Computational Forensics for Airplane Crashes

    In this talk, the speaker will discuss how to use large-scale scientific computation to conduct event-reconstruction and forensics for airplane crashes. The methodologies and tools involved are mathematical modeling, algorithm development and supercomputing. Four cases of airplane crashes will be discussed:
(1) Malaysia Airlines missing Flight MH370;
(2) Germanwings Flight 9525 pulverizing crash;
(3) Dallo Airlines Flight 159 laptop bombing;
(4) Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 missile-shotdown.
The mathematical models involved are: fluid dynamics, solid mechanics of viscoplasticity and fracture, and explosion. The primary software platforms are OpenFOAM and LS-DYNA based on, respectively, the Finite Volume and the Finite Element methods. Visualization is done by using Paraview. All the computations were carried out on the supercomputers at Texas A&M University's High Performance Research Computing Center.
Video animations based on supercomputing will be given, along with interpretations of the physical phenomena.