Aeronautical Vehicles Commons^™

Optimal Integrated Cfd-Gnc Model For Drag-Based Reentry Dynamics, Sebastian Lopez

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This research focuses on optimizing the control of a drag-maneuvering, Starship-class re-entry vehicle by closely integrating high-fidelity aerodynamic data derived from Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations, specifically using StarCCM+. The aerodynamic models, tailored to the unique geometry of a drag-maneuvering body, are seamlessly incorporated into a guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) framework. This integration enables closed-loop CFD simulations with real-time control feedback, allowing for direct analysis and optimization of vehicle stability, trajectory, and control demands throughout the re-entry process.

Building upon the work of Gaglio and Bevilacqua, this advanced CFD-GNC model introduces high-order aerodynamic effects, such as aerodynamic moments and …

Aerodynamic And Acoustic Modeling For Evtol Rotor Noise Prediction, Daniella Bezuidenhout, Anastasios S. Lyrintzis, Vladimir V. Golubev

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This thesis presents the development and validation of a methodology for predicting total acoustic emissions from a one-fifth scale electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) rotor in both hover and edgewise flight conditions. The approach couples sectional two-dimensional Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (2D-RANS) airfoil simulations with rotor loading predictions from the Comprehensive Hierarchical Aeromechanics Rotorcraft Model (CHARM), tonal noise calculations using the acoustic solver PSU-WOPWOP, and broadband noise predictions from the UCD-QuietFly framework. Boundary-layer inputs traditionally obtained from the viscous-inviscid solver, XFOIL, were replaced with higher-fidelity 2D-RANS results from OpenFOAM to better capture low-Reynolds-number flow physics, including laminar-turbulent transition and laminar separation …

High-Fidelity Modeling Of Evtol Rotor Unsteady Aerodynamic And Aeroacoustic Response To Time-Harmonic Gust, Vadim Voropayev

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The rapid emergence of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) demands accurate prediction and mitigation of noise generated by electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft operating in complex urban environments. Among the various noise sources, the aerodynamic and acoustic response of rotors to unsteady inflow represents a major uncertainty in community-noise assessment and certification. This thesis investigates the aerodynamic and aeroacoustic behavior of a representative eVTOL rotor subjected to time-harmonic inflow disturbances, providing a detailed numerical framework to quantify how periodic gusts influence rotor performance, unsteady loading, and sound radiation.

The study employs a three-stage computational methodology using the open-source solver …

A Study Of The Utilization Of Panel Method For Low Aspect Ratio Wing Analysis, William Barton D. Newey

Master's Theses

This study demonstrates the applicability of using a modified application strategy of panel method to analyze low aspect ratio wings at preliminary design phases. Conventional panel methods fail to capture the leading edge vortex (LEV) that is shed by wings with low aspect ratios, typically below 2 depending on planform. This aerodynamic phenomenon contributes to a significant amount of the lift of these wings and the result is a drastic underestimation of the lift characteristics when analyzed by conventional panel method. To capture the effect of the leading edge vortex, a panel method code was used with an extended definition …

Design And Performance Of Circulation Control Geometries, Rory Martin Golden

Master's Theses

With the pursuit of more advanced and environmentally-friendly technologies of today’s society, the airline industry has been pushed further to investigate solutions that will reduce airport noise and congestion, cut down on emissions, and improve the overall performance of aircraft. These items directly influence airport size (runway length), flight patterns in the community surrounding the airport, cruise speed, and many other aircraft design considerations which are setting the requirements for next generation aircraft. Leading the research in this movement is NASA, which has set specific goals for the next generation regional airliners and has categorized the designs that meet the …

3d Cfd On An Open Wheel Race Car Front Wing In Ground Effects, Thomas A. Price

Aerospace Engineering

The purpose of the report is to investigate the ability of the Fluent 6.3 k-ε Realizable turbulence model with standard wall functions to model the flow around the front wing of Cal Poly’s 2008 Formula SAE car. The three primary areas of interest are ground effects, the wing wheel interaction, and the wing tip vortices. Fluent was successful at modeling the increase suction from the ground effects, and the upwash due to the wing tip vortices. The results also displayed how the high pressure region in front of the tire propagates forward and interacts with the pressure distribution around the …

Cfd As Applied To The Design Of Short Takeoff And Landing Vehicles Using Circulation Control, Tyler M. Ball

Master's Theses

The ability to predict the distance required for an aircraft to takeoff is an essential component of aircraft design. It involves aspects related to each of the major aircraft systems: aerodynamics, propulsion, configuration, structures, and stability and control. For an aircraft designed for short takeoffs and landings (STOL), designing the aircraft to provide a short takeoff distance, or more precisely the balanced field length (BFL), often leads to the use of a powered lift technique such as circulation control (CC). Although CC has been around for many years, it has never been used on a production aircraft. This is in …