A Path to Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Knowledge Date: 12/21/2021

I recently had a LinkedIn contact that wished that I explain my path to become
proficient in computational fluid dynamics and OpenFOAM. In truth, I don't know if my
path is the most proficient, but it is a path that I have stumbled upon. Also, I am
currently on the path, and expect, at my study rate, to be finished, with my studies, in 2.5
to 3 years. I have already done the preliminaries.

First, I wanted to take MITx courses from MIT, because it is an outstanding technical
institution with quality material, but a review of the MIT classical mechanics from MIT
OCW https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/physics/8-01sc-classical-mechanics-fall-2016/ let me
know that I needed to refresh my basic mathematics and prepare to learn the MIT way.
Simply put, I could not solve most of the problems at first.

To prepare for MIT mathematics, physics, and other courses, I took the following
preliminary courses. College algebra from ASU https://www.edx.org/course/college-
algebra-and-problem-solving , college trigonometry from University of California-Irvine,
and pre-university-calculus from TU Delft https://www.edx.org/course/pre-university-
calculus-2 . I then took, single variable calculus from University of Pennsylvania
https://www.coursera.org/learn/differentiation-calculus and
https://www.coursera.org/learn/integration-calculus . I have also taken vector calculus
for engineers from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
https://www.coursera.org/learn/vector-calculus-engineers . I took this course after I took
MITx series on single variable calculus and classical mechanics. These prepared me well,
and I averaged B+ to A grade. I really suggest taking TU Delft’s course if it has been a
while since college calculus. It is an excellent review and quite challenging.

I also embarked on my MIT learning. I took MITx single variable calculus series
https://www.edx.org/xseries/mitx-18.01x-single-variable-calculus , minus 1C; MITx
classical mechanics, see above for link, and now I am taking MITx series on differential
equations https://www.edx.org/xseries/mitx-18.03x-differential-equations . The
differential equations series allow 54 weeks to complete, but if one puts in the hours
they can be finished earlier. I have averaged B+ to A with MITx courses, and I currently
have a 95% average in MITx introduction to differential equations after 4 of 5 units.
Note, I took MITx Classical mechanics from edx.org but it is no longer offered. Email
communication with Professor Martin Z. Bazant, an MIT applied mathematics and
chemical engineering professor, and a Google search, informed me that some MIT
professors pulled their material from the 2U edx.org commercial platform and will start
up their own MITx within the year. Still, classical mechanics can be learned from MIT
OCW. I am also doing a self-study of Fox and McDonald's introduction to fluid
mechanics.

1
Chris Harding, BS Chemical Engineer and BS Biological Sciences
A Path to Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Knowledge Date: 12/21/2021

I plan to take the following MIT's graduate level courses. MIT OCW Advanced calculus
for engineers https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/mathematics/18-075-advanced-calculus-for-
engineers-fall-2004/ , MITx advanced fluid mechanics 1
https://www.edx.org/course/advanced-fluid-mechanics-1 , MITx advanced fluid
mechanics 2 https://www.edx.org/course/advanced-fluid-mechanics-2 , and MITx
advanced fluid mechanics 3 https://www.edx.org/course/advanced-fluid-mechanics-3 .
The advanced fluid dynamics series are allowed 36 weeks to complete. Then I plan to
take MITx 10.50x analysis of transport phenomenon series from the new MITx that will
be offered by MIT professors, Professor Martin Z. Bazant, according to Professor Martin
Z. Bazant by Email. I feel this graduate level material, if I am successful, will prepare me
for analysis of fluid systems when I do computational fluid dynamics (CFD) work.
Specifically, I hope to concentrate on waterjet propulsion systems and the jet boat race
boat. My brother has won two world championships and optimizes jet boat race boats
as a hobby.

Once I am finished with all the latter, which will take a couple years for me, I plan to do a
self-study of finite volume method [1], and likely CFD [2], which is a reference I got from
[3], which I hope to digest further. I also plan to digest [4] and digest another book that
is more on turbulence CFD. In fact, I plan to digest [4] after I do my self-study of Fox and
McDonald’s introduction to fluid dynamics, and during my MIT OCW advanced calculus
study.

Finally, I have already taken the http://wiki.openfoam.com “3 week series” tutorial, have
played with OpenFOAM for a couple years and taken a course from Professor Trushar B.
Gohil, have done a simple flow around a cylinder case that matched experimental
results, and I plan to take an OpenFOAM, an open-source alternative to commercial CFD
software, introductory course from Wolf Dynamics, and then from OpenFOAM
foundation or ESI. I have not made my decision as to which version I will concentrate on
for future OpenFOAM versions, but I currently use the foundation versions. As a side
note, Tomislav Marić[3] specifically stated that C++ object-oriented programming (OOP)
is needed to understand OpenFOAM to its fullest—“the code is the documentation.”, so
I plan to learn C++ OOP along the way. For CAD work, I plan to concentrate on
FreeCAD, which is the open-source alternative to Solid Works.

I am a medically retired chemical engineer, so I have time for this pathway. To me, it is
grueling path, but I love learning, and it is my mindfulness activity. Obviously, the
outcome of my final project on waterjet propulsion of jet boat race boats will be factor
that decides if I am completely successful. I also want to understand the “spoon” of the
race boat jet boat by OpenFOAM analysis. Also, as an example, MITx 10.50x is a “right of

2
Chris Harding, BS Chemical Engineer and BS Biological Sciences
A Path to Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Knowledge Date: 12/21/2021

passage” for MIT chemical engineering graduate students, so I suspect it will be quite
challenging. I hope I will be prepared by taking all the MIT math.

References:

[1] Moukalled, F.; Darwish, M; Mangani, L. (2016). The Finite Volume Method in
Computational Fluid Dynamics: An Advanced Introduction with OpenFOAM® and
Matlab®. Springer

{2] Hirsch, Charles. (2007). Numerical Computation of Internal and External Flows: The
Fundamentals of Computational Fluid Dynamics. Elsevier

[3] Tomislav Marić, Jens Höpken, & Kyle G. Mooney. (2021). The OpenFOAM Technology
Primer (Version OpenFOAM-v2012.1). Zenodo. http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4630596

[4] Tennekes, Henk; Lumley, John L. A First Course in Turbulence. MIT Press. URL:
https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/first-course-turbulence

3
Chris Harding, BS Chemical Engineer and BS Biological Sciences