Assessment of Turbulence Models in a Hypersonic Cold-Wall Turbulent Boundary Layer

Abstract In this study, the ability of standard one- or two-equation turbulence models to predict mean and turbulence profiles, the Reynolds stress, and the turbulent heat flux in hypersonic cold-wall boundary-layer applications is investigated. The turbulence models under investigation include the one-equation model of Spalart–Allmaras, the baseline k - ω model by Menter, as well as the shear-stress transport k - ω model by Menter. Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) simulations with the different turbulence models are conducted for a flat-plate, zero-pressure-gradient turbulent boundary layer with a nominal free-stream Mach number of 8 and wall-to-recovery temperature ratio of 0.48 , and the RANS results are compared with those of direct numerical simulations (DNS) under similar conditions. The study shows that the selected eddy-viscosity turbulence models, in combination with a constant Prandtl number model for turbulent heat flux, give good predictions of the skin friction, wall heat flux, and boundary-layer mean profiles. The Boussinesq assumption leads to essentially correct predictions of the Reynolds shear stress, but gives wrong predictions of the Reynolds normal stresses. The constant Prandtl number model gives an adequate prediction of the normal turbulent heat flux, while it fails to predict transverse turbulent heat fluxes. The discrepancy in model predictions among the three eddy-viscosity models under investigation is small. View Full-Tex