Numerical analysis of a 1/2-equation model of turbulence

Abstract

The recent 1/2-equation model of turbulence is a simplification of the standard Kolmogorov–Prandtl 1-equation URANS model. In tests, the 1/2-equation model produced comparable velocity statistics to a full 1-equation model with lower computational complexity. There is little progress in the numerical analysis of URANS models due to the difficulties in treating the coupling between equations and the nonlinearities in highest-order terms. The numerical analysis herein on the 1/2-equation model has independent interest and is also a first numerical analysis step to address the couplings and nonlinearities in a full 1-equation model. This report develops a complete numerical analysis of the 1/2-equation model. Stability, convergence, and error estimates are proven for a semi-discrete and fully discrete approximation. Finally, numerical tests are conducted to validate the predictions of the convergence theory.