• Dr. Rob McDonald
  • California Polytechnic State University
  • 104D Surge Building
  • 10:05 a.m.

Advanced multidisciplinary physics-based design and analysis capabilities are required to pursue the revolutionary vehicle and technology concepts needed to meet the substantial challenges facing the aerospace community.  An aircraft’s shape is the natural starting point for physics-based multidisciplinary analysis and optimization.  Its outer mold lines and structural layout are the interface between aerodynamics, structures, mass properties, and all the physics that impact a vehicle’s performance.

 

The decision makers involved in the design of the next generations of air vehicles need the ability to select and vary the level of analysis fidelity to suit the decision being made.  Unfortunately, analysis fidelity is often dictated by the available tools.  This limitation frequently stems from the underlying geometry representation.

 

NASA’s Vehicle Sketch Pad (VSP) is a parametric geometry tool which presents the opportunity to dramatically change the way design is performed.  Planned research will result in a geometry engine and an integration framework which are significantly more intelligent, more extensible, and more capable that what is available today.  These tools will enable multi-fidelity and multi-physics analysis early in the design process when fundamental decisions are made.  This improved design modeling capability will lead to better understanding of the advanced technologies and concepts required to meet the challenges facing the aerospace industry.