Analysis of three-dimensional separated flow with the boundary-layerequations
An analysis based on the boundary-layer equations is presented for the p rediction of threedimensional separated flow. In this analysis, t he boundary-layer equations are solved with finite difference techniques in four i nverse (pressure is unknown) modes. One inverse mode, in which the component of vorticity normal to the surface is specified at the boundary-layer e dge, is shown to result in an elliptic system of boundary-layer equations which has departure solutions when solved with a f orward marching technique. The accuracy o f the p resent analysis in the other t hree inverse modes using forward marching techniques is demonstrated for: (1) separated flow over an infinite swept wing which has been rendered three dimensional with a rotated coordinate system; and (2) a three-dimensiona l separated flow problem analyzed by Smith. The principal conclusion o f this paper is that the methodology is now in place to solve the boundary-layer equations for three-dimensiona l separated flow and hence work should now be focused on the development of three-dimensiona l viscousinviscid interaction procedures.