STTR Phase I: Integration of Physics-Based Simulation Tools to Promote Learning and Innovation in Engineering

这个STTR第一阶段的项目解决了给工程专业学生提供可靠和强大的流体动力学分析软件的实践经验的需求，以培养他们毕业时所需的直觉和见识。准确的流体动力学分析在许多学科中对支持产品设计至关重要。不幸的是，由于所需的专业知识水平和计算成本，当前的软件不利于课堂环境，也不利于非专家使用。提议的努力解决了这些问题，使用一种创新的方法来实现真正的“按钮”软件，这种软件易于设置，足够健壮，适合课堂使用，但足够准确，可以进行可靠的预测。该软件将通过提供及时指导的多媒体学习工具得到增强。这项研究在工程流体动力学领域具有变革性，特别是在改进科学和工程教育的背景下。与其他学科不同，控制方程不适合学生轻易实现的求解方法；同样，当前的软件也受到大量学习曲线和先决知识的阻碍。这项研究有可能消除这一障碍。开发的软件和学习工具将应用于与流体运动相关的所有工程和科学学科。准确的流体动力学分析对于许多行业的设计和生命周期分析至关重要，因此非常需要为工程专业的学生提供实践经验和可靠而强大的计算流体动力学方法的培训，以便他们能够培养毕业时所需的直觉。不幸的是，由于计算成本和所需的专业知识水平，当代软件不利于课堂环境或非专业工程师的使用。提议的努力通过实现真正的“按钮”软件来直接解决这些问题，该软件易于设置，足以用于课堂使用，并且足够准确，可以在教学，研究和工业环境中进行可靠的预测，为学生提供一个探索创新和变革分析和设计的平台。根据第一阶段的计划，该软件提供的易用性最终将使计算流体动力学进入本科工程教室，并将直接吸引当前产品未服务的商业市场领域。在第一阶段，拟议的软件将适应学术环境，并将开发和教授使用该软件的本科和研究生联合工程课程。

This STTR Phase I project addresses the need to give engineering students hands-on experience with reliable and robust fluid dynamics analysis software to develop the intuition and exposure that will be required when they graduate. Accurate fluid dynamics analysis is crucial in many disciplines to support product design. Unfortunately, current software is not conducive to the classroom environment, or use by non-experts, due to the level of expertise required and the computational cost. The proposed effort addresses these issues using an innovative approach to implement true "push button" software that is easy to setup and robust enough for classroom use, yet is accurate enough for reliable predictions. The software will be augmented by multi-media learning tools that will provide just-in-time guidance. This research is transformative in the field of engineering fluid dynamics, particularly in the context of improved science and engineering education. Unlike other disciplines, the governing equations do not lend themselves to solution methods readily implemented by students; similarly current software is hindered by a substantial learning curve and pre-requisite knowledge. This research has the potential to remove this barrier. The software and learning tools developed will have application across all engineering and science disciplines related to fluid motion. Accurate fluid dynamics analysis is crucial for many industries to support design and life-cycle analysis, and there is a strong need to give engineering students hands-on experience and training with reliable and robust Computational Fluid Dynamics methods so that they can develop the intuition that will be required when they graduate. Unfortunately, contemporary software is not conducive to the classroom environment or use by non-expert engineers due to the computational costs and level of expertise required. The proposed effort directly addresses these issues by implementing true "push button" software that is easy to setup and robust enough for classroom use, yet is accurate enough for reliable predictions in the teaching, research and industrial environments to provide a platform for students to explore innovative and transformative analysis and design. The ease-of-use offered by the proposed software would finally enable Computational Fluid Dynamics to be brought into the undergraduate engineering classroom, planned in Phase I, and would appeal directly to areas of the commercial market that are not served by current offerings. In Phase I the proposed software will be adapted for the academic environment, and a joint undergraduate and graduate engineering course that uses the software will be developed and taught.