SBIR-STTR Award

AeroSoft has developed and commercialized an unstructured CFD software packaged known as GUST. GUST is state-of-the-art software that solves the compressible Navier-Stokes equations including chemically reacting flows. Simulations can be performed using GUST which range from low subsonic to hypersonic speeds. To tailor GUST for use at the AEDC modern test facility, several low speed enhancements will be made to the software. A preconditioned Roe flux and the method of artificial compressibility will be implemented into GUST to give it additional low speed and incompressible capabilities. The software validation process will also be started during the Phase I by performing several low speed cases. The validation work will demonstrate the implementation and accuracy of the new schemes to be added. And finally, the usefulness of GUST in conjunction with wind tunnel testing will be demonstrated. An experiment will be designed and setup using CFD data and analysis. The experiment will take place at the Virginia Tech Cascade Tunnel and will consist of cool (unheated) air being injected through a turbulence generating system into a heated air stream. Enhancement of AeroSoft's unstructured CFD software by means of code development and validation studies. Research in using CFD software in wind-tunnel design and setup.

Keywords:
Computation fluid dynamics, Unstructured, Low speed , Validation, Experimental design, CFD/wind-tunnel combination

Testing of high energy weapons systems in wind tunnels carries high risk due to the destructive power of the laser. CFD modeling software can mitigate risk of performing experiments in the wind tunnel, as well as aid in selecting the most meaningful test parameters. AeroSoft proposes to analyze critical issues of weapons lethality as they pertain to application in wind tunnels. With this analysis, AeroSoft will implement physical models in the GASP CFD code for simulating directed energy applications in an AEDC wind tunnel. Small-scale testing will be performed to collect experimental data for the validation of implemented models