The objective of this research is to develop and evaluate innovative, physics-based, validated computational prediction tools to support design and pre-flight development of new configuration concepts…

The objective of this research is to develop and evaluate innovative, physics-based, validated computational prediction tools to support design and pre-flight development of new configuration concepts for hybrid wing/body vehicles with highly integrated airframe and propulsion systems. These new concepts are motivated by efficient high-speed cruise with low takeoff and landing noise, and with adequate stability and control characteristics throughout the flight envelope. The proposed computational capabilities will provide aerodynamic flow prediction and computational design enhancement for design/testing of integrated embedded propulsion systems, at flight-relevant conditions and with confidence sufficient to support development of new vehicles. The effect of inlet flow distortion and airframe boundary-layer ingestion on fan performance is a key design issue and will be the subject of the phase I study. Inlet induced flow distortion can cause fan and engine stall, surge, and reduced operating envelope, which are critical design constraints. The proposed study will provide a validated capability for aerodynamic analysis of single (ISOLATED) or multiple integrated components (for example inlets, fans and their interactions), for the purpose of prediction, sensitivity analysis, and design enhancement. The proposed work will utilize the simcenter's recently developed state-of-the-art unstructured grid, flow simulation, and sensitivity analysis software (tenasi codes). Key computational technologies to be applied are a) simulations using unstructured viscous grids with grid motion and embedded rotating components, and B) complex-variable sensitivity analysis to generate computationally enhanced aerodynamic designs. These software tools will provide design-team support for computationally enhanced integrated aerodynamic design of wing/body airframe, engine inlet(S), fan duct(S), core engine(S), and exhaust nozzle(S). This technology will enable future pre-flight predictions supporting multiple concept vehicle designs, including detailed design, fabrication and testing phases of promising concept vehicles. NASA collaboration is envisioned for system-level planning, selection of configurations, validation experiments, aerodynamic design integration, and technology transfer and exchange.