A Comparison Between LES and RANS Simulations of Realistic Ice Roughness

The present study compares the results between large eddy simulations (LES) and Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) simulations of the flow over heated rough flat plates obtained from unwrapped scans of experimental ice shapes. It aims to showcase the inaccuracies of RANS models relative to LES when resolving turbulence over complex rough geometries. The results are validated against measurements of skin friction and Stanton number from the database of the experimental ice shapes. Finally, the computed flow fields are analyzed to highlight the key differences between the RANS and LES approaches.