Multi-scale, multi-physics challenges for future aircraft and hierarchical zonal modelling

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to outline the extensive multi-scale and multi-physics challenges when simulating future aircraft and offer strategies to help deal with some of these challenges. Design/methodology/approach To help with the multi-scale challenges, in a hierarchical, zonal fashion both the handling of turbulence and geometry is considered. Findings Such modelling of geometry is necessary to help deal with the increasingly coupled nature of many aerodynamic problems more economically and the drive towards considering ever increasing levels of geometrical complexity/scale. Originality/value The proposed unified framework could be exploited all the way, through initial fast preliminary design to final numerical test involving various bespoke combinations of hierarchical components.