SAROD 2009 102 Symposium on Applied Aerodynamics and Design of Aerospace Vehicles (SAROD 2009) December 10-12, 2009,

, Bengaluru, India

Assessment of CFD Work in India

Gopal R. Shevare
Department of Aerospace Engineering, IIT Bombay & Zeus Numerix Private Limited

ABSTRACT
CFD Software is off the shelf commodity. Availability of teraflop computers (the old bottleneck in CFD) does not exist anymore and teraflop computers can be bought, built or hired. It looks as if CFD has managed to come to the centre stage. Naturally, assessment of its strengths and weakness will be useful for planning, adopting and deploying this powerful technology for aerospace projects. The paper classifies CFD in three separate activities: Teaching/R&D in institutes, developing and deploying CFD software in industry and CFD as an automated process to be used by aerospace designer in future. India has made some progress in the first two. It is argued that improvements in CFD alone are not enough in future. The design process must change to take advantage of virtual/numerical simulations, CFD being one the many simulation technologies. Keywords: Computational Fluid Dynamics, Aerospace CFD, Assessment of CFD

1. INTRODUCTION Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has made great strides in the last decade. Aerospace CFD seems to have made an impact in the 1970s when a supersonic pocket and a shock wave embedded in subsonic flow were automatically captured. The next important mile stone was reached in 1980s, when CFD could simulate heat transfer rates in hypersonic flows for reentry vehicles. In India, the first step in CFD was taken in 1981, when an international workshop in CFD was held in Trivandrum. The second step and probably the most important development of CFD happened when Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) took a lead and challenged a scattered aerospace CFD community to work together cohesively towards analysing Light Combat Configuration (LCA) configurations. Since then educational institutes, research labs and design offices have made investment in understanding CFD and its usage in aerospace engineering analysis. There have been discussions on facets, especially, scientific facets of CFD in various forums helping aerospace community chart its healthy and robust growth [1]. Presently, there are many civil and military aerospace projects on the drawing board and hence it is timely that we assess our capability in developing and deploying CFD as a technology.

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2. AEROSPACE CFD
There is a dilemma of accessibility of highly matured CFD technology but not the usefulness of CFD technology. One hand, most of our organizations have suites of CFD software having different maturity levels in algorithms and tools. They use CFD based on the level of uncertainty they place in CFD predictions. On the other hand, many phenomena cannot be modeled effectively in CFD. Turbulence model with and without compressibility effects, transition and relaminariation, massively separated flows, aerothermodynamics, nonequilibrium flows, multi-phase flows are some examples. Thus ability to model multiscale physics must be the first metric to assess our CFD. Designers are at most specialists of flow physics among things; they are not the experts in numerical methods. In fact designers need a quick tool to help them in their global thinking and it is undisputed that CFD is quicker and cost effective tool compared to wind tunnel testing. Naturally to make CFD as one of such tool, we need to develop an infrastructure / systems that do require designers to worry about availability to worry about such diverse things as no. of CPUs, types and quality grids, tuning parameters to be used in turbulence models, etc. Our ability to create CFD hardware/software system which enables the designers to deploy CFD properly, carefree and yet very is the second important metric. The last and equally important requirement of CFD technology is its ability to co-exist in a suite of complex multi-disciplinary analysis and design tools. Faster turnaround time and an ability to conceptualize a non-conventional design is the order of the day. Flapping wings, cm-sized engines, zero RCS signatures are possible and have a meaning if and only if, CFD co-exists with combustion, analysis of composite materials, electromagnetic analysis of dielectric materials, controls, etc. The ability to design and develop CFD software so that it co-exists with CAD on one hand and numerous simulations tools with correct an automatic data transfer between them is the third important metric. Admittedly, this requirement is not specific to CFD alone. Indian CFD is assessed here in terms of the above three metrics.

3. CFD ALGORITHMS AND MINDS-ON TRAINING IN CFD

The seeds of CFD, like any subject, are sowed in educational institutes. Undergraduates / postgraduates get initiated to applied mathematics, fluid mechanics, gas dynamics, heat transfer and advanced topics such as turbulence, stability, etc. It is here that young CFD engineers get to know the interplay between various competing phenomena and how to model them. There is an emphasis on concepts rather than problem solving ability. The training is therefore conceptual, mentally challenging or minds on rather than handson which demands solving well defined problems rather mechanically. By nature, this needs to be an individual oriented work seeking original contributions to the science. Being a non-profit activity, it needs to intrinsically driven by interest of faculty and funded by government. For CFD to survive and thrive, it is essential that basics science and numerical methods are covered in great details. The activity must produce researchers who understand basic

