Computer Assisted Aerodynamics Education

Abstract

In engineering education, presentations based on visual object are very important as well as audio presentations. Therefore, one of the ways to teach the quantity and the quality of and physical phenomena is demonstrations through experiments. However, experimental methods need always expensive devices and use of them is not so easy. Furthermore, a class often has to be taken into the laboratory, since the experimental devices are generally difficult to transport into the class.Since sixties, by the development of the numerical methods and also the computers, several numerical analysis methods have been developed in aerodynamics as well as many disciplines of physics. Due to developing computer programming languages high speed solutions are possible by programming these methods. Also, it is easily possible to conduct pre-process and post-process stage of the numerical methods by using interfaces, to create graphics and other visual object from the numerical results, and to make animations. Due to developed projection systems and powerful personnel computers it is possible to do all the calculations, pre- and post-process in the class.In the recent years, we developed several Visual Basic programs in the frame of aerodynamics and related courses and used in the education. In this paper some of these programs will be presented briefly