Automatic adaptive grid refinement for the euler equations

A method of adaptive grid refinement for the solution of the steady Euler equations for transonic flow is presented. The algorithm automatically decides where the coarse grid accuracy is insufficient, and creates locally uniform refined grids in these regions. This typically occurs at the leading and trailing edges. The solution is then integrated to steady state using the same integrator (FLO52) in the interior of each grid. The boundary conditions needed on the fine grids are examined, and the importance of treating the fine/coarse grid interface conservatively is discussed. Numerical results indicate substantial computational savings for the same solution accuracy can be achieved.