A viscous inverse method for aerodynamic design

A numerical technique to solve two-dimensional inverse problems that arise in aerodynamic design is presented. The approach, which is well-established for inviscid, rotational flows, is here extended to the viscous case. Two-dimensional and axisymmetric configurations are here considered. The solution of the inverse problem is given as the steady state of an ideal transient during which the flowfield assesses itself to the boundary conditions by changing the boundary contour. Comparisons with theoretical and experimental results are used to validate the numerical procedure.