Digital Twins & Simulations: Prof. S. Balachandar on the Future of Engineering! | Episode 18

How has Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) evolved from the 1980s to today’s cutting-edge CFD simulations and industry applications?

In this episode of Prof Mahesh Podcast, Prof S. Balachandar shares deep insights from his research in fluid dynamics simulations and collaborations with industry—exploring how CFD modeling and numerical simulations have become powerful tools for solving real-world problems in aerospace, energy, climate science, and engineering design.

From simulating volcanic eruptions, avalanches, and dust storms to improving heat exchangers, rockets, and nuclear power plants, Prof. Bala explains how Navier-Stokes equations, turbulence modeling, and supercomputing advancements have shaped CFD simulations into the backbone of modern engineering.

🔑 Key Takeaways:
Early industrial adoption of CFD simulations in the 1980s & 90s
Role of numerical simulations in solving natural phenomena like volcanic eruptions & avalanches
Evolution of computing power (1 billion× increase since the 80s)
Why experiments alone can’t solve today’s engineering problems
Navier-Stokes equations: Mass, momentum & energy conservation
How engineering simulations reduce costs, improve safety & drive innovation
Future of CFD in research, industry & national security

Whether you’re a student, researcher, or engineer, this episode is a masterclass on the past, present, and future of Computational Fluid Dynamics and CFD simulations.

Don’t forget to subscribe for future episodes so that you can make informed career decisions. Leave your questions in the comments and suggestions for topics you would like to see covered in later episodes.

This podcast is brought to you by the Office of Global Engagement, IIT Madras -
https://ge.iitm.ac.in/

All the references made in the podcast can be found here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1a...

Chapters:
[00:00:00] Introduction
[00:03:53] Journey of Prof. Bala
[00:06:04] Life at Brown: Small School, Big Impact
[00:08:08] Navier–Stokes: Power & Challenges
[00:11:54] Evolution of CFD in Research
[00:15:48] CFD in Industry Applications
[00:20:26] Simulating Nature’s Fury with CFD
[00:22:52] Complexities of Turbulence Modeling
[00:25:10] Defining the Goals of Simulation
[00:27:49] Building a Career in Simulations
[00:31:33] From Simulation to Digital Twin
[00:34:39] Skills for a Career in CFD
[00:37:21] CFD and the Human Body
[00:39:44] Evolution of CFD Tools
[00:47:50] AI Meets CFD: A Two-Way Street
[00:51:52] CFD in Academia vs Industry
[00:56:31] Becoming a Simulation Tools Developer
[00:59:23] Computing Power & Future of CFD
[01:02:13] Preparing for a CFD Career
[01:04:28] Closing Thoughts

Courses:
NPTEL
Computational Fluid Dynamics (IIT Kharagpur) - https://onlinecourses.nptel.ac.in/noc...
Foundation of Computational Fluid Dynamics - (IIT Madras) - https://onlinecourses.nptel.ac.in/noc...
Applied Computational Fluid Dynamics (IIT Kanpur) - https://onlinecourses.nptel.ac.in/noc...
Computational Fluid Dynamics (IIT Madras) - https://onlinecourses.nptel.ac.in/noc...
Introduction to CFD (IIT Kharagpur) - https://onlinecourses.nptel.ac.in/noc...
Fluid Mechanics (IIT Guwahati) - https://onlinecourses.nptel.ac.in/noc...

Coursera
Applied Computational Fluid Dynamics - https://www.coursera.org/learn/applie...
Fluid Mechanics Courses - https://www.coursera.org/courses?quer...

edX
Fluid mechanics - https://www.edx.org/learn/fluid-mecha...
A Hands-on Introduction to Engineering Simulations - https://www.edx.org/learn/engineering...
Advanced Fluid Mechanics 1: Fundamentals - https://www.edx.org/learn/fluid-mecha...
Advanced Fluid Mechanics 2: The Navier-Stokes Equations for Viscous Flows - https://www.edx.org/learn/fluid-mecha...




#CFD #Engineering #Research #Turbulence #FluidDynamics #Simulation #PhD #Innovation