Development and validation of an improved wall-function boundary condition for computational aerodynamics

Abstract: Computational Fluid Dynamics is a powerful and widely used tool for developing projectsthat concern flow motion, in very different fields. Industrial CFD solvers are continuouslydeveloped with the aim of improving accuracy and reducing the computational cost of thesimulations. Turbulent wall-flow cases are particular demanding as the presence of a solidsurfaceinterface generates steep gradients in the proximity of the wall. Resolving suchgradients can be crucial to obtain a consistent solution but also very expensive in terms ofgrid refinement, and hence computational time. Wall functions are widely used and offersignificant computational savings when it comes to near-wall flow resolution. Previous wallfunction implemented in the M-Edge solver suffered by poor performances in complex flowscharacterized by strong pressure-gradient phenomena, such as separation. A new formulationhas been developed and validated for k − omega and Spalart-Allmaras turbulence models. Testsimulations started from simple and near-ideal cases (2D zero pressure gradient flat plate)and advanced to always more complex flow cases and geometries (full 3D general fighter).Every case has been run coupling the wall-function boundary condition with three differentturbulence models: the Menter SST, the Menter BSL with an EARSM and the Spalart-Allmaras one-equation model. Overall results showed the upgraded performance of new wallfunction in flow resolution together with more agile grid requirements, faster and deeperconvergence of the residuals and a general reduction in computational time.