GPU-Accelerated, Automatic Mesh Generation Platform for Hypersonic Aerothermodynamics using a Solution-Adaptive Hybrid NBS-Cartesian Solver

Boundary layer transition (BLT) can be an important aspect of hypersonic vehicle performance as it strongly impacts aerodynamic performance and thermal management considerations. Transition to turbulence significantly increases heating rates and drag forces and limits the effectiveness of hypersonic vehicle performance.The proposed work aims to advance the capabilities required by the DoN for viscous flow analysis of next-generation hypersonic vehicles, with an emphasis on laminar baseflow simulations and boundary layer transition (BLT) which includes accurate heat flux prediction, thermo-chemical non-equilibrium (TCNE) flows, fluid-ablation interactions (FAI), and the handling of complex vehicle geometries. The Whoosh team proposes to advance its hybrid computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solver, the CHAMPS+ NBS-Cart solver, which has already been successfully ported to GPU platforms. The use of modern GPU hardware combined with specialized simulation codes can provide an order of magnitude reduction in computational resources required for these computations. The Phase I objectives include the evaluation and development of an optimized implicit solver, further validation of the GPU solver for laminar baseflow simulations on a range of blunt and non-blunt geometries, and the demonstration of transition prediction capabilities. The Phase I research will focus on validating high-quality baseflows for low- and high-enthalpy conditions, along with surface grid adaption algorithms for improved solution accuracy and robustness.The Phase I Option and Phase II will prioritize performance optimization of the solver, refinement of mesh generation algorithms, and the development of the fluid-ablation interaction framework. Validation will then continue on various low- and high-temperature ablation problems and the application of these tools to complex test cases such as HIFiRe-5b, HyTRV, the High-Speed Army Reference Vehicle (HARV) and various other flight vehicle geometries. These objectives will demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed methodology and lay the groundwork for future research on non-canonical cases, including more complex FAI scenarios and multi-material, tiled heat shields.ÝThroughout the project, close collaboration with DoD researchers and code developers will be maintained to exchange knowledge and maximize the project outcome.