NUMERICAL CALCULATIONS OF ARBITRARY MULTIDIMENSIONAL AND UNSTEADY FLOWS BY THE METHOD OF CHARACTERISTICS.
Abstract
The analytic and numerical procedures necessary to write a general method of characteristics computer code are presented. The theory of characteristics is applied to the partial differential equations of an inviscid fluid, the geometry of the characteristics is determined, a procedure for finite-differencing the compatibility equations is developed and the stability and convergence of the procedure is analyzed. The details of the finite difference network and of a successful organization of the network to calculate complete flow fields are presented. The flow between a detached shock wave and the surface of a two-dimensional body in unsteady motion has been calculated. The results of several calculations of specific body motions are presented in the form of velocity vector plots and contours of constant values of the dependent variables at various times during the calculation. From the results it is concluded that practical calculations of multidimensional unsteady flows can be accomplished with an extensive coding effort and a reasonable amount of computer time. Ways for improving the accuracy and the general applicability of the method of characteristics have been discovered and these help to increase the general utility of the method. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1966
- Accession Number
- AD0633958
Entities
People
- Harry Sauerwein
Organizations
- The Aerospace Corporation