Chen Aims To Improve Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Software For Turbomachinery

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Turbomachinery – pumps, fans, compressors, turbines and other machines that transfer energy between a rotor and a fluid – is especially instrumental in power generation in the aeronautic, automotive, marine, space and industrial sectors. But for engine designers to achieve the most efficient propulsion and power systems, they must understand the physics of very complex air-flow fields produced within multiple stages of constantly rotating rotors and stators.

Jen-Ping Chen’s research team at The Ohio State University used Ohio Supercomputer Center resources to create TURBO simulations for the flow field in an unducted counter-rotating fan.

Jen-Ping Chen, PhD, an associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at The Ohio State University, is working to improve the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software that engineers use to simulate and evaluate the operation of turbomachinery.

With a simulation tool that is validated and optimized to run efficiently on a large computer cluster, engine designers will have more physical insight to the complex flow field, which will lead to reduced testing, reduced risk, faster time-to-market and lower costs.

Chen was the chief architect of this type of computer code, appropriately named TURBO, which he developed earlier for NASA.

Read more about how Chen is using Ohio Supercomputer Center resources to refine TURBO.
 
Category: Faculty