Inverse method for viscous flow design using stream-function coordinates

In the paper, a new inverse method for viscous 2D laminar flows is developed. The method is based on incompressible Navier–Stokes equations transformed to the stream-function coordinate system (von Mises coordinates). The flow design problem with appropriate boundary conditions is formulated and solved numerically. The geometrical shape of the boundary is obtained through the integration along streamlines. The method may be coupled with a flow analysis solver to model the influence of known parts of geometry. Results for two analytically solvable cases (the Poiseuille and the Jeffery–Hamel flows) are presented. Then, the foil design problem is considered as an example. Potential applications and developments towards axisymmetric and 3D flows are discussed.