Finite-element solutions to the Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes equations using a Spalart-Allmaras turbulence model

Nicholas K. Burgess, Ryan S. Glasby, J. Taylor Erwin, Douglas L. Stefanski, Steven R. Allmaras

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) literature now fully recognizes that certain finite-element discretizations of the Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations (closed with a turbulence model), routinely encounter non-physical states on under-resolved meshes and during their path to non-linear convergence. This work presents a formulation of the Spalart-Allmaras (S-A) turbulence model that is designed to be stable and robust to these non-physical states (negative values of given turbulence working variable). This work outlines the design and testing of the negative S-A turbulence model (S-A-neg), which is particularly well suited for arbitrarily high-order finite-element discretizations. This S-A-neg model is designed to be energy stable as well as mitigate the non-linearity of the previously derived negative continuation source and diffusion operators. Additionally, this negative continuation of the S-A model reduces to the original model in properly resolved regions of the flow, where the solution to the turbulence-working variable is positive. Numerical examples carried out using both continuous- and discontinuous-finite-element methods are used to demonstrate that this variant of the S-A model is robust for finite-element discretizations.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationAIAA SciTech Forum - 55th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting
PublisherAmerican Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Inc.
ISBN (Electronic)9781624104473
DOIs
StatePublished - 2017
Externally publishedYes
Event55th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting - Grapevine, United States
Duration: Jan 9 2017Jan 13 2017

Publication series

NameAIAA SciTech Forum - 55th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting

Conference

Conference55th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityGrapevine
Period01/9/1701/13/17

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