Transition Prediction for Three-Dimensional Configurations

Abstract

A computational method for automatic transition prediction for general three-dimensional configurations is presented. The method consists of a coupled program system including a 3D Navier–Stokes solver, a transition module, a boundary layer code and a stability code. The transition module has been adapted to be used with parallel computation to account for the high computational demand of predicting flows around three-dimensional configurations. A comprehensive investigation on general computational and parallel performance identifies the numerical effort for the transition prediction method. The procedure has been validated comparing numerical results with experiments for the flow around an inclined prolate spheroid. Feasibility studies on generic transport aircraft show the code’s capability to predict transition lines on general complex geometries.