Engineering topics

Speziale, C. G.

Publications and source records attributed to Speziale, C. G..

At least 37 records · Page 2

NASA NTRS1991

A near-wall two-equation model for compressible turbulent flows

A near-wall two-equation turbulence model of the K - epsilon type is developed for the description of high-speed compressible flows. The Favre-averaged equations of motion are solved in conjunction with modeled transport equations for the turbulent kinetic energy and solenoidal dissipation wherein a variable density extension of the asymptotically consistent near-wall model of So and co-workers is supplemented with new dilatational models. The resulting compressible two-equation model is tested in the supersonic flat plate boundary layer - with an adiabatic wall and with wall cooling - for Mach numbers as large as 10. Direct comparisons of the predictions of the new model with raw experimental data and with results from the K - omega model indicate that it performs well for a wide range of Mach numbers. The surprising finding is that the Morkovin hypothesis, where turbulent dilatational terms are neglected, works well at high Mach numbers, provided that the near wall model is asymptotically consistent. Instances where the model predictions deviate from the experiments appear to be attributable to the assumption of constant turbulent Prandtl number - a deficiency that will be addressed in a future paper.

Zhang, H. S.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Development of turbulence models for shear flows by a double expansion technique

Turbulence models are developed by supplementing the renormalization group (RNG) approach of Yakhot and Orszag with scale expansions for the Reynolds stress and production of dissipation terms. The additional expansion parameter (eta) is the ratio of the turbulent to mean strain time scale. While low-order expansions appear to provide an adequate description of the Reynolds stress, no finite truncation of the expansion for the production of dissipation term in powers of eta suffices - terms of all orders must be retained. Based on these ideas, a new two-equation model and Reynolds stress transport model are developed for turbulent shear flows. The models are tested for homogeneous shear flow and flow over a backward facing step. Comparisons between the model predictions and experimental data are excellent.

Yakhot, V.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Turbulent separated flow past a backward-facing step: A critical evaluation of two-equation turbulence models

The ability of two-equation models to accurately predict separated flows is analyzed from a combined theoretical and computational standpoint. Turbulent flow past a backward facing step is chosen as a test case in an effort to resolve the variety of conflicting results that were published during the past decade concerning the performance of two-equation models. It is found that the errors in the reported predictions of the k-epsilon model have two major origins: (1) numerical problems arising from inadequate resolution, and (2) inaccurate predictions for normal Reynolds stress differences arising from the use of an isotropic eddy viscosity. Inadequacies in near wall modelling play a substantially smaller role. Detailed calculations are presented which strongly indicate the standard k-epsilon model - when modified with an independently calibrated anisotropic eddy viscosity - can yield surprisingly good predictions for the backstep problem.

Thangam, S.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Application of a new K-tau model to near wall turbulent flows

A recently developed K-tau model for near wall turbulent flows is applied to a variety of test cases. The turbulent flows considered include the incompressible flat plate boundary layer with adverse pressure gradients, incompressible flow past a backward facing step, and the supersonic flat plate boundary layer at zero pressure gradient. Calculations are performed for this two-equation model using an anisotropic as well as isotropic eddy-viscosity. The model predictions are shown to compare quite favorably with experimental data.

Abid, R.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Toward the large-eddy simulation of compressible turbulent flows

New subgrid-scale models for the large-eddy simulation of compressible turbulent flows are developed and tested based on the Favre-filtered equations of motion for an ideal gas. A compressible generalization of the linear combination of the Smagorinsky model and scale-similarity model, in terms of Favre-filtered fields, is obtained for the subgrid-scale stress tensor. An analogous thermal linear combination model is also developed for the subgrid-scale heat flux vector. The two dimensionless constants associated with these subgrid-scale models are obtained by correlating with the results of direct numerical simulations of compressible isotropic turbulence performed on a 96(exp 3) grid using Fourier collocation methods. Extensive comparisons between the direct and modeled subgrid-scale fields are provided in order to validate the models. A large-eddy simulation of the decay of compressible isotropic turbulence (conducted on a coarse 32(exp 3) grid) is shown to yield results that are in excellent agreement with the fine grid direct simulation. Future applications of these compressible subgrid-scale models to the large-eddy simulation of more complex supersonic flows are discussed briefly.

Erlebacher, G.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Assessment and application of Reynolds stress closure models to high-speed compressible flows

The paper presents results from the development of higher order closure models for the phenomological modeling of high-speed compressible flows. The work presented includes the introduction of an improved pressure-strain correlationi model applicable in both the low- and high-speed regime as well as modifications to the isotropic dissipation rate to account for dilatational effects. Finally, the question of stiffness commonly associated with the solution of two-equation and Reynolds stress transport equations in wall-bounded flows is examined and ways of relaxing these restrictions are discussed.

