LIN - Laboratory of Computational Engineering

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The Laboratory of Computational Engineering (LIN) is a research and teaching laboratory within the Institute of Mechanical Engineering (IGM) of the School of Engineering (STI) at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology - Lausanne (EPFL). The LIN is involved in a wide range of basic and applied research in computational science and engineering with an emphasis on numerical fluid mechanics.

Fundamental and applied research, as well as teaching, are undertaken within three main themes:

physical and numerical modelling
hardware and software resources
complex multiphysics applications

Physical modelling activities are focussed on the understanding of complex (e.g. unsteady, turbulent, 3D, reacting) compressible and incompressible flows, including non-Newtonian fluids and particulate flows. The numerical simulation of these flows is performed using a variety of numerical methods (e.g. finite element, spectral element, lattice Boltzmann and discrete element methods). To perform state-of-the-art simulations, attention is given to the hardware and software resources required; the LIN is thus strongly involved with the Pleiades cluster, grid computing initiatives and scientific visualization. Finally, these basic aspects are employed for complex multiphysics simulations, often involving the coupling of different methodologies (fluid-structure, fluid-particle, plasma-aerodynamics, etc.).

Simulation of the extrusion process of hot aluminum alloys

Nicolas FIETIER

In the extrusion process of hot metallic alloys like those of aluminum or copper, billets are heated at high temperatures and forced through a steel tool to be transformed into profiles with desired shapes.

Being able to determine the flow of hot aluminum alloys in small and large presses and in particular to predict the velocity and temperature of the extrudate in terms of the control parameters of the extrusion process is a main concern in the aluminum industry. Numerical simulations of the flow of the alloy in the press are are also very helpful for the designers in order to optimize the tooling equipment.