Implementation, Verification, and Validation, of the Wray-Agarwal Turbulence Model in SU2

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) has become a vital tool for simulating and analyzing fluid flow in various industrial and research applications. Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) and Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) provide high-fidelity solutions, however this comes at a large computational cost. Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) simulations offer an efficient alternative for many engineering applications, while providing reasonable accuracy. This study focuses on enhancing the open-source CFD code SU2 by implementing and evaluating the Wray-Agarwal (WA) one-equation linear eddy viscosity turbulence model along with many versions of the model, including WA-2017, WA-2017m, and WA-2018. Following integration into SU2, verification and validation were conducted using canonical benchmark cases from the NASA Turbulence Modeling Resource (TMR) to assess model accuracy and reliability. Results from standard test cases, including the Zero Pressure Gradient Flat Plate, Bump-in-Channel, NACA 0012 Airfoil, and High Mach Number Zero Pressure Gradient Flat Plate, illustrate that the WA model performs comparably to or better than established turbulence models in SU2 for a majority of scenarios. This work demonstrates the WA model’s potential for use in practical CFD applications, contributing to the open-source development of SU2 for future WA model usability and additional advancement of this turbulence model.