Implicit unsteady transonic airfoil calculations at supersonic freestreams

The computer code LTRAN2 has been extended to compute unsteady transonic flows about oscillating airfoils with supersonic freestreams. The LTRAN2 code uses an alternating direction implicit (ADI) algorithm to solve the two-dimensional, nonlinear, low-frequency, transonic small-disturbance (LF-TSD) equation. The modified code, LTRAN2-SS, includes a 'high-frequency' option. Steady solutions are checked against those computed by the steady TSD code, TSFOIL; unsteady computations of the linear LF-TSD equation are compared with known linear theory solutions; and new unsteady nonlinear solutions are presented. These cases include standard AGARD test cases for the NLR 7301, MBB-A3, and DO Al supercritical airfoils, as well as several NACA airfoils. The modified code enables aerodynamicists to quickly and efficiently compute transonic flows for both subsonic and supersonic freestreams, and thus resolve flutter boundaries through the full extent of the transonic dip phenomenon.