3D CFD computations of trasitional flows using DES and a correlation based transition model

The present article describes the application of the correlation based transition model of Menter et al. in combination with the Detached Eddy Simulation (DES) methodology to two cases with large degree of flow separation typically considered difficult to compute. Firstly, the flow is computed over a circular cylinder from Re = 10 to 1 × 106 reproducing the cylinder drag crisis.

The computations show good quantitative and qualitative agreement with the behaviour seen in experiments. This case shows that the methodology performs smoothly from the laminar cases at low Re to the turbulent cases at high Re. Secondly, the flow is computed over a thick airfoil at high angle of attack, in this case the DU-96-W351 is considered.

These computations show that a transition model is needed to obtain correct drag predictions at low angle of attack, and that the combination of transition and the DES method improve agreement in the deep stall region. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.