Structured background grids for generation of unstructured grids by advancing-front method
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The NCOREL computer program and methodology (Grossman, 1979) modified for computation of flows over complex geometries is described. The newly introduced features include a more flexible grid-generation package, capable of generating grids for realistic wing-body cross sections, and a more general numerical method, developed for the capture of highly three-dimensional embedded, oblique shocks. In addition, an inlet capability is included, by means of which the cross section is allowed to change discontinuously with the addition of the inlet geometry. The new cross section is regridded and the potentials and their derivatives are interpolated for the marching to continue. Hence, a discontinuity in the grid or mappings is taken into account at the inlet station. The results of the flow-field computation for a realistic fighter configuration are discussed.
Research aimed at increasing the efficiency and productivity of an overall CFD simulation process, from geometry definition to post processing of results as applied to complete aircraft configurations is reviewed. The progress was achieved through enhancements in geometry processing, surface grid generation, grid refinement, grid adaptation, and domain decomposition strategies. Algorithms for surface grid redistribution, automatic remapping, elliptic refinement and grid adaptation utilize the direct and inverse nonuniform rational B spline based surface representation.
The present interactive grid-generation capability for unstructured grids substantially bases itself on the performance available in the most advanced workstations, in order to obviate much of the input, error-checking, and output process burden associated with the generation of grids in three dimensions. The illustrative examples presented encompass the B-747 wing-fuselage configuration, a generic wing-fuselage-tail pathfinder configuration in a wind tunnel, and a generic train configuration in which surface data are not required to have very high accuracy, but many configurations must be analyzed rapidly.
The increasing displacement of synchronous generators with renewable resources such as wind and solar via power electronic interfaces causes a reduction in short-circuit strength and weak grid issues. The variation and uncertainty of renewable energy increase challenges for identifying weak grid conditions. This paper proposes an efficient method to analyze the impact of uncertain renewable energy on grid strength. The proposed method uses the probabilistic collocation method (PCM) to approximate the results of grid strength assessment under uncertain renewable generation, in order to reduce computational burden without compromising result accuracy when compared with traditional Monte Carlo simulation (MCS). To improve the accuracy of the approximation results, the proposed method integrates the K-means clustering technique with PCM to select the approximation samples of input variables. The efficacy of the proposed method is demonstrated by comparison with MCS on the modified IEEE 9-bus system and modified IEEE 39-bus system with multiple renewable generators.
Several reports are attached to this document which contain the results of our research at the end of this contract period. Three of the reports deal with our work on generating surface grids. One is a preprint of a paper which will appear in the journal Applied Mathematics and Computation. Another is the abstract from a dissertation which has been prepared by Ahmed Khamayseh, a graduate student who has been supported by this grant for the last two years. The last report on surface grids is the extended abstract of a paper to be presented at the 14th IMACS World Congress in July. This report contains results on conformal mappings of surfaces, which are closely related to elliptic methods for surface grid generation. A preliminary report is included on new methods for dealing with block interfaces in multiblock grid systems. The development work is complete and the methods will eventually be incorporated into the National Grid Project (NGP) grid generation code. Thus, the attached report contains only a simple grid system which was used to test the algorithms to prove that the concepts are sound. These developments will greatly aid grid control when using elliptic systems and prevent unwanted grid movement. The last report is a brief summary of some timings that were obtained when the multiblock grid generation code was run on the Intel IPSC/860 hypercube. Since most of the data in a grid code is local to a particular block, only a small fraction of the total data must be passed between processors. The data is also distributed among the processors so that the total size of the grid can be increase along with the number of processors. This work is only in a preliminary stage. However, one of the ERC graduate students has taken an interest in the project and is presently extending these results as a part of his master's thesis.
This report documents the work performed from March 2010 to March 2012. The Integrated Design and Engineering Analysis (IDEA) environment is a collaborative environment based on an object-oriented, multidisciplinary, distributed framework using the Adaptive Modeling Language (AML) as a framework and supporting the configuration design and parametric CFD grid generation. This report will focus on describing the work in the area of parametric CFD grid generation using novel concepts for defining the interaction between the mesh topology and the geometry in such a way as to separate the mesh topology from the geometric topology while maintaining the link between the mesh topology and the actual geometry.
A computational environment that allows many Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) engineers to work on the same project exists in the Special Project Office (SPO). This environment enables several users to carry out the task of grid generation. The grid management system, used by the engineers, is described in a brief overview. The topics will include the grid file naming system, the grid-generation procedure, grid storage, and the grid format standard.
Method of algebraic generation of grids used in computing flows incorporates blending-function techniques to obtain high degree of orthogonality of each grid on its bounding surfaces and to blend grid smoothly, making it conform to all boundaries. Demonstrated in two dimensions, and applied in continuing development of software for real-time interactive generation of three-dimensional grids with color graphical displays. Software used routinely in generating grids for computing flows of practical interest.
Two-Boundary Grid Generation (TBGG) computer program applies interactive algebraic grid-generation technique in two dimensions. Incorporates algebraic equations that relate uniform rectangular computational domain to arbitrary physical domain. Hermite cubic interpolation performed between fixed, nonintersecting boundaries. Applied to variety of problems in which discrete techniques used to solve such partial differential equations as governing equations of fluid flow. Written in FORTRAN 77.
