UNITED STATES AIR FORCE RESEARCH LABORATORY CHOOSES ANDREWS SPACE FOR ADVANCED AERO ANALYSIS

 

Seattle, WA, October 25, 2007 - Andrews Space, Inc. has been selected to perform advanced aerodynamic analysis in support of the United States Air Force Research Laboratory in Dayton, Ohio. Under the terms of the contract with the University of Dayton Research Institute, Andrews will develop and demonstrate best practice methods in applying existing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools for modeling hypersonic vehicle performance in Earth's atmosphere. Andrews will perform this work using their commercially available 40-node Linux cluster capable of performing the numerous and complex analysis quickly and cost-effectively. Andrews' unique computing power and highly skilled aerodynamicists led AFRL to select Andrews for this task.

 

The design of Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLVs) requires hypersonic wind tunnels tests to simulate reentry conditions and to develop performance, stability, and heating databases. AFRL can use the results of the CFD analysis in conjunction with wind tunnel testing by prescreening tunnel test configurations and determining the best way to instrument the models. CFD also offers insight into off-body flow fields that drive vehicle behavior and heating, along with real gas effects at high speed and high altitude that are difficult to simulate in a groundbased test facility. Using CFD helps reduce the overall cost of the development process.

 

The work under this contract will allow AFRL to quickly and inexpensively screen design concepts. They can then accurately predict aerodynamic performance, stability, and aerothermal heating to resolve problems involving complex flow fields increasing the effectiveness of the design. The contract covers work through September 2009 and will progress in several stages, beginning with the validation of actual wind tunnel data to the CFD model by the end of 2007.

 

"Our customer sought us out as a cost-effective solution to their high technology needs. Andrews provides the tools and talent they can use with confidence to assess hypersonic performance, stability, and aerothermal heating for a variety of RLV concepts. We are pleased to extend our relationship with AFRL and use our experience with applied high fidelity CFD to provide state-of-the-art predictive capabilities," said Marian Joh, CEO of Andrews Space.

 

About the Company

 

Andrews Space, Inc. was founded in 1999 to be a catalyst in the commercialization and development of space. The company is an affordable integrator of aerospace systems and developer of advanced space technologies. To learn more, please visit: www.andrews-space.com.