This thesis presents the results of steady, Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) computations for jet flow emanating from a generic turbofan engine exhaust. All computations were performed with commercial solver FLUENT v6.2.16. Different turbulence models were evaluated. In addition to turbulence modeling issues, a parametric study was considered. Different modeling approaches for turbulent jet flows were explained in brief, with specific attention given to the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) method used for the calculations. First, a 2D ejector problem was solved to find out the most appropriate turbulence model and solver settings for the jet flow problem under consideration. Results of one equation Spalart-Allmaras, two-equation standart k-&amp / #949 / , realizable k-&amp / #949 / , k-&amp / #969 / and SST k-&amp / #969 / turbulence models were compared with the experimental data provided and also with the results of Yoder [21]. The results of SST k-&amp / #969 / and Spalart-Allmaras turbulence models show the best agreement with the experimental data. Discrepancy with the experimental data was observed at the initial growth region of the jet, but further downstream calculated results were closer to the measurements. Comparing the flow fields for these different turbulence models, it is seen that close to the onset of mixing section, turbulence dissipation was high for models other than SST k-&amp / #969 / and Spalart-Allmaras turbulence models. Higher levels of turbulent kinetic energy were present in the SST k-&amp / #969 / and Spalart-Allmaras turbulence models which yield better results compared to other turbulence models. The results of 2D ejector problem showed that turbulence model plays an important role to define the real physics of the problem. In the second study, analyses for a generic, subsonic, axisymmetric turbofan engine exhaust were performed. A grid sensitivity study with three different grid levels was done to determine grid dimensions of which solution does not change for the parametric study. Another turbulence model sensitivity study was performed for turbofan engine exhaust analysis to have a better understanding. In order to evaluate the results of different turbulence models, both turbulent and mean flow variables were compared. Even though turbulence models produced much different results for turbulent quantities, their effects on the mean flow field were not that much significant. For the parametric study, SST k-&amp / #969 / turbulence model was used. It is seen that boundary layer thickness effect becomes important in the jet flow close to the lips of the nozzles. At far downstream regions, it does not affect the flow field. For different turbulent intensities, no significant change occurred in both mean and turbulent flow fields.

In this thesis a fluid-structure coupling procedure which consists of a commercial flow solver, FLUENT, a finite element structural solver, MSC/NASTRAN, and the coupling interface between the two disciplines is developed in order to solve static and dynamic aeroelastic problems. The flow solver relies on inviscid Euler equations with finite volume discretization. In order to perform faster computations, multiple processors are parallelized. Closely coupled approach is used to solve the coupled field aeroelastic problems. For static aeroelastic analysis Euler equations and elastic linear structural equations are coupled to predict deformations under aerodynamic loads. Linear interpolation using Alternating Digital Tree data structure is performed in order to exchange the data between structural and aerodynamic grid. Likewise for dynamic aeroelastic analysis, a numerical method is developed to predict the aeroelastic response and flutter boundary. Modal approach is used for structural response and Newmark algorithm is used for time-marching. Infinite spline method is used to exchange displacement and pressure data between structural and aerodynamic grid. In order to adapt the new shape of the aerodynamic surface at each aeroelastic iteration, Computational Fluid Dynamic mesh is moved based on spring based smoothing and local remeshing method provided by FLUENT User Defined Function. AGARD Wing 445.6 and a generic slender missile are modeled and solved with the developed procedure and obtained results are compared with numerical and experimental data available in literature.

In this study the dynamical modeling of the unsteady flow over a flapping wing is considered. The technique is based on collecting instantaneous velocity field data of the flow using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), applying image processing to these snapshots to locate the airfoil, filling the airfoil and its surface with proper velocity data, applying Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) to these post-processed images to compute the POD modes and time coefficients, and finally fitting a discrete time state space dynamical model to the trajectories of the time coefficients using subspace system identification (N4SID). The procedure is applied using MATLAB for the data obtained from NACA 0012, SD 7003, elliptic airfoil and flat plate, and the results show that the dynamical model obtained can represent the flow dynamics with acceptable accuracy.

In this thesis study, implementation, numerical stability and convergence rate issues of turbulence modeling are explored. For this purpose, a one equation turbulence model, Spalart-Allmaras, and a two-equation turbulence model, SST k-w, are adapted to an explicit, cell centered, finite volume method based, structured / hybrid multi grid flow solver, SENSE2D, developed at TUBITAK-SAGE. Governing equations for both the flow and the turbulence are solved in a loosely coupled manner, however, each set of equations are solved using a coupled, semi-implicit solution algorithm. In multigrid solutions, the semi-implicit solution algorithm and the turbulence model equations are employed only in the finest level grid. As a result, stable and convergent numerical solutions are obtained. In order to validate the turbulence models and the semi-implicit solution algorithm implemented, turbulent flow solutions over a flat plate, RAE2822 airfoil and NLR7301 multi element airfoil are performed. The results are compared with the experimental data and the numerical results of the commercial CFD package FLUENT. It is shown that the numerical results obtained by SENSE2D are in good agreement with the experimental data and the FLUENT results. In addition to the turbulence modeling studies, convergence rate studies are also performed by multigrid and semi-implicit solution methods. It is shown that, the convergence rates of the semi-implicit solutions are increased about 5 times for single grid and 35% for multigrid solutions in comparison to the explicit solutions.

