Generating inviscid and viscous fluid-flow simulations over an aircraft surface using a fluid-flow mesh

1. A computer-implemented method of generating a fluid-flow simulation over a computer-generated aircraft surface, the method comprising:

obtaining a fluid-flow mesh in computer memory, the fluid-flow mesh comprising a plurality of fluid cells;

obtaining a surface mesh in the computer memory, the surface mesh comprising a plurality of surface mesh polygons that represent at least a portion of the computer-generated aircraft surface;

identifying a set of intersecting fluid cells of the plurality of fluid cells that intersects the plurality of surface mesh polygons of the computer-generated aircraft surface by defining an intersecting plane using a computer processor;

identifying, using the computer processor, at least one surface mesh polygon of the surface mesh within the intersecting plane for each intersecting fluid cell of the set of intersecting fluid cells;

determining, using the computer processor, a boundary-layer prediction point for each identified surface mesh polygon;

determining, using the computer processor, at least one boundary-layer fluid property for each boundary-layer prediction point using a boundary-layer simulation that simulates fluid viscous effects;

determining, using the computer processor, at least one fluid property for a set of fluid cells of the plurality of fluid cells using an inviscid fluid simulation that does not simulate fluid viscous effects; and

determining, using the computer processor, at least one updated fluid property for at least one fluid cell of the set of intersecting fluid cells using the at least one boundary-layer fluid property and the at least one fluid property determined using the inviscid fluid simulation.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein identifying at least one surface mesh polygon for each intersecting fluid cell comprises:

obtaining a centroid of an intersecting fluid cell of the set of fluid cells; and

identifying a surface mesh polygon having a centroid that is closest to the centroid of the intersecting fluid cell.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the centroid of the intersecting fluid cell is a centroid of a region of the intersecting fluid cell that is outside of the aircraft surface.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:

the at least one boundary-layer fluid property includes a boundary-layer thickness value; and

the boundary-layer thickness value represents a distance from the aircraft surface where fluid viscous effects can be ignored.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:

the at least one boundary-layer fluid property includes a transpiration flux value; and

the transpiration flux value represents a direction and an amount of fluid flow originating from the aircraft surface.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:

the fluid-flow mesh is constructed using a Cartesian mesh; and

the Cartesian mesh comprises a plurality of flow cells, each flow cell bounded by six flat faces where opposite faces are parallel and adjacent faces are orthogonal.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the inviscid fluid simulation is an Euler-based flow simulation.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one fluid property includes a fluid velocity vector, a fluid density value, and a fluid pressure value.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the computer-generated aircraft surface is an airplane wing.

10. A computer-implemented method of generating a fluid-flow simulation over a computer-generated aircraft surface, the computer-generated aircraft surface comprised of a surface mesh of surface mesh polygons, the method comprising instructions for:

obtaining, into computer memory, a fluid-flow mesh for simulating a fluid flow over the aircraft surface, the fluid-flow mesh comprising a plurality of fluid cells;

identifying, using a computer processor, an intersecting fluid cell of the plurality of fluid cells that intersects the aircraft surface by defining an intersecting plane that passes at least partially through the aircraft surface using the computer processor;

determining, using the computer processor, a boundary-layer prediction point for the intersecting fluid cell;

determining, using the computer processor, at least one boundary-layer fluid property for the boundary-layer prediction point using a boundary-layer simulation that simulates fluid viscous effects;

determining, using the computer processor, at least one inviscid fluid property for a set of fluid cells of the plurality of fluid cells using an inviscid fluid simulation that does not simulate fluid viscous effects; and

determining, using the computer processor, at least one updated flow property for the intersecting fluid cell using the at least one boundary-layer fluid property and the at least one inviscid fluid property determined using the inviscid fluid simulation.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein identifying at least one surface mesh polygon for each intersecting fluid cell comprises:

obtaining a centroid of the intersecting fluid cell; and

identifying a surface mesh polygon having a centroid that is closest to the centroid of the intersecting fluid cell.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , wherein the centroid of the intersecting fluid cell is a centroid of a region of the intersecting fluid cell that is outside of the aircraft surface.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions for generating a fluid-flow simulation over a computer-generated aircraft surface:

obtaining a fluid-flow mesh comprising a plurality of fluid cells;

obtaining a surface mesh comprising a plurality of surface mesh polygons that represent at least a portion of the computer-generated aircraft surface;

identifying a set of intersecting fluid cells of the plurality of fluid cells that intersects the computer-generated aircraft surface using an intersecting plane definined using a computer processor;

identifying at least one surface mesh polygon of the surface mesh for each intersecting fluid cell of the set of intersecting fluid cells;

determining at least one boundary-layer fluid property for the identified surface mesh polygon using a boundary-layer simulation that simulates fluid viscous effects;

determining at least one fluid property for a set of fluid cells of the plurality of fluid cells using an inviscid fluid simulation that does not simulate fluid viscous effects; and

determining at least one updated fluid property for at least one fluid cell of the set of intersecting fluid cells using the at least one boundary-layer fluid property and the at least one fluid property determined using the inviscid fluid simulation.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein instructions for identifying one surface mesh polygon for each intersecting fluid cell comprises instructions for:

obtaining a centroid of an intersecting fluid cell of the set of intersecting fluid cells; and

identifying a surface mesh polygon having a centroid that is closest to the centroid of the intersecting fluid cell.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the centroid of the intersecting fluid cell is a centroid of a region of the intersecting fluid cell that is outside of the aircraft surface.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the at least one boundary-layer fluid property includes a boundary-layer thickness value, the boundary-layer thickness value representing a distance from the aircraft surface where fluid viscous effects can be ignored.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the at least one boundary-layer fluid property includes a transpiration flux value, the transpiration flux value representing a direction and an amount of fluid flow originating from the aircraft surface.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein:

the fluid-flow mesh is constructed using a Cartesian mesh; and

the Cartesian mesh comprises:

a plurality of fluid cells, each fluid cell bounded by six flat faces where opposite faces are parallel and adjacent faces are orthogonal.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the inviscid fluid simulation is an Euler-based flow simulation.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions for generating a fluid-flow simulation over a computer-generated aircraft surface, the computer-generated aircraft surface comprised of a surface mesh of surface mesh polygons, the instructions comprising instructions for:

obtaining a fluid-flow mesh for simulating a fluid flow over the aircraft surface, the fluid-flow mesh comprising a plurality of fluid cells;

identifying an intersecting fluid cell of the plurality of fluid cells that intersects the aircraft surface by performing a mesh interference analysis using a computer processor, the mesh interference analysis based on a computer-defined interference plane that passes at least partially through the aircraft surface;

determining a boundary-layer prediction point for the intersecting fluid cell;

determining at least one boundary-layer fluid property for the boundary-layer prediction point using a boundary-layer simulation that simulates fluid viscous effects;

determining at least one inviscid fluid property for a set of fluid cells of the plurality of fluid cells using an inviscid fluid simulation that does not simulate fluid viscous effects; and

determining at least one updated flow property for the intersecting fluid cell using the at least one boundary-layer fluid property and the at least one inviscid fluid property determined using the inviscid fluid simulation.