I'm taking Computational Fluid Dynamics this semester (CFD) and the class is based on a project. The project is to come up with my own idea to run through CFD software called Fluent, which models and quantifies fluid flows. I can model things like velocity fields and heat dissipation, to name just a few, and the software will paint a pretty picture of the results and I imagine spit some numbers out at me.

Here are some ideas:
Model the cooling of a turbine blade using cavities filled with fuel running through the blade (already being done on full scale planes).
Compare the flow over a pattern plane both with and without canalizers to quantify the effects of the canalizers.
Model a hinge gap, taped and untaped, and examine the benefits of taped seams.
Model a counter-rotating prop and the flow of air over the plane.

Some of these are more complex than needed for the class and will have to be done in 2D (no big deal though).

So one idea would be to get a Solidworks representation of an airplane from one of you kind folks, with which then I could model some canalizers (aft of the canopy and maybe the ones just inside the ailerons), then run it all through the software to set the mesh, and finally model in fluent.

I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas - is there anything that you guys would like to see modeled in 3D software and quantified? Are there things that are rumored to work, but no real proof exists?

These are just the ideas I came up with in the last 5 minutes of class today. Don't need a definitive project until October or something, so plenty of time to discuss a project and the issues/thoughts/arguments behind it.

Thanks! Senior year is looking like it's going to be a fun one