A new multigrid Euler method for fighter-type configurations

Abstract

Transonic and supersonic flows over isolated wings and fighter-type aircraft configurations are computed through the numerical solution of the compressible Euler equations. Appropriate singlemesh topologies are used in combination with a new multigrid time-stepping scheme for solving the Euler equations. C-H or C-0 meshes are used for the isolated wing. A novel H-0 type mesh is introduced to discretize the space about a fighter aircraft. The H-0 type mesh is obtained by a sequence of two-dimensional mappings which generate separate 0-meshes around successive cross sections of the aircraft. The finite volume method, which has proved quite insensitive to mesh topology, uses a five-stage Runge-Kutta time-stepping scheme to integrate the equations. Acceleration to the steady state solution is obtained by maximizing the local time step, implicit smoothing of the residuals, enthalpy damping, and an efficient multigrid technique. Results are presented for a variety of wing and aircraft configurations.