Advanced CFD simulation services to optimise your water treatment processes, improve equipment design, and solve complex fluid flow challenges.
CFD thermal simulation services for water treatment equipment.
CFD thermal simulation for LED lighting enclosures and heat sinks.
CFD thermal mixing simulation for tanks, reactors, and process vessels.
CFD thermal simulation for LiDAR enclosures. Predict laser diode temperature, prevent optical window condensation, and validate.
Behind the design sits a full modelling toolkit — CFD, process simulation, biokinetic (ASM/ADM), reaction-kinetics, hydraulic, limnological and data-driven digital-twin modelling. We pick, or combine, the disciplines that answer your question and validate them against real data.
Explore Scientific ModellingComputational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a powerful engineering tool that uses numerical methods to simulate and analyse fluid flow, heat transfer, and related phenomena. In water treatment, CFD enables us to visualise and optimise processes that are difficult or impossible to observe directly — resolving velocity, pressure, turbulence, particle paths and temperature at millions of points inside the equipment before a single component is fabricated.
Every project moves through the same disciplined pipeline — from raw geometry to a validated, decision-ready result.
Define the question, targets, and the physics that matter.
Build or clean the 3D fluid domain from CAD or scans.
Discretise into millions of cells; refine boundary layers.
Set physics, boundary conditions, and converge the solver.
Check mesh independence, balances, and field data.
Translate the flow field into design actions.
From initial concept to optimisation, Reynolds & Bauhm provides end-to-end CFD services tailored to your water treatment challenges.
Comprehensive computational fluid dynamics simulations to analyse flow patterns, velocity distributions, and pressure drops in water treatment systems and process equipment.
CFD-based optimisation of mixing efficiency, chemical dosing distribution, and mass transfer processes in reactors, tanks, and treatment vessels.
Discrete phase modelling to track particle behaviour, settling patterns, and separation efficiency in clarifiers, thickeners, and filtration systems.
Virtual prototyping and performance validation of custom equipment designs before fabrication, reducing development requirements and time-to-market.
Multiphase gas–liquid CFD of bubble plumes, oxygen transfer, and gas dispersion in aeration basins, DAF units, and gas-mixed reactors to maximise transfer efficiency and minimise blower energy.
Conjugate heat-transfer and energy CFD to map temperature fields, evaluate heating and cooling duty, and reduce energy demand in digesters, thermal hydrolysis, and process tanks.
Our CFD expertise spans the full range of water treatment processes and equipment.
Optimise flow distribution, prevent short-circuiting, and maximise settling efficiency.
Analyse bubble distribution, contact zone efficiency, and separation performance in DAF units and DAF with lamella packs.
Ensure uniform mixing, optimise impeller design, and minimise dead zones.
Model sludge blanket behaviour and optimise sludge removal systems.
Analyse flow patterns and optimise screen design for maximum efficiency.
Minimise pressure drops and ensure uniform flow distribution.
Inside an opaque steel tank, the difference between 78% and 94% removal is a flow pattern no probe can map. CFD makes it visible — and fixable.
A fast jet races from inlet to outlet, bypassing the treatment zone.
CFD maps the dead zones and the jet, so a redesigned inlet baffle restores plug-flow and recovers retention time.
Stagnant pockets leave chemical undispersed and reactions incomplete.
Impeller and dosing-point studies cut mixing time and dead volume, so every drop of reagent works.
Solids escape the settling zone and breach the effluent weir.
Discrete-phase tracking predicts settling paths, so geometry tweaks raise capture efficiency without a bigger tank.
Model choice is driven by the flow physics, not convenience. Picking wrong is the most common cause of confidently-wrong CFD — here is how we match the model to the problem.
Blends near-wall accuracy with free-stream stability. Our default for adverse pressure gradients, separation, and confined jets.
Efficient and stable for fully-developed, high-Reynolds flows where wall detail is less critical.
Resolves large turbulent eddies in time for genuinely unsteady physics — at higher computational cost.
Solves each turbulent stress component for flows with strong streamline curvature and swirl.
A full multiphysics toolkit, applied to the water, wastewater, and thermal problems that matter.
Our systematic approach ensures accurate simulations and actionable results.
Understand objectives, constraints, and define simulation scope.
Create 3D geometry and generate high-quality computational mesh.
Define boundary conditions, turbulence models, and solver settings.
Run simulations, analyse results, and validate against data.
Deliver comprehensive reports with optimisation recommendations.
Every simulation we deliver follows a rigorous, documented validation protocol to ensure predictions are trustworthy, reproducible, and legally defensible.
