A new implicit algorithm with multigrid for unsteady incompressible flow calculations

We present a new fully-implicit algorithm for unsteady incompressible flow calculations for both the Euler and Navier-Stokes equations. The new method couples the artificial compressibility approach with an implicit A-stable discretization of the unsteady terms in order to advance the solution in a time-accurate manner with no stability limitations on the time step. A pseudotransient steady state problem is solved at each time step to provide a direct coupling between the velocity and pressure fields) and to satisfy the divergence-free constraint. The present algorithm solves the pseudotransient problem by using the highly efficient multigrid time stepping technique, originally developed by Jameson [I] for compressible flow calculations. Both viscous and inviscid test problems are presented. An inviscid two-dimensional flow over an oscillating cylinder is used to validate the method by comparison with analytic results. The mean quantities of the unsteady viscous flow over a circular cylinder for Re ≤ 200 are computed and found to be in good agreement with the computational and experimental data obtained by other authors. Results for the unsteady viscous flow over a NACAOOl2 airfoil at 20° angle of attack arc also presented, and domain truncation and time resolution effects are discussed.