CFD: Modied Robin-type wall functions for turbulence industries

Adi Susila G.

, Utyuzhnikov S.V.

University of Manchester, Manchester M60 1QD, UK

Dec , 2010
Abstract
CFD is the systematic analysis of computer based simulation to determine dynamic uid ow, heat
transfer and other uid properties. Airbus researchers have found that commercial airliners commonly
encounter physical problems with friction drag, 40% of which are caused by a turbulent boundary layer,
which is a thin layer of air located just above the skin of a wing/airfoil and body of an aircraft. Drag
habitually happens in various instances of uid ow. It is sometime necessary; however, the disturbance
caused by this friction should be optimized for the use of industrial requirement. This has resulted in
constant challenge to nd appropriate solutions to reduce and ultimately eliminate this eect altogether.
This challenge promotes the need for extra emphasize on the importance of further boundaries to
treat the near the wall areas in uid mechanics. Studies on wall functions (mathematical prole) for
turbulence modelling has been carried out and improved. Channel ow test case has been tested for
turbulent ow model. To accomplish this, the nite dierence method along with the computational
code-simulation was implemented. For a fully developed turbulent channel ow, Cabot Moins turbulent
viscosity was used, characterized by Low & High Reynolds numbers, Re
t
= 395 up to 10950, respectively.
Keywords: CFD, Finite Dierence Method, Robin type Wall Function, Turbulent Viscosity.
1 Introduction
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is one of major strides for turbulent uid currently under inves-
tigation. It is a very powerful technique encompassing a wide range of industrial and non-industrial
areas of application. In the engineering area, for example, it covers aerodynamics of aircraft and vehi-
cles, hydrodynamics of ships, power plant and turbo-machinery, electrical/electronic application, chemical
process, biomedical, external/internal environment building, marine and environment, including hydrol-
ogy/oceanography, meteorology as shown in gure 1 and many other uid ow eld.
Turbulence occurs in various aspects provided there is a ow of energy distribution, such as in the turbulent
layer of an aircraft wing, combustion processes in jet streams, chemical reactions within gas or liquid mixed,
etc [1]. Richard E. Klabune of cardiovascular physiology has pointed out that in the operation of human
body, turbulence can be seen in both large and narrow (stenotic) arteries at branch points, in the arteries
disease. Reduced arteries ow area due to the disease will leads unbalance ow pressure along the arteries
couses unstable blood pressure.
For years studies have been conducted on the friction drag by a boundary wall. Related approaches have also
been developed to suit each unique physical surface, while several analytical solutions have been generated
to eliminate such drag on the surface/skin. However, turbulence model problems still exist. The main
hitches are the ow problem near by the wall, i.e the thin viscous layer and the thin near-wall viscosity
aected by the sub-layer which is predominantly due to aected by molecular diusion. Figures 23 are
illustrated sample cases for pressure distribution (load coecient).
CFD consists of pre-processor, solver and post-processor which are mostly the numerical algorithms. The
accuracy of the solutions will depend on the design of number of cells in the grid to simulate ow problems
such as velocity, pressure, temperature, etc. The numerical simulations used to review turbulent ow are
then listed in three ways through which the phenomenon is predicted. They are:

