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RANS Turbulence Modeling

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Applied Computational Fluid Dynamics and Turbulence Modeling

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Abstract

The turbulent kinetic energy equation is derived and explained in full detail. The motivation and development of RANS-based models is provided, with the aim of generating a deeper understanding of turbulence phenomena. This includes the detailed descriptions for key k-ε, k-ω, and SST hybrid models. Fundamental RANS terms are explained, such as turbulent kinematic viscosity, production, and decay. RANS models are evaluated and compared, and the best overall turbulence model is suggested. Model applicability, best performance regions, and deficiencies are discussed for zero-, one-, and two-equation RANS models. Compelling reasons for avoiding the standard k-ε are provided. Multiple insights regarding ties associated with the development of k-ε and k-ω models are presented, such as the Taylor scale and eddy dissipation.

An ideal model should introduce the minimum amount of complexity while capturing the essence of the relevant physics.—David Wilcox, 2006

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  1. Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, USA

    Sal Rodriguez

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Rodriguez, S. (2019). RANS Turbulence Modeling. In: Applied Computational Fluid Dynamics and Turbulence Modeling. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28691-0_4

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