Assessment of reynolds stress predictions by two-equation turbulence models

Abstract

In this paper, we evaluate the k - ε and k - ω turbulence models in terms of their accuracy in predicting the Reynolds shear stress in equilibrium boundary layers under arbitrary streamwise pressure gradients. The models are tested against the theoretical formulation of Perry et al. (1994) which is based on the law of the wall and law of the wake formulation of the mean velocity profile. Using this formulation, we study the effect Reynolds number and pressure gradient has on the eddy viscosity distribution in the boundary layers flows. In the viscous sub-layer and the buffer layer of zero-pressure gradient boundary layers, the normalized eddy-viscosity, v+T, is found to be independent of the..