The Computational Methods for Industrial & Environmental Flows research group is part of the Department of Computational Engineering within the Applied Mathematics Research Unit at LUT University. We develop advanced computational methods for understanding, predicting, and optimizing complex engineering systems, combining rigorous mathematical modelling with high-performance scientific computing.
Our research is founded on the fundamental conservation laws of mass, momentum, energy, and species transport, formulated as systems of Partial Differential Equations (PDEs). These equations are solved using state-of-the-art numerical methods, with particular expertise in Finite Element Methods (FEM) for Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). We integrate physics-based modelling with optimization, High-Performance Computing (HPC), machine learning, and multiphysics simulations to address challenging industrial and environmental problems.
A growing research direction within CIEF is the computational modelling of granular and particulate systems, combining Discrete Element Methods (DEM) with CFD to investigate particle-fluid interactions, powder processing, mixing and segregation, particulate transport, and pharmaceutical manufacturing. By combining experiments, numerical simulations, and data-driven modelling, we develop predictive tools for next-generation industrial processes.
Research Areas
Our research spans a broad range of computational engineering topics, including:
- Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
- Finite Element Methods (FEM)
- Discrete Element Methods (DEM)
- Coupled CFD–DEM simulations
- Heat and mass transfer
- Machine learning for computational engineering
These methodologies are applied to diverse engineering challenges, including pharmaceutical processing, chemical and energy systems, environmental transport, wind engineering, hydrodynamics of lakes and rivers, urban air quality, and sustainable manufacturing.
Education and Collaboration
CIEF is responsible for the Master's and Doctoral courses Partial Differential Equations with Applications (BM20A4703) and Computational Fluid Dynamics in Environmental Flows (BM20A5104). The group actively collaborates with industry and research partners, welcoming joint research projects, Master's and Doctoral theses, and application-driven computational engineering challenges.
Leadership
The CIEF research group was founded and is led by Professor Jari Hämäläinen, former Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation at LUT University (2014–2024). Building on internationally recognized expertise in computational mathematics and CFD, the group brings together researchers from the Lahti and Lappeenranta campuses with complementary strengths in CFD, FEM, DEM, scientific computing, artificial intelligence, and computational engineering to develop innovative computational solutions for industry and society. In addition, the group has external experts from Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) and Turku University of Applied Sciences (TuAMK) as adjunct professor positions at LUT.
Group leader
Publications
UNESCO Chair on Digital Learning Platforms — LUT University (2025–present)
Group members
