INFORMATION HIGHWAY AND NUMERICAL HEAT-TRANSFER

It is proposed that researchers in the numerical heat transfer communi ty need to realize the trend of the information highway and agree to u se a protocol or a module that constitutes the core of a computer prog ram solving heat transfer problems. This will avoid duplicate programm ing and accelerate the technology advancement of numerical heat transf er. The module for two-dimensional incompressible Navier-Stokes flows is presented and explained. It is further demonstrated that, using thi s module as the foundation, the user can straightforwardly build up an entire personal computer code by inputting the data, specifying bound ary conditions, and outputting the result. Other modules for slightly more compicated problems, such as transient flows with variable viscos ity in irregular geometries, are also presented. Other than zoning mat ches for problems with multizones, the programming task for a user bec omes minimal and simple: input, prescribe the boundary conditions, and output. The availability of Navier-Stokes modules is particularly hel pful for less experienced numerical researchers, newcomers, and gradua te students who have just entered the area of heat transfer and fluid flows.