Convergence studies of the time accurate and non-linear frequency domain methods for optimum shape design

This paper presents convergence studies of the time accurate and non-linear frequency domain (NLFD) methods for optimum shape design. The NLFD method provides an attractive alternative for aerodynamic shape optimisation for unsteady flows. It dramatically reduces the number of time steps required to resolve the periodic flow field. In this work, the convergence of the gradients are investigated as the number of time steps are increased to determine the required number of modes that is adequate for shape optimisation for unsteady flows. The formulation of the adjoint equations for both the time accurate and NLFD techniques are presented. The techniques are employed for the redesign of a pitching airfoil to reduce the time-averaged drag coefficient while maintaining the lift coefficient.     

Optimization of unsteady incompressible Navier–Stokes flows using variational level set method

This paper presents the optimization of unsteady Navier–Stokes flows using the variational level set method. The solid–liquid interface is expressed by the level set function implicitly, and the fluid velocity is constrained to be zero in the solid domain. An optimization problem, which is constrained by the Navier–Stokes equations and a fluid volume constraint, is analyzed by the Lagrangian multiplier based adjoint approach. The corresponding continuous adjoint equations and the shape sensitivity are derived. The level set function is evolved by solving the Hamilton–Jacobian equation with the upwind finite difference method. The optimization method can be used to design channels for flows with or without body forces. The numerical examples demonstrate the feasibility and robustness of this optimization method for unsteady Navier–Stokes flows.Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An adjoint method for the calculation of remote sensitivities in supersonic flow

This paper presents an adjoint method for the calculation of remote sensitivities in supersonic flow. The goal is to develop a set of discrete adjoint equations and their corresponding boundary conditions in order to quantify the influence of geometry modifications on the pressure distribution at an arbitrary location within the domain of interest. First, this paper presents the complete formulation and discretization of the discrete adjoint equations. The special treatment of the adjoint boundary condition to obtain remote sensitivities or sensitivities of pressure distributions at points remotely located from the wing surface are discussed. Secondly, we present results that demonstrate the application of the theory to a three-dimensional remote inverse design problem using a low sweep biconvex wing and a highly swept blunt leading edge wing. Lastly, we present results that establish the added benefit of using an objective function that contains the sum of the remote inverse and drag minimization cost functions.     

UNSTEADY CONFINED VISCOUS FLOWS WITH OSCILLATING WALLS AND MULTIPLE SEPARATION REGIONS OVER A DOWNSTREAM-FACING STEP

This paper presents computational solutions for unsteady viscous flows in channels with a downstream-facing step, followed by an oscillating floor. These solutions of the unsteady Navier–Stokes equations are obtained with a time-integration method using artificial compressibility in a fixed computational domain, which is obtained via a time-dependent coordinate transformation from the fluid domain with moving boundaries. The computational method is first validated for steady viscous flows past a downstream-facing step by comparison with previous numerical solutions and experimental results. This method is then used to obtain solutions for unsteady viscous flows with multiple separation regions over a downstream-facing step with oscillating walls, for which there are no previously known solutions. Thus, the present results may be used as benchmark solutions for the unsteady viscous flows with multiple separation regions between fixed and oscillating walls.     

Design optimization of unsteady airfoils with continuous adjoint method

In this paper, a new unsteady aerodynamic design method is presented based on the Navier-Stokes equations and a continuous adjoint approach. A basic framework of time-accurate unsteady airfoil optimization which adopts time-averaged aerodynamic coefficients as objective functions is presented. The time-accurate continuous adjoint equation and its boundary conditions are derived. The flow field and the adjoint equation are simulated numerically by the finite volume method (FVM). Feasibility and accuracy of the approach are perfectly validated by the design optimization results of the plunging NACA0012 airfoil.     

