Merging Near-Wall RANS Models With LES for Separating and Reattaching Flows Available to Purchase

A method of coupling a low-Reynolds-number k–ε RANS (Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes) model with Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) in a two-layer Hybrid LES/RANS (HLR) scheme is proposed in the present work. The RANS model covers the near-wall region and the LES model the remainder of the flow domain. Two different subgrid-scale (SGS) models in LES were considered, the Smagorinsky model and the one-equation model for the residual kinetic energy (Yoshizawa and Horiuti, 1985), combined with two versions of the RANS ε equation, one governing the “isotropic” (ε˜; Chien, 1982) and the other the “homogeneous” dissipation rate (ε^h; Jakirlic and Hanjalic, 2002). Both fixed and self-adjusting interface locations were considered. The exchange of the variables across the interface was adjusted by smoothing the turbulence viscosity either by adjusting the RANS model parameters, such as C_μ (Temmerman et al., 2005), or by applying an additional forcing at the interface using a method of digital-filter-based generation of inflow data for spatially developing DNS and LES due to Klein et al. (2003). The feasibility of the method was illustrated against the available DNS, fine- and coarse grid LES, DES (Detached Eddy Simulation) and experiments in turbulent flow over a backward-facing step at a low (Yoshioka et al., 2001) and a high Re number (Vogel and Eaton, 1985), periodic flow over a series of 2-D hills (Fro¨hlich et al., 2005) and in a high-Re flow over a 2-D, wall-mounted hump (Greenblat et al, 2004). Prior to these computations, the method was validated in a fully-developed channel flow at a moderate Reynolds number Re_m ≈ 24000 (Abe et al., 2004).