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physics and chemistry of the flow, though processes which leads to novel algorithms for producing behaviour of fluids. It is natural that the activity is funded by Govt. as the training is broad based. This CFD activity is lively in the country, but its spread is limited. Industry and R&D laboratories are getting ready manpower from these institutions, though the number seems to be too small against the requirement. The manpower being trained is mainly in the area of what can be called as mainstream CFD. There is hardly any attempt modeling physics in some novel way. Particle based CFD remains unexplored. Large eddy simulations do not find place in national conferences, transition studies are rare. Multi-phase flows are not even attempted. CFD effort has not been diversified. It evolved mostly in experimenting with algorithms for convective terms in Navier-Stokes algorithm. Serious code development has suffered. This needs to be changed. This may change with increase in post graduate intake. It is well-known that the productivity in this kind of activity has large dispersion and hence it is difficult define the goals and even more difficult to realize them. AR&DB had an important role to play in shaping this activity. It has funded large no of projects in the past and it has been funding CFD activity aggressively. A large number of CFD scientist / engineers got their grinding through the funds provided by AR&DB. Recently funded CFD centres at IITs and IISc is a timely step in this direction. However, it would be better that mandate to the centres is (a) training of CFD manpower and (b) carrying out basic research in algorithm in CFD and CFD related areas. Ref [2] states that CFD has been used for high-speed cruise wing design and propulsion / airframe integration. Not only this, it states that CFD has been used for analysis / design of flap support fairings, identifying locations air-data sensors, environmental control system (ECS) inlet and exhaust ports, cabin pressurization and outflow valves were position with CFD. There is a claim that CFD can provide insight to high-lift concepts and hence used for assess plan form effects. But on the other hand, Ref [3] shows that RANS simulation is failing in predicting of stall of 2D airfoil and RANS/LES is with compact differencing provides the answer. See Fig.1

Figure1: Lift curve of NACA 64A006 airfoil [4]

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Fig.2 shows pressure distribution on triangular wing [3, 4]. The author has used approx. 8 million cells but feels that unless the turbulence model is improved the pressure distribution may not match. This uncertainty where CFD can be used and where it should not be used needs immediate attention. One of the ways is to carry out verification & validation forum. This will lead to (a) awareness of scatter in CFD results, (b) limits on the usefulness of models, (c) direction for CFD R&D.

Non-dimensional Span wise distance Figure2: Cp variation along span wise direction [4].

European effort QNET-CFD and Drag Prediction workshops (DPW) by Boeing and NASA [5] in US are worth emulating. The modest aim could be to (a) collate known problems where CFD does not work, existing knowledge on the industrial application of CFD and to make these available to European industry, (b) conduct workshops to show to improve the accuracy of CFD. Luckily, there has been initiative in this direction already. Symposium on promotion of Indigenous CFD in Engineering Services (SPICES) needs support form aerospace community.

4. TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT AND HANDS-ON TRAINING IN CFD

The speed is the pivotal in usage of CFD. It can create paradigm shift in the design and analysis because it is fast. The speed with which CFD can be used is therefore an important metric in the assessment of CFD. Though understanding of CFD is essential, it is possible that repetitive procedures are made automatic. Work which is time consuming, but essential for CFD simulations is laid out as sequence of procedures so that novice user finds simulation intuitative and regular user, easy. This is typically done through the usage of software (CFD software) where each individual step processes the data as intended by the type of CFD simulation required to be carried out. At every step, the user will have plethora of options to choose from softwares graphics user interface but he must know the precise

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options. This activity is supposed to provide Hand-on training. The emphasis is on the understanding what is to be done rather than why it is required to be done. It is for these reasons, that the user is rarely a CFD scientist or CFD engineer; instead users of CFD software are aerodynamicist. There are two options to access CFD software: (a) acquire commercial software, (b) Build CFD software. Acquiring commercial CFD software option is faster and easier, if not cheaper. There are many aerospace organizations in the country that find this as a better option. Though the organizations may have capability of building CFD software, they do not venture in this activity as they have mandate of designing systems meeting product delivery with schedule and budget following prevailing design practices, though some daredevil technology managers take up the risk of developing the tools along with the products. It is thus satisfying that many aerospace organizations using commercial CFD tools for their analysis and design activity. Due to lack of in-depth knowledge, industrial users of commercial software tend to use CFD for applications where it may not be applicable. It is for this reason that advanced large aerospace organizations develop their own code as the developers constantly talk to the designers and advice them to use it correctly. Unfortunately, building CFD software requires many challenging developments other than algorithmic development of solving Navier-Stokes equations. CAD repair tools and CAD repair is the first challenge. It is well-known that CAD repair for military aircraft geometry can be the most daunting task, especially when it is weaponised. Automatic or almost automatic CAD repair is an order of the day. The second challenge is the preprocessor. This is not unique to CFD. It is a universal challenge for solving problems in engineering physics posed using partial differential equations. The challenge gets compounded in CFD because it needs to model volume not modeled by solids in CAD. In fact this problem can be so complex that many software vendors prefer to get pre-processor developed by a sub-vendor. The third challenge happens to be the usage of high performance computers in solving and complex fluid flow. Present simulations use several tens of millions of meshes in routine CFD. If the configuration has to analysed for a range of Mach nos. and angles of attack, several hundreds computer runs will be required. It will be possible to generate CFD data in the flight envelop within months if and only if thousands of cores (CPUs) are simultaneously used. Last but not the least, exploring the large field data generated in CFD simulations requires post-processing tools capable of extracting millions of cells and displaying their field properties for interpretation of the designer. As an alternative to full blast CFD software, it should be possible for a design office to craft customized set of tools for their own individual needs. A typical set of tools for an aircraft design office may consist of a surface modeler (not solid modeler with IGES file I/ O), structured multi-block surface and volume mesh generator (no other types of meshes), density based parallelised finite volume solver with SA as turbulence model (no other turbulence models) and a post-processor compatible with each other through CGNS. The tools do not need GUI, in fact GUI is not essential. If CFD can be made scriptable, for standard configurations of the organisation, designer becomes an order of time more efficient. It was satisfying that efforts in this directions were made, but implementation did not even take off.

