Development and application of lattice Boltzmann models for predictive large eddy simulation of turbomachinery aerodynamics

In recent years, the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) has emerged as an interesting alternative CFD approach for wind engineering and aerodynamics. For rotating machinery, our current implementation is already significantly faster than conventional solvers that approximate the incompressible or weakly compressible Navier-Stokes equations directly. However, challenges remain in the predictive simulation of highly turbulent flows and the modeling of boundary layers.

This project will concentrate on the development and validation of predictive large eddy simulation models that are compatible with single- and multi-relaxation time lattice Boltzmann methods. This includes implementation of compatible wall function models, which are of crucial importance for the Cartesian embedded boundary approach intrinsic to LBM. Beside standard benchmarks, large-scale investigations into the aerodynamics of operating horizontal axis wind turbines are planned. All developments will be carried in our mature C++ framework AMROC, which already provides a fully functional dynamically adaptive and fully parallel LBM implementation with on-the-fly fluid-structure coupling to turbomachinery models.