An preliminary study of CFD for Large Edy Simulation

(PhD program) - Univesity of Udayana, Bali, Indonesia,

(Former supervisor) - Mechanical. Aerospace & Civil Engineering School, Univesity of Manchester, UK,
1
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Figure 1: Schematic uid ow of the 3D model of aircraft wing, eux smoke (chimney) and wind pressure
around the building.[10]
1. RANS (Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes): Under RANS, average or even small scales only are
modelled. This approach is averaged to all the unsteadiness of the non-linear Navier-Stokes equations.
This gave rise to the Reynolds stress term within the equations which is the lowest in term of cost
and time consumed.
2. LES (Large Eddy Simulation) Under this approach the largest scale of motions is explicitly presented
while the small scales are modelled. This is regarded as the middle ground between the DNS and
RANS in term of cost and time.
3. DNS (Direct Numerical Simulation) This approach employs techniques in which all scales of turbulent
ow motions are computed from large contained energy (integral scales) to the dissipative scales
(viscous or Kormogorof scales) [3].
Figure 2: Turbulent ow (LES) resulted pressure coecient (Cp) on Cooling tower model and Dynamic
Pressure distribution on sphere model using CFD (Fluent) [9]
The result of LES was compared with those turbulent models based on RANS and experimental work shown
in gure 23
The problem near by the wall is still highlighted as the thin viscous layer close to the wall is crucially
important, which often causes the turbulent layer located away from it to be signicantly aected. Numerical
studies were revisited to investigate the pattern of this thin layer using wall function (mathematical prole).
Previous wall functions [12] were modied using Cabot Moins turbulent viscosity prole in order to nd more
robust solutions close to the wall phenomenon. This kind of a logarithmic prole is needed to change the
piecewise prole to match with the benchmark prole, i.e Reichardt prole. The nite dierential method
was also used to simulate the mathematical problems along with the computational code as the way CFD
works. Channel ow cases were then carried out to check if the modied wall function solution is working
properly or not.
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Figure 3: (Top) Plan view: pressure coecients for y/d = hemisphere [8] (1966), (Left) Plan view of
pressure coecient contour y/d=h/D=1/2 [9] & (Right) Mean pressure coecient LES result on a sphere
[9]
2 Problem Description
There are two broad strategies to resolve those problems, namely:
1. Employing smooth/ne numerical meshes where the viscous inuences are involved,
2. Employing wall function by taking into account the overall resistance of the sub-layer (momentum
and heat transfer).
The RANS is particularly chosen to avoid wasting time during the numerical process of turbulent model. The
method assumes a solution under which the vicinity of the wall is replaced by some appropriate boundary
conditions.
Such wall functions are widely used in industrial applications already. The turbulence modelling used was
the eddy/turbulent viscosity on the layer as the major study which tackles the problems described. In this
occasion, turbulent modelling would be prioritized to modify the Robin-type wall function. This type of
boundary method has been modied properly by involving Cabot Moin prole turbulent viscosity to take
into account the near-wall turbulence problem.
2.1 Wall Functions - (WF)
Professor Launder (1960); in Chieng and Launder (1980) undertook the rst eort to incorporate dissipation
in the viscous sub-layer into a treatment for wall-function. This earlier attempt rened the conventional ap-
proach of wall function and has ever since become the basic procedure for average generation and dissipation
rates of k over the near wall-cell.
The underlying turbulence energy is used as the developed procedure for averaged generation rate in which
a cell near wall extending to the height of the wall y
n
, at the following [7]:
P =
1
y
n
_
y
n
0
uv
dU
dy
dy (1)
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In [6], the WF are analytically obtained with constant assumptions on all variables apart from diusivity.
This analysis has adopted integration of boundary-layer-type equations in the vicinity of a wall. The cell
nearest to the wall can be rebuilt by the near-wall solution using analytical proles of an eective viscosity.
2.2 Standard WF
In most cases, the WF are semi-empirical and have very limited application [6]. First wall-function is based
on the log-law prole for velocity [4],[1]. The main disadvantage of this wall-function is strong dependence
towards the mesh point closest to the wall where the wall-function is taking place. This has particularly
created a problem if the rst mesh point is located in the viscous sub-layer. In order to avoid this problem,
the scalable wall approach and pressure gradient must be taken into account in Gotjans, H. paper in 1998,
[2]. To satisfy the turbulent approach of WF, there is a set of WF by[2] in the inertial sub-layer as follow:
U = u

_
1
K
ln
_
u

y
v
_
+B
_
(2)
or written as
U
+
=
1
K
ln
_
Ey
+
_
=
u
2

; =
u

)
1
2

y
; v

= u

y
(3)
Figure 4: The law of the wall [1] & result of Robin Type WF combined with Cabot Moin turbulent viscosity
prole at Re=5950 in log law representing high Reynolds number
These WF are regarded as the standard method. In the turbulent boundary layer, the strongest velocity
gradient is found near by the wall. Based on these wall functions for a turbulence model in which coarse
mesh utilized relatively, it is impossible to resolve these near wall gradients[4].
2.3 Transfer of the wall boundary condition (Robin Type WF)
The previous study requires separate WF for both low and high Reynolds number. However, [11] suggested
that the new numerical wall function method can be used in either the high or the low Reynolds number
model directly. This Robin-type boundary condition in a dierential form was introduced which transmitted
the boundary implied, i.e. from the intermediate range of boundary to the near wall area.
The WF can be used as an analytical easy-to-implement form which does not necessarily need to be placed
at the rst point of nearest location. The method of conveying boundary condition is described in [11]: a
transporting boundary can be either approximate (analytically) or exact (numerically) which is inuenced
by the source in governing equations.
Analytical WF are evolved by integrating boundary layer-type equations under some simplicity assumption.
The model equation is written below [12]:
(u
y
)
y
+y
n
u
y
= C or Lu (u
y
)
y
= R
h
(y) ; 0 y y

