THREE-DIMENSIONAL INCOMPRESSIBLE FLOW CALCULATIONS WITH ALTERNATIVE DISCRETIZATION SCHEMES

Abstract

A finite-volume calculation procedure for steady, incompressible, elliptic flows in complex geometries is presented. The methodology uses generalized body-fitted coordinates to model the shape of the boundary accurately. All variables are stored at the centroids of the elements, thus achieving simplicity and low cost of computations. Turbulence is modeled by using the standard two-equation k-ε model. The purpose of this work is to evaluate the performance and accuracy of flow calculations under different discretization schemes in the light of experimental results. The discretization schemes that are incorporated in the code include the classical hybrid scheme, the third-order QUICK scheme, and a fifth-order upwind scheme. Benchmark tests are performed for laminar and turbulent flows in 90° curved ducts of square and circular cross sections. Flow solutions obtained using the classical hybrid scheme are compared with solutions obtained with the higher-order schemes. The results show that accurate solutions can be efficiently obtained on grids of moderate size by using high-order-accuracy schemes. Overall, the potential of the methodology for calculating real-life engineering flows is demonstrated.