Novel Aerodynamics–Flight Mechanics Approach on Compact Domains

Abstract

This report presents a novel CFD–flight mechanics approach and its evaluation. It is part of the work package HAP 4 – Absetzen agiler Konfigurationen of the DLR-project MiTraPor II (Militärische Tranportflugzeuge). CFD–flight mechanics simulations still suffer from the large resources required. That is the main motivation for setting up new techniques for predicting store trajectories. In the present study, a novel approach based on CFD simulations on compact domains is suggested. Its behaviour is investigated and assessed against unsteady CFD–flight mechanics simulations on the basis of the separation of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) as well as of a pallet out of a military transport aircraft. Furthermore, different scenarios of the separation of the UAV are computed in order to study the feasibility of such a process. The results of the developed approach are promising both in terms of accuracy and wallclock runtimes. A speed-up factor of 4.11 has been obtained for the CFD–flight mechanics simulation of the pallet without significant loss of accuracy.