Automated Computational Fluid Dynamics Design With Shape Optimization, Phase I

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is used as an analysis tool to help the designer gain greater understanding of the fluid flow phenomena involved in the components being designed. The next step in the design process is to modify the design to improve the componentys performance, typically performed manually by the designer in a trial and error fashion. The innovations proposed herein will provide important advances in the state-of-the-art of automatic CFD shape deformation and optimization software. Optimal Solutions Software (OSS) has been developing a software program called Sculptor, which provides capabilities to perform shape deformation and optimization in CFD design. When the innovations proposed herein are included in Sculptor, and coupled with NASA's Stennis Space Center's (SSC) CFD code, a truly innovative and significant design tool will be available to perform automatic shape optimization. Sculptor can find new geometric shapes, in a timely manner that likely would not have been discovered without its use. Therefore Sculptor is an innovator in and of itself, when used by knowledgeable engineers.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

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