Limitations of CFD
• Physical models.
– CFD solutions rely upon physical models of real world processes
(e.g. turbulence, compressibility, chemistry, multiphase flow, etc.).
– The CFD solutions can only be as accurate as the physical models
on which they are based.
• Numerical errors.
– Solving equations on a computer invariably introduces numerical
errors.
– Round-off error: due to finite word size available on the computer.
Round-off errors will always exist (though they can be small in most
cases).
– Truncation error: due to approximations in the numerical models.
Truncation errors will go to zero as the grid is refined. Mesh
refinement is one way to deal with truncation error.