Effect of turbulence model uncertainty on scramjet strut injector flow field analysis. (30th October 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Di Stefano, Martin A.; Hosder, Serhat; Baurle, Robert A.
• Is Part Of: Computers & fluids. Volume 229(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-10-30
• Subjects: Scramjet injector -- Supersonic mixing -- Turbulence model -- Closure coefficient -- Sensitivity -- Uncertainty; Fluid dynamics -- Data processing -- Periodicals; 532.050285
• DOI: 10.1016/j.compfluid.2021.105104
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0045-7930

Abstract

Abstract: The effect of turbulence model closure coefficient uncertainty on the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes solution of a scramjet strut fuel injector flow field is investigated with an uncertainty quantification and sensitivity analysis study for the Menter-BSL and Wilcox-2006 k- ω turbulence models. Simulations were performed using the VULCAN flow solver. Nonintrusive polynomial chaos theory was used for efficient propagation of uncertainty, and Sobol indices were utilized to quantify the sensitivity of various solution metrics to the variation of each closure coefficient. The output metrics of interest were evaluated at three crossflow planes, and included the integrated quantities of mixing efficiency, circulation, total pressure recovery, and one-dimensional Mach number, as well as the pointwise vorticity and eddy viscosity distributions. Influential sets of closure coefficients were identified for each turbulence model, with the Kármán and diffusion constants being the most prominent. These results are expected to assist future efforts aimed at reducing the uncertainty in the numerical design of scramjet fuel injectors through the identification of closure coefficients and physical aspects of the flow that warrant further investigation.