Fixed-Wing

Learn more about multi-mesh, multi-solver simulations for aerospace aircraft.

Via solver technology development, we work towards advancing the aerospace design space through CFD. Using our WAKE3D framework, we have studied many problems spanning fixed- and propeller-wing aircraft, including participation in the AIAA High Lift Prediction Workshop series. Additionally, we have studied jet-propulsion flows focused around aeroacoustics. Much of this work is guided by the NASA CFD Vision 2030.

AIAA High Lift Prediction Workshop CRM

Flow visualization of the HLPW CRM at 7.05 degrees angle of attack. Isocontours of vorticity magnitude colored by density illustrates the regions of laminar and turbulent flow. Sixth-order spatially-accurate elements are used in the off-body region to track the turbulent vortices.

We participated in the 2022 AIAA HLPW, which focused on studying CL-max (max lift coefficient) of the NASA Common Research Model aircraft. We applied a hybrid RANS-LES approach through our dual-mesh, dual-solver WAKE3D. The finite volume CFD code NSU3D is used in the near-body region to solve the Reynolds-Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) equations, and in the off-body region, the discontinous Gakerkin solver dg4est is used to solve the compressible Navier-Stokes equations with a Large Eddy Simulation (LES) subgrid scale model. The near-body region is composed of unstructured mixed-type mesh elements which is overset with a 16-level adaptive Cartesian adaptive off-body mesh. To exchange solutions between these two regions, TIOGA (topology-independent overset grid assembler) is used determine overlapping mesh elements, apply hole cutting, and interpolate the solutions.

Instantaneous y+ profiles of the RANS-LES simulations of the CRM-HL aircraft for 21.47 degrees angle of attack.

Using our framework, we are able to examine flow separation patterns on difference areas of the wing planform. Here, y+ is a nondimensional distance that relates the friction velocity, wall distance, and kinematic viscosity to provide an estimate for mesh resolution. A y+ value less than or equal to 1 indicates sufficient resolution for capturing the wall boundary layer profile.

SMC006 Jet Nozzle

Simulation of SMC006 jet nozzle performed using WAKE3D. Vorticity magnitude is shown demonstrating the chaotic downstream flows.

Computational Fluid Dynamics-Computational Aeroacoustics (CFD-CAA) is a very important area of research focused on accurate prediction of acoustics generated by aerospace vehicles. One canonical test case for studying CFD-CAA is the SMC006 jet nozzle, which was studied at NASA.

Fixed-Wing Publications

  1. RANS and Hybrid RANS-LES Results for the Fourth High-Lift Prediction Workshop using the NSU3D Solver
    Dimitri J Mavriplis, Mark Bogstad, and Andrew C Kirby
    AIAA Aviation 2022 Forum Jun 2022
    Bib PDF
  2. Comparison of Propeller-Wing Interaction Simulation using Different Levels of Fidelity
    Zhi Yang, Andrew C Kirby, and Dimitri J Mavriplis
    AIAA SciTech 2022 Forum Jan 2022
    Bib PDF