AAeroLab WORKBENCH 03Virtual wind tunnel
01 / Prepare model02 / Solve in OpenFOAM03 / Review evidence
3D WIND TUNNEL

Ellipsoid

Preview · inviscid
Your model · geometry only
WIND → 20 m/s
Drag to orbit · scroll or pinch to zoom
GEOMETRY CHECK · CURRENT UPLOADInspecting mesh…
Checking closed edges, normals, and dimensions.

Loaded geometry · Ellipsoid · sample · current preview conditions

Model length along flow300 mm
Dynamic pressure245 Pa
Reynolds number based on length406,077
Frontal projected area256² raster estimate—
CFD RESULTS

Follow the evidence.

Import aerolab-results.json from your exported run. Drag and lift appear only when solver output is available.

Drag coefficient · Cd—
Lift coefficient · Cl—
Drag force—
Lift force—
No CFD data loadedMesh independence: unestablishedExperimental validation: unestablished

Force coefficient history

Solver output will appear here.

Initial residuals log scale

Residual history will appear here.
TWO LEVELS OF ANALYSIS

Preview, then solve.

The browser preview remains a simplified inviscid calculation. OpenFOAM cases use steady incompressible RANS with k–ω SST, wall functions, and prism layers.

A completed solve still needs review.

Check mesh quality, layer coverage, y+, residuals, force stability, grid refinement, and experimental agreement. The default setup does not model transition or rotating wheels.

Methods and result provenance

CFD workflow: export an OpenCFD OpenFOAM v2406 case for simpleFoam with k–ω SST turbulence, no-slip model walls, prism-layer meshing, and force coefficient monitoring. Run it on a separate computer, then import its output. The website does not execute OpenFOAM itself.

Result values are imported from user-supplied solver output, averaged over the final part of the history. Force stability is a screening measure and does not establish grid independence or accuracy. A fully turbulent model can be unsuitable for a small dragster where transition matters.

AeroLab solves the three-dimensional Laplace equation for velocity potential on a uniform voxel grid. Solid cells enforce zero normal flow; outer boundaries use uniform freestream potential. Velocity is the gradient of that potential.

The geometry is voxelized using ray intersections. Use closed, watertight solid meshes. Overlapping independent STEP meshes are combined as solids. Open surfaces, thin features, and intersecting shells can give inaccurate results.

Streamlines use the resulting interpolated velocity field. They are not measured smoke trails. The solver has no viscosity, boundary layer, separation, or turbulence model, so it does not provide reliable drag or lift. Grid convergence and experimental validation have not been established.

Wind speed scales the field; it does not change its shape in this incompressible model. Dynamic pressure is ½ρV², and Reynolds number is ρVL/μ, with μ = 1.81 × 10⁻⁵ Pa·s. These are setup quantities, not solved forces.

Your models and results are processed in this tab and are not saved by the website. Downloaded case and report files remain on your device. Reloading clears the model and results. STEP uses OpenCascade; native F3D decoding is not supported.

NASA: drag and the drag coefficient · STEP importer · OpenCascade importer license · Three.js license

Bring a Fusion model into AeroLab

Native F3D files cannot be opened here yet.

  1. Open the design in Autodesk Fusion.
  2. Choose File → Export.
  3. Select STEP as the file type and export.
  4. Open the resulting .step or .stp file in this tunnel.

STEP is preferred for solid geometry. STL also works; confirm the model units after import.

Autodesk export instructions ↗

Run a CFD study

  1. Load a closed solid model. Confirm units, nose direction, wind speed, and reference area.
  2. Choose the mesh preset and export a case. Extract the ZIP into a new folder.
  3. Install and start Docker Desktop using Linux containers. On Windows, right-click run.ps1 and run it with PowerShell, or use the command in README.txt. Linux/macOS instructions are included.
  4. Optional: run Preview-Mesh.ps1 first. Open the body.vtp file under VTK-Mesh in ParaView to check the actual CFD surface.
  5. Run run.ps1 to solve. It reuses the checked preview mesh. Runs may take minutes to hours and several GB of RAM.
  6. Import aerolab-results.json here. Use ParaView to examine the full mesh and fields.
  7. Repeat with finer meshes and compare forces. Review transition and ground assumptions for your dragster.

There is no connected cloud solver. Exporting a case does not run a simulation.

Reference conditions for this data

A raw coefficient file does not identify its geometry or reference area. Forces can only be reconstructed using the conditions that produced those coefficients.