Restrictions could benefit CFD

Flomerics, a Surrey-headquartered fluid dynamics simulator company, has suggested there are benefits to recent FIA restrictions announced on the use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis software.

‘We believe that the Federation International de l’Automobile’s (FIA’s) limitation on CFD and wind tunnel testing will accelerate the trend towards use of CFD tools that accomplish more in less time by integrating simulation with the design process,’ said John Parry, research manager for Flomerics.

Almost all Formula One racing teams use CFD to optimise the aerodynamics of vehicle bodies. The FIA is concerned that better-financed teams have an unfair advantage because they can afford to use CFD with wind tunnel testing to tune vehicle aerodynamics, and so restrictions will limit the number of people involved in CFD analysis and the hardware performance of CFD computer systems.

‘We understand and accept the FIA's reason for restricting wind tunnel testing since its high cost acts as a barrier to smaller teams,’ said Parry.