Industrial Perspectives on Geometry-Handling for Aerodynamics

摘要

One of the most fundamental properties affecting the aerodynamic performance of a body is its shape. With progressively increasing demands for performance, the need to explore and optimise the performance of novel airframe shapes rapidly and with robust, efficient processes is becoming increasingly important This poses significant challenges for the ways in which the associated geometry is generated and manipulated (in support of design) both on its wetted surfaces and in the adjacent air flow (i.e. the computational mesh). This paper reviews the processes associated with handling geometry to support industrial aerodynamic analyses, covering its receipt and preparation for use in analysis, though to its onward delivery. In each case, the key components of each activity are identified and perspectives on the challenges they pose are provided. Examples from the aircraft, turbo-machinery and missile sectors are provided throughout The material presented illustrates how many of the problems currently encountered derive from fundamental differences between the underlying geometric representations used in Mechanical CAD systems and Computational Fluid Dynamics techniques. By identifying recent developments in several disruptive technologies, perspectives on how these differences may be resolved in the future are also provided.