On the generation of the mean velocity profile for turbulent boundary layers with pressure gradient under equilibrium conditions

Abstract

The generation of a fully turbulent boundary layer profile is investigated using analytical and numerical methods over the Reynolds number range 300 ≤ Re θ ≤ 31000. The predictions are validated against reference wind tunnel measurements under zero streamwise pressure gradient. The analytical method is then tested for a low and moderate adverse pressure gradient. Comparison against experimental and DNS data show a good predictive ability under a zero pressure gradient and a moderate adverse pressure gardient, with the numerical method providing a complete velocity profile through the laminar sub-layer down to the wall. The application of the method is useful to computational fluid dynamic practitioners for generating an equilibrium thick turbulent boundary layer at the computational domain inflow.

Non-iterative wall model formula for non-equilibrium boundary layer flows

“…Such wall functions and other attempts to incorporate pressure gradients into the law of the wall are described extensively in the literature [20,23,[35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42]. Kim and Choudhury [20] relied on the two-layer approach described by Launder [33].…”