NASA SBIR 2007 Solicitation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Michigan Engineering Services, LLC
2890 Carpenter Road, Suite 1900
Ann Arbor, MI 48108 - 1100
(734) 358-0792

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Jim He
jim_he@miengsrv.com
2890 Carpenter Road, suite 1900
Ann Arbor, MI 48108 - 1100
(734) 477-5710

Expected Technology Readiness Level (TRL) upon completion of contract: 3 to 5

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (Limit 2000 characters, approximately 200 words)
Aircraft design is a complex process requiring interactions and exchange of information among multiple disciplines such as aerodynamics, strength, fatigue, controls, propulsion, corrosion, maintenance, and manufacturing. A lot of attention has been paid during the past fifteen years in the Multi-disciplinary Design Optimization (MDO) nature of the aircraft design process. However, a consistent void in aircraft design is the ability to integrate high-fidelity computational capabilities from multiple disciplines within an organized MDO environment. Integrating high fidelity simulation technology (that has been developed over the years though significant investments) within a MDO environment will constitute a disruptive technological development in aircraft design. Currently, each high fidelity simulation is rather compartmentalized, and at best a sequential interaction process is exercised. Integrating the high-fidelity computational capabilities from multiple disciplines within an organized MDO environment will provide the ability to capture the implications that design changes in a particular discipline have to all other disciplines. It will also be possible to share design variables among disciplines and thus identify the direction that design variables should follow based on objectives and constraints from multiple disciplines. During the Phase I effort the feasibility of utilizing high fidelity CFD simulations for shape optimization and combining them with a structural finite element simulation for strength considerations within a multi-discipline design optimization environment will be demonstrated. A wing configuration will be analyzed for showcasing the different steps of this development and the benefits.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
Aerodynamics, strength, fatigue, controls, propulsion, corrosion, maintenance, and manufacturing concerns are present in aircraft structures, launch vehicles, and spacecraft. In all of these areas simulations are utilized during design. High fidelity simulation methods have been developed under significant investment in the different disciplines. However they remain rather compartmentalized, and at best only a sequential interaction process is exercised. Therefore engaging available high fidelity simulations within a multi-disciplinary design optimization environment will bring new technology to all NASA groups interested in reducing weight and cost when designing aircraft, launch vehicles, and spacecraft.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
The marketing effort will target companies and organizations within the aerospace field (NASA, space vehicles, aircraft manufacturers, rotorcraft applications, launch vehicle industries), the shipbuilding, the automotive, the military ground vehicle, and the heavy construction equipment. In all of these industries CFD simulations are heavily utilized either for simulating aerodynamic or hydrodynamic performance, or for cooling and pipe flow calculations; all use multi-physics simulation models for assessing the performance of their products during design; and they all have needs for designing products based on economic viability and making the complex design optimization process easy to use. Thus, there is a great market potential for the outcome of this SBIR project.

NASA's technology taxonomy has been developed by the SBIR-STTR program to disseminate awareness of proposed and awarded R/R&D in the agency. It is a listing of over 100 technologies, sorted into broad categories, of interest to NASA.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING

Aircraft Engines Airframe Composites Launch and Flight Vehicle Simulation Modeling Environment Structural Modeling and Tools