GRID ADAPTION FOR PROBLEMS IN FLUID-DYNAMICS

This paper is concerned with the analysis and application of an adaptive grid technique to highly nonlinear problems in fluid mechanics and heat transfer. The analysis of the method shows that the percentage change in a dependent variable can be determined a priori, and that many problems with cell Reynolds number can be potentially overcome with grid adaption. In the application section of the paper, problems of external flow with separation, flame propagation, and shock/boundary-layer interaction have been solved to illustrate these properties. It is also shown that highly variable grid sizes caused by grid adaption do not cause accuracy problems when the solution and grid are coupled.