On Managing Geometric Models for Multi-component, Multi-disciplinary Analysis and Design

Geometric models are central to the analysis and design of complex configurations, such as aerospace vehicles. As models expand to include more of the vehicle components, and to include more than one discipline, they become very complex and hard to manage. This makes understanding the linkages between components for a single discipline, or under- standing the linkages between the various discipline analysis for a single component, very difficult. This problem is compounded further when one realizes that the design process involves a series of sub-models (for any component and/or discipline) that evolve over time, in which the design is changed or fidelity is enhanced; these various versions must also be managed. Described herein is a new management scheme that directly attacks this problem. It centers around a set of user-defined component files which define the geometric models of the components that are needed by various analyses required for design. After describing the basic ideas of the new management scheme, it is demonstrated on a transport config- uration. Then tools that a user can employ to understand a model are described. All this is brought together in an exercise that converts a legacy (dusty-deck) model into the new management scheme.