On the numerical solution of nonlinear problems in fluid dynamics by least squares and finite element methods. II: Application to transonic flow simulations (Q761308)

[For part I, see the first authors, ibid. 17/18, 619-657 (1979; Zbl 0423.76047).] - The main goal of this paper is to show how the general methods discussed in the first part apply to the solution of a class of rather complicated nonlinear problems of industrial interest, namely the numerical simulation of potential transonic flows for compressible inviscid fluids, in two and three dimensions. We recall in section 2 the governing equations and the various conditions that physical solutions have to verify, such as entropy and Kutta-Joukowsky conditions. We shall comment also on the possible existence of multiple physical solutions. In section 3, we recall the least squares formulation for the continuous problem discussed in the first part, and describe in section 4 the finite element approximation of the several above formulations of the continuous problem. In section 5, we discuss the finite element implementation of the entropy condition by upwinding of the density in the flow direction. In section 6 various numerical experiments illustrate the possibility of the above methods.