Discrete Geometry Toolkit for Shape Optimization

Simulation-based design optimization has been steadily maturing over the past two decades, but not without its own unique and persistent challenges. The proposed project will develop a novel solution to one of the long-standing bottlenecks in simulation-based design optimization. Particularly, we will develop a flexible geometry toolkit for shape parameterization and modification as required for design optimization. With our discrete geometry toolkit, shape modifications will be achieved via an elegant and intuitive "plug-and-play" approach, providing engineers with a wide variety of options for shape parameterization, shape deformation, and geometric constraint imposition. Our geometry toolkit will be composed of independent modules and will be easily integrated into existing or future analysis and design environments. Our approach will offer a modular and intuitive means to interactively synthesize appropriate modifications to discrete geometry shapes in a design optimization setting including the specification of geometric constraints and interdisciplinary data transfer.

Design environments incorporating knowledge based engineering are increasingly being developed. Examples include the AVEC environment developed by the Air Force based on the commercially available Adaptive Modeling Language (AML) product as well as the commercial design frameworks of ModelCenter (Phoenix Integration) and MDICE (CFDRC). Our proposed componentized geometry toolkit will readily integrate within such environments, giving immediate relief to the needs that have crippled progress in design optimization for the past two decades. The potential markets for our software are very broad. Our software can be used for fluid dynamic applications in the aerodynamic, automotive, biomedical, turbomachinery, and hydroelectric fields as well as for structural and electromagnetic applications. Each of these markets can immensely benefit from automated design optimization, provided that flexible geometry manipulation is no longer an impediment.

Several design-oriented projects and design environments are being developed at the various NASA Research Centers, including the NPSS, CoHAVE, ADVISE, FUN3D, TetrUSS, and CART3D design environments. A common requirement of each of these design environments is the need for shape parameterization and modification. Our proposed geometry toolkit approach enables a very flexible and elegant means to construct, refine, and explore combinations of techniques that produce different final geometry shapes. Our project will make available componentized geometry-related technologies that address critical areas needs to enable next-generation design optimization. NASA can immediately benefit from our design-oriented components in its design efforts as well as in analysis-only environments in which rapid shape modifications are desired.

This is a mature technology (TRL 9) — 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.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.