The primary goal for the conceptual design phase of a generic air-to-ground missile is to reach an optimal external configuration which satisfies the flight performance requirements such as flight range and time, launch mass, stability, control effectiveness as well as geometric constraints imposed by the designer. This activity is quite laborious and requires the examination and selection among huge numbers of design alternatives. This thesis is mainly focused on multi objective optimization techniques for an air to-ground missile design by using heuristics methods namely as Non Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm and Multiple Cooling Multi Objective Simulated Annealing Algorithm. Futhermore, a new hybrid algorithm is also introduced using Simulated Annealing cascaded with the Genetic Algorithm in which the optimized solutions are passed to the Genetic Algorithm as the intial population. A trade off study is conducted for the three optimization algorithm alternatives in terms of accuracy and quality metrics of the optimized Pareto fronts.

Fiber orientation angle stands out as one of the most effective design variables in the design optimization of composite structures. During the manufacturing of the composite structures, one can change the fiber orientation according to the specific design needs and constraints to optimize a pre-determined performance index. Fiber placement machines can place different width tows in curvilinear paths resulting in continuous change of the fiber orientation angle in a layer of the composite structure. By allowing the fibers to follow curvilinear paths in the composite structure, modification of load paths within the laminate can be obtained. Thus, more favorable stress distributions and improved laminate performance can be achieved. Such structures are called as variable stiffness composites structure. This thesis presents a fundamental study on the discrete fiber angle and continuous fiber path optimization of composite structures. In discrete fiber angle optimization, application of different analysis/optimization tools is demonstrated for optimum fiber angle optimization at the element level for both orthotropic and laminated composite structures. In the continuous fiber path optimization, which can be produced with fiber placement machines, optimized fiber paths are determined for different case studies. Continuous fiber path optimization is performed by means of an interface code that is developed. It is hard to find the global optimum for complex optimization problems with hundreds of design variables. In order to find the global optimum solution for such complex optimization problems, a gradient based optimization algorithm is not appropriate because there will be a lot of local minima for the problem and gradient based optimization algorithms may be stuck at the local minimums. Therefore, an evolutionary algorithm is a better solver for such kind of complex optimization problems. In this thesis, genetic algorithm, an evolutionary algorithm, in MATLAB Optimization Toolbox is used for the optimizer and commercial finite element program Nastran is used for the structural solver. For the continuous fiber path optimizations these two programs are integrated with the interface code that is developed. Manufacturing constraints of a typical fiber placement machine is also included in the constraint definition of continuous fiber path optimization. By coupling of Nastran finite element solver and MATLAB genetic algorithm tool, with the manufacturing constraint for the fiber placement machines, the first buckling load of a continuous fiber composite plate is increased %22 with respect to a composite plate with zero degree orientations.

UAV development and usage has increased dramatically in the last 15 years. In this time frame the potential has been realized for deployable UAVs to the extent that a new class of UAV was defined for these systems. Inflatable wing UAVs provide a unique solution for deployable UAVs because they are highly packable (some collapsing to 5-10% of their deployed volume) and have the potential for the incorporation of wing shaping. In this thesis, aerodynamic coefficients and aileron effectiveness were derived from the equations of motion of aircraft as necessary parameters for autonomous flight. A wind tunnel experiment was performed to determine the aerodynamic performance of a bumpy inflatable wing airfoil for comparison with the baseline smooth airfoil from which it was derived. Results showed that the bumpy airfoil has improved aerodynamics over the smooth airfoil at low-Re. The results were also used to create aerodynamic performance curves to supplement results of aerodynamic modeling with a smooth airfoil. A modeling process was then developed to calculate the aileron effectiveness of a wing shaping demonstrator aircraft. Successful autonomous flight tests were then performed with the demonstrator aircraft including in-flight aileron doublets to validate the predicted aileron effectiveness, which matched within 8%.

Instrumented umanned aerial vehicles represent a new way of measuring turbulence in the atmospheric boundary layer. However, autonomous measurements require control methods with disturbance-rejection and altitude command-following capabilities. Filtered dynamic inversion is a control method with desirable disturbance-rejection and command-following properties, and this controller requires limited model information. We implement filtered dynamic inversion as the pitch controller in an altitude-hold autopilot. We design and numerically simulate the continuous-time and discrete-time filtered-dynamic-inversion controllers with anti-windup on a nonlinear aircraft model. Finally, we present results from a flight experiment comparing the filtered-dynamic-inversion controller to a classical proportional-integral controller. The experimental results show that the filtered-dynamic-inversion controller performs better than a proportional-integral controller at certain values of the parameter.

This thesis proposes a modification to an air to surface guided munition (ASGM) from bang-bang control scheme to continuous control scheme with a little cost. In this respect, time domain system identification analysis is applied to the control actuation system (CAS) of ASGM in order to obtain its mathematical model and controller is designed using pulse width modulation technique. With this modification, canards would be deflected as much as it is commanded to. Seeker signals are also post-processed to obtain the angle between the velocity vector and target line of sight vector. The seeker is modeled using an artificial neural network. Non-linear flight simulation model is built using MATLAB Simulink and obtained seeker and CAS models are integrated to the whole flight simulation model having 6 degrees of freedom. As a flight control unit, fuzzy logic controller is designed, which is a suitable choice if an inertial measurement sensor will not be mounted on the munition. Finally, simulation studies are carried out in order to compare the performance of the &ldquo / ASGM&rdquo / and &ldquo / improved ASGM&rdquo / and the superiority of the new design is demonstrated.

Three-dimensional design and three-dimensional CFD analysis of a compressor rotor stage are performed. The design methodology followed is based on a mean line analysis and a radial equilibrium phase. The radial equilibrium is established at a selected number of radii. NACA 65 series airfoils are selected and stacked according to the experimental data available. The CFD methodology applied is based on a three-dimensional, finite difference, compressible flow Euler solver that includes the source terms belonging to rotational motion. The accuracy of the solver is shown by making use of two different test cases. The CFD solution of the designed geometry predicts the static pressure rises and flow turning angles to a good degree of accuracy.