Technology for modeling cryogenic real fluid flow and related multi-phase phenomena such as cavitation has been developed for NASA, under Phase II and Phase III SBIR funding. This technology has been used to simulate cavitating performance of novel cryogenic inducers developed under Next Generation Launch Technology (NGLT) program. To learn more about this innovation success story, please go to NASA SBIR Success Stories.

Scientists at CRAFT Tech have also been involved in improving turbopumps that power the space shuttle main engine (SSME), and Expendable Launch Vehicles (ELVs), which propel rockets into space. Also an article in Mechanical Engineering, shows how researchers at CRAFT Tech work to understand fuel and oxygen pumps in the space shuttle.

The Department of the Navy has recently listed a success story on research work completed by CRAFT Tech and NAVAIR on the Small Business Innovation Research site at navysbir.com. Information about this weapons bay technology can be seen at the Department of the Navy Success Stories. Under this Phase II SBIR, CRAFT Tech developed a unified Hybrid RANS-LES turbulence modeling framework that enables the simulation of large scale problems with very high fidelity. This technology has since been applied (under Air Force funding) to the development of a Control system for the attenuation of aeroacoutic loading in military aircraft weapons bays (HiFast information).

Researchers at CRAFT Tech use the Ensight graphics software by Computational Engineering International (CEI) to visualize complex large scale simulations on multi-element unstructured grids. For instance, the Ensight package has been used to better understand CFD simulations for the under-wing flow around an AV-8B Harrier jet that has been entrained by the rear jets on the aircraft.

CRAFT Tech has been partnering with Pointwise to improve multi-element unstructured grid generation techniques for complex configurations using Gridgen^®. Grid topologies are tailored for diverse requirements i.e. obtaining highly accurate solutions in critical flow regions while resolving complex geometric features in an efficient manner. Typically a composite grid of hexahedral, tetrahedral and prismatic elements are used to obtain the most efficient grids. A CVN airwake solution, courtesy of CRAFT Tech and NAVAIR is also shown on the Pointwise homepage.