Three-dimensional oscillatory piecewise continuous-kernel function method-part I: Basic problems

The two-dimensional subsonic, piecewise continuous-kernel function method used for studying either oscillatory or steady flows is extended in the present work to three-dimensional problems involving finite-span wings. The work treats questions associated with the choice of spanwise pressure polynomials, spanwise collocation points, and numerical integration techniques that need be faced by this method. A subsequent paper contains results which confirm the accuracy of the method, its rapid convergence, and its very high efficiency in terms of computational time. The method is tested for a limited class of geometrical discontinuities (i.e., at the wing root only). A third paper contains additional results which relate to a wider class of problems associated with geometrical discontinuities.