The Expanding Role of Applications in the Development and Validation of CFD at NASA

This chapter focuses on the recent escalation in application of CFD to manned and unmanned flight projects at NASA and the need to often apply these methods to problems for which little or no previous validation data directly applies. The chapter discusses the evolution of NASA’s CFD development from a strict “Develop, Validate, Apply” strategy to sometimes allowing for a “Develop, Apply, Validate” approach. The risks of this approach and some of its unforeseen benefits are discussed and tied to specific operational examples. There are distinct advantages for the CFD developer that is able to operate in this paradigm, and recommendations are provided for those inclined and willing to work in this environment.