Quantum computing CFD simulations: state of the art

Abstract. This document is meant to review and discuss the possible applications of Quantum computing in the area of computational fluid dynamics (CFD). A review of the current state-of-the-art of quantum computing applied to computational fluid dynamics has been carried out, highlining how the technology is promising but still in an early stage of development. Furthermore, within the approaches developed to solve CFD problems with the use of quantum algorithms and / or quantum computers, this article discusses a quantum algorithm approach, based on the Lattice Boltzmann Method and developed to the study of 2D flow around a cylinder, a model which can be related to several industrial problems and, in the future, modified to simulate the refrigeration cycle used in aeronautical environmental control systems (ECS). This preliminary code helped to highlight the inherent difficulties to implement a quantum algorithm but helped also to demonstrate the applicability of quantum computing.