Direct numerical simulation and Large-Eddy simulations of the turbulent flow around a NACA-0012 airfoil

Abstract

This paper investigates the capabilities of two subgrid-scale (SGS) models for predicting the complex flow in transitional separated bubbles. We consider here the flow over a NACA 0012 airfoil at Reynolds number Re = 5×10 4 and angles of attack (AOA) AOA = 5º and 8º. The SGS models investigated are: the wall-adapting eddy viscosity model within a variational multiscale method (VMSWALE) and the QR model. Both are well suited for LES in complex geometries with unstructured grids. The models are assessed and compared to the results of the direct numerical simulations (DNS) on the basis of first and second order statistics. Based on the good results obtained, a more challenging simulation is also performed at Re = 1.44×10 6 and various AOA. It has been found that predictions of the lift and drag coefficients agree reasonably well with experimental data.