Computation of flow around wings based on the Euler equations

Inviscid transonic flows containing either strong shock waves or complex vortex structure call for the Euler equations as a realistic model. We present here a computational procedure, termed WINGA2, for solving the Euler equations for transonic flow around aircraft upon a 0–0 mesh generated by transfinite interpolation. An explicit time-marching finite-volume technique solves the flow equations and features a non-reflecting far-field boundary condition and an internal mechanism for temporal damping together with a model for artificial viscosity. The method's convergence to a steady state is studied, and results computed on the CYBER 205 vector processor are presented. The Euler equation model is found to predict the existence of a tip vortex created by flow separating from the downstream region of the tip of the ONERA M6 wing where the radius of curvature approaches zero.