2170 - Physics-based Modeling in Design & Development for U.S. Defense Conference

The Physics-Based Modeling in Design & Development for U.S. Defense Conference is the first of its kind and is sponsored by the National Defense Industrial Association’s Systems Engineering Division, and is being supported by the Assistant Secretary of Defense, Research & Engineering, High Performance Computing Modernization Program.

Background
Acquisition of defense systems now takes far longer than ever before, partly due to increased rules, regulations and oversight and in great part due to the ever-increasing complexity of defense systems. Such lengthy acquisition times are costly and more often than not the real user requirements have changed dramatically since initiation of the system acquisition. One approach that holds promise for reducing acquisition time and risk is the use of multiphysics-based performance analysis and design models and tools utilizing high performance computers. These tools are providing many industries and government organizations with a significant competitive advantage where they have been utilized. The continuing exponential growth in computing power is enabling those organizations to develop and apply analysis and design codes that include all the important physical effects that determine the physical behavior of complete systems. These codes are now able to provide accurate answers in the critical time frames useful for product development, and future computer systems will allow even greater accuracy and shorter turn-around times. Major barriers to more widespread use include the limited availability of such tools, due to the challenges of developing and deploying them, and transition of the tools to the relevant engineering communities and adoption by them. Companies such as Goodyear Tire and Boeing have developed this type of software in-house and are using it in their product development processes. Other companies use commercially developed software for the same purpose. Assistant Secretary of Defense, Research & Engineering, is launching a new research initiative, System 2020, to reduce acquisition time. A key focus of the initiative is model-based engineering.