Investigations of Subsonic Compressible Boundary Layer Flows using Hybrid Large Eddy Simulations

The objective of this thesis is to investigate the spatially developing turbulent compressible boundary layer on a flat plate using the Spalart-Allmaras Detached Eddy Simulation (SA-DES) model [22] and the Nichols-Nelson hybrid Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes/Large Eddy Simulation (RANS/LES) model [13] which have been implemented into the Wind-US 3.0 computational fluid dynamics code [30]; both of the hybrid approaches involve RANS modeling in the near-wall region and LES treatment in the outer region. Generation of unsteady turbulent inflow data is achieved via the prescribed energy spectrum method. The studies illustrated dependence on Reynolds number based on momentum thickness, Re&thetas;, ranging from 3018 to 19430, and dependence on Mach number, M = 0.5 and M = 0.9. The SA-DES model predicted mean flow profiles to a satisfactory degree, and the Nichols-Nelson hybrid RANS/LES model adequately predicted density field fluctuations; the aero-thermal effects captured by the Nichols-Nelson model can be useful for near-field aero optics applications.