Zenotech is proud to be partnering in a successful UKAAC (UK Applied Aerodynamics Consortium) Leadership bid to offer industrial as well as academic researchers access to national supercomputing facilities. This is vital to producing effective supercomputing software to help innovation, increase efficiency and ultimately to secure UK aerospace and related industries as leading global players.

This project will provide UK industry and academic partners with the HPC resources and state of-the-art software tools that will enable the exploration of innovative designs for the aerospace industry as well as next-generation high-speed ground transport and wind energy programmes.

The project is led by Professor Mark Savill from Cranfield University (Centre for Propulsion Engineering / Aerospace Division) and Professor David Emerson (Science and Technology Research Council, STFC, Daresbury Laboratories) and funding comes via EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council) which offers access to ARCHER, the latest UK supercomputing service. This support from the EPSRC, as well as EPCC (Edinburgh Parallel Computing Centre) and STFC, is exciting as it enables access to viable high performance software to industrial partners as well as smaller companies.  

How will the UKAAC help the aerospace industry?

Aerospace is a major contributor to the UK economy supporting over 100,000 jobs in a global industry generating revenue in excess of £24 billion annually. The challenge now for the UK aerospace industry is to grow market share. The UKAAC can play a major role here by demonstrating and delivering advanced software that can fully exploit the UK’s national computing facilities enabling researchers to undertake high-fidelity leading-edge applications to contribute to efficient design of future aircraft including advanced wing design, whole aircraft and vehicle simulation, engine integration and noise control.

In addition, the automotive, high speed train and renewable energy sectors are also covered by UKAAC as multi-billion industries that will produce economic benefit in their own right, as well as contributing to a greater pool of talent to meet the broader aerospace sector requirements and raise the UK’s international profile:

• Automotive companies, F1 in particular, continue to evaluate and further develop state-of-the-art methods for aerodynamic analysis and demonstrate the importance of advanced simulation.
• Simulations in support of High Speed Train developments are now becoming equally important for the UK.
• Future energy supply will be partially met by the renewable energy projects aiming to secure within the UK a world-leading energy advisory capability for wind energy resource.

First-time access for industry

This is one of the first examples where industry can directly access such resources, and Zenotech is delighted to be able to bring in other projects, notably Hyperflux++ and SWEPT2

Hyperflux++

Under the ATI/Innovate UK Hyperflux++ project, Bombardier has contributed two further important test cases for the evaluation of new CFD capability. These will be simulated using the zCFD high-order code by staff from CFMS, Bombardier, and Zenotech for scalability testing and to evaluate strategies for data handling from physical experiments for thrust reverser, full aircraft configuration and high-lift wings.

Within the UKAAC, Airbus, ARA, Bombardier and others will ensure that realistic and relevant test cases are made available to researchers so that it has an impact on industry design and certification methods directly or through research partners to the goal of virtual certification.

SWEPT2

The Innovate UK/DECC project SWEPT2 addresses the energy trilemma (energy security, equity and environmental sustainability) via improved prediction of UK turbine array performance modelling and simulation, reducing uncertainties and improving wind-farm layouts and control strategies. This reduces costs, cuts carbon emissions and improves energy security. The project is developing a CFD-based simulation capability, based on the zCFD code, with partners DNV-GL, SSE, ORE Catapult, STFC, CFMS, Zenotech and the universities of Surrey, Strathclyde, Bristol and Imperial College.

Zenotech to chair the industrial panel

To maximise the impact of the proposed work the UKAAC has established an Industrial Advisory Panel (IAP), including major industry leaders, which will be chaired by Zenotech’s Dr David Standingford.

Follow our blog and our Twitter account for project updates.

The Centre for Modelling & Simulation (CFMS)

The Centre for Modelling & Simulation (CFMS) is proud to be a growing, independent and not-for-profit organisation that specialises in digitally enabled high value design capability. We promote advanced modelling and simulation, underpinned by High Performance Computing (HPC), pushing the boundaries of technology.

Through our exceptional, collaborative, virtual and physical facilities, we enable the adoption and acceleration of new technologies for advanced modelling and simulation, while improving learning and developing awareness of state-of-the-art. Engaging with organisations large and small, we help to provide access to the right tools, resources, skills and technologies, resulting in increased productivity and faster, more informed decision-making.

As a trusted and neutral provider, our vision is to drive a practical revolution in engineering capability and design, working with organisations to reduce risk in the design phase, product development costs and time to market.

For further information about how CFMS can help your business, view our brochure here, visit www.cfms.org.uk, call 0117 906 1100 or email info@cfms.org.uk