A model for pressure distribution over obstacles due to separated flow

The scope of the present study is the set-up of a simple computational model for the determination of pressure distribution over bodies of arbitrary shape, as given by separated two-dimensional incompressible flows in the limit of vanishing viscosity. A methodology is here considered to numerically simulate separated inviscid flow over walls of arbitrary shape. Separating vorticity is modeled as rolling-up vortex sheets shed from sharp edges. The free vorticity is then assumed as concentrated in isolated point vortices. Walls of arbitrary shape are transformed into a plane boundary by numerical conformal mapping using the general Schwarz-Christoffel formula. The boundary condition at the wall is then satisfied by symmetry arguments onto the transformed plane. The pressure field is derived by the kinematics using Bernoulli's formula. The results of numerical calculations for a real case are described and compared with experimental data.