Calculation of three-dimensional compressible laminar and turbulent boundary layers. An implicit finite-difference procedure for solving the three-dimensional compressible laminar, transitional, and turbulent boundary-layer equations

An implicit finite-difference procedure is presented for solving the compressible three-dimensional boundary-layer equations. The method is second-order accurate, unconditionally stable (conditional stability for reverse cross flow), and efficient from the viewpoint of computer storage and processing time. The Reynolds stress terms are modeled by (1) a single-layer mixing length model and (2) a two-layer eddy viscosity model. These models, although simple in concept, accurately predicted the equilibrium turbulent flow for the conditions considered. Numerical results are compared with experimental wall and profile data for a cone at an angle of attack larger than the cone semiapex angle. These comparisons clearly indicate that the numerical procedure and turbulence models accurately predict the experimental data with as few as 21 nodal points in the plane normal to the wall boundary.