The following sections present the enhancements that have been made to the ZONAIR software system since it's initial commercial release in 2003.

Version 4.0 Enhancements

1. An estimate feature has been implemented in the scripts used to submit ZONAIR jobs. The estimate provides information about the current ZONAIR input deck (such as number of aero boxes in the model, number of aero analyses being run, etc.) as well as an estimate as to how long the job will take to run and the amount of disk space that will be required. Note that this option is currently only available for the PC/Windows version of ZONAIR. To activate the estimate process simply add a "-e" switch when submitting a ZONAIR job, e.g.,
   

   zonair -e mycase.inp

A sample of the output using the estimate feature from the l51f07.inp test case is shown as follows:

---

Performing estimate on file: l51f07.inp
Please wait...

Input Deck Summary
------------------
Number of:
GRID = 561
CQUAD4 = 492
CTRIA3 = 10
CAERO7 = 0
BODY7 = 0

Total number of aero panels = 502
Total number of MACH cards = 1
Number of lines in input deck = 1146

Hardware Summary
----------------
Processor (CPU) = Pentium 4 2367MHz
Space available
on local hard disk = 29.522 GB

--------- ESTIMATE ---------
Time to complete job = 0 hrs 0 min 46 sec
Disk space required = 105.770 MB (= 0.106 GB)
(AIC + database)
------ END OF ESTIMATE -----

---

2. A SLICE bulk data card has been added to automatically open up a closed wing tip and wing trailing edge into upper and lower surfaces. The SLICE card also automatically adds CBAR/CROD/RBE2 along the edges of the surface. The purpose of the SLICE bulk data card is to provide a pre-processing feature to convert a wing-like panel model with closed wing trailing edge and tip regions into an open-trailing edge and tip model with CBAR and CROD elements attached to those edges. Having open trailing edge and tip regions is required by ZONAIR in order to establish the tip vortex line and wing trailing wake regions. The CBAR elements will generate a flat wake surface while the CROD elements will generate line vortex elements which are used to simulate the wing tip vortex effects. A sample of the SLICE card input and resulting effect on a sample wing is shown in the following figure.

3. A THKWING bulk data card has been added to define an aerodynamic wing macroelement of a thick-wing component. The THKWING bulk data card automatically generates a set of surface grid points, i.e., CQUAD4/CTRIA3 elements, on the upper and lower surface of the thick-wing components. In addition, a set of CBAR elements are also automatically generated along the upper and lower surfaces of the trailing edge grid points. An example of the THKWING process is shown in the following figure. Surface grid points 201, 107, 303, and 404 are listed in the SET1 bulk data card. The program will automatically move the locations of those grid points to the lower surface of the root section of the thick-wing component. The grid points on the upper surface of the root section are generated by the program. Note that the size of the "hole" on the body is defined by the PAFOIL7 bulk data card.
   
   
4. An AUTOBAR bulk data card has been added to automatically generate a set of CBAR elements between two user-specified grid points. This automation is useful, for example, to help the user quickly close the end of a truncated body in modeling the wake that is to be shed downstream.
5. An AUTOROD bulk data card has been added to automatically set up to generate a set of CROD elements between two user specified grid points. This automation is useful, for example, to help quickly set up the wing tip vortices.
6. A PCHFILE bulk data card has been implemented to import the modal values of a structural parameter from from an MSC.Nastran punch file. The parameter can be element forces, stresses, strains, etc. These modal values are used to compute the resulting structural parameter by the superposition of modal values and the generalized modal coordinates.
   
   To generate a NASTRAN punch file, the user must specify a NASTRAN case control command such as

   FORCE (PUNCH) = ALL or STRESS (PUNCH) = n

   in the MSC.Nastran case control section for a modal an analysis where n is the identification number of the SET Nastran case control command used to list a set of element identification numbers for output.

7. An OUTPUT4 bulk data card has been implemented to export any matrix data stored in the ZONAIR database to an OUTPUT4 formatted Nastran file.
8. A PLTSURF bulk data card has been added to allow for plotting of defelected aerodynamic control surfaces.
9. A SPLINEM bulk data card has been added to allow for saving of the spline matrices. Once saved, the spline matrices can be acquired during subsequent runs saving the initial time that was required to generate the matrices.
10. A TRIMSEN bulk data card has been added to allow for sensitivity analysis of mass and stiffness with respect to user-defined design variables.
11. Force correction matricies can now be input to ZONAIR via the WT1AJJ (force/moment matrix correction) and WT2AJJ (downwash matrix correction) bulk data cards so that the forces and moments computed by the corrected AIC matrix match a given set of component forces and moments.

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