A High-Resolution Pressure-Based Algorithm for Fluid Flow at All Speeds

Abstract

A new collocated finite-volume-based solution procedure for predicting viscous compressible and incompressible flows is presented. The technique is equally applicable in the subsonic, transonic, and supersonic regimes. Pressure is selected as a dependent variable in preference to density because changes in pressure are significant at all speeds as opposed to variations in density, which become very small at low Mach numbers. The newly developed algorithm has two new features: (i) the use of the normalized variable and space formulation (NVSF) methodology to bound the convective fluxes and (ii) the use of a high-resolution scheme in calculating interface density values to enhance the shock-capturing property of the algorithm. The virtues of the newly developed method are demonstrated by solving a wide range of flows spanning the subsonic, transonic, and supersonic spectrum. Results obtained indicate higher accuracy when calculating interface density values using a high-resolution scheme.