1

VSPAERO GUI & Tutorial - Advanced

Presented by:
Justin Gravett
[email protected]
Empirical Systems Aerospace, Inc. (ESAero)

Empirical Systems Aerospace, Inc. www.esaero.com NNX09CC86P

OpenVSP
SBIR Review,
Workshop
Presented
2020 Sept.
to NASA, – Sept.
15thJuly 7th, 2009
17th
 2

Agenda

• Panel Method

• VSPAERO Advanced Options

• Cp Slicer

• Control Surfaces & Grouping

• Rotor Disks

• Propellers (Unsteady Analysis)

• VSPAERO API

• Unsupported Advanced Features

• Demo
Empirical Systems Aerospace, Inc. www.esaero.com NNX09CC86P
OpenVSP
SBIR Review,
Workshop
Presented
2020 Sept.
to NASA, – Sept.
15thJuly 7th, 2009
17th
 3

Panel Method
• Toggle Panel Method on
Overview tab
• Preview VLM Geometry
disabled
• 3D mesh representation of
input geometry
– Use VSPAERO GUI to
generate Cart3D file
• Cart3D file name override on
Advanced tab
• Actuator disks not included
• Do not include control surface
groups

Empirical Systems Aerospace, Inc. www.esaero.com NNX09CC86P

OpenVSP
SBIR Review,
Workshop
Presented
2020 Sept.
to NASA, – Sept.
15thJuly 7th, 2009
17th
 4

GUI – Advanced Tab (1/3)

Advanced Case Setup
• File name set when model is
saved – override available
• Set Num CPU to the number of
physical CPU cores
• Batch calculation
– OFF: Flow conditions executed one
by one – separate result files
– ON: All flow conditions executed at
once – grouped in result files
• Use X-Z symmetry to speed up
symmetric cases
• Preconditioner
– Matrix (default), Jacobi, and SSOR
– Influence on robustness & speed
• 2nd Order KT Mach Correction
• Write 2D FEM - output *.fem2d
file for structural calculations
(e.g. Beam3D)

Empirical Systems Aerospace, Inc. www.esaero.com NNX09CC86P

OpenVSP
SBIR Review,
Workshop
Presented
2020 Sept.
to NASA, – Sept.
15thJuly 7th, 2009
17th
 5

GUI – Advanced Tab (2/3)

Wake
• Wake iterations (Num It.)
– Solution convergence and
execution time
– Marginal return past default
– Used for steady analysis
• Wake Nodes: Number of wake
points in solution
• Fixed Wake: No iterations

Other
• Clmax, Max Turning Angle
– Coarse methods to globally limit
the lift from the inviscid solution
• Far Field Dist.
– Ability to set distance to freestream
• Ground Effect Dist.
– Enable ground effect at input
distance
– Rotates vehicle by alpha about CG

Empirical Systems Aerospace, Inc. www.esaero.com NNX09CC86P

OpenVSP
SBIR Review,
Workshop
Presented
2020 Sept.
to NASA, – Sept.
15thJuly 7th, 2009
17th
 6

GUI – Advanced Tab (3/3)

Propeller Representation
• Actuator disk or rotating blades
analysis representations
– Activates Disk or Propeller tab

Run Mode
• Stability Type
– Enable finite differencing for aero
coefficient derivatives
– Num cases = 7+ ncontrols
• Single axis unsteady p, q, & r
analysis available

Advanced Flow Conditions

• Available for actuator disk,
unsteady, and stability analysis
• VRef & MachRef
– Hover analysis: set Vinf to 0 and
VRef to rotor tip speed
• ReCref – Re along ref. chord
Empirical Systems Aerospace, Inc. www.esaero.com NNX09CC86P
OpenVSP
SBIR Review,
Workshop
Presented
2020 Sept.
to NASA, – Sept.
15thJuly 7th, 2009
17th
 7

Cp Slicer
Cp Slicer
• Runs vspslicer program on
VSPAERO *.adb output
• Define 2D cutting planes
– Slice Type -> Normal axis
– Position along normal axis
• dCP for VLM, CP for Panel
• Slice VSPAERO *.adb file
– Activate for next VSPAERO run
– Slice previous VSPAERO run

Empirical Systems Aerospace, Inc. www.esaero.com NNX09CC86P

OpenVSP
SBIR Review,
Workshop
Presented
2020 Sept.
to NASA, – Sept.
15thJuly 7th, 2009
17th
 8

Cp Slicer Results

Slice
Selection

X-Axis Plotting
for Slice Types
Flow Condition
Selection

Legend

Manual
Axis Limits

Empirical Systems Aerospace, Inc. www.esaero.com NNX09CC86P

OpenVSP
SBIR Review,
Workshop
Presented
2020 Sept.
to NASA, – Sept.
15thJuly 7th, 2009
17th
 9

GUI – Control Grouping

User Groups
• Groups are analogous to
control “channels” that can
deflect multiple surfaces
• User defined or auto grouped

Available Control Surfaces

• Available Control_Surf or
Rectangle types for each group
• One control surface for each
reflected copy
• Highlighted red when available,
green when grouped

Deflection Gains
• Gains multiplied by group Auto Group → EASY Button
deflection angle
• Flip sign for symmetric surface
– cancel roll moment (elevator)
Empirical Systems Aerospace, Inc. www.esaero.com NNX09CC86P
OpenVSP
SBIR Review,
Workshop
Presented
2020 Sept.
to NASA, – Sept.
15thJuly 7th, 2009
17th
10

GUI – Control Grouping Workflow

2

5
1

1. Add a control surfaces

2. VSPAERO GUI → Control 6
Grouping Tab 4
3. Add new group
4. Rename group [Optional]
5. Select Surfaces
6. Click “Add Selected”