The analysis of unsteady incompressible flows by a three-step finite element method

This paper describes a three-step finite element method and its applications to unsteady incompressible fluid flows. Stability analysis of the one-dimensional pure convection equation shows that this method has third-order accuracy and an extended numerical stability domain in comparison with the Lax--Wendroff finite element method. The method is cost-effective for incompressible flows because it permits less frequent updates of the pressure field with good accuracy. In contrast with the Taylor-Galerkin method, the present method does not contain any new higher-order derivatives, which makes it suitable for solving non-linear multidimensional problems and flows with complicated boundary conditions. The three-step finite element method has been used to simulate unsteady incompressible flows. The numerical results obtained are in good agreement with those in the literature.     

A new multigrid algorithm for non-linear equations in conjunction with time-marching procedures

Full approximate storage (FAS) multigrid algorithm is the most commonly used multigrid algorithm for non-linear equations. The algorithm initially developed for steady-state equations was later extended to obtain steady-state solutions employing unsteady equations. In extending the FAS algorithm for the steady-state non-linear equations to unsteady non-linear equations, the FAS algorithm does not to take into account that the governing equations are typically linearized in time before they are solved. Thus, there is a scope to develop a new multigrid algorithm to apply the multigrid technique to the equations linearized in time. In the present work, such an algorithm is developed exploring this possibility and is implemented for two-dimensional incompressible and compressible flows coupled with explicit time marching procedures. The results of the new algorithm compare favourably with those of the FAS multigrid method and single grid.     

A Discrete Adjoint Approach for the Optimization of Unsteady Turbulent Flows

In this paper we present a discrete adjoint approach for the optimization of unsteady, turbulent flows. While discrete adjoint methods usually rely on the use of the reverse mode of Automatic Differentiation (AD), which is difficult to apply to complex unsteady problems, our approach is based on the discrete adjoint equation directly and can be implemented efficiently with the use of a sparse forward mode of AD. We demonstrate the approach on the basis of a parallel, multigrid flow solver that incorporates various turbulence models. Due to grid deformation routines also shape optimization problems can be handled. We consider the relevant aspects, in particular the efficient generation of the discrete adjoint equation and the parallel implementation of a multigrid method for the adjoint, which is derived from the multigrid scheme of the flow solver. Numerical results show the efficiency of the approach for a shape optimization problem involving a three dimensional Large Eddy Simulation (LES).     

A general methodology for investigating flow instabilities in complex geometries: application to natural convection in enclosures

This paper presents a general methodology for studying instabilities of natural convection flows enclosed in cavities of complex geometry. Different tools have been developed, consisting of time integration of the unsteady equations, steady state solving, and computation of the most unstable eigenmodes of the Jacobian and its adjoint. The methodology is validated in the classical differentially heated cavity, where the steady solution branch is followed for vary large values of the Rayleigh number and most unstable eigenmodes are computed at selected Rayleigh values. Its effectiveness for complex geometries is illustrated on a configuration consisting of a cavity with internal heated partitions. We finally propose to reduce the Navier–Stokes equations to a differential system by expanding the unsteady solution as the sum of the steady state solution and of a linear combination of the leading eigenmodes. The principle of the method is exposed and preliminary results are presented. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On the incremental singular value decomposition method to support unsteady adjoint-based optimization

This paper proposes and evaluates an approximation model based on an incremental Singular Value Decomposition (iSVD) algorithm, for unsteady flow field reconstructions, needed for integrating the unsteady adjoint equations backward in time, within a gradient-based optimization loop. Due to the iSVD algorithm, the computational cost of solving the unsteady adjoint equations is reduced considerably, without practically affecting the accuracy of the computed gradient. Approximations to the unsteady flow fields are constructed while solving the time-varying flow equations (moving forward in time) and used to reconstruct these fields during the backward-in-time integration of the continuous adjoint equations. Optimization results obtained using the proposed method are compared to those computed using the binomial checkpointing technique, which acts as the reference method. Test cases for both flow control and shape optimization problems are presented.     

