XDBMS-CFD: A distributed XML-based object-oriented database design for CFD

The emergence of start-of-the-art Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) methods as an effective engineering tool for understanding complex flow phenomena has increased a need for a robust data modeling and management methodology for both recording and exchanging data efficiently and reliably. This research comprises the design and development of XDBMS-CFD, an XML-based, distributed and object-oriented database management system for CFD simulation. It is an original effort to provide a standard, portable and meaningful CFD data exchange model with CFD Markup Language (CFDML) design. The system consists of a collection of software components and conforming data models for CFD simulation. CFD data object models and a CFD databinding framework are designed to support CFD data validation and facilitate access and manipulation of underlying data within the natural context of their simulation environments. Based on the defined CFDML, CFD data can be saved into any hierarchical database, which provides a higher level data management of CFD data. The system also provides an interoperable, pluggable CFD shell environment which facilitates integration of the designed CFD database into various simulation phases. For computationally-intensive analyses, a CFD Web Service infrastructure is designed to distribute a simulation among resources over the Internet.; Application of XDBMS-CFD has been demonstrated using a simulation of a standalone aircraft ONERA Wing M6 and that of a Web-based turbofan propulsion system. The ONERA Wing M6 problem illustrates a complete CFD simulation cycle, including integration of grid generation, CFD solver and post-processing, wherein the NASA WIND CFD software were integrated with XDBMS-CFD and run under the CFD Shell. The turbofan propulsion system sumulation incorporating XDBMS-CFD provides analytical, graphical and data management tools that allow users to construct and control dynamic gas turbine simulations by manipulating graphical objects from a variety of heterogeneous, distributed computer platforms using Web browsers.; The architecture of XDBMS-CFD is extensible and customizable, and may readily be applied to other simulation applications that deal with large amounts of data. The design laid out in this research will help standardize the archiving, exchanging and sharing of CFD data in complex applications.