Project Title:
Fast Prediction Method for Transonic Aerodynamics
94-1 02.04 5412
Fast Prediction Method for Transonic Aerodynamics
Abstract:
In the design of modern aircraft it is essential to incorporate as
much information as possible in the conceptual design phase;
decisions made in this phase can "lock in" as much as 90% of the
costs of the project. It is becoming increasingly important to
incorporate unsteady aerodynamic criteria into the design at an
early stage; this is the topic in the Solicitation. There may be
many iterations of the design and this has led to the need for
modeling tools that are accurate and computationally fast. This
proposal is concerned with the fast prediction of the loads in
unsteady transonic flow. Frequently the transonic flow regime is
where the most critical unsteady loads occur. The innovation
proposed in Phase 1 is the development of a method that allows
sufficiently fast estimation of the aerodynamic loads for
conceptual design. This technique will be coupled in Phase 2 with
other techniques developed by the author and others to provide a
comprehensive prediction capability that can be used for conceptual
or preliminary design.
If successful the research will lead to the development of
commercially viable software for the prediction of unsteady
transonic flow. This method will be sufficiently fast for use in an
optimizer; there is a market for this type of product in the
aerospace industry.
Key Words
NWING Inc.
427 Monroe Drive
Palo Alto, Ca. 94306