Off-campus UMass Amherst users: If this thesis is NOT open access, please use the following link to log into our proxy server and download this thesis.

ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF SELF-ADAPTING (RANS/LES) TURBULENCE MODELS FOR FLUID SIMULATION AT ANY MESH RESOLUTION

jason a. gadebusch, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Document Type: Open Access

Degree Program

Mechanical Engineering

Degree Type

Master of Science (M.S.)

Year Degree Awarded

2007

Month Degree Awarded

September

Primary Subject Category

Fluid dynamics

Secondary Subject Category

Mechanical engineering

Keywords

RANS, LES, turbulence modeling, subgrid scale

Advisor(s) or Committee Chair

Perot, Blair

 

Abstract

Solving the Navier-Stokes equations using direct numerical simulation (DNS) is computationally impractical, especially at high Reynolds numbers. Recent technological advances in supercomputing have paved the way for Large Eddy Simulations (LES) to circumvent this problem by resolving large scale turbulence motions and modeling only the small (subgrid) scales. However, LES modeling still requires advanced knowledge of the turbulence and LES models are currently very simplistic. Because of this, there has been considerable interest in hybrid turbulence models, which can perform either Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) modeling or Large Eddy Simulation (LES). The self-adapting model presented is fundamentally different from prior LES models and these current hybrid models in that it achieves a completely natural evolution from RANS to LES to (with enough mesh resolution) DNS. A modified k/e model and a Reynolds stress transport model is implemented in this manner and is compared to DNS data of isotropic decaying turbulence. The results indicate that this modeling approach is practical and efficient. In addition, this approach is extensible and not restricted to a particular (RANS) transport equation.

Recommended Citation

gadebusch, jason a., "ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF SELF-ADAPTING (RANS/LES) TURBULENCE MODELS FOR FLUID SIMULATION AT ANY MESH RESOLUTION" (2007). Masters Theses. Paper 49.
http://scholarworks.umass.edu/theses/49