Coupled VSTOL and Ship Air Wake Turbulent Flow Simulation Model

"A computational approach, utilizing a polyhedral unstructured Navier-Stokes flow solver with a Cartesian and chimera/overset grid technology, is proposed for solving ship airwake and VSTOL ground effect flows. The unstructured flow solver allows for anymesh topology around complex aircraft and ship geometries. The chimera capability allows flexibility in using separate grid systems on the aircraft and ship and re-using these grids for modeling different aircraft landing locations. The adaptive Cartesiancapabilities can efficiently generate background grids that overlap both the aircraft and ship grids. Advanced higher order time marching schemes and turbulence models will be developed to solve the unsteady turbulent flow of the ship air wake and theturbulent transonic/supersonic VSTOL aircraft flow field.In Phase I, a computational approach will be developed and validated for the prediction of VSTOL-ground effect and ship air-wake flows. The most suitable grid topology will be separately selected for each aircraft and ship. A higher order time marchingscheme will be developed and implemented into existing CFD software for time accurate ship airwake predictions. A computational approach for coupling of the VSTOL and ship flow field predictions will be conceptually developed. This approach will beimplemented and validated in Phase II. The technology developed for the coupled flow of VSTOL and ship will have direct commercial applicatio