Empirical Systems Aerospace, Inc. www.esaero.com NNX09CC86P

OpenVSP
SBIR Review,
Workshop
Presented
2020 Sept.
to NASA, – Sept.
15thJuly 7th, 2009
17th
11

GUI – Control Grouping Workflow

8

6. Click surface to highlight on

geometry
7. Set deflection gains as
needed
7
8. Set Deflection on Overview
Tab
9. Launch Solver 9
10. Check lift distribution for
expected results
Empirical Systems Aerospace, Inc. www.esaero.com NNX09CC86P
OpenVSP
SBIR Review,
Workshop
Presented
2020 Sept.
to NASA, – Sept.
15thJuly 7th, 2009
17th
12

GUI – Control Grouping Workflow

Empirical Systems Aerospace, Inc. www.esaero.com NNX09CC86P

OpenVSP
SBIR Review,
Workshop
Presented
2020 Sept.
to NASA, – Sept.
15thJuly 7th, 2009
17th
13

GUI – Rotor Disks

Rotor Disk Element Settings
• Requires a “Disk” surface
– Disk Custom Geom
– PropGeom in Disk mode
• Select Actuator Disk
representation on Advanced tab
• Lists all disk settings in the
model
• Vinf & Rho apply to all disks
(Advanced tab)
• Hub Diameter, RPM, CT, & CP
specific to each disk
• Selected disk highlighted red

Empirical Systems Aerospace, Inc. www.esaero.com NNX09CC86P

OpenVSP
SBIR Review,
Workshop
Presented
2020 Sept.
to NASA, – Sept.
15thJuly 7th, 2009
17th
14

GUI – Propellers (Unsteady Analysis)

Overview
• Time dependent analysis
• Requires a Prop Geom
• Select Rotating Blades
representation on Advanced tab
• Vinf & Rho apply to all propellers
(Advanced tab)

Time Settings
• Automatically calculate time step
for 20 deg turn of slowest prop
• At least 5 full revolutions
recommended
• Manual time step options

Empirical Systems Aerospace, Inc. www.esaero.com NNX09CC86P

OpenVSP
SBIR Review,
Workshop
Presented
2020 Sept.
to NASA, – Sept.
15thJuly 7th, 2009
17th
15

GUI – Propellers (Unsteady Analysis)

Advanced
• Hover Ramp
– Initial flow velocity
– Reach steady state more
quickly
• From Steady State: Initialize
unsteady solver from steady
solution

Noise Analysis
• Generate output files for
PSUWOPWOP
– Next or previous run case
• Noise type and length unit inputs

Propellers
• Set individual or uniform RPM
• Selected propeller highlighted
red
Empirical Systems Aerospace, Inc. www.esaero.com NNX09CC86P
OpenVSP
SBIR Review,
Workshop
Presented
2020 Sept.
to NASA, – Sept.
15thJuly 7th, 2009
17th
16

Unsteady Results

• Plots *.history,
*.group.*, &
*.rotor.* files
Data
Selection

Data Type
Group/Rotor
Selection
Flow
Condition
Selection

Legend

Manual
Axis Limits

Empirical Systems Aerospace, Inc. www.esaero.com NNX09CC86P

OpenVSP
SBIR Review,
Workshop
Presented
2020 Sept.
to NASA, – Sept.
15thJuly 7th, 2009
17th
17

Unsteady Results

• Plots *.lod and

*.rotor output
file
• Blade loading
averaged
across all time
steps

Data Type

Empirical Systems Aerospace, Inc. www.esaero.com NNX09CC86P

OpenVSP
SBIR Review,
Workshop
Presented
2020 Sept.
to NASA, – Sept.
15thJuly 7th, 2009
17th
18

VSPAERO API

API Documentation
• VSPAERO run in API through the Analysis Manager
– "VSPAEROComputeGeometry“ – Generate VLM DegenGeom or Panel Method *.tri
– "VSPAEROSinglePoint“ – Single flow condition
– "VSPAEROSweep“ – Multiple flow conditions
• VSPAERO API results stored and queried through Results Manager
• VSPAERO Actuator Disk and Propeller Functions
• VSPAERO Control Surface Group Functions

Angelscript Examples
• “CpSlicer.vspscript”
• “Master_VSP_VV_Script.vspscript”
• “TestAnalysisVSPAERO.vspscript”
• “VSPAERO_UnsteadyProp.vspscript”
• “VSPAERO_ActuatorDisk_CSGroup.vspscript”
• Swept Wing API Example
*See OpenVSP API & MATLAB/Python Integration Presentation

Empirical Systems Aerospace, Inc. www.esaero.com NNX09CC86P

OpenVSP
SBIR Review,
Workshop
Presented
2020 Sept.
to NASA, – Sept.
15thJuly 7th, 2009
17th
19

Unsupported Advanced Features

Flow Field Query

• Add the following to the *.vspaero input file and run from command line:
NumberofSurveyPoints = n
1 x1 y1 z1
2 x2 y2 z2
3 x3 y3 z3
4 x4 y4 z4
......
n xn yn zn

Isolated Rotor Analysis

• -rotor input argument: rotates frame instead of geometry
• See “Isolated_Rotor” example in “vspaero_ex”

Unsteady Analysis of Complex Motion

• Can specify velocity & acceleration vector, mass, & inertia matrix
• Must create *.groups input file manually
Empirical Systems Aerospace, Inc. www.esaero.com NNX09CC86P
OpenVSP
SBIR Review,
Workshop
Presented
2020 Sept.
to NASA, – Sept.
15thJuly 7th, 2009
17th
20

Demo

Empirical Systems Aerospace, Inc. www.esaero.com NNX09CC86P

OpenVSP
SBIR Review,
Workshop
Presented
2020 Sept.
to NASA, – Sept.
15thJuly 7th, 2009
17th