PhD Thesis - staffweb - University of Greenwich

PhD Thesis : Contents Sectioncompared with the batch mode of processing found in most legacy CFD software. Investigationshave also been conducted into the efficiency implications of using unstructured group solvers.These group solvers are a derivation of the simple point-by-point Jaccobi Over Relaxation (JOR)and Successive Over Relaxation (SOR) solvers [CROFT98] and using group solvers allows thecomputational processing to be more effectively targeted on regions or logical collections ofcells that require more intensive computation. Considerable savings have been demonstrated forthe use of both static- and dynamic- group membership when using these group solvers for acomplex 3-dimensional fire modelling scenario. Furthermore the improvements in the systemarchitecture (brought about as a result of software re-engineering) have helped to create an openframework that is both easy to comprehend and extend. This is in spite of the underlyingunstructured nature of the simulation mesh with all of the associated complexity that this bringsto the data structures. The prototype CFD software framework has recently been used as thecore processing module in a commercial Fire Field Modelling product (called "SMARTFIRE"[EWER99-1]). This CFD framework is also being used by researchers to investigate manydiverse aspects of CFD technology including Knowledge Based Solution Control, Gaseous andSolid Phase Combustion, Adaptive Meshing and CAD file interpretation for ease of casespecification.v