Computation of Turbulent Flows in Complex and Moving Geometries Using Immersed Boundary Method

A solution methodology for complex turbulent flows of industrial interests is developed using Immersed Boundary Method (IBM). IBM combines the efficiency inherent in using a fixed Cartesian grid to compute the fluid motion, along with the ease of tracking the immersed boundary at a set of moving Lagrangian points. IBM relies upon the body force terms added in the momentum equations to represents the complex geometry on a fixed Cartesian mesh. Resolution issues for turbulent flows can be addressed by Large Eddy Simulation (LES) technique provided an accurate and robust Subgrid Stress (SGS) model is available. Higher order of numerical accuracy schemes for turbulent flows can be maintained as well as the geometrical complexities can be rendered physically by combining LES with IBM. The proposed methodology is simple and ideally suited for the moving geometries involving no-slip walls with prescribed trajectories and locations. IBM is validated for the laminar flow past a heated cylinder in a channel and LES is validated for the turbulent lid-driven cavity flow. LES-IBM is then is used to render complex geometry of trapped vortex combustor to study fluid mixing inside trapped vortex cavity. To demonstrate the full potential of LES-IBM, a complex moving geometry problem of stator-rotor interaction is solved.