High-Order Wall-Modeled Large-Eddy Simulation of High-Lift Configuration

Abstract

This paper presents the assessment of several recent enhancements for a high-order wall-modeled large-eddy simulation (WMLES) approach and demonstrates order independence with a fixed data exchange location in the wall model. The two enhancements include the use of isotropic tetrahedral elements to improve accuracy and an explicit subgrid-scale model, the Vreman model, to improve accuracy and robustness. The P-refinement study focused on the high-lift Common Research Model (HL-CRM) at the angle of attack of 19.57 deg, a benchmark problem from the 4th AIAA High-Lift Prediction Workshop. Solution polynomial orders of P=2, 3, 4, and 5 were used in the study. The study demonstrated p independence in integrated forces, pitch moment, velocity profile in the wall-normal direction, and surface flow topology. It also showed that a P order of at least 3 (P3) was needed to correctly predict the external inviscid flow and the surface flow topology. Thereafter, P3 simulations over several other angles of attack demonstrated that the high-order WMLES approach can correctly predict the maximum lift and flow separation regions for HL-CRM with about 40 million degrees of freedom (DOF) compared to at least 250 million DOF required by second-order methods.