Intelligent
Light has been awarded a NASA Phase 1 SBIR contract to develop a specialized
prototype post-processing system designed for large rotorcraft acoustics
problems. This system is designated as RCAAPS - Rotorcraft Computational
Aero-Acoustics Post-processing System. It is designed to expedite the
exploration of large transient datasets that result from multi-physics based
(i.e. Large-Eddy Simulation with aero-elasticity and acoustics) simulations as
it pertains to rotorcraft performance predictions especially maneuver. Under
the contract, Intelligent Light Applied Research Group (ARG) will develop a
breakthrough visualization system prototype capable of exploiting contemporary hardware
systems during both compute and data handling. The prototype system developed
under this SBIR will revolutionize the way investigators explore large datasets
and allows for more complete and thorough use of CFD and acoustics data.
RCAAPS has two potential benefits to NASA: as a
highly effective tool to advance the usefulness of rotor-craft simulations and
as a post-processing tool to support all types of unsteady design and analysis
tools. RCAAPS’s primary focus is aeroacoustics, which has application in
environmental noise reduction for rotorcraft and fixed wing aircraft in
high-lift configurations. The fundamental technologies (integrated
high-performance parallel I/O, high performance CFD-specific numerical methods,
'point and click' interrogation of large unsteady data) will be applied to future
software development including and will benefit users of FIELDVIEW and
FIELDVIEW eXtreme.
Aero-acoustic analysis is of high importance to
manufacturers of both fixed wing aircraft and rotorcraft. A system such as
RCAAPS will significantly advance the tools available to US industry for the
design and analysis of environmental noise from such machines; a growing
priority for both combat and commercial operations. The technology will benefit
CFD practitioners utilizing large unsteady simulations for any
application. RCAAPS will become a
critical tool for the development of future designs in aerospace, automotive,
and wind turbines that feature lower airflow-induced noise than current
technologies.
“Rotorcraft airflows are highly complex and
unsteady. The size of the datasets are
large and growing and as we look toward multi-terabyte, high resolution
unsteady datasets, a more powerful and efficient system is needed,” said Earl
P. N. Duque, manager of Intelligent Light’s Applied
Research Group and principal investigator on this project. “The RCAAPS program takes a holistic view of
the CFD simulation process and the specific demands of post-processing to
increase capability and throughput . The
anticipated benefits will enable a dramatic leap forward in the use of large
scale unsteady simulations for aeroacoustics and CFD.”
Collaborating investigator Professor Kenneth Brentner
of
Dr. Duque leads the Applied Research Group which
consists of a team of CFD and computer science experts that possess the
experience and deep expertise required to collaborate with leaders in CFD
around the world. With expert team members in
the
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