Turbulent Flow Over a Flat Plate - Homework

Overview

Turbulent flow over a flat plate is a classical problem in the science of turbulence. Having been extensively studied experimentally, it provides invaluable insights into the physics of wall-bounded turbulence flows. Empirical correlations derived from those experiments, such as the universal law of the wall, are indispensable in derivations of turbulent model formulations and validations of turbulent model implementations in CFD codes.

Objectives

In this homework example, you will:

  • Learn how to simulate a 2D time-averaged turbulent flow over a flat plate in Fluent
  • Visualize the velocity profiles within the 2D turbulent boundary layer
  • Evaluate the skin friction coefficient computed by CFD and compare it to the correlation

Setup

Download the Mesh file required for setting up the simulation and associated Case & Data files from here. Follow the instructions below to set up this simulation in Ansys Fluent starting with the Mesh file. In case you face any issues setting up or running the simulation, refer to the corresponding initial and final Case and Data files.



Alternate video link.


Results and Discussion

Let’s now analyze the simulation results and see how they compare with empirical correlations from the literature.