Top Universities for Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) in the US

With CFD and Thermal Sciences becoming the base of almost all the products we build, every university has a department in these fields. In this post, we discussed with top researchers in the field and have come up with universities and labs that perform world-class research in fields such as,

• Combustion
• Multi-Phase Flows
• Turbulent Flow
• Fluid-Structure Interaction
• Hypersonics
• Aerodynamics
• Flow Physics
• Bio Fluids
• Shock Waves

Most top to moderately ranked programs will have rigorous coursework for those interested in fluids and thermal sciences. Here are 25 Universities that you need to consider when it comes to the above-mentioned fields. There is a lot of information in this post, in order to digest every bit of it try spending a significant amount of time. By the way, here is an excel sheet that contains all the 25 universities and their respective research areas.

I will start the list with my Alma matter,

 

 

• University of Wisconsin – Madison – Engine Research Center
  • If you are looking at pursuing your Post Graduation or Ph.D. in Computational Fluid Dynamics, especially in in-cylinder combustion, Multi-phase flow, Spray and Combustion models, and Chemical Reaction Mechanisms then you need to start with the Engine Research Center at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. UW has been in the forefront of Engine research and thus covers CFD as well. And if you require any further incentive to join, the founders of Skill-Lync call this University their Alma Mater.

 

• Princeton University – Combustion Energy Frontier Research Center CEFRC
  • CEFRC focuses on the combustion of fossil and alternate fuels. Take a look at the strong team of Professors who work at Princeton who collaborates with Sandia National Laboratory and other reputed organizations. Chemical Kinetics of Biofuels is one of their main research concentration areas.

 

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology – MIT – offers varied research areas for you to explore, take a look at some of the famous fields below.
  • Mechanics
  • Fluid Dynamics of Disease transmission
  • Combustion Dynamics
  • Combustion Research`
  • Reacting Gas Dynamics

 

• California Institute of Technology
  • THE FORCE – Turbulent Flow Oriented Research in Combustion and Energy
  • Jet Propulsion Laboratory – “Founded by Caltech faculty, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)is a division of Caltech and is the leading U.S. center for the robotic exploration of the solar system. Working together, Caltech’s and JPL’s innovative researchers and technicians are shedding new light on our solar system’s origins and are building knowledge not only of distant planetary environments but of Earth and its atmosphere as well. JPL is currently responsible for conducting missions with more than two dozen spacecraft.” – Jet Propulsion Lab, Caltech

 

• The University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, take a look at the combustion-related work being performed at Wooldridge Laboratory, Propulsion & Combustion engineering labs to get an idea of the research happening at UMich.
  • The Propulsion and Combustion Engineering Lab
  • Wooldridge Combustion Laboratory
  • Fluids

 

• Stanford University – If you are looking to pursue your interests in Turbulence then Stanford should definitely be in your mind. Some of the top researchers work on important turbulence related problems here,
  • Center for Turbulence Research
  • Center for Integrated Turbulence Simulations
  • Flow Physics and Computational Engineering

 

• Georgia Institute of Technology
  • Combustion Lab
  • Aerodynamics & Fluid Mechanics Lab
  • Ben. T. Zinn Combustion Lab

 

• University of Texas – Austin
  • Aerothermodynamics & Fluid Mechanics
  • Ellzey Combustion Group
  • Engine Research Group

 

• University of Minnesota 
  • Thomas E Murphy Engine Research Laboratory
  • Center for Diesel Research – Research on new engines, fuels and emissions
  • Computational Hydrodynamics & Bio-Fluids

 

• University of California – Los Angeles
  • Turbulence Research Group
  • Hypersonics and Computational Aerodynamics Group

 

• University of Southern California
  • Fluid Dynamics – Take a look at the Fluid Dynamics research group at USC. They focus on Turbulence, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Aerodynamics, and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics.

 

• Pennsylvania State University
  • Center for Combustion, Power & Propulsion – Combustion chemistry, Fuels, Flame dynamics, Rocket propulsion, IC Engines, Gas turbines, Space Propulsion
  • High-Pressure Combustion Lab
  • Professors performing Fluid Dynamics Research

 

• University of Maryland – College Park
  • The Combustion Laboratory
  • Cluster for Research on Complex Computations

 

• Cornell University – http://pope.mae.cornell.edu/
  • Stephen. B. Pope – one of the stalwarts in the field of Turbulence and Combustion
  • Combustion Engineering
  • Turbulence and Combustion Group

 

• University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
  • Computational Fluid Dynamics Lab
  • Combustion and Propulsion Lab
  • Propellant and Combustion Lab
  • THE CENTER FOR EXASCALE SIMULATION OF PLASMA-COUPLED COMBUSTION

 

The universities mentioned above, in general, are very good universities and tend to expect higher GRE scores i.e. in the range of 320+, if you did not get a chance to get 320+, some of the universities you can consider are listed below,

• University of California Davis
  • Combustion projects going on in UC DAVIS
  • Bio fluids and Cellular Mechanics
  • Propulsion and Turbomachinery research with CFD

 

• Iowa State University 
  • Computational Fluid Dynamics – Chemical & Biological Engineering People
  • Computational Multi-Phase And Combustion Research Laboratory – COMPAC
  • Center of Multiphase Flow Research – CoMFRE
  • Turbulence Simulation and Modeling Laboratory

 

• University of Massachusetts – Amherst
  • Theoretical and Computational Fluid Dynamics Lab
  • Multiphase flow simulation Laboratory

 

• Ohio State University
  • Turbulence and Combustion Research Laboratory
  • Computational Combustion and Energy
  • Computational Fluid Dynamics Lab

 

• Michigan State University
  • Alternate Fuels and Combustion Research
  • CFD Lab

 

• The University of Florida – combustion research
  • Combustion and Propulsion Lab
  • Thermal Sciences and Fluid Dynamics

 

• University of Cincinnati
  • Propulsion Simulation Lab
  • Combustion and Fire Research Lab
  • Combustion Research Facility

 

• Clemson University
  • Various Fluid Mechanics research taking place at Clemson University

 

• University of Wyoming
  • Prof. Dimitri Mavriplis

 

• University of Colorado 

 

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