Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes Mesh Adaptation Simulations for High-Lift Configuration Aircraft

This paper presents ANSYS Fluent results on different configurations of the NASA Common Research Model from the 5th AIAA High-Lift Prediction Workshop. The main objective of the workshop is to assess the numerical prediction capabilities of current-generation computational fluid dynamics technology for swept and medium-to-high-aspect-ratio wings under landing/takeoff (high-lift) configurations. This paper presents fixed-grid and adapted-mesh Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) simulations using Ansys Fluent on the first two cases requested by the workshop. Results have been obtained using the grids provided by the workshop. In the case of mesh adaptation, the coarsest workshop meshes were used as baseline meshes to initiate the adaptation cycles. Mesh refinement was done isotropically using the Polyhedral Unstructured Mesh Adaptation model of Fluent in conjunction with the combined Hessian indicator. The general-purpose Spalart–Allmaras turbulence model has been investigated to assess the accuracy of RANS calculations. This study revealed that mesh adaptation improved the prediction of fixed-grid RANS SA simulations by capturing, with great detail, the slat-bracket rolling vortices and the slat wake as they travel over the suction side of the main wing, thus preventing an early separation of the flow over the suction side of the wing.