A complete boundary integral formulation for steady compressible inviscid flows governed by non-linear equations

A complete boundary integral formulation for steady compressible inviscid flows governed by non-linear equations is established by using the specific mass flux as a dependent variable. Thus, the dimensionality of the problem to be solved is reduced by one and the computational mesh to be generated is needed only on the boundary of the domain. It is shown that the boundary integral formulation developed in this paper is equivalent of the results of distributions of the fundamental solutions of the Laplacian operator equation with a different order along the boundaries of the domain. Hence, we have succeeded in establishing the fundamental-solution method for compressible inviscid flows governed by non-linear equations.     

The study of time-dependent pipe flows of inelastic non-newtonian fluids using a multiviscous approximation

The treatment of non-linear partial differential equations of unsteady flows of non-Newtonian fluids generally leads to the use of numerical methods.The present method consists in approximating the practical shear stress/rate-of-strain curve (called here the rheogram) by a series of piecewise continuous linear segments. This method involves the solution of the linear differential equation system using a computer. The study is on unsteady laminar flows of pseudoplastic, dilatant and Bingham fluids. The results obtained by this method are compared with those determined by Laser Doppler anemometry using the Bragg cell. The results are concordant.     

Analysis of plane and axisymmetric flows of incompressible fluids with the stream tube method: Numerical simulation by trust-region optimization algorithm

New concepts for the study of incompressible plane or axisymmetric flows are analysed by the stream tube method. Flows without eddies and pure vortex flows are considered in a transformed domain where the mapped streamlines are rectilinear or circular. The transformation between the physical domain and the computational domain is an unknown of the problem. In order to solve the non-linear set of relevant equations, we present a new algorithm based on a trust region technique which is effective for non-convex optimization problems. Experimental results show that the new algorithm is more robust compared to the Newton-Raphson method.     

Numerical simulation of three-dimensional duct flows of incompressible fluids by using the stream-tube method

Numerical simulation of three-dimensional flows generally involves solving large-scale problems. In this paper we consider the stream-tube method in three-dimensional duct flows. The analysis uses the concept of stream tubes in a mapped computational domain of the physical domain where the streamlines are parallel and straight. The incompressibility equation is automatically verified and the primary unknowns of the problem are, in addition to the pressure, the transformation functions between the two domains. It is also shown that the flow may be computed by considering successive subdomains (the stream tubes). This results in a reduction of computing time and storage area. Incompressible viscous and elastic liquids involving memory-integral equations may be considered in the flow simulations. This part of the paper examines three-dimensional flows of Newtonian fluids. The method is applied to the flow in a duct involving a threefold rotational symmetry, where the discretized relevant equations are solved by using the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm.     

Reduced-order modeling of three-dimensional unsteady partial cavity flows

An efficient reduced-order modeling to analyze three-dimensional unsteady partial cavity flows is proposed. The proposed approach is based on the boundary element method along with the potential flow assumption. To this end, a novel non-iterative method based on the flow eigenmodes of three-dimensional partial cavity flows is applied. Eigenanalysis and reduced-order modeling for unsteady flows over a three-dimensional hydrofoil with various sections are performed. The results obtained from the present analysis are compared with those reported in the literature to verify the strength of the proposed approach. In order to examine the performance of the introduced algorithm for unsteady cavitating flows, various simulations for several reduced frequencies, hydrofoil geometries and different cavitation numbers are also investigated. Comparison between the obtained results using the novel and conventional methods indicates that the present algorithm works very well with sufficient accuracy. Moreover, it is shown that the proposed method is computationally more efficient than the conventional ones for unsteady sheet cavitation analysis on three-dimensional hydrofoils.     