(4)
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Dened in a domain = [0, 1], where;

t
=
l
Ky
+
_
1 e
y
A
_
2
; A = 19.0 ; K = 0.41 ; R 1 ; n > 0 (5)
equation 4 described; the rst term simulates the dissipative in the Navier-Stokes equations, the second term
is a model of the contribution of convective term and the right hand side represents pressure gradient term
or source in the transport equations. The corresponds to the eective viscosity coecient. The coecient
is rapidly changed from a relatively small value (laminar viscosity) to
t
=
l
Ky
+
_
1 e
y
A
_
2
(turbulent
viscosity, [5]). 1st Integration of equation 4:

du
dy
= R
y
+C
1
:
du
dy
R
y
=
w
; C
1
=
w
(6)
and index w of mean value y=0 (at wall). The 2nd Integration;
u
y
= u
0
+
w
_
y
0
d

+R
h
_
y
0

d (7)
Considering equation 6 & 7
u
y
= u
0
+
_

du
dy
R
h
__
y
0
d

+R
h
_
y
0

d ; 0 < y
Block in parenthesis is an intermediate term (y

).
u

y
= u
0
+F
1
du
dy
(y

)
R
h

(
y)
F
2
(8)
F
1
=
_
y

(y

(y)
dy ; F
2
=
_
y

(y

(y)
(y

y) dy (9)
Implementation of Robin-Type condition from: 1. Finite Dierence and 2. Finite Volume. If R
h
= R
h
(y),
then;
u

y
= u
0
+F
1
du
dy
(y

)
_
_
y

0
R
h(y)
_
F
2
y

(
y

)
F
1
=
_
y

(y

(y

)
dy ; F
2
=
_
y

(y

(y

)
_
1
_
y

0
R
h
dy
_
y

0
R
h
dy
_
dy (10)
=
_

w
if 0 y y

w
+ (

w
)
yy
v
y

y
if y
v
y y

(11)
Intermediate boundary condition at y = y

du
dy
(y

) =
_

w
+
_
y

0
R
h
dy
_

(12)
For the use of the high-Reynolds-number RANS model, the intermediate Robin boundary conditions are
introduced. They represent an approximate transfer of the boundary conditions from the wall to the inter-
mediate boundary usually situated outside the viscous sub-layer. The previous Robin-type wall functions
[12] have been modied to take into account the near-wall turbulent viscosity prole more ttingly in viscous
layer as shown in gure 6.
The aim is to change the piecewise linear prole shown into an exponential prole described in the in gure5.
The turbulent viscosity implementation: [5];
t
=
l
Ky
+
_
1 e
y
A
_
2
followed by solution:

eff
=
l
+ (

l
)
y
_
1 e
Cy
A
_
2
y

_
1 e
Cy
A
_
2
if 0 y

, [10] (13)
Eective /ecient viscosity
eff
are combined viscosity between turbulent and the laminar (
eff
=

t
+
l
).
For this study, trade o has also been introduced in which eective viscosity is dened as (
eff
=

t
+ 0.2125
l
).
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Figure 5: Hypothetic gure of Piecewise linear prole & Exponential Cabot-Moins prole
2.4 Turbulent Boundary Layer
To resolve the gradient near the wall, a law should be specied that correlates the outer ow (the velocity
at rst grid point) and the shear stress at the wall, when the grid is not ne enough. This allows us to place
the rst node at y
+
30 200 .
The law of the wall assumes that, for attached ow, the logarithmic portion of the boundary layer behaves
according to:
u
+

U
= f
_
y
+
_
(14)
The non-dimensional characteristic wall coordinate, y
+
, is dened by:
y
+
=
yu

w
(15)
Where y is the dimensional distance between the wall and the rst grid point of the wall, is the absolute
viscosity obtained from Sutherlands law, and is the density. The wall friction velocity,

, thus dened
as:
u

=
_

w
; u

= u

(16)
The turbulent boundary layer near the wall is characterized by the following quantities in a two dimensional
ow where the x direction is the predominant ow direction, with ow velocity u, and the wall is facing the
y direction. Here,
w
is the wall shear stress and the quantity u

or u

is called the friction velocity.

