Application of Advanced Turbulence Models in Turbomachinery Flows

Abstract

The adequate representation of turbulence is crucial for the predictive accuracy of the computational method used in the turbomachinery design process. While unsteady simulations are of ever-increasing importance, steady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) computations will remain the workhorse of industrial CFD for some time. As simple, standard Boussinesq-viscosity turbulence models have proven insufficient to correctly predict complex flow situations, attention is drawn to more reliable approaches towards the modelling of turbulence. Specifically, Explicit Algebraic Reynolds Stress Models (EARSM) are currently validated for turbomachinery flows. The results demonstrate the improved predictive accuracy as well as the feasibility of the presented approach.