RotCFD: A Viscous Design Tool for Advanced Configurations

The incorporation of viscous analysis in design is vital for a complete understanding of aerodynamic problems. This proposal offers to develop and integrate with RotCFD a method for semi-automatically generating grids suitable for viscous analysis on complex configurations as well as parallelize the solver in RotCFD to take advantage of today's multi-core machines. The principle idea behind the semi-automation of the grid generation is to divide the geometry surface into patches and generate body-conforming grids from these patches. This partitioning allows for automatic generation of grids with aspect ratios suitable for viscous flows. Convection dominates the outer region, so unstructured Cartesian meshes can be generated quickly and easily here. The outer grid will be conformed to the inner grid so the entire grid can be treated as one unstructured grid with an unstructured solver, or as a hybrid grid with multiple zones and solvers. In the hybrid approach, viscous solvers can be used for the inner zone while the faster inviscid solvers can be used in the far-field. In Phase I a proof-of-concept grid generator, and a conceptual methodology for solver parallelization will be developed and demonstrated to work with RotCFD the rotor aerodynamic design tool. In Phase II, the features of the grid generator and solver will be fully developed and expanded.

Surka Helitek's software has been extensively used by US Helicopter manufacturers for analyzing new and existing designs. The proposed software enhancements will extend its usefulness and retain a global advantage.

The viscous extention and parallelization of RotCFD will find wide usage in NASA in addtion to the other branches of the armed services. The proposal offers a semi-automated viscous analysis tool that will lay the foundation for advanced designs in an economical way. Sukra Helitek's software are currently used for many advanced configurations at an early stage in the design and the addtion of viscous capability and parallelization will increase its usefulness and marketability.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 4) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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