Grid resolution and turbulent inflow boundary condition recommendations for NPARC calculations
The effects of grid resolution and specification of turbulent inflow boundary conditions were examined using the NPARC code with the Baldwin-Lomax and Chien k-e turbulence models. Three benchmark turbulent test cases were calculated: two were wall bounded flows and the third was a compressible mixing layer. The wall bounded flows were essentially insensitive to axial grid density; however, the location of the first point off the wall had a substantial effect on flow solutions. It was determined that the first point off the wall must be in the laminar sublayer (y+ less than or equal to 5) for the entire boundary layer. For the compressible mixing layer cases, the axial grid density affected the capturing of oblique shock waves in the mixing region, but the overall mixing rate was not strongly dependent on grid resolution. In specifying the inflow turbulent boundary conditions, it was very important to match the boundary layer and momentum thicknesses of the two flows entering the mixing region; calculations obtained with smaller or no boundary layers resulted in substantially reduced mixing. The solutions were relatively insensitive to freestream turbulence level.