Evaluation of three turbulence models for the prediction of steady and unsteady airloads

Abstract

Two dimensional quasi-three dimensional Navier-Stokes solvers were used to predict the static and dynamic airload characteristics of airfoils. The following three turbulence models were used: the Baldwin-Lomax algebraic model, the Johnson-King ODE model for maximum turbulent shear stress, and a two equation k-e model with law-of-the-wall boundary conditions. It was found that in attached flow the three models have good agreement with experimental data. In unsteady separated flows, these models give only a fair correlation with experimental data.