A simplex cut-cell adaptive method for high-order discretizations of the compressible Navier-Stokes equations

While an indispensable tool in analysis and design applications, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is still plagued by insufficient automation and robustness in the geometry-to-solution process. This thesis presents two ideas for improving automation and robustness in CFD: output-based mesh adaptation for high-order discretizations and simplex, cut-cell mesh generation. First, output-based mesh adaptation consists of generating a sequence of meshes in an automated fashion with the goal of minimizing an estimate of the error in an engineering output. This technique is proposed as an alternative to current CFD practices in which error estimation and mesh generation are largely performed by experienced practitioners. Second, cut-cell mesh generation is a potentially more automated and robust technique compared to boundary-conforming mesh generation for complex, curved geometries. Cut-cell meshes are obtained by cutting a given geometry of interest out of a background mesh that need not conform to the geometry boundary. Specifically, this thesis develops the idea of simplex cut cells, in which the background mesh consists of triangles or tetrahedra that can be stretched in arbitrary directions to efficiently resolve boundary-layer and wake features.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2007

Author dc:creator

• Fidkowski, Krzysztof J., 1981-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• David L. Darmofal.

• Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/39701
• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Identifier URI

http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/39701

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/39701