Our validation framework aligns with AIAA G-077-1998, ASME V&V 20, and ISO/IEC 17025 principles. Each project milestone is gated by quantified acceptance criteria before proceeding to the next phase.
| Validation Stage | Acceptance Criterion | Metric / Threshold | Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geometry Verification | CAD-to-mesh deviation | < 0.1% volume difference | Boolean comparison, STL tolerance check |
| Mesh Independence | Grid Convergence Index (GCI) | GCI < 5% on key output | Richardson extrapolation, 3 mesh levels |
| Time Step Independence | Temporal convergence | < 2% change on halving Δt | Dual-timestep comparison |
| Turbulence Model Selection | y+ compliance | Wall y+ = 1 – 5 (resolved) or 30 – 300 (wall function) | Wall-adjacent cell inspection |
| Mass Balance | Global continuity | < 0.01% imbalance | Flux reporting, inlet vs outlet |
| Momentum Balance | Force convergence | < 0.5% residual oscillation | Drag/lift monitor stability over 500 iterations |
| Experimental Correlation | Validation error | |E| < 10% vs. experimental data | Point probe, traverse line, or full-field PIV |
| Uncertainty Quantification | Input parameter sensitivity | Sobol index > 0.1 flagged | Design of Experiments (DoE), 50+ runs |
We solve on three systematically refined meshes — coarse, medium, and fine — typically at 1.4× cell count ratio. Richardson extrapolation estimates the zero-grid solution. Only results with GCI < 5% on critical outputs (pressure drop, separation efficiency, mixing time) are accepted.
GCI = Fs |ε| / (rp − 1)
Fs = 1.25 (safety factor), r = 1.4 (refinement ratio), p = 2 (observed order)
Model choice is driven by flow physics, not convenience. k-ω SST for adverse pressure gradients and separation; Realizable k-ε for free shear flows; LES for transient vortex shedding; RSM for strong swirl. Wall treatment verified via y+ mapping.
Where physical data exists, we correlate against pilot test results, manufacturer performance curves, or published benchmark studies. Validation error is reported as:
E = (CFD − Exp) / Exp × 100%
Target: |E| < 10% on velocity, pressure, and concentration fields
Input parameters (flow rate, temperature, particle size distribution, chemical dosing) carry manufacturing and operational tolerances. We run sensitivity matrices to quantify output uncertainty and identify which inputs drive performance variance.
A 50 m³/hr DAF unit simulated for a poultry processing client:
3.2% on rise velocity
0.003% imbalance
98.4% cells in 1–5 range
6.8% vs. pilot TSS removal
Result: All gates passed. Design approved for fabrication with 95% confidence interval on hydraulic loading: 42–58 m³/hr.
How CFD-guided design modifications achieved 94% TSS removal and 62% chemical reduction
| Client | UK Regional Craft Brewery | Application | DAF — Brewery Wastewater Pretreatment |
| Result | TSS Removal 78% → 94% | chemical reduction | 62% ferric chloride reduction |
Combine CFD analysis with our other engineering services for comprehensive project delivery.
Engineered for Performance
Almost every unit we build hides a flow, mixing, or thermal problem that CFD can resolve. Here is where it adds the most value across our catalogue — each unit links to its equipment page.
Flow distribution, rise/settling velocity, and short-circuiting control set the separation efficiency of every clarifier and flotation unit.
Impeller and injection-point CFD eliminates dead zones and shear, so reagent disperses fast and floc grows without breaking.
Multiphase CFD predicts gas hold-up, oxygen transfer (SOTE), and mixing in aerated and anaerobic reactors — the heart of biological treatment.
CFD maps feed-channel velocity, concentration polarisation, and UV/ozone contactor hydraulics to lift flux and dose efficiency.
Head-loss, approach-velocity, and NPSH studies keep screens free-flowing and pumps clear of cavitation.
Conjugate heat transfer and phase-change CFD optimise temperature uniformity, fouling, and stripping efficiency.
Deep-dive engineering guides for specific equipment and processes
Complete CFD-driven design guide for Dissolved Air Flotation systems. Covers bubble size distribution modelling, contact zone hydraulics, white-water nozzle optimisation, surface loading validation, and energy minimisation through hydraulic profiling.
Plate settler hydraulic optimisation using CFD. Inlet duct design to prevent jetting, sludge hopper circulation analysis, and effluent weir uniformity targets. Includes Reynolds-number-dependent plate spacing recommendations.
Oxygen transfer efficiency prediction through multiphase CFD. Bubble size distribution, gas hold-up profiles, and SOTE (Standard Oxygen Transfer Efficiency) correlation for fine-bubble diffusers, surface aerators, and jet aeration.
Conjugate heat transfer modelling for equipment and processes where temperature control is critical to performance, efficiency, and safety.
Plate, shell-and-tube, and spiral heat exchanger thermal performance with fouling prediction and energy efficiency analysis.
Learn MoreEvaporative cooling simulation with spray droplet tracking, fill pack optimisation, and fan power reduction.
Learn MoreTransient temperature uniformity in tanks, reactors, and vessels. Eliminate stratification and hot spots.
Learn MorePhase-change thermal modelling for evaporators, crystallisers, and sludge dryers with energy optimisation.
Learn MoreHeat generation and removal in biological reactors. Maintain optimal mesophilic conditions for maximum COD removal.
Learn MoreCondenser, cooling tower, and heat recovery steam generator thermal analysis for maximum cycle efficiency.
Learn MoreContact Our Engineers of CFD experts to discuss your simulation requirements.
Our expertise spans multiple industries with sector-specific water treatment solutions.