Over the last decade, the role of computational simulations in all aspects of aerospace design has steadily increased. However, despite the many advances, the time required for computations is far too long. This book examines new ideas and methodologies that may, in the next twenty years, revolutionize scientific computing. The book specifically looks at trends in algorithm research, human computer interface, network-based computing, surface modeling and grid generation and computer hardware and architecture. The book provides a good overview of the current state-of-the-art and provides guidelines for future research directions. The book is intended for computational scientists active in the field and program managers making strategic research decisions.

Prepared at the request of NASA, Aeronautical Technologies for the Twenty-First Century presents steps to help prevent the erosion of U.S. dominance in the global aeronautics market. The book recommends the immediate expansion of research on advanced aircraft that travel at subsonic speeds and research on designs that will meet expected future demands for supersonic and short-haul aircraft, including helicopters, commuter aircraft, "tiltrotor," and other advanced vehicle designs. These recommendations are intended to address the needs of improved aircraft performance, greater capacity to handle passengers and cargo, lower cost and increased convenience of air travel, greater aircraft and air traffic management system safety, and reduced environmental impacts.

Over the last fifty years, the ability to carry out analysis as a precursor to decision making in engineering design has increased dramatically. In particular, the advent of modern computing systems and the development of advanced numerical methods have made computational modelling a vital tool for producing optimized designs. This text explores how computer-aided analysis has revolutionized aerospace engineering, providing a comprehensive coverage of the latest technologies underpinning advanced computational design. Worked case studies and over 500 references to the primary research literature allow the reader to gain a full understanding of the technology, giving a valuable insight into the world’s most complex engineering systems. Key Features: Includes background information on the history of aerospace design and established optimization, geometrical and mathematical modelling techniques, setting recent engineering developments in a relevant context. Examines the latest methods such as evolutionary and response surface based optimization, adjoint and numerically differentiated sensitivity codes, uncertainty analysis, and concurrent systems integration schemes using grid-based computing. Methods are illustrated with real-world applications of structural statics, dynamics and fluid mechanics to satellite, aircraft and aero-engine design problems. Senior undergraduate and postgraduate engineering students taking courses in aerospace, vehicle and engine design will find this a valuable resource. It will also be useful for practising engineers and researchers working on computational approaches to design.

Currently, the use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solutions is considered as the state-of-the-art in the modeling of unsteady nonlinear flow physics and offers an early and improved understanding of air vehicle aerodynamics and stability and control characteristics. This Special Issue covers recent computational efforts on simulation of aerospace vehicles including fighter aircraft, rotorcraft, propeller driven vehicles, unmanned vehicle, projectiles, and air drop configurations. The complex flow physics of these configurations pose significant challenges in CFD modeling. Some of these challenges include prediction of vortical flows and shock waves, rapid maneuvering aircraft with fast moving control surfaces, and interactions between propellers and wing, fluid and structure, boundary layer and shock waves. Additional topic of interest in this Special Issue is the use of CFD tools in aircraft design and flight mechanics. The problem with these applications is the computational cost involved, particularly if this is viewed as a brute-force calculation of vehicle’s aerodynamics through its flight envelope. To make progress in routinely using of CFD in aircraft design, methods based on sampling, model updating and system identification should be considered.