Coupled RANS-LES computation of a compressor and combustor in a gas turbine engine

Interactions between different components of a gas turbine are difficult to predict numerically. One of the reasons is the wide range of turbulent scales that need to be modeled. Here, we present an approach to use multiple flow solvers in order to model turbulence appropriately in different sections of a gas turbine. A flow solver based on the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) approach for the turbomachinery sections, while Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) for the combustor is used. These flow solvers run simultaneously and exchange information at the interfaces. In this study we present the approach, some of the validation and report on the application of this approach to a coupled compressor-combustor computation. © 2004 by Center for Turbulence Research and Arospace Computing Lab, Standford Univercity.