Large Eddy Simulation is a relatively new and still evolving computatio nal strategy for predicting turbulent flows. It is now widely used in research to elucidate fundamental interactions in physics of turbulence, to predict phe nomena which are closely linked to the unsteady features of turbulence and to create data bases against which statistical closure models can be asses sed. However, its applicability to complex industrial flows, to which statisti cal models are applied routinely, has not been established with any degree of confidence. There is, in particular, a question mark against the prospect of LES becoming an economically tenable alternative to Reynolds-averaged N avier-Stokes methods at practically high Reynolds numbers and in complex geometries. Aerospace flows pose particularly challenging problems to LES, because of the high Reynolds numbers involved, the need to resolve accura tely small-scale features in the thin and often transitional boundary layers developing on aerodynamic surfaces. When the flow also contains a separated region - due to high incidence, say - the range and disparity of the influen tial scales to be resolved is enormous, and this substantially aggravates the problems of resolution and cost. It is just this combination of circumstances that has been at the heart of the project LESFOIL to which this book is devoted. The project combined the efforts, resources and expertise of 9 partner organisations, 4 universities, 3 industrial companies and 2 research institu tes.
This volume contains results of a European project on Large Eddy Simulation (LES) of the flow around an airfoil. The main objective of the LESFOIL project was to assess the suitability of LES for airfoil flow. In conclusion, preliminary work was carried out such as development of numerical methods, and subgrid modelling in geometrically simple flows such as fully developed channel flow and periodic flow in a channel with a curved hill-shaped surface. Accurate LES of wall-bounded flow requires fine cells in the near-wall region in all coordinate directions. In an attempt to release this constraint, a large part of the LESFOIL project was aimed at developing and validating different approximate near-wall treatments. In the second half of the book, several LESs of the flow around the Aerospatiale-A airfoil are presented, using different numerical methods, grids, SGS models and near-wall treatments.
