Stream 3D: Computer graphics program for streamline visualization

Abstract

The present streamline visualization program is based on the technique of mapping the physical domain to a rectangular block. The streamline computation proceeds by integrating the mapped velocity vectors in isoparametric cells and plotting the coordinates of the streamlines thus obtained. The mapping and interpolation use multilinear functions, and the streamline equations are integrated by the classical Runge-Kutta method with a heuristic strategy for stepsize selection. An example integrating the streamlines in the solution of a vortical flowfield over a delta wing at angle of attack demonstrates the use of the program.