Modeling and Simulation in Support of Ground Test at the Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC)
Modeling and Simulation (M&S) plays a vital role in the integrated test and evaluation process and supports the vast amount of ground testing that occurs at AEDC.  The ground test programs cover a range of flight regimes that the weapon systems will encounter, from subsonic to hypersonic speeds, from low to high altitude, and from low to high temperatures.  In addition to testing models of entire flight vehicles, components of the vehicles are tested, including engines in the propulsion facilities and materials in the arcs and ranges facilities.
	Several different types of simulations are performed.  First, simulations aid the development of new test facilities and techniques.  As new test programs come to AEDC, there can be occasions where a facility needs to extend capabilities or deploy new hardware.  M&S can also be used in the development of new test processes.
	The most frequent type of M&S support is for pre-test predictions of test article loads, heat transfer, base corrections, and many other quantities of interest.  Pre-test M&S support can also investigate potential facility hardware interactions with the model, which could influence the test data.  The M&S results can also help the test analysts with positioning of the instrumentation used to capture flow visualization during the test or for intrusive measurements.  Some facilities require the M&S tools to provide verification of the conditions the test article will experience.  M&S support can also be used to check test safety concerns.  Pre-test M&S support can also identify potential risks for facility damage.
	Occasionally, there is a need for M&S support during a test.  This need can be a result of test anomalies, which require more in-depth investigation into the flow field.  In some cases, certain test conditions cannot be reached.  When this occurs, additional M&S results can be generated to help fill gaps in the test matrix.
	After a test has finished, the M&S analysts can provide more data to the test analysts.  Often these additional requests are to assist in data analysis, validation, test data correction, or extrapolation from ground to flight conditions.  Simulations of data points not captured during the test (because of time, hardware, or other limitations) can be especially useful.
IMPACT
In FY2025, the AEDC M&S group has completed 49 efforts in support of 40 different test entries in 12 different ground test facilities at AEDC.
PRESENTER
Knapke, Robert
robert.knapke.ctr@us.af.mil
931-454-3734
Arnold Engineering Development Complex
CO-AUTHOR(S)
Swanson, Taylor
taylor.swanson.1@us.af.mil
CATEGORY
Comp Fluid Dynamics
SYSTEM(S) USED
Carpenter, Narwhal, Ruth, Raider