Fluid dynamics

Abstract

Fluid dynamics is among the most theoretical of aerospace sciences, and yet one that is poised to make exceptional contributions to the field as we enter the '90s. Industry, government, and university researchers continued to develop advanced computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software for parallel computers, which use anywhere from a few to thousands of processors to concurrently solve mathematical equations. This past year, researchers learned to make efficient use of multiprocessor computers to solve Navier-Stokes equations using finite-difference, finite-volume, and spectral algorithms. This work will continue into the 1990s, along with the development of new parallel supercomputers. Progress in parallel processors was complemented by the continued development of adaptive grids for CFD. The publication of Navier-Stokes solutions on unstructured meshes offered new possibilities for grid adaptation in the thin shear layers and shock regions of the flow. The combination of adaptive grids and finite elements to predict potential flow proved to be an efficient design tool for complex geometries. Dynamic reconfiguration of the grid can lead to efficient resolution of unsteady three-dimensional flows around complex geometries, and the prediction of unsteady three-dimensional flows around complex geometries, and the prediction of such flows has become a new area of CFD emphasis.