Computational algorithms for aerodynamic analysis and design *

While the applications of computational fluid dynamics are pervasive throughout applied science and engineering, ranging from astrophysics to the design of cooling systems for semi-conductors, its role in aircraft design is crucial to an unusual extent, because of the narrow margins within which aircraft can operate efficiently. If computational aerodynamics is to be truly effective in the design process, it must be able to provide reliable answers rapidly and with low computational costs. With this in mind, the requirements can be identified as follows in a hierarchy of ascending difficulty: