Abstract

The accurate simulation of the flow through a turbomachine often depends on

the correct prediction of boundary layer transition. The development of a
transition model that is compatible with modern general purpose CFD codes has
led to the correlation based $\gamma - Re_{\theta}$ transition model. It is
strictly based on local variables and relies on empiric correlations. In this work,
correlations found by different authors (Menter, Langtry, Malan and Kelterer) are
used and compared against each other.

Two CFD codes are used to validate the correlations. The LINARS (inhouse code
of the Institute for Thermal Turbomachinery and Machine Dynamics of Graz
University of Technology) and TRACE (developed by DLR and MTU) codes are
Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes solver. LINARS uses the $k-\omega$ and SST
turbulence models, TRACE only the $k-\omega$ turbulence model.

The correlations were tested on three flat plate test cases (ERCOFTAC test cases
T3A, T3C2 and T3C4) and two cascade test cases (T160 and T106). All
correlations performed well for the T3A and T3C4 flat plate test cases, only the
DLR correlation (Menter correlation to predict the start of transition, Malan
correlations to control the start of the intermittency production and the length of
the transition zone) produced a too long separation bubble in the T3C4 test case.
On the other hand, only the Kelterer correlation (Menter correlation to predict the
start of transition, Kelterer correlations to control the start of the intermittency
production and the length of the transition zone) achieved good results for the
T3C2 test case. For the cascade test cases, the Kelterer correlation produced a
too short separation bubble. The Malan correlation (Langtry correlation for start
of transition, Malan correlations for start of the intermittency production and the
length of the transition zone) and DLR correlation are able to predict a long
separation bubble similar to the experiments. Both correlations are very sensitive
to inlet turbulent boundary conditions (Malan more than DLR correlation).

Since no correlation yielded sufficiently accurate results for a wide range of test
cases, further developments and refinements of the correlations and perhaps
even the $\gamma - Re_{\theta}$ model itself are recommended.