The design of effective systems for stage/shroud separation and store dispense from weapons bays at high speeds has increasingly relied on CFD analyses to complement data available from ground testing. Traditional numerical methods for store separation simulation has emphasized overset mesh Chimera methods which requires interpolating solutions between the grids at each time level. Craft Tech has developed a sophisticated grid movement and grid adaption procedure within a multi-element unstructured framework that works on a unified grid with no interpolation overhead and can be operated in a parallel environment to yield an efficient solution procedure. In offering: rapid setup and turnaround; solution adaption; and dynamic capabilities; unstructured grid methods are a promising alternative to Chimera methods in the area of store separation.

1. Cavallo, P.A. Sinha, N. and Feldman, G., “Parallel Unstructured Mesh Adaptation for Transient Moving Body and Aeropropulsive Applications,” Paper AIAA-2004-1057,42nd Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, Reno, NV, Jan. 5-8 2004.
2. Cavallo, P., and Dash, S.M., "Aerodynamics Of Multi-Body Separation Using Adaptive Unstructured Grids," Paper AIAA-2000-4407, 2000 AIAA Applied Aerodynamics Conference, Denver, CO, August 14-17, 2000.
   
3. Cavallo, P.A., Lee, R., Hosangadi, A., and Baker, T.J., “Simulation of Weapons Bay Store Separation Flowfields Using Unstructured Grids” AIAA Paper No. 99-3188, 17th AIAA Applied Aerodynamics Conference, Norfolk, VA, June 28-July 1, 1999.