Structure of the Knowledge Base

Structure and Operation of the Knowledge Base

Introduction to the QNET Knowledge Base

The knowledge base is partitioned into Gold and Silver Domains. The Gold Domain is the repository for content that has been carefully checked and therefore satisfies high quality standards. The Gold Domain is restricted to ERCOFTAC members who will be issued with privileged access. However, the list of all Application (AC) Challenges and Underlying Flow Regimes (UFR), (both described below) with their abstracts are in the public domain.

The Silver Domain is the repository for less mature content which is still under discussion and open for improvement. Parts of the Silver Domain are marked as Silver . This is reserved for content which has matured to levels of quality and significance approaching Gold standard, and made public to serve as examples of the high quality found in the Gold domain. In some cases it will act to invite the addition of new CFD results obtained with alternative models. Both Silver and Silver are fully in the public domain.

Both Gold and Silver Domains are application centred, facilitating the identification of appropriate knowledge and advice for specific industrial purposes. They are organised around:

• Application Areas
• Underlying Flow Regimes

Application Areas

Application Areas are categories of articles of specific interest to particular sector disciplines such as: Built Environment, Chemical and Process Engineering, External Aerodynamics, Turbomachinery, Combustion and Heat Transfer.

Each Application Area is comprised of Application Challenges (AC) which are realistic industrial test cases used to judge the competency and limitations of CFD for a given Application Area.

The content of each Application Challenge (AC) test case within the Knowledge Base consists of an:

• Abstract - Summary of content
• Description - Introduction to the test case and physical phenomena
• Test Data - Description of test case experiments and provision of data for the AC
• CFD Simulation - Description of CFD Simulations and provision of results for the AC
• Evaluation - Comparison of CFD results and test case experiments evaluation.
• Quality Review
• Best Practice Advice

Underlying Flow Regimes

These are generic, well studied test cases capturing important elements of the key flow physics encountered across the Application Areas.

The content of each Underlying Flow Regimes (UFR) test case within the Knowledge Base consists of an:

• Abstract - Summary of content
• Description - Introduction to the test case and physical phenomena, practical importance and parameters of interest for the UFR
• Test Case - Description of test case experiments
• Evaluation - Comparison of CFD calculations with test case experiments
• Quality Review
• Best Practice Advice

Please note that only Gold AC and UFR test cases include a quality review form. For more information on quality reviews please click on the following link, Quality Review Documents.

For a full index of all the Application Challenge and Underlying Flow Regime test case articles within the Knowledge Base please click on the following links:

AC Index

UFR Index

How to Contribute Articles and Provide Feedback

Users are encouraged to comment on, exchange views and opinion on the Silver content in the User Feedback Page. For this they must register by clicking on "Create an account" at the top of any page. By doing this you automatically agree to the terms and conditions given in the Terms and Conditions Page.

Users will not be able to directly edit or change a Silver document, but they are highly encouraged to provide new content, either by suggesting modifications/extensions to existing content or indeed by adding new contributions. In order to do this the user must gain access to the Library by emailing the ERCOFTAC Editorial Board with a request (ERCOFTAC Editorial Board).