A flux-coordinate-splitting technique for flows with shocks and contact discontinuities

Abstract

The two-dimensional gasdynamic equations are solved everywhere in the flow field except in regions surrounding the contact discontinuites. A flux-vector-splitting (FVS) technique is applied to the Euler equations so that the directions of propagation of the signals and hence the shocks in the flow can be correctly captured. The split flux equations are solved using conventional second-order-accurate finite difference methods. In the regions surrounding the contact discontinuities, the gasdynamic equations are split into a set of one-dimensional equations. These are transformed in such a way that the density does not appear explicitly in the spatial derivatives of the resultant equations, which are of the Langrangian form. The equations are then solved using second-order-accurate finite difference schemes and numerical smearing of the contact discontinuities is avoided because the dependent variables are continuous across the discontinuities. Consequently, both shocks and contact discontinuities in a two-dimensional gasdynamic flow are accurately resolved. This flux-coordinate-splitting technique is used to calculate the gasdynamic flow in a shock tube, a converging cylindrical shock and the mixing of two supersonic streams. The results are compared with exact solutions and with those deduced from proven numerical techniques. Good correlations are obtained, especially in the sharp definition of contact discontinuities. Therefore, the proposed coordinate-splitting technique improves the resolution of contact discontinuities without affecting the overall calculations of the flow field. In view of this, the coordinate-splitting technique can also be used with other shock capturing techniques besides FVS to achieve the same results.