NUMERICAL-SIMULATION OF FLOW AROUND A SPHERE WITH VORTEX BLOBS

A vortex model of a blob method (which is one of the vortex methods pr oposed before) is modified to take into account the viscous effect. Th e modified method was applied to simulation of a flow around a sphere using the Boundary Element Method. The surface of the sphere was repre sented by the distributed source panels. The continuous distribution o f vorticity over the surface of the sphere was replaced by a number of vortex blobs. All the blobs were allowed to flow at their own convect ive velocities, and the boundary layer separation was expected to be n aturally represented by their convective motion. As a result of this c alculation, the boundary layer separation from the surface was reasona bly simulated in the initial stage of a starting flow.