Computational Methods Fluid Flow

In developing this book, we decided to emphasize applications and to provide methods for solving problems. As a result, we limited the mathematical devel­ opments and we tried as far as possible to get insight into the behavior of numerical methods by considering simple mathematical models. The text contains three sections. The first is intended to give the fundamen­ tals of most types of numerical approaches employed to solve fluid-mechanics problems. The topics of finite differences, finite elements, and spectral meth­ ods are included, as well as a number of special techniques. The second section is devoted to the solution of incompressible flows by the various numerical approaches. We have included solutions of laminar and turbulent-flow prob­ lems using finite difference, finite element, and spectral methods. The third section of the book is concerned with compressible flows. We divided this last section into inviscid and viscous flows and attempted to outline the methods for each area and give examples.

Applied Mathematics is the art of constructing mathematical models of observed phenomena so that both qualitative and quantitative results can be predicted by the use of analytical and numerical methods. Theoretical Mechanics is concerned with the study of those phenomena which can be ob­ served in everyday life in the physical world around us. It is often characterised by the macroscopic approach which allows the concept of an element or particle of material, small compared to the dimensions of the phenomena being modelled, yet large compared to the molecular size of the material.

This volume contains 37 invited contributions, collected to celebrate one hundred volumes of the NNFM Series. After a general introduction overviews are given in five parts of the developments in numerical fluid mechanics and related fields. In the first part information about the series is given, its origins are discussed, as well as its environment and the German and European high-performance computer scene.

This book offers a compact primer on advanced numerical flux functions in computational fluid dynamics (CFD). It comprehensively introduces readers to methods used at the forefront of compressible flow simulation research. Further, it provides a comparative evaluation of the methods discussed, helping readers select the best numerical flux function for their specific needs.

The development of high-order accurate numerical discretization techniques for irregular domains and meshes is often cited as one of the remaining chal­ lenges facing the field of computational fluid dynamics. In structural me­ chanics, the advantages of high-order finite element approximation are widely recognized. This is especially true when high-order element approximation is combined with element refinement (h-p refinement). In computational fluid dynamics, high-order discretization methods are infrequently used in the com­ putation of compressible fluid flow. The hyperbolic nature of the governing equations and the presence of solution discontinuities makes high-order ac­ curacy difficult to achieve. Consequently, second-order accurate methods are still predominately used in industrial applications even though evidence sug­ gests that high-order methods may offer a way to significantly improve the resolution and accuracy for these calculations. To address this important topic, a special course was jointly organized by the Applied Vehicle Technology Panel of NATO's Research and Technology Organization (RTO), the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics, and the Numerical Aerospace Simulation Division at the NASA Ames Research Cen­ ter. The NATO RTO sponsored course entitled "Higher Order Discretization Methods in Computational Fluid Dynamics" was held September 14-18,1998 at the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics in Belgium and September 21-25,1998 at the NASA Ames Research Center in the United States.