Generation of Aerodynamic Databases Using High-Order Singular Value Decomposition

The fast generation of aerodynamic databases is important in the aeronautic industry because of its implication on both the cost and time needed to complete design cycles. This paper presents a method of generating those databases that uses a limited number of computational fluid dynamics computations, thereby saving CPU time. The method is based on a high-order singular value decomposition approach and is able to deal efficiently with complex airfoil flowfields that contain., simultaneously, two shock waves and a large separation region. This feature is critical because methods based on the singular value decomposition approach tend to encounter difficulties when dealing with shock wavelike structures. To illustrate the methodology, the flow around a two-dimensional airfoil is considered at a Reynolds number of 20 x 10(6) with three free parameters, namely, the Mach number, angle of attack, and flap deflection angle in the ranges of 0.4-0.8, -3- + 3 deg, and -5- + 5 deg, respectively. The method is robust in the sense that it is able to deal with very different flow topologies. Also, it is expected that it will contribute to significant savings in CPU time in aerodynamic database generation activities.