Gatski, T. B.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Numerical study of turbulent secondary flows in curved ducts

The pressure driven, fully-developed turbulent flow of an incompressible viscous fluid in curved ducts of square-section is studied numerically by making use of a finite volume method. A nonlinear Kappa - Iota model is used to represent the turbulence. The results for both straight and curved ducts are presented. For the case of fully-developed turbulent flow in straight and curved ducts, the secondary flow is characterized by an eight-vortex structure for which the computed flowfield is shown to be in good agreement with available experimental data. The introduction of moderate curvature is shown to cause a substantial increase in the strength of the secondary flow and to change the secondary flow pattern to either a double-vortex or a four-vortex configuration.

Hur, N.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Numerical study of turbulent secondary flows in curved ducts

The pressure driven, fully-developed turbulent flow of an incompressible viscous fluid in curved ducts of square cross-section is studied numerically by making use of a finite volume method. A nonlinear Kappa - Iota model is used to represent the turbulence. The results for both straight and curved ducts are presented. For the case of fully-developed turbulent flow in straight ducts, the secondary flow is characterized by an eight-vortex structure for which the computed flowfield is shown to be in good agreement with available experimental data. The introduction of moderate curvature is shown to cause a substantial increase in the strength of the secondary flow and to change the secondary flow pattern to either a double-vortex or a four-vortex configuration.

Hur, N.↗

NASA NTRS1989

On the freestream matching condition for stagnation point turbulent flows

The problem of plane stagnation point flow with freestream turbulence is examined from a basic theoretical standpoint. It is argued that the singularity which arises from the standard kappa-epsilon model is not due to a defect in the model but results from the use of an inconsistent freestream boundary condition. The inconsistency lies in the implementation of a production equals dissipation equilibrium hypothesis in conjunction with a freestream mean velocity field that corresponds to homogeneous plane strain - a turbulent flow which does not reach such a simple equilibrium. Consequently, the adjustment that has been made in the constants of the epsilon-transport equation to eliminate this singularity is not self-consistent since it is tantamount to artificially imposing an equilibrium structure on a turbulent flow which is known not to have one.

Speziale, C. G.↗

NASA NTRS1988

The subgrid-scale modeling of compressible turbulence

A subgrid-scale model recently derived for use in the large-eddy simulation of compressible turbulent flows is examined from a fundamental theoretical and computational standpoint. It is demonstrated that this model, which is applicable only to compressible turbulent flows in the limit of small density fluctuations, correlates somewhat poorly with the results of direct numerical simulations of compressible isotropic turbulence at low Mach numbers. An alternative model, based on Favre-filtered fields, is suggested which appears to reduce these limitations.

Speziale, C. G.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Numerical solution of turbulent flow past a backward facing step using a nonlinear K-epsilon model

The problem of turbulent flow past a backward facing step is important in many technological applications and has been used as a standard test case to evaluate the performance of turbulence models in the prediction of separated flows. It is well known that the commonly used kappa-epsilon (and K-l) models of turbulence yield inaccurate predictions for the reattachment points in this problem. By an analysis of the mean vorticity transport equation, it will be argued that the intrinsically inaccurate prediction of normal Reynolds stress differences by the kappa-epsilon and K-l models is a major contributor to this problem. Computations using a new nonlinear Kappa-epsilon model (which alleviates this deficiency) are made with the TEACH program. Comparisons are made between the improved results predicted by this nonlinear kappa-epsilon model and those obtained from the linear kappa-epsilon model as well as from second-order closure models.

Speziale, C. G.↗

NASA NTRS1988

On the prediction of equilibrium states in homogeneous turbulence

A comparison of several commonly used turbulence models (including the Kappa-epsilon and two second-order closures) is made for the test problem of homogeneous turbulent shear flow in a rotating frame. The time evolution of the turbulent kinetic energy and dissipation rate is calculated for a variety of models and comparisons are made with previously published experiments and numerical simulations. Particular emphasis is placed on examining the ability of each model to accurately predict equilibrium states for a range of the parameter Omega/S (the ratio of the rotation rate to the shear rate). It is found that none of the commonly used second-order closure models yield substantially improved predictions for the time evolution of the turbulent kinetic energy and dissipation rate over the somewhat defective results obtained from the simpler Kappa-epsilon model for the turbulent flow regime. There is also a problem with the equilibrium states predicted by the various models. For example, the Kappa-epsilon model erroneously yields equilibrium states that are independent of Omega/S while the Launder, Reece, and Rodi model predicts a flow relaminarization when Omega/S is greater than 0.39 - a result which is contrary to numerical simulations and linear spectral analysis which indicate flow instability for at least the range 0 less than or = Omega/S less than or = 0.5. The physical implications of the results obtained from the various turbulence models considered here are discussed in detail along with proposals to remedy the deficiencies based on a dynamical systems approach.

