Computational Fluid Dynamics and Aerodynamics

Computational fluid dynamics uses numerical methods to solve the equations governing how gases and liquids move, making it possible to analyze flows that are too fast, too small, or too expensive to study in physical experiments alone. At high speeds, phenomena like shock waves, turbulent mixing, and supersonic combustion interact in ways that push solvers to their limits, requiring techniques such as adaptive mesh refinement, finite volume methods, and high-order schemes to capture sharp gradients without sacrificing accuracy across the broader flow. A persistent challenge is turbulence modeling: even the most capable approaches, including detached-eddy simulation, involve closures and approximations whose errors compound in complex geometries or at extreme Mach numbers. Active research focuses on improving how solvers handle hyperbolic conservation laws near discontinuities and on coupling aerodynamic solvers with structural models so that the mutual deformation of aircraft surfaces and the surrounding flow can be predicted reliably.

Works

114,015

Total citations

1,610,970

Keywords

High-Order SchemesTurbulence ModelingShock-Wave InteractionsAdaptive Mesh RefinementSupersonic CombustionFinite Volume Methods