High-fidelity Reynolds-Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis of the GMT, enclosure, and LCO terrain is performed to study (a) the impact of either an open or closed enclosure base soffit external shape design, (b) the effect of telescope/enclosure location on the mountain summit, and (c) the effect of enclosure venting patterns. Details on the geometry modeling, grid discretization, and flow solution are first described. Then selected computational results are shown to quantify the quality of the airflow entering the GMT enclosure based on soffit, site location, and venting considerations. Based on the results, conclusions are provided on GMT soffit design, site location, and enclosure venting. The current work is not used to estimate image quality but will be addressed in future analyses as described in the conclusions. |
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Telescopes
Mirrors
Device simulation
Computer aided design
Liquid crystal on silicon
Solid modeling
Space telescopes