Project Title:

An Efficient, Unstructured Flow Solver for Space-Physics Applications

94-1			11.04		6125

An Efficient, Unstructured Flow Solver for Space-Physics 
Applications

Abstract:

To analyze the flow-fields and surface effects of tomorrow's 
aerospace vehicles, CFD tools must be capable of modeling finite-
rate thermochemistry, appropriate transport properties and mixing 
laws, thermal radiation, and gas-surface interactions. CFD 
calculations encompassing all these physical aspects become 
prohibitively costly, both in problem set-up and computational 
time. To reduce these costs, AeroSoft proposes combining the 
geometric-modeling flexibility of an unstructured methodology 
with highly efficient, parallel time-integration schemes, and the 
advanced physical models for space-physics applications. The 
final objective is an efficient, production level CFD design 
tool. During Phase I, we will demonstrate feasibility by 
implementing and validating the proposed physical models and 
parallel strategies in our structured flow solver. We will also 
demonstrate our unstructured viscous-modeling capability for 
representative problems. Phase II will focus on porting the new 
physical models and parallel capabilities to the unstructured 
environment, with emphasis on user friendliness and ease of use, 
with graphical user interfaces for the flow solver and grid-
generation package. The proposed flow-analysis package will 
provide NASA engineers with the physical-modeling capabilities 
for space-related problems and significant reductions in problem 
set-up and computational times.

The new computational technologies developed under this SBIR will 
provide accurate and highly efficient analysis capabilities for 
space-vehicle design. AeroSoft plans to market the final product 
to government agencies, universities, and the private sector. In 
addition, the combination of parallel and unstructured 
capabilities will make our software appealing for a wider range 
of applications including automobiles, marine vehicles, and 
numerous low-speed combustion problems.

Key Words

AeroSoft, Inc.
1872 Pratt Drive, Suite 1275
Blacksburg, VA 24060-6363