The Segregated Approach to Predicting Viscous Compressible Fluid Flows

Abstract

The SIMPLE method of Patankar and Spalding and its variants such as SIMPLER, SIMPLEC and SIMPLEX are segregated methods for solving the discrete algebraic equations representing the equations of motion for an incompressible fluid flow. The present paper presents the extension of these methods to the solution of compressible fluid flows within the context of a generalized segregated approach. To provide a framework for better understanding the segregated approach to solving viscous compressible fluid flows an interpretation of the role of pressure in the numerical method is presented. With this interpretation it becomes evident that the linearization of the equation for mass conservation and the approach used to solve the linearized algebraic equations representing the equations of motion are important in determining the performance of the numerical method. The relative performance of the various segregated methods are compared for several subsonic and supersonic compressible fluid flows.