Development of New Turbulence Models and Computational Methods for Automotive Aerodynamics and Heat Transfer

This paper is a review of turbulence models and computational methods that have been produced at Clemson University's Advanced Computational Research Laboratory. The goal of the turbulence model development has been to create physics-based models that are economically feasible and can be used in a competitive environment, where turnaround time is a critical factor. Given this goal, all of the work has been focused on Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) simulations in the eddy-viscosity framework with the majority of the turbulence models having three transport equations in addition to mass, momentum, and energy.

Several areas have been targeted for improvement in turbulence modeling for complex flows such as those found in motorsports aerodynamics: the effects of streamline curvature and rotation on the turbulence field, laminar-turbulent transition, and separated shear layer rollup and breakdown. Methods that address these issues have been developed in-house and will be reviewed in detail along with comparisons to validation-quality experimental data. Test cases include turbulated passages, as seen in enhanced heat transfer applications, and laminar-turbulent transition on an airfoil. It should be noted that the models are presented as developed; however, the concepts have been merged into a single turbulence model framework that has yet to be published.