Finite-volume goal-oriented mesh adaptation for aerodynamics using functional derivative with respect to nodal coordinates

A new goal-oriented mesh adaptation method for finite volume/finite difference schemes is extended from the structured mesh framework to a more suitable setting for adaptation of unstructured meshes. The method is based on the total derivative of the goal with respect to volume mesh nodes that is computable after the solution of the goal discrete adjoint equation. The asymptotic behaviour of this derivative is assessed on regularly refined unstructured meshes. A local refinement criterion is derived from the requirement of limiting the first order change in the goal that an admissible node displacement may cause. Mesh adaptations are then carried out for classical test cases of 2D Euler flows. Efficiency and local density of the adapted meshes are presented. They are compared with those obtained with a more classical mesh adaptation method in the framework of finite volume/finite difference schemes [46]. Results are very close although the present method only makes usage of the current grid.