Research
Where conventional aerodynamic models break down
CFAL develops computational and experimental tools for complex aerospace and multiphysics flow problems, with an emphasis on environments where conventional aerodynamic models become difficult to apply. Our work spans seven connected areas.
Rotorcraft and Advanced Air Mobility
Rotor aerodynamics, ship airwakes, urban operations, vertiports, rotor outwash, and real-time CFD for flight simulation.
Explore →Space and Planetary Aerodynamics
Dragonfly/Titan aerodynamics, low-gravity flows, rotorcraft operations in extraterrestrial atmospheres, landing environments, and very-low-Earth-orbit aerodynamics.
Explore →Hypersonics and Reentry
High-speed vehicle aerodynamics, lateral and divert jets, thermal protection systems, and CFD validation using advanced diagnostics such as Schlieren imaging.
Explore →Multiphase and Extreme-Environment Flows
Rain, droplets, dust, debris, cavitation, icing, saltation, and shock-droplet interactions.
Explore →Atmospheric and Environmental Flows
Atmospheric boundary layers, winds around buildings and terrain, wind-energy applications, and vehicle-environment interaction.
Explore →Real-Time and AI-Accelerated Modeling
GPU-based CFD, lattice-Boltzmann methods, reduced-order models, machine learning, physics-informed models, and digital twins for near-real-time prediction.
Explore →Multidisciplinary Design
Coupling CFD with structures, controls, thermal analysis, optimization, and systems engineering for aerospace vehicle design.
Explore →