High-resolution viscous flow simulations at arbitrary Mach number

A characteristic-based unsteady viscous flow solver is developed with preconditioning that is uniformly applicable for Mach numbers ranging from essentially incompressible to supersonic. A preconditioned flux-difference formulation for nondimensional primitive variables is a key element of the present approach. The simple primitive-variable numerical flux is related to Roe’s flux-difference scheme and preserves contact discontinuities using primitive variables, with or without preconditioning. Preconditioning by a single-parameter diagonal matrix conditions the system eigenvalues in terms of nondimensional local velocity and local temperature. An iterative implicit solution algorithm is given for the preconditioned formulation and is used for several simple test and validation cases. These include an inviscid shock-tube case, flat-plate boundary layer flow at low Mach number, viscous flow past a circular cylinder at low Reynolds number and with different thermal boundary conditions, and validation cases for incompressible and transonic flows.