• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2020

The most common approach for computing engineering flow problems at high Reynolds number is still the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) computations based on turbulence models with wall functions. The recently developed generalized wall functions blending between the wall-limiting viscous and the outer logarithmic relations ensure a smooth transition of flow quantities across two regions. The performances and convergence properties of widely used turbulence models with wall functions that are applicable for turbulence kinetic energy (TKE), turbulent and specific dissipation rates, and eddy viscosity are presented through a series of near wall flow simulations. The present results show that RNG k-𝜖 model should be carefully applied with small tolerance to get the stable solution when the first grid lies in the buffer layer. The standard k-𝜖 and RNG k-𝜖 models are not sensitive to the selection of wall functions for both TKE and eddy viscosity, while the k-ω SST model should be applied together with kL-wall function for TKE and nutUB-wall functions for eddy viscosity to ensure accurate and stable boundary conditions. The applications to a backward-facing step flow at Re=155,000 reveal that the reattachment length is reasonably well predicted on appropriately refined mesh by all turbulence models, except the standard k-𝜖 model which about 13% underestimates the reattachment length regardless of the grid refinement.