Customer Stories at IP ServerOne
How Mechanical Engineers Run CFD Simulations Faster & Cheaper
Powered by: NovaCloud
Introduction
- Country: Malaysia
- Industry: Mechanical Engineering (specialized in Computational Dynamic Fluids)
- Service: NovaCloud
Challenge Summary
CFD simulations are highly resource-intensive, demanding significant processing power, memory, and storage. Local workstations often struggle with large simulation datasets, leading to long computation times and restricted model complexity. Investing in on-premises hardware is costly, requires ongoing maintenance, and lacks flexibility when project demands change.
Solution Summary
By leveraging NovaCloud’s high-performance virtual machines and scalable resources, engineers and students can run CFD simulations in the cloud without hardware bottlenecks. NovaCloud allows users to:
- Instantly scale computing power to match simulation complexity.
- Store and access large datasets securely from anywhere.
- High availability with secure backups to protect CFD workloads from cyber threats and data loss.
Result Summary
- Faster Results: Reduce simulation run times by instantly adding more CPU cores and memory.
- Cost Efficiency: Pay only for the resources you use, avoiding large upfront hardware costs.
- Accessibility: Run simulations anytime, anywhere, without being tied to a physical lab.
- Versatility: Apply NovaCloud beyond CFD to areas such as structural analysis and thermal modeling.
How Mechanical Engineering Students Use NovaCloud by IP ServerOne for Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
Have you ever wondered how birds defy gravity? Why do airplanes take on their iconic curved wing shapes? Or how a Formula 1 car can hug a corner at 300 km/h without losing grip?
The answer lies in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). For mechanical engineering students like King Wei from Monash University, CFD transforms complex mathematical equations into practical insights that drive real-world engineering innovation. Today, with NovaCloud, students in Malaysia can run advanced CFD simulations using cloud computing—without investing in expensive hardware.
What Is Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)?
At its core, Computational Fluid Dynamics simulates how fluids—air, water, and other gases or liquids—flow, transfer heat, and interact with solid surfaces. By breaking down a physical space into a fine digital mesh, engineers can predict real-world behavior and optimize designs before building physical prototypes.
Think of CFD as a virtual wind tunnel. Instead of constructing costly experimental setups, mechanical engineers visualize invisible forces digitally. This approach is widely used across aerospace, automotive, civil engineering, and industrial design.
The Science Behind CFD: Navier–Stokes Equations
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is built on the Navier–Stokes equations, which describe the motion of fluids by linking velocity, pressure, temperature, and density. First formulated in the 1800s, these equations are elegant in theory—but notoriously difficult to solve.
$$
\rho\left(\frac{\partial \mathbf{u}}{\partial t}
+ \mathbf{u}\cdot\nabla \mathbf{u}\right)
= -\nabla p + \mu \nabla^{2}\mathbf{u} + \mathbf{f}
$$
For complex geometries like aircraft wings or car bodies, solving them requires huge computational power. This is where many students hit a wall: a standard laptop simply isn’t enough.
How Computational Fluid Dynamics Shapes Our Living
CFD isn’t limited to classrooms or laboratories—it influences everyday life in surprising ways.
Nature-Inspired Engineering
- Bird Wings = Flight Winglets: By studying how birds manipulate airflow, engineers developed aircraft winglets that reduce drag and save millions of gallons of fuel.
- Shark Skin = Drag Reduction: CFD revealed how microscopic ridges on shark skin reduce resistance, inspiring high-performance swimsuits and more efficient ship hulls.
Industrial & Engineering Applications
- F1 Aerodynamics: CFD helps race engineers generate downforce, keeping cars stable at extreme speeds.
- Skyscraper Safety: Wind flow simulations prevent dangerous “wind tunnel” effects around tall buildings.
- Aerospace Engineering: Engineers model atmospheric re-entry for spacecraft—scenarios that are impossible to test physically.
Traditional CFD vs. Cloud-Powered CFD
In the past, CFD calculations were painfully slow. Engineers relied on limited computing resources, long runtimes, and often compromised on accuracy. For students, running large simulations could be frustrating—or simply impossible.
Cloud computing has changed that.With NovaCloud, students can access high-performance computing resources on demand, enabling them to run millions of calculations in a fraction of the time.
Why NovaCloud Is a Game-Changer for Computational Fluid Dynamics
NovaCloud by IP ServerOne provides scalable, high-performance cloud infrastructure optimized for workloads like computational fluid dynamics (CFD). It removes the biggest barriers to learning and experimentation for mechanical engineering students in Malaysia.
Here are six reasons NovaCloud is ideal for CFD workloads:
1. Run Complex CFD Simulations Without Expensive Hardware
CFD projects often involve fine meshes, turbulence models, and transient simulations that demand high CPU core counts and large amounts of RAM. NovaCloud allows students to run airflow, heat transfer, and multiphase simulations without relying on costly workstations.
2. Faster Convergence, Shorter Simulation Time
Long solver runtimes are a common challenge in CFD. NovaCloud lets students temporarily scale up CPU cores, helping simulations converge faster—especially for:
- Turbulent flow simulations
- Transient or time-dependent cases
- High-Reynolds-number aerodynamics problems
This means less waiting and more time for analysis and learning.
3. Iterate Designs More Efficiently
CFD is rarely a one-time process. Students often refine meshes, adjust boundary conditions, or test different geometries. NovaCloud makes it easy to run multiple simulation iterations in parallel—critical when working under tight academic deadlines.
4. Handle Large Meshes & High Memory Demand
Fine mesh resolution improves accuracy but quickly overwhelms local machines. NovaCloud’s RAM-optimized instances allow students to:
- Use finer meshes near boundary layers
- Apply advanced turbulence models
- Avoid solver crashes caused by memory limits
5. Safeguard Simulation Results
CFD simulations represent hours—or days—of computation. NovaCloud’s high-availability infrastructure and snapshot backups protect meshes, solver outputs, and post-processing files, reducing the risk of data loss during critical project phases like final-year submissions.
6. Local Support That Makes a Difference
Unlike global cloud providers, NovaCloud offers 24/7 Malaysian-based technical support.
“The 24-hour tech support has saved me a few times—the responsiveness really makes the difference when you’re dealing with tight deadlines.” — King Wei, Mechanical Engineering Student, Monash University
Use Case: Running a Computational Fluid Dynamics Project on NovaCloud
King Wei’s project required high-fidelity simulations far beyond the capabilities. Here’s how he leveraged NovaCloud:
- Setup: Deployed an Ubuntu instance on NovaCloud and installed open-source tools such as FreeCAD (modeling) and Salome/GMSH (meshing).
- Meshing: Divided the geometry into fine grids to ensure simulation accuracy.
- Simulation: Ran OpenFOAM on a high-core NovaCloud instance to calculate fluid behavior.
- Analysis: Visualized and processed results using ParaView and Python.
- Cost Optimization: Scaled resources up during computation and down when idle to control costs.
This workflow allowed him to focus on engineering insights—rather than hardware limitations.
Cloud for Students Program by IP ServerOne
The Cloud for Students Program by IP ServerOne is created to give Malaysian students free access to cloud computing resources for learning, experimentation, and project development.
With this program, students can focus on learning, experimenting, and innovating—without worrying about cost and hardware constraints. From CFD and robotics to other compute-intensive projects, NovaCloud empowers Malaysian students to push their engineering skills further.
👉 Learn more about NovaCloud by IP ServerOne