Flow Simulation at Off-design Conditions (SimOD)

Flow simulation capabilities have made an enormous impact on airframe and propulsion design in the last decades. However, this impact has been largely restricted to ‘design condition’ operation. The technologies which have been honed and incrementally improved, over many years, for this purpose are not able to handle off-design points or other conditions in which highly complex flows are encountered. Enormous benefits will flow from off-design flow simulation (e.g. substantial saving in airframe weight; robust improvements in engine performance). These benefits cannot be realized by evolutionary development. A step change in approach is required. In this regard, three major UK aerospace companies propose to collaborate with the objectives of a) establishing the current state of the art (SoA); b) taking a major step forward in the SoA that also delivers an interim industrial SimOD capability and c) setting out the next step strategy for establishing full industrial maturity.