Supersonic Flow Over a Diamond-Shaped Airfoil - Homework

Overview

Supersonic flow over a diamond-shaped airfoil is one of the classic canonical cases for demonstrating the application of shock-expansion theory. As the supersonic flow moves over the airfoil, it encounters both oblique shock waves and expansion waves. Though the flow-field is quite complicated, the shock-expansion theory is able to correctly estimate the flow variables such as pressure, Mach number, etc., in different regions of the flow. This homework gives you a hands-on feel for setting up this simulation and comparing the results with theoretical estimates.

Objectives

In this homework, you will learn how to set up and solve a supersonic flow over a diamond-shaped airfoil using the density-based solver in Ansys Fluent. You will also learn how to implement grid adaption to increase mesh density in the vicinity of the shockwave in order to improve the accuracy of shock-capturing, and consequently, of the computed solution. Finally, you will compare the results from the simulations with the analytical results obtained using the shock-expansion theory.

Setup

Download the Mesh file required for setting up the simulation and associated Case and Data files here. Follow the instructions below to set up this simulation in Ansys Fluent starting with the Mesh file. In case you face any issues setting up or running the simulation, refer to the corresponding initial and final Case and Data files.

Alternate video link.

Results

Let's now look at the results from the simulation and how they compare with the theory.