Evolution of CFD as an engineering science. A personal perspective with emphasis on the finite volume method

Computational Fluid Dynamics—CFD for short—is a comparatively recent development that has made a significant impact in engineering sciences. The foundations of CFD were laid by developments in physics, numerical analysis and matrix theory over the last 200 years or so. It was, however, the electronic computer in the middle of the 20th century that led to its birth and its widespread use. It has now become an invaluable tool for almost every sphere of human activity. A number of researchers contributed to the tools and technology that came to be called CFD but the prime movers were two brilliant scientists—one at Los Alamos National Laboratory and the other at Imperial College, London. The author was a part of the Imperial College group and this is a personal perspective on the evolution of CFD.