Finite element computations for unsteady fluid and elastic membrane interaction problems

The interaction between the hydrodynamic forces of a flow field and the elastic forces of adjacent deformable boundaries is described by elastohydrodynamics, a coupled fluid–elastic membrane problem. Direct numerical solution of the unsteady, highly non-linear equations requires that the dynamic evolution of both the flow field and the domain shape be determined as part of the solution, since neither is known a priori. This paper describes a numerical algorithm based on the deformable spatial domain space–time (DSD/ST) finite element method for the unsteady motion of an incompressible, viscous fluid with elastic membrane interaction. The unsteady Navier–Stoke and elastic membrane equations are solved separately using an iterative procedure by the GMRES technique with an incomplete lower-upper (ILU) decomposition at every time instant. One-dimensional, two-dimensional and deformable domain model problems are used to demonstrate the capabilities and accuracy of the present algorithm. Both steady state and transient problems are studied. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Numerical solution of the unsteady Euler equations for airfoils using approximate boundary conditions

This paper presents an efficient numerical method for solving the unsteady Euler equations on stationary rectilinear grids. Boundary conditions on the surface of an airfoil are implemented by using their first-order expansions on the mean chord line. The method is not restricted to flows with small disturbances since there are no restrictions on the mean angle of attack of the airfoil. The mathematical formulation and the numerical implementation of the wall boundary conditions in a fully implicit time-accurate finite-volume Euler scheme are described. Unsteady transonic flows about an oscillating NACA 0012 airfoil are calculated. Computational results compare well with Euler solutions by the full boundary conditions on a body-fitted curvilinear grid and published experimental data. This study establishes the feasibility for computing unsteady fluid-structure interaction problems, where the use of a stationary rectilinear grid offers substantial advantages in saving computer time and program design since it does not require the generation and implementation of time-dependent body-fitted grids.     

Application of a vortex method to free surface flows

Vortex methods have found wide applications in various practical problems. The use of vortex methods in free surface flow problems, however, is still very limited. This paper demonstrates a vortex method for practical computation of non-linear free surface flows produced by moving bodies. The method is a potential flow formulation which uses the exact non-linear free surface boundary condition at the exact location of the instantaneous free surface. The position of the free surface, on which vortices are distributed, is updated using a Lagrangian scheme following the fluid particles on the free surface. The vortex densities are updated by the non-linear dynamic boundary condition, derived from the Euler equations, with an iterative Lagrangian numerical scheme. The formulation is tested numerically for a submerged circular cylinder in unsteady translation. The iteration is shown to converge for all cases. The results of the unsteady simulations agree well with classical linearized solutions. The stability of the method is also discussed.     

Exact solutions to the unsteady equations of perfect gases through Lie group analysis and substitution principles

In this paper, we consider the unsteady equations that govern two- and three-dimensional flows of a perfect gas. We explicitly characterize various classes of exact solutions by introducing some invertible transformations suggested by the invariance with respect to Lie groups of point symmetries and using suitable transformations known in literature as substitution principles.     

A local domain‐free discretization method for simulation of incompressible flows over moving bodies

This paper presents a local domain‐free discretization (DFD) method for the simulation of unsteady flows over moving bodies governed by the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations. The discretization strategy of DFD is that the discrete form of partial differential equations at an interior point may involve some points outside the solution domain. All the mesh points are classified as interior points, exterior dependent points and exterior independent points. The functional values at the exterior dependent points are updated at each time step by the approximate form of solution near the boundary. When the body is moving, only the status of points is changed and the mesh can stay fixed. The issue of ‘freshly cleared nodes/cells’ encountered in usual sharp interface methods does not pose any particular difficulty in the presented method. The Galerkin finite‐element approximation is used for spatial discretization, and the discrete equations are integrated in time via a dual‐time‐stepping scheme based on artificial compressibility. In order to validate the present method for moving‐boundary flow problems, two groups of flow phenomena have been simulated: (1) flows over a fixed circular cylinder, a harmonic in‐line oscillating cylinder in fluid at rest and a transversely oscillating cylinder in uniform flow; (2) flows over a pure pitching airfoil, a heaving–pitching airfoil and a deforming airfoil. The predictions show good agreement with the published numerical results or experimental data. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.