3 Finite Dierence Methods: Boundary Value Problem Solver
The understanding of the numerical solution algorithms is crucially important in solving the mathematical
concept. There are three main deciding notions in determining the success of such algorithms concepts, i.e
convergence, consistency & stability. For these three, conrmations are needed in terms of: the property of
numerical methods to produce a clear approach to the exact solution, produced system of algebraic equation
within which the developed numerical scheme is demonstrated as equivalent to the original equation and
associated damping with error as numerical method process.
3.1 Two-equation Model
This model describes the transport of two scalars of kinetic energy (k) and the dissipation where the
Reynolds tensor-stress computed by using the variable into the velocity gradient and an eddy viscosity. The
value of (k) and come directly from the dierential transport equations for turbulence kinetic and turbulence
dissipation rate. The typical transport equation solved for kinetic energy k typically taken as one-equation
model:
D
k
D
t
= P
k
+

x
j
__
+

t

k
_
k
x
j
_
(17)
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The generating rate is given by P
k
= u
i
v
j
dU
i
dx
j
, while dissipation rate =
k
3
2
l

and turbulent viscosity

t
= c

k
1
2
l

. Both length scales l

and l

are prescribed as increasing in linear with distance from the

wall. In two-equation model a second variable for =
k
3
2
l

is solved as the following:

D

D
t
= C
1

k
P
k
C
2

2
k
+

x
j
__
+

t

_

x
j
_
(18)
c

=
u

u
y

k
2
;
k
= 1.0 ;

= 1.3 ; c

= 0.09 ; C
1
= 1.44 ; C
2
= 1.92 (19)
Governing equations correspond to the Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes equations (RANS) closed by the
HR
k
(High Reynolds number) model. There are diusion parallel to the wall, the momentum, enthalpy
and kinetic energy transport equations that can be written in the Cartesian coordinate system (x,y); This
is easy to conrm by the equation 21
(u
y
)
y
= R
h
(y) or

y
_

u
y
_
= R
h
(y) (20)

y
_
(
l
+
t
)
U
y
_
= U
U
x
+V
U
y
+
P
x
;

y
_
(
l
+
t
)
V
y
_
= U
V
x
+V
V
y
+
P
y

y
_
(
l
+
t
)
U
y
_
= U
U
x
+V
U
y
+
P
x
;

y
__

l
P
r
+

t
P
rt
_
U
y
_
= U
U
x
+V
U
y
+
P
x

y
_
(
l
+
t
)
U
y
_
= U
T
x
+V
T
y
;

y
__

l
+

t
P
rk
_
k
y
_
= U
k
x
+V
k
y
P
k
+ (21)

l
and
t
are the laminar and turbulent viscosities; P
r
,P
rt
and P
r
k are Prandtl number; U and V are velocity
components in the (x, y) coordinate system; is density and P is the pressure; T is the temperature; k is
the turbulent kinetic energy; P
k
is its production; is the dissipation of k.
Upon substitution of U, V, T or k instead of u in equation 21, we obtained Robin type WF for this function.
R
h
, from to be evaluated at y = y

by the right-hand side as follows [12]:

R
h
= R
hu

_
U
U
x
(y

) +V
U
y
(y

)
_
+
P
x
(y

) ; R
h
= R
hv

_
U
V
x
(y

) +V
V
y
(y

)
_
+
P
x
(y

)
R
h
= R
ht

_
U
T
x
(y

) +V
T
y
(y

)
_
; R
h
= R
hk

_
U
k
x
(y

) +V
k
y
(y

)
_
+
t
_
U
y
_
2
(22)
By the Convective term evaluation, the following expression for RHS (right hand side) of R
h
obtained:
(
l
+
t
)
U
y
=
[(
l
+

t
) U(y

) +F
2
R
hu
]
F
1
+ (y y

)R
hu
(23)

