layer, Viscous Flows, Turbulence,
Numerical Methods).
HW1: Complete Module #4 by January 13, the free on-line course below:
https://courses.edx.org/courses/course-v1:CornellX+ENGR2000X+1T2018/course/

Course Learning Objectives:

Abbreviations in brackets refer to the methods of evaluation, with HW = Homework, QE =
Quizzes & Exams, PC = Projects or Competitions, PR = Presentations, and RP = Reports.)
Computational fluid dynamics, CFD, has become an indispensable tool for mechanical
engineers. This course is an introduction to CFD simulations of flow involving turbulence,
mixing, reaction, and multiphase flows, and use Internal Combustion Engine as a comprehensive
application example. The emphasis on understanding the physics of these flows helps the
engineer to select appropriate models to obtain reliable simulations. Besides presenting the
equations involved, the basics and limitations of the models are explained and discussed. The
course will combine lecture with hands-on tutorials and projects for meshing, simulation, and
post-processing (using FLENT, and CONVERGE). The tutorials cover flow inside a catalytic
converter, reactions inside a porous catalyst, combustion in turbulent non-premixed flow,
multiphase simulation of evaporation spray, and internal combustion respectively.
Students who successfully complete ME 7310 will be able to:
1. Understand physics of flow and transport processes of mass, momentum, and energy;
[HW, QE]
2. Understand the numeric aspects of pressure-based Navier-Strokes solvers and the modeling
aspects of turbulence, heat and mass transfer, mixing, fast-chemical reactions, and multi-phase
processes; [QE]
3. Use engineering software to practice pre- and post-processing, computation, analysis, and
presentation to solve CFD problems. [PR, RP]
4. Understand the importance of CFD encountered in real-life engineering applications. [PC]

Grading and Other Class Policies:

1. 50% for homework, in-class Quizzes and Exams ((roughly every 3 weeks), 50% for Projects
with presentation. The grades are (roughly): A = 85 & above, B = 70 – 85, C = below 70.
2. Cheating, including collaborating in exams or homework, will result in a grade of F for the
course. Please read carefully the Academic Integrity Policy below.
Dropping or Withdrawing from Classes
Students must drop classes via the Web by logging into Pipeline (http://academica.wayne.edu). Students may
drop a class (for fifteen week classes) through the end of the fourth week of class. Classes that are dropped do not
appear on the transcript. Beginning the fifth week of class students are no longer allowed to drop but must withdraw
from classes via Pipeline. It is the student’s responsibility to request the withdrawal. The withdrawal period for full-
term classes ends at the end of the tenth week of the term. See the Academic Calendar for specific information on
when the withdrawal period ends: http://reg.wayne.edu/students/calendar.php
Educational Accessibility Services
If you feel that you may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability, please feel free to contact
me privately to discuss your specific needs. Additionally, the Office of Educational Accessibility Services (EAS)
coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities. The Office is located in 1600
David Adamany Undergraduate Library, phone: 313-577-1851 (Voice) / 577-3365 (TTD).
 ME 7310 – Winter 2021; Page 3 of 3

Academic Integrity Policy

Wayne State University is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity. You are
expected to conduct yourself in accordance with these standards. To the extent that this course relies on
project reports and independent research papers, be especially aware of proper attribution and citation
standards to avoid even the appearance of plagiarism.
Per the Student Code of Conduct, any violations of academic integrity will be handled via a
combination of downgrading (up to and including failing the course) and prosecution via the Dean of
Students and College of Engineering's Judicial Officer, which can result in permanent transcript notations
or even expulsion from the University.
[Copying or collaborating on assignment IS cheating.] All homework and projects must be an
individual effort unless specifically noted. STUDENTS WHO CHEAT ON ANY ASSIGNMENT OR
DURING ANY EXAMINATION WILL BE ASSIGNED A FAILING GRADE FOR THE COURSE.
Therefore avoid all appearance of improper behavior! Students who witness cheating should
report the incident to the instructor as soon as possible. Students are also welcome to discuss any
concerns related to cheating with the Chair of Mechanical Engineering. Be sure you are familiar with
the material on the following links: http://www.doso.wayne.edu/student-
conduct/Student_Code_Conduct.html

COVID-19 Compliance – All students are expected to familiarize themselves with mandatory
campus health and safety guidelines – including practicing social distancing and wearing a face
covering – by completing the Warrior Safe Training modules in Canvas. University policy requires
students to complete a campus daily health screener beginning48 hours before first coming to
campus.

Useful University Resources:

University academic and registration calendar: http://reg.wayne.edu/students/calendar.php
University final exam schedule at http://reg.wayne.edu/students/exams.php
 ME 7310 – Winter 2021; Page 4 of 3

Tentative Schedule (check Canvas for updates)

Date week Materials Covered HW/Exam./Proj.

Jan. 11 1 Course Overview, Introduction Chap. 1
ANSYS Installation complete HW1
Jan. 18 2 No class, MLK Day
Jan. 20 2 Flow Classification, Transport Equations for Mass, Chap. 1b
Momentum (Euler and Navier-Stokes) HW2
Jan. 25 3 Transport Equations for Species and Energy. Chap. 2
Method of Characteristics and 1-D Solver
Proj1 due
Feb. 1 4 Numerical Schemes and Aspects Q1
Unsteady 1-D & MoC
Feb. 8 5 Boundary & Initial Conditions, and Meshing Chap. 2b

Feb. 15 6 Turbulent Flow and scales Chap. 3

Proj2 due
Feb. 22 7 Turbulent Modeling Chap. 4 Q2

March 1 8 One-, Two-Equation, LES and advanced Models Chap. 4

March 8 9 Law of Wall and Near Wall Turbulence Chap. 5 Proj3 due
Q3
March 15 10 Spring Break

March 22 11 Turbulent Mixing and Chemical Reaction

March 29 12 Multiphase Flow Modeling Chap 6, 7

Proj4 due
April 5 13 Spray Combustion and IC Engine CFD Q4

April 12 14 Flow-Chemistry Interactions

April 13~15 SAE World Congress WCX Digital Summit
April 19 15 Other Advance Topics
Proj5 due
April 26 16 Best-Practice Guidelines
April 27 Study Day
April 28 Final Exam (Comprehensive) Final Exam