The University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) is partnering with LEAP Australia to bring the ANSYS software suite to Toowoomba so that researchers can continue designing world-leading high-performance vehicles.
Part of the iLAuNCH Trailblazer program, the researchers will use rocket science to simulate the design and development of hypersonic systems to help shape future space missions.
“Through our industry partnership, we are making available multi-million-dollar software tools to design and develop high-performance, high-speed vehicles,” said iLAuNCH Trailblazer Executive Director Darin Lovett. “iLAuNCH will provide a hands-on experience in advanced simulation techniques to develop the skilled workforce for the hypersonics projects of the future.”
The project will grow an experienced user base trained in advanced simulation tools to support Australia’s emerging space and aerospace industry.
Associate Professor Ingo Jahn, who is part of the Hypersonics and Rocketry team that worked on NASA’s OSIRIS-REx and JAXA’s Hayabusa2 capsule re-entry missions, which involved hypersonic airborne observations, is leading the UniSQ team.
“We will learn by doing, partnering with LEAP Australia to bring in the powerful suite of ANSYS tools to simulate hypersonic phenomena and missions,” said Jahn. “We hope to demonstrate capabilities of the ANSYS modelling suite to simulate hypersonic aerodynamics and to develop a multi-physics workflow to simulate hypervelocity re-entries, including how they can be observed from ground (or airborne) observation station.”
Industry software engineering company LEAP Australia will provide training on the wide range of applications of their software suite, including modelling aerodynamics and structures in a combined way that is necessary for system engineering these complex vehicles.
“Through training and access, LEAP will upskill UniSQ researchers and personnel by providing them with hands-on experience in advanced simulation techniques and transfer of these skills to industry,” said LEAP Australia Academic Manager Nick Foster.
The end result will be a trained workforce and a validated toolset ready to tackle future hypersonic projects.
