Efficient infinite-swept wing solver for steady and unsteady compressible flows

Abstract

An efficient Navier–Stokes solver for the infinite-swept wing problem is presented. The new flow solution, that reproduces correctly the physics responsible for cross-flow effects, is obtained around a two-dimensional stencil. On the contrary, existing state-of-the-art methods rely on a three-dimensional stencil. Numerical details are followed by an extensive validation campaign, including steady and unsteady compressible flows. The test cases are for single and multi-element aerofoils in both laminar and turbulent regimes. Under identical conditions (numerical settings, grids, etc.), the computational cost of the proposed solver was reduced by at least 75% compared to that of existing state-of-the-art methods. This was also confirmed employing various turbulence models. With a limited effort required to enhance an existing computational fluid dynamics solver (either two or three-dimensional), the infinite-swept wing method was implemented in an industrial-grade package used across Europe for rapid engineering analysis.