This 90-min course provides an introduction to computational aerodynamics with an overview of commonly used computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approaches. The course provides a description of the governing equations for fluid motion including prominent physical behaviors and key simplifications for different flight regimes and applications. Different discretization schemes are conceptually described, and includes finite difference, finite volume, and finite element methods, both structured and unstructured. Next, formal order of accuracy is described along with examples of how the accuracy can influence flow solution quality for various applications. A brief description of typical turbulence modeling strategies is presented, and their limitations are discussed. Finally, the basic concepts of time-accurate solution strategies for unsteady flows are provided.
Learning Objectives
- Revision of aerodynamic flow regimes and common physical assumptions
- An understanding of application space for various computational aerodynamic strategies
- An understanding of common discretization schemes and stability characteristics
- An understanding of formal order of accuracy
- An understanding of turbulence model applicability and limitations
- An understanding of time-accurate simulation strategies
Audience
- Anyone with a professional interest in applied aerodynamics
- Anyone wanting to gain a greater understanding of computational fluid dynamics (CFD)
- Any aerospace undergraduate students or graduate students who want to get an introduction to this field.
Recommended Book
Applied Computational Aerodynamics by P. A. Henne
Instructors
James Coder is a Professor of Aerospace Engineering at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He is the Education Subcommittee Chair of the Applied Aerodynamics Technical Committee. He has also served as the Principal Investigator of the NASA University Leadership Initiative project on ultra-efficient commercial air vehicles. He is a peer reviewer for AIAA Journal, Journal of Aircraft, Journal of Fluid Mechanics, International Journal of Heat and Fluid Flow, Journal of Turbomachinery, International Journal of Flow Control, and Energies