EXPLOITATION OF MULTIPLE SOLUTIONS OF THE NAVIER-STOKES EQUATIONS TO ACHIEVE RADICALLY IMPROVED FLIGHT

IT IS KNOWN THAT THE NONLINEAR NAVIER-STOKES EQUATIONS WILL MODEL MOST FLUID FLOW OF AERONAUTICAL INTEREST. THE EXISTENCE AND UNIQUENESS OF THE SOLUTION TO THE NAVIER-STOKES EQUATIONS HAVE NOT BEEN PROVEN ALTHOUGH IT IS SHOWN THAT IN CERTAIN INSTANCES MORE THAN ONE SOLUTION CAN BE FOUND. IN A WIND TUNNEL TEST OF THESE CASES ONLY THE MOST STABLE SOLUTION IS OBTAINED. THIS PROPOSAL IS CONCERNED WITH INDENTIFYING MULTIPLE SOLUTIONS OF THE NAVIER-STOKES EQUATIONS AND DETERMINING IF THESE NON-CONVENTIONAL BUT UNSTABLE SOLUTIONS WOULD GIVE RADICALLY IMPROVED FLIGHT. THESE SOLUTIONS CAN PROBABLY EXIST ONLY IF THERE ARE SHOCK WAVES, SLIP SURFACES, OR CONCENTRATED VORTICES IN THE FLOW. THE MAIN OBJECTIVE IS TO EXPLOIT THE EXISTENCE OF THESE SOLUTIONS RATHER THAN AVOID THEM AS HAS BEEN THE CUSTOM IN THE PAST.