Spacetraders 4: Visualizing the starting system
In this entry, I build a simple visual map of my starting SpaceTraders system. Using real system coordinates from the API, I plot waypoints in 2D and extend the idea into 3D by introducing a synthetic Z dimension to separate overlapping locations. Along the way, I run into a few surprisingly tricky problems around data grouping, symmetry, and Matplotlib’s 3D quirks—and briefly break my “no AI while coding” rule to get unstuck. The result is a compact 2D+3D system overview that finally makes the universe feel tangible instead of abstract.
Spacetraders 3: Getting to know the game
SpaceTraders is more than a collection of API endpoints. It’s a persistent simulation of a space economy, with ships, contracts, markets, and delayed consequences built directly into its design. This post takes a step back from implementation details and looks at how the game world is structured, how its main systems interact, and why understanding these mechanics upfront makes automation and data-driven play much easier later on.
Introduction to CFD Chapter 8: Advanced meshing and automation
Advanced meshing and automation notes explaining how professional CFD workflows handle complex geometry, mesh quality, and repeatable simulations.
Introduction to CFD Chapter 7: Numerical performance and reliability
A practical CFD chapter explaining numerical accuracy, error sources, convergence, validation, and how to judge simulation reliability in engineering applications.
Introduction to CFD Chapter 6: Compressible Flow
Concise compressible flow notes covering Mach number interpretation, shock and expansion phenomena, and numerical strategies for high-speed CFD.
Introduction to CFD Chapter 5: Introduction to Turbulence and RANS Modeling
An introductory turbulence chapter explaining why statistical modeling is required in CFD and how RANS–Boussinesq closures make turbulent flow simulations feasible in engineering practice.
Introduction to CFD Chapter 4: Fundamentals of the Finite Volume Method
Core CFD notes explaining how the finite volume method enforces conservation, couples pressure and velocity, and achieves stable numerical solutions
Introduction to CFD Chapter 3: Basic Incompressible Flow Analysis
Foundational incompressible flow notes covering dimensional analysis, boundary layers, and simplified flow archetypes used to guide CFD modeling
Introduction to CFD Chapter 2: Meshing Foundations
A concise, engineering-focused summary of CFD meshing concepts, emphasizing mesh quality, hybrid strategies, and physics-driven refinement rather than software-specific aspects.
Introduction to CFD Chapter 1: Background and workflow
An introduction to CFD focused on physical modeling assumptions, workflow logic, and geometry preparation principles rather than software-specific aspects.
Spacetraders 2: PostgreSQL - Building a Local Game State with ELT
This entry documents a practical PostgreSQL setup for SpaceTraders gameplay. It covers Python integration, database creation, schema organization, ELT-style raw data ingestion, hashing, and reusable function skeletons for storing and transforming API responses. Designed as a technical reference and archive for building a local game state.
Spacetraders 1: OpenAPI and API-first gameplay foundations
SpaceTraders is an API-driven space trading game where all gameplay is performed through REST endpoints. This entry introduces the game in the context of OpenAPI and documents practical Python workflows for authentication, pagination, throttling, and defensive API consumption, serving as both a series introduction and a technical reference note.
Heat transfer Chapter 5: Porous media and heat exchangers
Final heat-transfer notes covering porous media and heat exchanger modeling, explaining upscaling, equilibrium assumptions, effective properties, and practical CFD implementations.
Heat transfer Chapter 4: Radiative heat transfer
Integrated notes on radiative heat transfer explaining thermal radiation, interaction with media and surfaces, optical thickness, and practical CFD radiation models including solar loading
Heat transfer Chapter 3: Convective heat transfer
Integrated notes on convective heat transfer explaining microscopic origins, energy transport in moving fluids, and the physics of forced, natural, and mixed convection.
Heat transfer Chapter 2: Conductive heat transfer
Clear, physics-based notes on conductive heat transfer, explaining microscopic mechanisms, thermal properties, energy conservation, and steady versus unsteady conduction behavior in solids.
Heat transfer Chapter 1: Introduction
A concise conceptual introduction to heat transfer, explaining energy storage, temperature, local thermodynamic equilibrium, and the physical meaning of conduction, convection, radiation, and phase change.
Multiphase Chapter 5: Discrete Phase Flows
Integrated Master’s-level notes on Discrete Phase Modeling, covering particle dynamics, turbulence interaction, sprays, wall effects, and multiscale VOF–DPM coupling for predictive atomization simulations.
IBM Data Engineering: ETL and Data Pipelines with Shell, Airflow and Kafka
A concise archive of my notes from a data engineering course covering ETL and ELT fundamentals, data pipeline design, Apache Airflow orchestration, and real-time streaming with Apache Kafka. Focused on concepts, architecture, and practical trade-offs rather than step-by-step tutorials.
Multiphase Chapter 4: Eulerian Flows
A mid-length, integrated set of engineering notes covering Eulerian multiphase modeling—including gas–liquid, gas–solid granular flows, wall-film transport, and population balance modeling—with emphasis on physical intuition, interphase forces, and numerical considerations.