A higher-order unstructured finite volume solver for three-dimensional compressible flows

High-order accurate numerical discretization methods are attractive for their potential to significantly reduce the computational costs compared to the traditional second-order methods. Among the various unstructured higher-order discretization schemes, the k-exact reconstruction finite volume method is of interest for its straightforward mathematical formulation, and its compatibility with the current lower-order industrial solvers. However, current three-dimensional finite volume solvers are limited to the solution of inviscid and laminar viscous flow problems. Since three-dimensional turbulent flows appear in many industrial applications, the current thesis takes the first step towards the development of a three-dimensional higher-order finite volume solver for the solution of both inviscid and viscous turbulent steady-state flow problems. The k-exact finite volume formulation of the governing equations is rederived in a dimension-independent manner, where the negative Spalart-Allmaras turbulence model is employed. This one-equation model is reasonably accurate for many flow conditions, and its simplicity makes it a good starting point for the development of numerical algorithms. Then, the three-dimensional mesh preprocessing steps for a finite volume simulation are presented, including higher-order accurate numerical quadrature, and capturing the boundary curvature in highly anisotropic meshes. Also, the issues of k-exact reconstruction in handling highly anisotropic meshes are reviewed and addressed. Since three-dimensional problems can require much more memory than their two-dimensional counter-parts, solution methods that work in two dimensions might not be feasible in three dimensions anymore. As an attempt to overcome this issue, a practical and parallel scalable method for the solution of the discretized system of nonlinear equations is presented. Finally, the solution of four three-dimensional test problems are studied: Poisson’s equation in a cubic domain, inviscid flow over a sphere, turbulent flow over a flat plate, and turbulent flow over an extruded NACA 0012 airfoil. The solution is verified, and the resource consumption of the flow solver is measured. The results demonstrate the benefit and practicality of using higher-order methods for obtaining a certain level of accuracy.Applied Science, Faculty ofMechanical Engineering, Department ofGraduat