Simulation software that models airflow can be a boon to engineers when designing a clean room environment. By pinpointing potential problems early, such software can save time and reduce construction costs. The software—computational fluid dynamics (CFD)—also can be applied to an operational clean room environment to help identify the source of contamination problems and optimize the overall space.
However, for CFD to work effectively, the data must be clean and complete, and the model must have integrity. Based on the Navier-Stokes equations, CFD uses applied mathematics, physics and computational software to illustrate the flow of gas or liquid through a space and the effect it has on the objects it passes.