Graduate students at the Institute of Aerospace Studies (IAS) at the University of Toronto are using a 32-processor SGI Altix 3700 compute server to create wing designs with the potential of reducing drag and increasing fuel efficiency on commercial aircraft. Using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) coupled with a detailed structural model, they are finding ways to improve the interaction between the airflow over the wing and the wing itself by optimizing the shape of the wing. The Institute uses technology from Silicon Graphics and multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) techniques to create wing designs that satisfy multiple requirements such as lift, strength, and stability.
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