Recent and future DLR projects on Multi-Disciplinary Simulation and Validation

Abstract

In recent years CFD has become a widely accepted tool in the aerospace community after it has been validated for a wide area of test cases. This can be seen as a pre-requisite enabling the introduction of coupled multi-disciplinary simulation methods involving a higher level of CFD tools than currently used in industry. A necessary condition for the acceptance of such tools in industry is, of course, their verification and validation using suitable multi-physics test cases. The current paper presents a brief overview over some recent DLR projects dealing with implementation and validation of multi-disciplinary simulation tools. The areas of multi-physics considered in these projects reach from the fluid-structure coupling (a two degree-of-freedom airfoil exhibiting Limit Cycle Oscillations, the aero-elastic coupling of an engine to a wing and the simulation of helicopter blades) over thermal coupling of flow and structure ( flaps of a generic reentry vehicle to the coupling of flow, structures and flight mechanics (manoeuvre simulation of flexible aircraft).