Solutions of the Euler equations for transonic and supersonic aircraft

Abstract

A method for numerically computing steady incompressible flow fields about fighter-type aircraft at transonic and supersonic speeds is described. Discretization of the physical space around the aircraft is accomplished with a single-block H-O type mesh. The compressible Euler equations are discretized on this mesh using a fully conservative finite-volume method and are integrated to steady state via a five-stage Runge-Kutta scheme. The use of a maximum local time step, together with a residual smoothing technique and enthalpy damping, speeds up the solution process. Additional acceleration of convergence toward the steady state is provided by cycling the entire numerical scheme through coarser meshes in a multigrid sequence. The method is efficient and reliable. Examples of flow fields computed on a variety of aircraft at subsonic, transonic, and supersonic speeds are included.