Aerodynamics

The portfolio supports both basic and applied research towards understanding fundamental features of complex wall-bounded and shear flow fields motivated by a need to enable future novel air vehicles and kinetic weapon system configurations compatible with naval requirements. Fundamental understanding of unsteady fluid dynamics and their control within the context of internal and external aerodynamics are of critical importance. The portfolio emphasizes the study of interactions with multiple close bodies in motion, rigid and flexible surfaces, etc., as well as the development of emerging computational and experimental techniques. Advancements in these areas will enable an understanding of salient physics and facilitate development of targeted control strategies to, for example, improve air vehicle performance in inclement weather and/or high sea states, enhance system maneuverability and control, etc.

Research in the portfolio is motivated by the need for very agile and compact air vehicles and weapons required to operate within the naval environment. Operational challenges such as high-amplitude gusting environments, wakes, ship motions and physical constraints exacerbate the need for aerodynamics technologies to enhance overall performance capabilities. To address these needs, the portfolio seeks innovative research in the following four key areas of interest:

• Flow and boundary layer control: Portfolio seeks fundamental understanding of flow physics and controllability enabling development of novel effectors for enhanced aerodynamic performance of air vehicles and weapons. Key aspects include the understanding of phenomena leading to effective active and passive control methods as well as new approaches for enhanced, robust flow control effectiveness under flow and environmental conditions of interest.
• Unsteady and separated flow dynamics: Focus on critical understanding of salient and non-stationary fluid flow phenomena. For example, single-body, self-induced aerodynamic coupled response of air vehicle flight-mode transitions, unsteady flow phenomena in massively-separated flows, shock-turbulent boundary layer interactions, etc.
• Aerodynamically-coupled phenomena: Research into critical couplings between fluid flows and other physical phenomena. Interactional aerodynamics between multiple moving bodies under high-amplitude gust conditions, in-ground effect dynamics between rotary-wing vehicles and a translating/rotating ground plane, and the effective control of air vehicles within such conditions are of critical importance to naval operations. Other aerodynamically-coupled areas of interest include: (a) understanding and controlling aero-optical phenomena in the maritime environment; (b) aero-elastic stability of emerging platforms; and (c) efficient linear/non-linear methods for coupled aero-structural dynamics, etc.
• Novel experimental techniques and diagnostics: Innovative techniques, diagnostics, and multi-sensor data fusion for real-time characterization and prediction of flow conditions in complex dynamic environments. Interest in development of real-time in-situ diagnostic capabilities and associated data processing. Novel experimental design, scaling laws, and validation methods connecting ground/lab tests and modeling to the full-scale maritime environments.