t
=
_
0 if 0 y y
v

t
yy
v
y

y
v
if y
v
y y

(24)
(y) =
_
(k

)
3
2
C
1
y
d
if y < y
d

t
yy
v
y

y
v
if else
(25)
The equation 23, 24 is replaced by introducing equation 13 as the result of replacement the piece-wise
linear with the Cabot Moins turbulent viscosity (exponential prole). This approach is eort to improve
prediction turbulent near the wall by using WF combined with the Cabot Moins viscosity prole.
3.2 Turbulent Channel Flow
As in the case of the channel ow, the uniform pressure or velocity prole of uid would come into the
channel, gure 6. As the uid ow enters the channel, the wall will retract the velocity and development of
a boundary layer will occur. The velocity will turn to zero close/near to the wall due to the appearance of
viscosity resistance along the wall.
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Figure 6: Test case of Channel Flow with Wall Function implementation (reproduced gure),[2] & Viscous
layer grid illustration near wall
4 Result and Conclusion
The near wall regions of the ow are resolved by coarse mesh and ne mesh spacing with varied time
scale, using numerical methods. In such case, piecewise linear prole (eddy-viscosity) has been changed by
introducing the exponential (Cabot Moins - turbulent viscosity) prole.
Figure 7: Comparison of turbulent viscosity prole between piece-wise linear and exponential prole as the
result of simulation [10]
The eddy-viscosity has been modied which a wall damping function is included on Cabot Moins prole.
The exponential term was damped turbulent viscosity near the wall region. The result is considerable
improved then the previous prole. Fully developed turbulent motion occurs beyond a distance suciently
remote from the wall that a very smooth eddy is not damped by the vicinity to the wall. The distance
that is very close to the wall e.g. y
+
= 1, gives over prediction of a velocity prole. It is due to turbulent
viscosity prole that cannot fully dumped beyond the viscous sub-layer distance y
+
< 5. This case is very
sensitive as it means that the turbulent viscosity is not sensitive enough to predict areas very close to the
wall which is fully laminar ow region.
The laminar viscosity is dominantly referred to the
1
Re
times the distance y
+
< 5. Automatically, the tur-
bulent viscosity prole which is includes damping factor
_
1 e
y
A
_
will predict turbulent viscosity relatively
close to laminar viscosity. Then, it will change rapidly when the distance away from the wall y
+
> 50. The
turbulent viscosity will be much greater. It will occurs, however, due to the damping function has taken
into account, the velocity prole can be predicted closer to the benchmark (LR). The result of the velocity
prole can be sheen in gures 8 and 9
All the results in the case were generated on Fortran-code to approach stream wise velocity, Reynolds
stress, eddy viscosity, k-epsilon, ow rate, etc. It is expected to result in clear dierence between the
previous turbulent viscosity (linear prole) and Cabot Moins prole.
The form of the latter prole was relatively more sophisticated since the involvement of the damping factor
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Figure 8: Velocity Prole Re = 395 and 3950 with Cabot Moin prole [10]
Figure 9: Velocity Prole Re = 5950 and 10950 with Cabot Moin prole [10]
Figure 10: Velocity Prole Re = 395 (exponential Cabot Moins prole-updated u

) and the trade o

prole model) [10]
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_
1 e
y
A
_
which control is much closer to the log law prole as well as control prediction with regard to
mean velocity uctuation. The curve produced by the exponential prole is bending at the initial stage
slightly bigger than the linear prole more than
y

=0.15-0.2 (distance of the total region). This was expected

since the assumption to change the linear into the exponential prole was conrmed between gure 5 and
gure7.
Figure 11: Eddy-viscosity distribution in pipe ow according to the measurements of Laufer (circle), Nunner
(box) and turbulent viscosity distribution using the exponential prole [10]
It has concluded that modied Robin-type WF by introducing the Cabot Moins/exponential prole has
provided turbulent modelling prediction in considerably with better solution and agreement with the bench-
mark prole (LR) for the velocity prole. The modication has been observed by providing more robust
solution due to the fact that coarse mesh and time scale sensitivity were the main concern for computational
strategy (avoid time consuming). Result for ow rate and strain rate in which the uid is ew along the
length of the channel ow can be seen in the appendix. Relevant future works: Fluid-structure interaction
(low-rise structure)
Acknowledgments
The author conveys his sincere gratitude to Dr. Sergei Utyuzhnikov as the former supervisor of this paper for
his insightful ideas. I wish to express tremendous appreciation to National Education Council of Republic of
Indonesia and Udayana University Bali, for their nancial assistance under the Batch 2 Scholarship DIKTI,
without which this paper would not have been possible.
References
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number ow. Flow Turbulence Combustion, 2000.
[6] A. V. G. e. a. Craft, T. J. Progress in the generalization of wall-function treatments. International
Journal of Heat and Fluid Flow, 2002.
[7] S. E. G. e. a. Craft, T. J. Development and application of wall-function treatments for turbulent forced
and mixed convection ows. Fluid Dynamics Research, 2006.
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[8] F. J. Maher. Wind loads on dome-cylinders and dome-cone shapes. Journal of Structural, 1966.
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Appendix
Figure 12: Eddy-viscosity distribution in pipe ow according to the measurements of Laufer (circle), Nunner
(box) and turbulent viscosity distribution using the exponential prole