Computational Fluid Dynamics: An Effective Tool for Agricultural Engineering Analysis

摘要

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a powerful simulation tool which uses computers and numerical methods to solve problems involving fluid flow. CFD has become very popular in all engineering fields including agriculture. CFD is now commonly used for various agricultural studies including HVAC of agricultural buildings such as greenhouses, livestock houses and storages, but also to study atmospheric dispersion of odors (odour carrying particles), emissions and pesticides spraying drift, or to optimize production systems of renewable energy. CFD also finds application in food processing operations including drying, extrusion, in tillage studies etc. However, the use of CFD among Agricultural Engineers in Sub Sahara Africa has been limited. In thispaper, we review the principles of computational fluid dynamics, provide an overview of its current applications to various operations and processes in agricultural engineering and identify the challenges and implications for the successful implementation of CFD particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.