Abstract:

This Data Item gives a guide to the use of a Windows version of VGK designated "Winteracter © executable VIEWpac program W0315". This permits the VGK aerofoil code to be run within a Windows interface that facilitates the construction of the relevant input files and provides graphical output of the aerofoil geometry, the computational grid and of all calculated flow parameters.

This is the seventh Data Item in a sequence dealing with the VGK aerofoil method. It describes how to run VGK within the Microsoft Windows 95 or later operating environments. Typical computing time for a single run of VGK is of the order of several seconds at most. It is not necessary that a Fortran compiler be available on the computer utilised.

The VGK source code used in this Windows version does not differ from the source code used in the first three Data Items of the sequence (i.e. ESDU 96028, ESDU 96029 and ESDU 97030). Therefore, for an explanation of the principles underlying the VGK code, ESDU 96028). Sufficient information is given in the present Item to obtain results from the 'VGK for Windows' program. VGK is a CFD (computational fluid dynamics) method coded in Fortran for predicting the aerodynamic characteristics of a two-dimensional aerofoil in a subsonic freestream, including the effects of viscosity (boundary layers and wake) and shock waves. VGK uses an iterative approach to solve coupled finite-difference equations for the inviscid flow region (assumed to be potential) and the viscous flow region (represented by integral equations). It was developed over a period of years at RAE/DERA (now QinetiQ), Farnborough.