Anisotropic Adaptation for Transonic Flows with Turbulent Boundary Layers

Abstract

Simulation of wall-bounded turbulent flows poses significant challenges and requires tightly controlled mesh spacing and structure near the walls. Semistructured or hybrid meshes are often used for turbulent boundary layer flows. These meshes not only account for complex geometry but also maintain highly anisotropic, graded, and layered elements near the walls. However, for engineering flow problems, the mesh spacing required to achieve a given level of accuracy cannot be determined a priori and, therefore, an adaptive approach becomes essential. For wall-bounded turbulent flows, such an approach must incorporate the structure of the turbulent boundary layer and associated flow physics to guide the adaptive process. This paper introduces a new approach for boundary layer adaptivity, wherein flow physics indicators are used in combination with interpolation-based or numerical error indicators. The effectiveness of the current technique is demonstrated by applying them to two aerodynamic problems involving transonic turbulent flows.