Grid adaptation for unsteady flow computations

Abstract

A grid adaptation procedure suitable for use during unsteady flow computations is described. Transfinite interpolation is used to generate structured grids for the computation of steady and unsteady Euler flows past aerofoils. This technique is well suited to unsteady flows, since instantaneous grid positions and speeds required by the flow solver are available directly from the algebraic mapping. A different approach to grid adaptation is described, wherein adaptation is performed by redistributing the interpolation parameters, instead of the physical grid positions. This results in the adapted grid positions, and hence speeds, still being available algebraically. Grid adaptation during an unsteady computation is performed continuously by imposing an ‘adaptation velocity’ on grid points, thereby applying the adaptation over several time steps and avoiding the interpolation of the solution from one grid to another, which is associated with instantaneous adaptation. For both steady and unsteady flows the adapted grid technique is shown to produce sharper shock resolution for a very small increase in CPU (central processing unit) requirements.