Patent ID: 8892408

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of generating a fluid-flow simulation over a computer-generated surface using one or more processors, the simulation including an inviscid fluid-flow mesh comprised of a plurality of inviscid fluid cells and a viscous fluid-flow mesh comprised of a plurality of boundary-layer fluid cells, at least some of the boundary-layer fluid cells being on or adjacent to the computer-generated surface, the method comprising: determining, using the one or more processors, an initial fluid property, for at least one inviscid fluid cell using an inviscid fluid simulation that does not simulate fluid viscous effects; determining, using the one or more processors, an initial boundary-layer fluid property for at least one of the boundary-layer fluid cells using the initial fluid property and a viscous fluid simulation that simulates fluid viscous effects, wherein the at least one inviscid fluid cell is located in relation to the at least one boundary-layer fluid cell such that an updated boundary-layer fluid property for the at least one boundary-layer fluid cell is influenced by the at least one inviscid fluid cell; determining, using the one or more processors, the updated boundary-layer fluid property for the at least one boundary-layer fluid cell using the initial fluid property, initial boundary-layer fluid property, and an interaction law, wherein the interaction law approximates the inviscid fluid simulation using a matrix of aerodynamic influence coefficients computed using a two-dimensional surface panel technique and a fluid-property vector; determining, using the one or more processors, an updated fluid property for the at least one inviscid fluid cell using the updated boundary-layer fluid property.