Vought aircraft enhances thrust reverser database with CFD simulations

Abstract

Costly physical experiments are normally used to evaluate the performance of thrust reverser concepts during the design process. This is because the design geometry is normally so complex that producing a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model would take longer than running an experiment. Recently, unstructured grid CFD software packages have come onto the market that claim to greatly reduce the amount of time required to produce a grid. One of these packages. RAMPANT from Fluent, Inc., Lebanon, New Hampshire, was used to model an experimental thrust reverser design. A series of varying cascade blades were modelled in less than a day and the analysis results matched well with the experimental data.