DAAA - Research units

Civil aircraft (ACI)

ACI contribute to the development and validation of numerical tools dedicated to the assessment and analysis of phenomena specific to the external aerodynamics of aircraft configurations (commercial, business, light aviation aircraft, etc.). The unit implement these tools and exploit experimental databases to improve physical understanding of these phenomena across the entire flight domain (cruise, high-speed, low-speed, stall, manoeuvers, etc.). ACI help improving the aerodynamic performance of aircraft through the design of optimal aerodynamic shapes and the introduction of specific technologies, such as flow control or laminarity. It also contributes with proposals and assessments regarding new concepts of future aircrafts.

Evaluation de traînée d’un avion par approche champ lointain

Evaluation of aircraft contrail via
far-field approach

Study of new configurations

Etude du sillage d’un avion de transport par simulation numérique avancée

Study of the wake of a transport aircraft
via advanced numerical simulation

Acoustics (AKOU)

The AKOU Research Unit covers all environmental aspects related to the identification and reduction of noise pollution generated by all types of aircraft (planes, helicopters, drones, space launchers at take-off) through approaches combining experimentation, modeling and numerical simulation. The activities aim to assess the noise emitted by the different sources present on these aircraft and to better understand its origin in order to reduce the nuisance.

The experimental approach covers a broad spectrum, from the implementation of metrological techniques to measure noise, through the identification of sources, their detection and localization, to psychoacoustic studies of the nuisance felt by local residents as well as the problems of propagation in all types of environments.

The numerical approach is based on the development and implementation of analytical models as well as tools and methods adapted for the high-fidelity numerical resolution of aeroacoustic problems, generally combining a calculation of an unsteady flow generating noise sources, and their propagation.

Noise sources localization on an aircraft flying overhead a ground microphone antenna

Characterization in an anechoic chamber of the acoustic emission of a drone

Interaction noise of a blade with leading edge serrations impacted by grid turbulence : LBM simulations (ProLB code) of a cascade configuration on the LMFA bench (photograph of the blades on the right)

LBM simulations (ProLB code) of ECL-5 turbofan noise prediction

LBM simulation (ProLB code) of the instantaneous dilatation field on a simplified 2-wheel landing gear configuration (LAGOON)

Study of acoustic annoyance in a listening room

Aerodynamics, experimental methods and wind tunnel (AMES)

AMES is the team in charge of the wind tunnels and high pressure compressed air station at ONERA Meudon research center. These wind tunnels cover a wide spectrum of aerodynamic conditions from low subsonic to cold hypersonic speeds. AMES is devoted to the design and realization of experiments in these facilities, while ensuring their full operation (maintenance).

Load tests on a flexible wing in the S3Ch transonic wind tunnel

Aeroelasticity and dynamics of experimental structures (ADSE)

The missions of ADSE concern topics associated with Vibratory Dynamics and Aeroelasticity. The activities carried out are mainly experimental and address the following issues:

Characterizing and identifying the dynamic behavior of aeronautical structures
Designing and conducting tests on aeroelastic mockups in wind tunnels for better understanding of the physical phenomena
Contributing to the validation and calibration of predictive numerical simulation

"Paris” test bench and GVT acquisition chains

Wind tunnel model for flutter study

Design and production of software for fluid flows (CLEF)

CLEF is tasked for producing large software platforms for simulating fluid mechanics. Those platforms are capable of meeting, for various purposes in the aerospace and defence sectors, the research and application needs of ONERA, of partner research laboratories and of industry.

Demonstrations, efficiency, reliability and interoperability of software (DEFI)

DEFI carries out research work on numerical methods and technologies suited to high-performance numerical simulations. It also conducts demonstration calculations at the frontiers of the computational resources. Furthermore, DEFI develops software for pre-processing, post-processing, meshing methods, digital geometry and visualization for numerical simulations.

Assembly through intersection for geometry

Numerical simulation around a profile at stall- FAST code

Experimentation and flight limit (ELV) and the Lille - Kampé de Fériet fluids mechanics laboratory (LMFL)

ELV develops mainly experimental research activities structured around:

The physics of flows (characterization and control, metrological development, etc.)
The aerodynamics of vehicles
The study of the vehicle dynamic behavior at the limits of the flight envelope

Experimental characterization in SV4 vertical
wind tunnel of a transport aircraft at the limits
of its flight envelope

Flow control study on a section of high-lift wing, in L1 wind tunnel

The Lille Fluid Mechanics Laboratory - Kampé de Fériet (CNRS UMR 9014) was created on January 1, 2018 merging two research entities: the "Rotating and Turbulent Flows" team of the former Lille Mechanics Laboratory and the "Experimentation and Flight Limit" research unit of ONERA Lille.

