Boundary element methods for road vehicle aerodynamics

The technique of the boundary element method consists of subdividing the boundary of the field of a function into a series of discrete elements, over which the function can vary. This technique offers important advantages over domain type solutions such as finite elements and finite differences. One of the most important features of the method is the much smaller system of equations and the considerable reduction in data required to run a program. Furthermore, the method is well-suited to problems with an infinite domain. Boundary element methods can be formulated using two different approaches called the ‘direct’ and the ‘indirect’ methods. [Continues.]