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Turbulent flow over a D-section bluff body: a numerical benchmark

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Abstract

A numerical benchmark of different turbulence closures was performed to investigate the turbulent wake flow behind a submerged D-shaped bluff body. The numerical models included steady two-equation Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes models and Large Eddy Simulations (LES), which were compared to planar and stereoscopic particle image velocimetry measurements. The k-\(\omega\) SST low-Reynolds number model was found to be better adapted to capture the intense shear layer at the top of the D-section compared to the other two-equation models. Yet, the k-\(\epsilon\) and k-\(\omega\) SST high-Reynolds number models demonstrate higher performance in the recirculation region. LES was also performed over the D-section to determine the influence of the sub-grid scale models on the prediction of the vortical structures. The Wale model together with central difference schemes showed a better overall agreement over the standard Smagorinsky model, which appears too dissipative. A spectral analysis was performed in the wake region, yet no distinct shedding frequencies could be found. A proper orthogonal decomposition was applied to the LES results to extract the mean flow dynamics and the coherent structures.

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Acknowledgements

All calculations have been done using the computational resources of the Compute Canada network, which is here gratefully acknowledged. The authors would like to acknowledge Professor J. Favier from Aix-Marseille University for fruitful discussions about the POD analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mechanical Engineering Department, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boul. de l’Université, Sherbrooke, QC, J1K 2R1, Canada

    Alla Eddine Benchikh Le Hocine & Sébastien Poncet

  2. Civil Engineering Department, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boul. de l’Université, Sherbrooke, QC, J1K 2R1, Canada

    R. W. Jay Lacey

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  1. Alla Eddine Benchikh Le Hocine
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Correspondence to Alla Eddine Benchikh Le Hocine.

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Benchikh Le Hocine, A., Lacey, R.W.J. & Poncet, S. Turbulent flow over a D-section bluff body: a numerical benchmark. Environ Fluid Mech 19, 435–456 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10652-018-9634-4

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