Panel Methods -- Geometry

The first step in any panel method is to divide the geometry into panels. This is not as straightforward as it may seem.

These types of programs can use different panel geometries. If the panels are flat quadrilaterals, they do not fit together on complex curved surfaces. Some codes use hyperbolic paraboloids, warped plates, or subdivide the panels into triangles. Calculation of the velocity influence coefficients may be more difficult than for a simple flat plate.

The surface can be represented as an infinitely thin plate or an "actual surface" model or sometimes as a combination of both.

Panel methods are capable of handling a wide variety of configurations.

Color images courtesy of Analytical Methods, Inc.. Line drawings based on NASA TP 2995.