Introduction

Numerical aerodynamics is a main topic for CERFACS. The CFD team develops numerical methods and tools that are used for academic cases but  more particularly in realistic aeronautical configuration : civil aviation, turbomachinery, helicopters or rockets.

This leads to simulate large computational domains and to use massive parallel computing platforms. Their efficient use is a fundamental CERFACS feature.

Research directions

The turbulence resolution is at the heart of our activity. For this, different approaches are used (RANS/URANS/LES/DNS) on multi-physics applications (aerocoustics, aerothermics or aeroelasticity). In addition to classic solvers and in order to prepare the next CFD solver generation, CERFACS invests on new approaches such as the very-high order methods or the Boltzmann method on lattices (LBM : Lattice Boltzmann Method).

This appears in the use of numerous solvers : elsA (http://elsa.onera.fr), AVBP, LaBS and Jaguar.

This diversity of approaches and solvers allows CERFACS to have an enlarged vision of the CFD world.

Collaborations

All the research activities are led in collaboration with numerous research centres (ONERA, Marseille University, Renault, Cenaero, IMFT, ECL, PPRIME, Sherbrooke University, DLR, von Karman Institute, Leceister University) as well as industrials ((Airbus, Airbus Hélicoptère, Airbus Defence and Space, Snecma, Turbomeca, SAFRAN Tech) through national or European programs.

Staying connected enables CERFACS to be at the forefront of what is being done in the numerical or aerodynamical simulation field.