Army/NASA Rotorcraft Division
	CHSSI CFD-4 Scalable Dynamic Chimera Methods for Unsteady Aerodynamics
(a DoD HPCMP Project)

Project Leader
Dr. Robert L. Meakin
NASA Ames Research Center
Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000
 

    The CFD-4 project is part of the DoD High Performance Computing Modernization Program ( HPCMP) element known as  "CHSSI" (Common High Performance Computing Software Initiative).  CFD-4 is one of six complementary projects within CHSSI's Computational Fluid Dynamics Computational Technology Area (CFD CTA).  The product of CFD-4 is a comprehensive package of scalable overset grid CFD software that exploits the capacity of compute platforms supported by the DoD HPCMP.  The software facilitates accurate simulation of complete aircraft aerodynamics, including viscous effects, unsteadiness, and relative motion between component parts. The software significantly lowers the high manpower and computer costs usually associated with such efforts.   Flow solver scalability and grid generation requirements of the overset grid approach are specific targets of the project. The project adapts proven domain connectivity and flow solver software to function efficiently on parallel compute platforms; including the IBM-SP, SGI Origin 2000, Sun HPC 10000, and Cray T3E machines.
 
 

    Deliverables of the project directly support joint warfare capability objectives in the areas of precision force, information superiority, and joint readiness and logistics.  Examples of DoD systems that can be positively impacted by CFD-4 software can be seen by clicking here.
 
 

  CHSSI CFD-4 has produced two primary software deliverables; a scalable flow solver (OVERFLOW-D) and a set of general purpose overset grid generation tools (Chimera Grid Tools).  OVERFLOW-D is appropriate for unsteady, moving-body, viscous flow applications. Chimera Grid Tools includes a graphical user's interface (OVERGRID) written in Tcl/Tk and Open GL that provides easy access to a powerful set of tools designed specifically for overset grid applications.  OVERGRID access to the Chimera Grid Tools package substantially reduces the time required to generate high quality CFD grids for complex configurations.

SCALABLE OVERFLOW-D
    - Near-body Chimera overset grids and structured Cartesian off-body grids
    - Unsteady or steady
    - Viscous or inviscid
    - Static or dynamic (rigid-body) geometry
    - Adaptive refinement
    - Automatic organization of grid components into groups of equal size
    - Scale on number of groups
    - MPI protocol
 
 

CHIMERA GRID TOOLS
    - Graphical User Interface, OVERGRID, as a geometry/grid visualizer and portal to grid generation tools
    - General grid manipulation, redistribution, smoothing, projection, and diagnostic tools
    - Seam-curve extraction tool
    - Surface grid generation tool for geometry defined by multiple panel networks, or by surface triangulations
    - Hyperbolic and algebraic surface grid generators
    - Hyperbolic volume grid generator
    - Cartesian box grid generator
    - Configuration automation scripts
 
 

     OVERFLOW-D and OVERGRID are available to U.S. Government Laboratories, corporations, and academic institutions subject to a Non-Disclosure Agreement and NASA export control regulations.  Inquiries should be directed to Dr. Robert L. Meakin.
 
 

    Each member organization of the CHSSI CFD-4 Team is actively applying project software to problems of immediate interest to the DoD. These applications are large-scale problems that provide "Grand-Challenge" class evaluation of project software. Click on the links below to see results from project challenge applications.

    Army (AFDD): Comanche Helicopter Tail Buffet

    Army (AFDD): V-22 Tiltrotor Aircraft in High-Speed Cruise

    Army (AFDD):  Adaptive Simulation of Flow about the X-38 Vehicle

    Army (AFDD):  Adaptive Store Separation

    Navy (NAWC): BQM Aerial Target

    Air Force (Micro Craft, Inc.): LOCAAS Weapons System
 
 

    CFD-4 is a collaborative effort between the Army (AFDD-AMCOM) at Ames Research Center and several partner organizations.  The current test and evaluation team includes AFDD and Microcraft, Inc.  The Navy (NAWC) at Patuxent River, also made significant contributions during the first two years of the project. The Army AFDD is the lead organization and is ultimately responsible for the successful completion of all project objectives. The team is actively seeking to disseminate project software within the DoD and appropriate industrial concerns within the United States.
 
 

     The team also includes a growing list of "volunteer" member organizations which evaluate project software as it becomes available.
 
 

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URL: http://rotorcraft.arc.nasa.gov/
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Last Modified: Monday, 07-Jan-2008 11:14:36 PST