Computational Study of a Subsonic Aircraft Design: Basic CFD Methods and CAD Designs

This investigation explores the methodology, using various computational tools and processes, involved in designing the fuselage of an aircraft. The design begins using 3-Dimensional modeling software and a basic understanding of aerodynamics. The form of the aircraft is built using only a few simple features and is then ready for the meshing process. Picking a simple tetrahedral mesh, rather than a more complicated hexahedral mesh, will allow this process to proceed even faster and also requires only a basic understanding of meshing. Once the geometry is completed the mesh may be moved into Computational Fluid Dynamics software and a wind tunnel simulation can be preformed. Developing a connection between each of these steps will allow the design to be manipulated in many different ways.