Module 8:
Lecture 27: Mathematical Modeling of Turbulent Flows (Continued)


One-Equation Model

This is a very popular model used widely for external aerodynamic flows. Spalart and Allmaras (1992) have developed one equation model, which is designed specifically for aerospace applications involving wall-bounded flows. The Reynolds stresses are given by

(27.1)

The eddy viscosity vt is given by

(27.2)

is the molecular viscosity, obeys the transport equation



 
      (27.3)

 

Here

(27.4)

where S is the magnitude of the vorticity, and d is the distance to the closest wall. The function fw is

(27.5)

For large r, fw reaches a constant, so large values of r can be truncated to 10 or so. The wall boundary condition is . In the freestream 0 is best, provided numerical errors do not push to negative values near the edge of the boundary layer (the exact solution cannot go negative). Values below /10 will be acceptable; the same applies to the initial condition.

 

In some codes a portion of the solid surface, typically the fuselage, is treated with a free-slip condition while another portion, typically the wing, is treated with a no-slip condition. For , the appropriate condition on the free-slip surface is a Neumann condition (zero normal derivative). In addition, the free-slip wall points are not included in the search when d is computed for the field points.

The function ft2 is

(27.6)

 

The trip function ft1 is as follows. The quantity dt is the distance from the field point to the trip, which is on a wall, wt is the wall vorticity at the trip, and ΔU is the difference between the velocity at the field point and that at the trip. Then gt = min (0.1, ΔU / wtδ xt where δxt is the grid spacing along the wall at trip, and

(27.7)

The constants are cb1 = 0.1355, σ = 2/3, cb2 = 0.622, = 0.41, cw1 = cb1/k2 + (1 + cb2 )/σ , cw2 = 0.3, cw3 = 2, cv1 = 7.1, ct1 = 1, ct2 = 2, ct3 = 1.2 and ct4 = 0.5.

 

The model has demonstrated good results for boundary layer flows subject to adverse pressure gradients. It performs well in the near wake and appears to be a good candidate for more complex flows.