Non-equilibrium wall model for large eddy simulations of complex flows exhibiting turbulent smooth body separation

Abstract: In this work, a non-equilibrium wall model is proposed for the prediction of turbulent flows experiencing adverse pressure gradients, including separated flow regimes. The mean-flow nonequilibrium is identified by comparing two characteristic velocities: the friction velocity (u_tau) and the viscous-pressure gradient velocity (up). In regions where the pressure gradient velocity is comparable to the friction velocity (up \sim u_tau, the near-wall turbulent closure is modified to include the effect of the pressure-gradient and convective terms. The performance of this wall model is evaluated in two canonical flows experiencing smooth body separation: the NASA-Boeing speed bump and the Bachalo-Johnson bump. Improvements in the predictive capabilities of the proposed model for the conventional equilibrium wall model are theorized and then demonstrated through numerical experiments. In particular, the proposed wall model can capture the onset of boundary layer separation observed in experiments or DNS calculations at resolutions where the equilibrium wall model fails to separate.