Speziale, C. G.↗

NASA NTRS1987

On the subgrid-scale modeling of compressible turbulence

Speziale, C. G.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Numerical solution of turbulent flow past a backward facing step using a nonlinear K-epsilon model

The problem of turbulent flow past a backward facing step is important in many technological applications and has been used as a standard test case to evaluate the performance of turbulence models in the prediction of separated flows. It is well known that the commonly used kappa-epsilon (and K-l) models of turbulence yield inaccurate predictions for the reattachment points in this problem. By an analysis of the mean vorticity transport equation, it will be argued that the intrinsically inaccurate prediction of normal Reynolds stress differences by the Kappa-epsilon and K-l models is a major contributor to this problem. Computations using a new nonlinear kappa-epsilon model (which alleviates this deficiency) are made with the TEACH program. Comparisons are made between the improved results predicted by this nonlinear kappa-epsilon model and those obtained from the linear kappa-epsilon model as well as from second-order closure models.

Speziale, C. G.↗

NASA NTRS1987

The decay of isotropic turbulence in a rapidly rotating frame

A direct numerical simulation of the decay of initially isotropic turbulence in a rapidly rotating frame was conducted. This 128 x 128 x 128 simulation was completed for a Reynolds number Re sub lambda = 15.3 and a Rossby number Ro sub lambda = 0.07 based on the initial turbulent kinetic energy and Taylor microscale. The numerical results indicate that the turbulence remains essentially isotropic during the major part of the decay (i.e., beyond the point where the turbulent kinetic energy has decayed to less than 10 percent of its initial value). The rapid rotation has the primary effect of shutting off the energy transfer so that the turbulence dissipation (and hence the rate of decay of the turbulent kinetic energy) is substantially reduced. Consequently, the anisotropy tensor remains essentially unchanged while the energy spectrum undergoes a nearly linear viscous decay (the same results that are predicted by Rapid Distortion Theory which is only formally valid for much shorter elapsed times. Surprisingly, no Taylor-Proudman reorganization of the flow to a two-dimensional state is observed. The implications that these results have on turbulence modeling are discussed briefly along with prospective future research.

Speziale, C. G.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Toward the large-eddy simulations of compressible turbulent flows

New subgrid-scale models for the large-eddy simulation of compressible turbulent flows are developed based on the Favre-filtered equations of motion for an ideal gas. A compressible generalization of the linear combination of the Smagorinsky model and scale-similarity model (in terms of Favre-filtered fields) is obtained for the subgrid-scale stress tensor. An analogous thermal linear combination model is also developed for the subgrid-scale heat flux vector. The three dimensionless constants associated with these subgrid-scale models are obtained by correlating with the results of direct numerical simulations of compressible isotropic turbulence performed on a 96 to the third power grid using Fourier collocation methods. Extensive comparisons between the direct and modeled subgrid-scale fields are provided in order to validate the models. Future applications of these compressible subgrid-scale models to the large-eddy simulation of supersonic aerodynamic flows are discussed briefly.

Erlebacher, G.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Numerical simulation of homogeneous, isotropic, compressible turbulence

A new numerical algorithm is developed and applied to the direct simulation of compressible, homogeneous turbulent flows at low Mach numbers. A split method in time first solves a subset of the equations explicitly, followed by an implicit treatment of the pressure terms. The definition of an average sound speed over the entire field allows the implicit equations to be solved analytically, while relaxing the severe time limit imposed by the large sound speeds. Results from direct simulations on 96(3) grids provide a data base against which a new subgrid-scale model for compressible homogeneous turbulence is tested. This model reduces to the linear combination model in the absence of compressibility.

Erlebacher, G.↗

NASA NTRS1986

On the advantages of the vorticity-velocity formulation of the equations of fluid dynamics

The mathematical properties of the pressure-velocity and vorticity-velocity formulations of the equations of viscous flow are compared. It is shown that a vorticity-velocity formulation exists which has the interesting property that non-inertial effects only enter the problem through the implementation of initial and boundary conditions. This valuable characteristic, along with other advantages of the vorticity-velocity approach, are discussed in detail.

Speziale, C. G.↗