A new method of domain decomposition has been developed for generating unstructured grids in subdomains either sequentially or using multiple computers in parallel. Domain decomposition is a crucial and challenging step for parallel grid generation. Prior methods are generally based on auxiliary, complex, and computationally intensive operations for defining partition interfaces and usually produce grids of lower quality than those generated in single domains. The new technique, referred to as "Advancing Partition," is based on the Advancing-Front method, which partitions a domain as part of the volume mesh generation in a consistent and "natural" way. The benefits of this approach are: 1) the process of domain decomposition is highly automated, 2) partitioning of domain does not compromise the quality of the generated grids, and 3) the computational overhead for domain decomposition is minimal. The new method has been implemented in NASA's unstructured grid generation code VGRID.
Numerical grid generation algorithm associated with the flow field about turbomachinery geometries is presented. Graphical user interface is developed with FORMS Library to create an interactive, user-friendly working environment. This customized algorithm reduces the man-hours required to generate a grid associated with turbomachinery geometry, as compared to the use of general-purpose grid generation softwares. Bezier curves are utilized both interactively and automatically to accomplish grid line smoothness and orthogonality. Graphical User Interactions are provided in the algorithm, allowing the user to design and manipulate the grid lines with a mouse.
Progress realized in the development of a Computer Aided Grid Interface (CAGI) software system in integrating CAD/CAM geometric system output and/or Interactive Graphics Exchange Standard (IGES) files, geometry manipulations associated with grid generation, and robust grid generation methodologies is presented. CAGI is being developed in a modular fashion and will offer fast, efficient and economical response to geometry/grid preparation, allowing the ability to upgrade basic geometry in a step-by-step fashion interactively and under permanent visual control along with minimizing the differences between the actual hardware surface descriptions and corresponding numerical analog. The computer code GENIE is used as a basis. The Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines (NURBS) representation of sculptured surfaces is utilized for surface grid redistribution. The computer aided analysis system, PATRAN, is adapted as a CAD/CAM system. The progress realized in NURBS surface grid generation, the development of IGES transformer, and geometry adaption using PATRAN will be presented along with their applicability to grid generation associated with rocket propulsion applications.
SmaggIce 2D version 1.8 is a software toolkit developed at the NASA Glenn Research Center that consists of tools for modeling the geometry of and generating the grids for clean and iced airfoils. Plans call for the completed SmaggIce 2D version 2.0 to streamline the entire aerodynamic simulation process--the characterization and modeling of ice shapes, grid generation, and flow simulation--and to be closely coupled with the public-domain application flow solver, WIND. Grid generated using version 1.8, however, can be used by other flow solvers. SmaggIce 2D will help researchers and engineers study the effects of ice accretion on airfoil performance, which is difficult to do with existing software tools because of complex ice shapes. Using SmaggIce 2D, when fully developed, to simulate flow over an iced airfoil will help to reduce the cost of performing flight and wind-tunnel tests for certifying aircraft in natural and simulated icing conditions.
The problem of three-dimensional separation and flow control at a wing/body junction has been investigated numerically using a three-dimensional Navier-Stokes code. The numerical code employs an algebraic grid generation technique for generating the grid for unmodified junction and an elliptic grid generation technique for filleted fin junction. The results for laminar flow past a blunt fin/flat plate junction demonstrate that after grid refinement, the computations agree with experiment and reveal a strong dependency of the number of vortices at the junction on Mach number and Reynolds number. The numerical results for pressure distribution, particle paths and limiting streamlines for turbulent flow past a swept fin show a decrease in the peak pressure and in the extent of the separated flow region compared to the laminar case. The results for a filleted juncture indicate that the streamline patterns lose much of their vortical character with proper filleting. Fillets with a radius of three and one-half times the fin leading edge diameter or two times the incoming boundary layer thickness, significantly weaken the usual necklace interaction vortex for the Mach number and Reynolds number considered in the present study.
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The advancing front technique is used to generate an unstructured grid about simple aerodynamic geometries. Unstructured grids are generated using VGRID2D and VGRID3D software. Specific problems considered are a NACA 0012 airfoil, a bi-plane consisting of two NACA 0012 airfoil, a four element airfoil in its landing configuration, and an ONERA M6 wing. Inviscid time dependent solutions are computed on these geometries using USM3D and the results are compared with standard test results obtained by other investigators. A grid convergence study is conducted for the NACA 0012 airfoil and compared with a structured grid. A structured grid is generated using GRIDGEN software and inviscid solutions computed using CFL3D flow solver. The results obtained by unstructured grid for NACA 0012 airfoil showed an asymmetric distribution of flow quantities, and a fine distribution of grid was required to remove this asymmetry. On the other hand, the structured grid predicted a very symmetric distribution, but when the total number of points were compared to obtain the same results it was seen that structured grid required more grid points.
A flexible framework constructing block structured volume grids for hypersonic Navier-Strokes flow simulations was developed for the analysis of the Shuttle Orbiter Columbia. The development of the framework, which was partially basedon the requirements of the primary flow solvers used resulted in an ability to directly correlate solutions contributed by participating groups on a common surface mesh. A foundation was built through the assessment of differences between differnt solvers, which provided confidence for independent assessment of other damage scenarios by team members. The framework draws on the experience of NASA Langley and NASA Ames Research Centers in structured grid generation, and consists of a grid generation, and consist of a grid generation process implemented through a division of responsibilities. The nominal division of labor consisted of NASA Johnson Space Center coordinating the damage scenarios to be analyzed by the Aerothermodynamics Columbia Accident Investigation (ACAI) team, Ames developing the surface grids that described the computational volume about the Orbiter, and Langley improving grid quality of Ames generated data and constructing the final computational volume grids. Distributing the work among the participant in th ACAI team resulted in significantl less time required to construct complete meshes than possible by any individual participant. The approach demonstrated that the One-NASA grid generation team could sustain the demand of for five new meshes to explore new damage scenarios within an aggressive time-line.