Model-form uncertainty quantification of Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes modeling of flows over a SD7003 airfoil

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Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) models are known to be inaccurate in complex flows, for instance, laminar-turbulent transition, and RANS uncertainty quantification (UQ) is essential to estimate the uncertainty in their predictions. In this study, a recent physics-based UQ framework that introduces eigenvalue, eigenvector, and turbulence kinetic energy perturbations to the modeled Reynolds stress tensor has been used to estimate the uncertainty in the flow field. We introduce a regression-based marker function that focuses on the turbulence kinetic energy perturbation for the simulation of laminar-turbulent transitional flows over an Selig–Donovan 7003 airfoil. We observed a monotonic behavior of the magnitude of the predicted uncertainty bounds varying with the turbulence kinetic energy perturbation. Importantly, the predicted uncertainty bounds show a synergy behavior that dramatically increases the size of uncertainty bounds and can successfully encompass the reference data when the eigenvalue perturbations are augmented with the marker function.