Transition Modeling in ANSYS Fluent/CFX

In the following posted on TENZOR Blog, F. Menter, R. Langtry (ANSYS) and S. Volker (GE) local-correlation methodology based on the RANS equations for laminar-turbulent transition prediction is presented. The unique model extracted is a unique feature of ANSYS CFD (first added to CFX and then in Fluent).

As the original model referred to "bypass transition" (where high levels of turbulence intensity exist in the background typical to applications of turbomachinery), it was widened to include various other transition mechanism attributed to a wide range of aerodynamic flows. The formulation has been further extended to account for the rapid onset of transition caused by separation of the laminar boundary layer.

The post presents a short overview on various topics related to transition prediction, one of the exciting and obscure topics fluid mechanics.

Transition Modeling in ANSYS Fluent/CFX