Thanks to all of you who responded to my previous post on “How Much is Your Time Worth?” Not only are you keeping this blog alive, you are making it more popular by the minute! Thank you for that.

I recently became the exclusive USA distributor for EURO/CFD, a European based company that provides CAD and CAE (including CFD) simulation services. The main reason for this partnership being that my services are complimentary to EURO/CFD’s. I educate organizations on how to be more successful with computer modeling, and how to translate real-world engineering problems into computer simulations. Once specific areas and techniques are identified, and if a client wants a fast, clean, expert solution to their modeling problem, EURO/CFD will do a great job on that side. The services of MVP Modeling Solutions and EURO/CFD greatly compliment each other resulting in a happy client with a start-to-end solution to their complex engineering problem.

Since my previous post on saving time and headache with outsourcing, got such rave reviews, this week I am continuing that theme and in the spirit of my new partnership with EURO/CFD I present to you:

TOP 5 REASONS TO OUTSOURCE YOUR MODELING WORK

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An expert with 25 years of experience in the field of fuel chemistry and chemical kinetics, Dr. Pitz addresses these questions in my interview with him:

1. Why are chemical mechanisms relevant? Who should study them and why?
2. From a kinetecist point of view a mechanism can never be proven to be correct, only shown to be incorrect. What is the point of testing mechanisms against experimental data? Would they always be “incorrect” and is it better to just stick to experiments?
3. Could computations that use chemical mechanisms ever be useful?
4. What is the difference between detailed and reduced chemistry mechanisms? What do you see as being the biggest challenge in obtaining reduced mechanisms?
5. What is the biggest misconception that engineers have about chemical mechanisms?
6. What is the biggest challenge in reactive flow simulation and modeling?
7. If you had to give one piece of advice to an engineer who is thinking of adding some reactive flow modeling to his research and is looking for mechanisms – what would it be?

Dr. Pitz Bio:

Dr. Pitz received his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, under the supervision of Professor Robert F. Sawyer. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in engineering science from Purdue University.  He has been developing chemical kinetic mechanisms for hydrocarbon fuels and alternative fuels at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for over 25 years.  He has been using these mechanisms to study applied problems of ignition and pollutant emissions from HCCI and diesel engines, and engine knock in spark ignition engines.  For his work, he has received the Horning Award and the Cowell Merit Award from the society of automotive engineers.

(Click on “play” button to listen tot he 35 minute interview. If you are not able to listen, make sure that Quicktime plug-in is installed) Read more »

Dear Readers,

Today we have a great post by a guest author - Jeff Waters. Jeff has been involved with CFD and 3D modeling industry for quite sometime.  He has been kind enough to share with us his tips for “recession proofing your CFD work.” As you read this piece, you will probably see a lot of similarities between Jeff’s point of view and my own. Interestingly enough, we  each wrote our posts independently. What does that tell you about paying attention to how simulation is being used in your company? Read more »

Are you finding it easy to get funding for projects that involve computer modeling? Or is it rather difficult to get budgets approved for new software licenses, and computer workstations? This article in Product Design and Development on-line might be of use to many of you. Please share with us your experience by posting comments!

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Dear Readers,

I invite you ALL to sign up for my Webinar hosted by www.NAFEMS.org on Contributing to the Bottom Line with Computer Modeling.  Best part? You do not have to be a NAFEMS member and the webinar is compltely FREE! Learn how to use engineering computer modeling in your organization to cut costs, save time and create more innovative products.

To register go here : http://www.nafems.org/events/nafems/2008/bottomline/

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Just a side note: we have been getting some wonderfull comments from all of you on current AND older posts. I try to respond to all, or at least most, of your comments. If you posted comments here previously, I highly encourage you to check back on those posts to see what responses you recieved.

Get latest updates from Twitter: Twitter.com/MVPetrova

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“I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs.

How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavored to form? His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful!–Great God! His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun white sockets in which they were set, his shriveled complexion and straight black lips.

…I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body. For this I had deprived myself of rest and health. I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart.”

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I am trying out another spiffy new way to provide valuable information to you, MVP blog readers. This is a 4 minute slide presentation about two biggest problems that plague the reactive flow modeling efforts in the engineering industry.

Basically, they boil down to two issues:

1) A perfect modeling software does not exist

2) Chemical mechanisms are user input

- Correct mechanisms do not exist

-  An industry standard for mechanism testing does not exist

Interested? Play the video or watch it on youtube if your browser gives you problems. Read more »

This week, it is my pleasure to present to you my interview with Dr. Elaine Oran.

Elaine has over 40 years of experience working with computer simulation in the engineering industry. She is an author of an engineering textbook “Numerical Simulation of Reactive Flow” and a prestigious researcher at the Naval Research Lab.

In this interview, she shares with us her views on computer simulation and gives important advice to engineers thinking of becoming more involved with computer simulation and modeling. Listening to what this veteran expert has to say on the subject, is a MUST for any engineering professional. Read more »