The CFD engineer’s guide to romance
Now with this confession, I will kill all my credibility in paragraph one. But I publicly admit it: Prior to Christmas, I have watched almost every cheesy Christmas Romantic Comedies you can find on Netflix.
Why?
I don’t know!
It must have been the suspense of just not knowing, how any of these stories are going to turn out. I mean, will the lonesome, broken-hearted, struggling-with-love hero finally marry Prince(ss) Charming? Will it all end well? Will they live happily ever after? You just don’t know …
Many people believe CFD engineers are a bunch of unromantic number crunchers. But since my glorious movie binge, I know they are all wrong. I hope you are now in as must of a Valentine’s mood as I am, but if you simply just don’t know where to start, here’s the CFD engineer’s guide to romance – straight from the heart:
The prince(ss) on the Whitehorse 2.0
Ensure the innovative big entry
So, first of all, what did I learn from my RomCom binge-watching odyssey: Looking at Netflix’s charts back in those days it becomes clear that even in the 21st century, the prince on the white horse is still a thing. Did you know there is even a thing in psychology called the Prince Charming syndrome?
But we are engineers and as such we are supposed to innovate. You can’t just do what everyone does if you want to stay ahead of the competition. You need to stand out. You need to go faster! Forget about the worn-out cliche solutions. If you want to make an everlasting impact you need to be the king/queen on the unicorn rather than the prince/ss on the white horse. You also need to make sure your long blonde hair flows nicely. Something only aerodynamicists can truly ensure.
More on adequate vehicle aerodynamics
Come on baby, light my fire
Light up some Candles
It’s the romantic’s 101. You must light some candles. Whatever you do! Rule of thumb: the more candles, the bigger the love. I have to reuse these three from my failed Christmas blog. But hey, sustainability can be quite appealing as well.
Learn more about decent combustion romance
Beer in mind: Champagne in your glass
As CFD engineers we know a lot about liquids. But how does that help on Valentine’s Day! I know it’s hard for many of us to accept, but society believes classy drinking means drinking sparkling wine and better.
But what if Champagne is not your thing?
Here’s my tip from engineer to engineer. Make it clear to your date that there are no better bubbles than the ones in a stout! If it doesn’t help, you can always think about a perfect Guinness while you’re pouring down that bubble juice.
More on sparkling multiphase flows
Book a flight, with the Wrights
Make a special gift
Face the truth: we live in a material world! If you want to be a true romantic, you need a special gift. Clearly, something that stands out. But if you want the cherry on the cake, do something that money can’t buy! No idea what that could be? Well, If you are an aerospace engineer here’s some inspiration (just to give you a feeling of what the required standard is these days).
“Hey darling, Here’s your flight with Mr (W)right“
More on designing extraordinary flight experiences
Near, far, wherever you are
Watch Titanic
Do you feel like there is no true romance inside you? Do you feel you can’t pull this off? Well, try to mentally go back to your golden days! It’s in all of us, maybe you just don’t recall anymore. Don’t believe me? Take Leo as an example:
And now, make yourselves comfortable with your true love, turn on the TV and put in that VHS. Needless to say, if you really want to impress your dear one, you need to come up with more detailed insights into Titanic’s hull, as you watch Leo and Kate stand on that bow, melting away to Celine Dion!
Near, far, wherever you are, there is only one way to impress…
Check out the Simcenter STAR-CCM+ Marine free trial
INSIDER TOP TIP: get yourself two VR kits and hop on the Titanic with your darling with collaborative VR
Follow the heart
It is the most important rule in love (and often in engineering): Follow your heart. Not sure how that works? I understand that love is a complex matter. But if done right, you can turn complexity into a competitive advantage: Take a look at fluid structure-interaction CFD tri-leaflet heart valve for example. Quite a complex thing, but engineers can manage a lot these days!
More about FSI of a heart valve
Explore your possibilities
If it all does not help, find a better arrow
This is our last resort. Should all of the above-mentioned guidelines to romance not work for you, you need to fall back to your engineering skills … and leverage design exploration to find a better Cupid’s arrow.
Happy Valentines! Keep on loving!
