Axisymmetric potential flow calculations. Part 2: design mode

Abstract

The pure inverse problem of designing a body with a prescribed surface pressure in incompressible axisymmetric potential flow is solved using the streamfunction as a co-ordinate in the computational plane. The problem is formulated mathematically as a mixed boundary value problem and the solution is obtained using the finite-difference technique. The body shape is computed simultaneously with the entire flow field and does not have to be iteratively adjusted to meet the target surface pressure. Results are presented for elliptical, NACA 0012 and minimum-drag cross-sections.