Patent ID: 8000908

Claim:
A method for developing a mesh network for analyzing air flow around a surface of a vehicle body, the method comprising the steps of: determining a plurality of estimates for a flow direction for the air flow for a plurality of locations around the surface using a sensor; generating a first plurality of unit vectors using the plurality of estimates, each of the first plurality of unit vectors representing a direction of flow for a respective one of the plurality of locations, and each of the first plurality of unit vectors being at least substantially parallel to the flow direction proximate the respective one of the plurality of locations; generating a second plurality of unit vectors using the plurality of estimates, each of the second plurality of unit vectors being at least substantially orthogonal to a corresponding one of the first plurality of unit vectors; and generating, via a processor, the mesh network using the first plurality of unit vectors and the second plurality of unit vectors, the mesh network comprising a plurality of mesh lines, each mesh line being at least substantially aligned with the flow direction proximate a corresponding one of the plurality of locations.