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CFD is used in many engineering disciplines in addition to aerospace applications. This has made providing CFD services and also developing CFD software as a business proposition. There are a large number of industrial houses boasting of providing CFD solutions to aerospace and non-aerospace sectors. There a couple of groups planning to develop commercial CFD products. This innovation in Indian CFD market has just begun. Around 2005, the market saw what is referred to as fluid phase and now there are multiple business models in CFD products and CFD services. Indian CFD business is in a transitional phase in which a viable business model is likely to emerge. It is likely that in the next three to four years only incremental product innovation will take place, but number of industrial organizations offering services aerospace may continue to grow.

5. CFD AS A PROCESS
The only way CFD can deliver value to the organization is that it must affect its product. To affect the product, it must become an integral part of the engineering process for the design, manufacture, and support of the product. Otherwise, CFD is just an add-on; it may have some value but its effect is limited. Presently, it an add-on tool; it is not an integral part of the design process. This phase is the most difficult phase as diverse team of design engineers, managers, consultants and developers, need to contribute. They require far more faith in each others capability than in all other phases. If this phase is successful, there will be visible returns on the investment. Without investments in this activity, the enormous pay-off can not happen. A key component of CFD is the CAD system. Design is embedded in CAD system; designer accepts design in CAD systems; in fact they own the design only if it is in his CAD system. The reality is designer is the customer for CFD researcher / developer / service provider. This is because managing data has become far more complex task than generating data through numerical simulations or through experiments. In electronics industry processes have become CAE driven as the diversity is far less. It can happen in aerospace engineering in near future. The designer needs to accept the demand his own customer. He should be prepared to get his designs rejected and hence CFD must CFD should be ready to accept rejection of his best tools, if designer does not need them because it could be difficult, inappropriate or costly, etc. CFD developers must understand that use of CFD requires a pull from the designers. It is an eye opener to note that 30% of some NASA conferences discuss how to develop systems CFD systems which are easier to use and more reliable. However, designers need to understand that there is sufficient evidence to show that usage cost incurred in the usage of CFD makes economic sense. Continuous innovation is the backbone of aerospace engineering. At every stage they will face a dilemma of accepting inferior design vs. increasing the cost of project. It need not always in favour of accepting inferior design.

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6. CONCLUSION
CFD has grown in India as a science and also as technology. There are groups and organizations in the country utilizing their resources to do research, produce CFD products and provide services. The evolution will certainly throw up researchers, software products and organizations providing services. The quality will depend on the patronage received from technology mangers. The first activity will need constant support from the government. The last activity does not need and this activity has just begun. The fate of second activity remains uncertain as it does not guarantee returns on investment, at the same time it is not considered as teaching & research activity which Govt. can fund. Absence of analysis tools for multi-physics, and interplay between the tools and optimizers will decide the inroads CFD make in Indian industry.

REFERENCES
[1} S. S. Desai Relative roles of computational fluid dynamics and wind tunnel testing in the development of aircraft, CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 84, NO. 1, 10 JANUARY 2003. [2] Forrester T. Johnson, Edward N. Tinoco, N. Jong Yu, Thirty Years of Development and Application of CFD at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Seattle AIAA 2003-6919. [3} Kozo Fujii, Progress and future prospects of CFD in aerospaceWind tunnel and beyond Progress in Aerospace Sciences 41 (2005) 455470. [4] James M. Luckring, Reynolds number, Compressibility, and Leading-edge bluntness effects on Delta-wing Aerodynamics, 24th International Congress of the Aeronautical Sciences. [5] John C. Vassberg, Mark A. DeHaan, Melissa Rivers, Richard A. Wahls, Development of a Common Research Model for Applied CFD Validation Studies AIAA 2008-6919.