AEM Written Preliminary Exam

COMPUTATIONAL FLUID MECHANICS

Spring 2014

[READ ALL QUESTIONS CAREFULLY AND ATTEMPT EACH QUESTION]

Consider the following equations for unsteady, one-dimensional compressible flow through a
varying area duct:
() ()
+ =0

() ( ! )
+ + =0


! =0

where ! = is the isentropic speed of sound.

Here, both the cross-sectional area A, and / is known at each x-location. Also, A does not
vary in time.

a) Write this system in the following matrix-vector form:

+ =


Therefore, determine the matrix B and the matrix S corresponding to = .

HINT: First reduce the system to two PDEs by eliminating /.

Second, manipulate the two PDEs so that derivatives of Q are present.

Third, move all area (A) terms and other remaining terms to the right-hand-side to
form the matrix S.

b) Determine the eigenvalues of the system. What is the character of the system? What are
the characteristic speeds/slopes?
c) Formulate a simple explicit numerical method to update Q in time:

!!!
!
= = ??
!

After solving for !

, explain why you also need to solve for p!
? Briefly explain
how you might do this.

NOTE: For this simple explicit method, you may assume that all characteristics are
propagating in the positive x-direction.

d) Finally, formulate an implicit method to solve the system of equations, using central
differences for the spatial gradients. For example, you could write the numerical scheme
as:

[] = [] , where

[] is the implicit operator matrix (perhaps tridiagonal or pentadiagonal, etc.)

and

= !!!
! !!

Be as thorough as possible in the development and description of your implicit numerical

method.

Compared with the simple explicit method, question (c), discuss the additional
considerations involved in constructing an implicit scheme for these governing equations.
For example, you might discuss stability of central differences in this scheme,
nonlinearity in various terms, the form of the implicit operator matrix [A], possible
solutions methods for inverting [A], flux limiters, and any other considerations you think
are relevant.