NPARC Code Upgraded with Two-Equation Turbulence Models

The National PARC (NPARC) Alliance was established by the NASA Lewis Research Center and the Air Force Arnold Engineering Development Center to provide the U.S. aeropropulsion community with a reliable Navier-Stokes code for simulating the nonrotating components of propulsion systems. Recent improvements to the turbulence model capabilities of the NPARC code have significantly improved its capability to simulate turbulent flows. Specifically, the Chien k-epsilon and Wilcox k-omega turbulence models were implemented at Lewis. Lewis researchers installed the Chien k-epsilon model into NPARC to improve the code's ability to calculate turbulent flows with attached wall boundary layers and free shear layers. Calculations with NPARC have demonstrated that the Chien k-epsilon model provides more accurate calculations than those obtained with algebraic models previously available in the code. Grid sensitivity investigations have shown that computational grids must be packed against the solid walls such that the first point off of the wall is placed in the laminar sublayer. In addition, matching the boundary layer and momentum thicknesses entering mixing regions is necessary for an accurate prediction of the free shear-layer growth.