Application of computational fluid dynamics in missile engineering

The Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering Group within the APL Air Defens e Systems Department has developed a unique resource of personnel and speci alized computer hardware and software to effectively practice the disciplin e of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) throughout the missile development process. A suite of CFD codes is regularly used to predict the performance of conceptual missiles, support and supplement wind tunnel tests, aid in th e development of flight-critical hardware, and support forensic analyses of flight anomalies. Key to the successful application of CFD is understandin g the limits that the discipline brings to the problem-solving process and diligence in validating both the computational codes and their results. Exa mple problems and CFD solutions presented in the article illuminate the pro cess and illustrate the added value CFD brings to missile engineering.