Unsteady boundary layers with an intelligent numerical scheme

Abstract

A numerical method has been developed to represent unsteady boundary layers with large flow reversal. It makes use of the characteristic box scheme which examines the finite-difference grid in relation to the magnitude and direction of local velocity and reaches and implements a decision to ensure that the Courant, Friedricks & Lewey stability criterion is not violated. The method has been applied to the problem of an impulsively started circular cylinder and the results, though generally consistent with those of van Dommelen & Shen obtained with a Lagrangian method, show some differences. The time step is identified as very important and, with the present intelligent numerical scheme, the results were readily extended to times far beyond those previously achieved with Eulerian methods. Extrapolation of the results suggests that the much-discussed singularity for this unsteady flow is the same as that of the corresponding steady flow.