Efficient high-order accurate unstructured finite-volume algorithms for viscous and inviscid compressible flows

• Main Author: Michalak, Christopher
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: University of British Columbia 2009
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/7094

High-order accurate methods have the potential to dramatically reduce the computational time needed for aerodynamics simulations. This thesis studies the discretization and efficient convergence to steady state of the high-order accurate finite-volume method applied to the simplified problem of inviscid and laminar viscous two-dimensional flow equations. Each of the three manuscript chapters addresses a specific problem or limitation previously experienced with these schemes. The first manuscript addresses the absence of a method to maintain monotonicity of the solution at discontinuities while maintaining high-order accuracy in smooth regions. To resolve this, a slope limiter is carefully developed which meets these requirements while also maintaining the good convergence properties and computational efficiency of the least-squares reconstruction scheme. The second manuscript addresses the relatively poor convergence properties of Newton-GMRES methods applied to high-order accurate schemes. The globalization of the Newton method is improved through the use of an adaptive local timestep and of a line search algorithm. The poor convergence of the linear solver is improved through the efficient assembly of the exact flux Jacobian for use in preconditioning and to eliminate the additional residual evaluations needed by a matrix-free method. The third manuscript extends the discretization method to the viscous fluxes and boundary conditions. The discretization is demonstrated to achieve the expected order of accuracy. The fourth-order scheme is also shown to be more computationally efficient than the second-order scheme at achieving grid-converged values of drag for two-dimensional laminar flow over an airfoil. === Applied Science, Faculty of === Mechanical Engineering, Department of === Graduate