A novel approach for wall modeling in LES of wall-bounded high-reynolds-number flow via function enrichment

A new approach to wall modeling of attached and separated boundary layers for LES is presented. Instead of prescribing boundary data as in common wall models, the function space of the computational method is enriched with Spalding’s law such that the boundary layer can be resolved with coarse meshes. The enrichment approach makes this model much more flexible than other wall models since the solution is composed of a standard polynomial part plus the enrichment. Therefore excellent results have been obtained both for attached boundary layers and separated flow regimes present in flow over periodic hills and a backward-facing step. The methodology can be interpreted as detached-eddy simulation as eddies are resolved in the bulk flow and near-wall turbulence is modeled in a mean sense.