Turbulence Transport Modelling in Gas Turbine Related Applications
Doctoral thesis, 2006

Computational fluid dynamics is a cornerstone in gas turbine engine design. It is used to optimize shapes of turbine and compressor airfoils, to predict heat transfer to gas turbine hot parts, to reduce the amount of pollutants that form when fuel is burnt, to reduce gas turbine noise and so on. There are still, however, areas where the computational methods lack in reliability and need further refinement. One is the modelling of turbulence transport effects on mean flow characteristics and is the main subject of this thesis. The thesis focuses on RANS predictions of turbulence and heat transfer, where the unknown turbulence transport terms are closed using turbulence models based on the eddy-viscosity concept. The potential of using the V2F turbulence model for heat transfer predictions in complex flows is illustrated by computing a three-dimensional stator vane passage flow. It is shown that the V2F model is able to predict the effects of turbulence on the secondary flow field in the stator passage, and, that the secondary flow field is largely what determines the heat transfer to the vane endwalls. The use of the realizability constraint to prevent unphysical growth of turbulence kinetic energy is also thoroughly discussed. There are however problems with the V2F model as well. It is in principle unable to resolve turbulence anisotropy and furthermore suffers from predicting laminar to turbulent boundary layer transition too rapidly. It is shown that the former problem can be dealt with by employing the nonlinear eddy-viscosity model of \cite{reif00}. This model is tested in the asymmetric diffuser flow and proves to be capable of very accurate Reynolds stress predictions. This study also highlights the strong sensitivity of the mean flow to turbulence closure and suggests that the near wall modelling is of the utmost importance. In an effort to improve the performance of the V2F model in transitional flows the ideas behind the transition modelling approach of Walters & Leylek (2004) are adapted to the V2F model. Also provided is an overview of the existing literature on the subject of transition modelling.

RANS

secondary flow

realizability

V2F

transition

10.00 HA2, Hörsalsvägen
Opponent: Dr. Remi Manceau, University of Poitiers, France

Author

Andreas Sveningsson

Chalmers, Applied Mechanics, Fluid Dynamics

Computations of Flow Field and Heat Transfer in a Stator Vane Passage Using the V2F Turbulence Model

Journal of Turbomachinery,; Vol. 127(2005)p. 627-634

Journal article

Assessment of Realizability Constraints in V2F Turbulence Models

International Journal of Heat and Fluid Flow,; Vol. 25(2004)p. 785-794

Journal article

Modelling the Entrance Region in a Plane Asymmetric Diffuser by Elliptic Relaxation

Fourth International Symposium on Turbulence and Shear Flow Phenomena,; Vol. 3(2005)p. 1183-1188

Other conference contribution

Subject Categories

Fluid Mechanics and Acoustics

ISBN

91-7291-739-3

Doktorsavhandlingar vid Chalmers tekniska högskola. Ny serie: 2421

10.00 HA2, Hörsalsvägen

Opponent: Dr. Remi Manceau, University of Poitiers, France

More information

Created

10/6/2017