Surface design using functional blending

Many engineering objects have surfaces that are critical to their performance. Analysis codes are used to design these surfaces for efficient performance. The iterative procedure of design followed by analysis requires the ability to generate and modify such surfaces rapidly. In the work described in the paper, surfaces which blend together bifurcated inlets are generated. A functional blendino method based on the Bernstein polynomial is developed in this work to generate a smooth surface between algebraically defined inlets and outlets. The method also has the ability to modify the generated surface both locally or globally, thereby assisting in surface modification. The method and its abilities are illustrated with examples. Finally, an application of the method to the design of an aeroplane turboprop housing is also discussed.