On Aerodynamic Forces for Viscous Compressible Flow

The paper is aimed at reviewing and adding some new results to our recent work on a force theory for viscous compressible flows around a finite body. It has been proposed to analyze aerodynamic forces directly in terms of fluid elements of nonzero vorticity and density gradient. Let ρ denote the density, u the velocity, and ω the vorticity. It is demonstrated that for largely separated flows about bluff bodies, there are two major source elements: R _e(x) =−?u ²∇ρ·∇ϕ and V _e(x) =−u×ω·∇ϕ, where ϕ is an acyclic potential, generated by the solid body moving with unit velocity in the negative direction of the force considered. In particular, under mild conditions, the (unique) choice of ϕ enforces that the elements R _e(x) and V _e(x) decay rapidly away from the body. Four kinds of finite body are considered: a circular cylinder, a sphere, a hemi sphere-cylinder, and a delta wing of elliptic section—all in transonic-to-supersonic regimes. From an extensive numerical study carried out for these bodies, it is found that these two elements contribute to 95% or more of the total drag or lift for all the cases under consideration. Moreover, R _e(x) due to density gradient becomes progressively important relative to V _e(x) due to vorticity as the Mach number increases. The present method of force analysis enables effective analysis and assessment of relative importance of aerodynamics forces, contributed from individual flow structures. The analysis could therefore be very much useful in view of the rapid growth in numerical fluid dynamics; detailed (either local or global) flow information is often available. The paper is dedicated to Sir James Lighthill in honor of his great contributions to aeronautics on the occasion of the publication of his collected works. Received 3 January 1997 and accepted 11 April 1997