The Geometry Laboratory, GEOLAB, is maintained in the Information Sciences Division to provide advanced capabilities to support research applications that require surfaces and grids for numerical simulations in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Computational Structural Mechanics (CSM). The laboratory consists of high-end workstations, advanced geometry software tools, and a staff skilled in the production of surface representations and computational grids for complex aerospace configurations.The GEOLAB hardware includes 10 high performance workstations, 7 X-terminals, and a Cyberware Color Laser 3D Laser Digitixer. The software includes Computer Aided Design (CAD), grid generation, and visualization tools that have been developed or acquired to facilitate the generation and analysis of surface representations, surface grids, and volume grids for both structured and unstructured techniques. Among the tools currently being used in the GEOLAB are: GRIDGEN, ICEM-CFD, VGRID, GredTool, CACMDO, SurfACe, RAPID, Volume, and SCAFFOLD. The surface representations can be built from drawings, design coefficients and parameters, discrete points or CAD models, images or actual wind tunnel models.The GEOLAB staff is available to assest researchers to develop the necessary skills to use the hardware and software, to perform specific tasks when requested, or to develop custom geometry tools. Surfaces and grids have been generated for configurations such as the F16-XL, Boeing Reference HHSCT, X33, Blended Wing Body, and Apache helicopter. The custom tools developed include: a batch oriented volume grid generator, interpolation programs to transfer data between similar configurations, and automated image correction to account for deflected model surfaces. The digitizer has been used to scan wind tunnel models of the Boeing Reference H, 737 nacelle, KC- 135, and the F16-XL. Office space can be made available for guest researchers to temporarily co-locate while using the laboratory. The GEOLAB is currently located on Room 1051 in Building 1268 along with the Data Visualization and Animation Laboratory (DVAL).
