Michael Braukus
Headquarters, Washington                       August 6, 2001
(Phone: 202/358-1979)

RELEASE:  01-156

NASA SELECTS TWO DESIGN TOOLS AS SOFTWARE OF THE YEAR

     Computer programs that reduce aircraft engine analysis 
time and improve the study of fluid dynamics in rocket 
engines have been selected as NASA's 2001 software of the 
year winners.

The Numerical Propulsion System Simulation (NPSS) software 
allows multi-fidelity analysis in designing aircraft engines, 
offering key technological advances to increasing the U.S. 
aerospace industry's competitiveness. The General Electric 
Aircraft Engines Co. estimates a 55 percent reduction in 
engine analysis time using this new software.

The development of NPSS was led by Cynthia Gutierrez Naiman 
of NASA's Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, and included a 
team of 39 other engineers from Glenn; Arnold Engineering 
Development, Arnold Air Force Base, TN; Dynacs, Cleveland; 
General Electric Aircraft Engines Co., Cincinnati; GESS, 
Cleveland; Honeywell, Tucson, AZ; Pratt & Whitney, East 
Hartford, CT; Modern Technologies Corp., Middleburg Hts., OH; 
Rolls Royce Corp., Indianapolis; RS Information Systems, 
Inc., Cleveland; and The Boeing Company, Seattle.

The Generalized Fluid System Simulation Program (GFSSP) is a 
general purpose computer program for analyzing fluid-flow 
rate, pressure, temperature and concentration in rocket 
engines, turbo pumps and fuel tanks. The program is capable 
of modeling liquid fuel phase changes including 
compressibility, mixture thermodynamics and the effects of 
external influences, such as gravity and centrifugal force.

The development of the GFSSP software eliminates the need to 
develop specific-purpose software. Cost savings also can be 
realized through reducing hardware testing and continuous 
improvement. It is estimated that one organization's use of 
GFSSP can save between $825,000 and $1.5 million. 

Alok Kumar Majumdar of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, 
Huntsville, AL, led the development team, which included 
engineers from Marshall, ERC, Inc. and Sverdrup Technology, 
also of Huntsville.

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