Global Stability Approach

This chapter introduces the global stability approach and the need for such an approach to study the stability of non-parallel flows. We first introduce the two commonly used approximations which result in a problem solvable locally at one streamwise location. These are the parallel flow assumption and the weakly non-parallel flow assumption. Some applications of each are described. Then we introduce strongly non-parallel flows and the global stability analysis with a few examples. The problem formulation and the numerical discretization schemes used in the present work are discussed next. This is followed by the method of solving the problem numerically, the techniques used and the validation.