The unit is composed of 38 permanent staff (researchers, research-professors, engineers and technicians) and around 25 PhD students and research fellows. The laboratory is located in three sites: Lille (ENSAM and ONERA) and the campus of Villeneuve d'Ascq (Centrale Lille, CNRS, Lille University).

Find out more

Helicopters, propellers, turbomachines (H2T)

H2T conducts research work and studies on the applied aerodynamics of wings and rotary machines, in particular for helicopter applications (classic, tilt-rotor, combined configurations), propellers (for the entire spectrum of aeronautical applications) and turbo machineries (fans, compressors, turbines). The field of activity covers the development and implementation of tools and methodologies for different fidelity levels of simulation. It also covers the detailed validation of predictive capabilities through comparisons against experimental databases.

Numerical simulation of a helicopter rotor
in forward flight

Numerical simulation of a
counter-rotating propeller

Simulation of the shock waves
propagation upstream of a fan

Metrology, assimilation, physics of flows (MAPE)

The MAPE unit addresses three research topics: the implementation of conventional measurement devices in models and wind tunnels (pressure, temperature, forces); the development and implementation of optical measurement techniques (Pressure-Sensitive Paints, 2D and 3D PIV, LDV, infrared thermography); and the development of data assimilation methods for merging measurements and numerical simulations data for optimized characterizations. The tools issued from these research activities are also used in the unit for analyzing and inspecting fundamental physical phenomena in flows (jet dynamics, flow separation, fluid-structure instabilities, for example).

Development of PIV 3D: application on a jet

Missiles, fighter aircraft, stability, hypersonic (MASH)

MASH deals with the aerodynamics of all defence applications, except the aerodynamics of tactical transport aircrafts and helicopters. This covers the following applications: missiles and projectiles, supersonic air intakes of missiles and aircrafts, rear bodies of fighter aircraft, carrying payload integration and jettisoning, launch vehicles (nozzles and rear bodies), hypersonic aircraft and UCAVs. The scientific topics developed in the unit draw on advanced turbulent unsteady simulations (concerning the physical analysis of mainly supersonic and hypersonic flows in cold gas), the transition and stability of flows at high speed, and flow control and meta-modeling.

Numerical simulation of hypersonic vehicle

ZDES of combat aircraft

Modeling and numerical simulation for aeroelasticity (MSAE)

MSAE develops methods and digital tools for behavior forecasting prediction and aeroelastic design of structures in their environment. Its range covers the study of static and dynamic aeroelastic phenomena for fixed and rotary wings, as well as aeroelastic and aerostructure optimization.

Static coupling simulation – AWIATOR project

Optimization of the form parameters of an
M6 wing aerostructure model (static coupling)

Multi-frequency simulation on SHE axial compressor

ASPIRE model: Forced response of fan on 360° model with nacelle

Advanced turbulence modeling and simulation (MSAT)

MSAT contributes to the definition of advanced modeling for numerical simulation of unsteady turbulent flows (RANS, ZDES, WMLES, DNS) and ensures their compatibility with aeronautical and space applications through integration of geometric complexity (IBC). Its purpose is also to guarantee a high validation level for these modelings using post-processing tools developed for the flow physics in-depth analysis (near-wall turbulence and separated flows with high Reynolds numbers ranging from the subsonic to the cold hypersonic).

Direct numerical simulation (DNS) of the transition
to turbulence of a separated boundary layer

Numerical simulation of separation on a launcher

Large-scale simulation (WRLES) of a turbulent boundary layer in space development with a large Reynolds number (Re_q=10⁴)

Digital methods for fluid mechanics (NFLU)

NFLU conducts activities related to the study and development of numerical methods for the solution of fluid mechanics systems of equations, using various types of space-time discretization methods associated to structured, unstructured and hybrid mesh strategies. In particular the algorithmic developments for the Navier-Stokes model are performed in the aerodynamic codes elsA and Aghora developed at ONERA, as well as in the new Airbus-ONERA-DLR code CODA. The topics concern more precisely:

Error estimation and hp adaptation for certification of calculations
Multi-physical and multi-model coupling methods
Digital methods for stochastic mechanics and robust simulation chain
Large-scale linear algebra and HPC optimisation

Order-4 Aghora DG-LES calculation
JEAN nozzle: turbulent jet

Aerothermal coupling Optimal coupling founded on a
Godunov-Ryabenkii stability study