Abstract:
This paper investigates the application of an explicit Galerkin finite-element formulation of the Spalart-Allmaras (SA) 1-equation turbulent transport model within a parallel, multi-domain, Galerkin finite-element, multi-physics code for incompressible turbulent flows. Both Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) and Detached Eddy Simulation (DES) formulations are utilized, with DES acting as a hybrid RANS/LES technique to simulate turbulence more accurately. Validation efforts for the SA model's implementation included three plane channel flow simulations on a RANS-type grid, comparing SA-RANS, SA-DES, and Smagorinsky models. While SA-RANS results showed excellent agreement with the Log Law of the Wall, SA-DES performance was less consistent, attributed to the use of a RANS grid with an incorrect length-scale, illustrating the model's RANS-like behavior near walls and LES-like behavior away from them.
