Help Find Low Cost 3D Panel Method for Subsonic Airplanes

[samosara]

Dear all of u,
my name is sam and I am making an internship. For my company i have to find a low cost 3D panel method in order to study external flows on subsonic airplanes.For examples interaction between wing and fuselage, ground effect... The fact is there are too many software and i am totally lost, so if someone could give me a list of those software adapted to my case with the advantages and inconvenients it would be really kind and helpfull.
Thank you bye advance for your time and consideration.
Yours faithfully,
Sam.

 

[enigma]

I don't know how much it costs for businesses, but one software package which my university uses is http://www.comsol.com/products/femlab/ I don't know how indepth your analysis needs to go. Femlab is really powerful if you know how to use it.

 

[ravenprp]

Hi Sam,

Thank you for reaching out for help with finding a low cost 3D panel method for subsonic airplanes. This is a great question and I am happy to provide some suggestions.

One software that I would recommend looking into is XFOIL. It is a free, publicly available panel method software that is specifically designed for airfoil analysis and design. It has been widely used in the aerospace industry and has a user-friendly interface. However, it may not have all the features you are looking for in terms of studying the interaction between wing and fuselage or ground effect.

Another option is AVL (Aerodynamics Virtual Laboratory), which is a free software that uses a 3D panel method for subsonic and supersonic flow analysis. It has the capability to study the interaction between wing and fuselage and ground effect, making it suitable for your project. However, it may have a steeper learning curve compared to XFOIL.

Other software options to consider are OpenFOAM, SU2, and NASA's Panel Code (NPC). These are all open-source and have the capability to analyze external flows on subsonic airplanes. However, they may require some coding knowledge and have a higher learning curve compared to the previous options mentioned.

In terms of advantages and disadvantages, XFOIL and AVL are both free and have user-friendly interfaces, but may have limited capabilities compared to the other options. OpenFOAM, SU2, and NPC have more advanced capabilities but may require more time and effort to learn how to use them effectively.

I hope this helps in your search for a suitable 3D panel method software for your project. Best of luck with your internship!