Solutions to Kuessner's integral equation in unsteady flow using local basis functions

The computational procedure and numerical results are presented for a new method to solve Kuessner's integral equation in the case of subsonic compressible flow about harmonically oscillating planar surfaces with controls. Kuessner's equation is a linear transformation from pressure to normalwash. The unknown pressure is expanded in terms of prescribed basis functions and the unknown basis function coefficients are determined in the usual manner by satisfying the given normalwash distribution either collocationally or in the complex least squares sense. The present method of solution differs from previous ones in that the basis functions are defined in a continuous fashion over a relatively small portion of the aerodynamic surface and are zero elsewhere. This method, termed the local basis function method, combines the smoothness and accuracy of distribution methods with the simplicity and versatility of panel methods. Predictions by the local basis function method for unsteady flow are shown to be in excellent agreement with other methods. Also, potential improvements to the present method and extensions to more general classes of solutions are discussed.