The Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) methods development activity currently underway in the Advanced Computational Research Laboratory (ACRL) received a number of well-documented breakthroughs as it continues to address those issues critical to truly predictive capability involving complex fluid flows and heat transfer phenomena. Such phenomena, typically encountered in design, development and research environments, may be classified as external flow (aircraft wing and airframe) or internal flow (gas turbine fan, compressor and turbine airfoils) types. The primary objective of the ACRL effort is the development and validation of physics based, accurate, robust, relatively simple and economical steady and unsteady RANS-based CFD methods for problems with and without heat transfer, including those requiring a full conjugate approach (as in a turbine airfoil with turbulated serpentine passage heat transfer on the inside and film cooling on the outside). As such, there are three unique major thrust areas identified, which are:
- Steady Aerodynamics and Heat Transfer Methods;
- Unsteady Aerodynamics and Heat Transfer Methods; and
- Conjugate Methods.
It is important to note that while pushing CFD methods development in three separate thrust areas, the ACRL Team is committed to the integration of all three into a single comprehensive design, development, and research tool that is far beyond the current state-of-the-art. The specific thrust areas are discussed in more detail in the Summary (PDF).