TOWARDS NEW INSIGHTS IN GAS TURBINE AEROTHERMODYNAMICS WITH WALL-MODELED LES AND IMMERSED BOUNDARY METHOD

This paper introduces a novel methodology for investigating and analyzing the aerothermal dynamics of high-loaded gas turbine vanes. The method combines an advanced wall-modeled Large Eddy Simulation technique with an immersed boundary method, allowing for treating complex geometries on Cartesian grids and accurately handling high Mach and Reynolds flows. Compared to other similar solutions available in the literature, the method’s significant strength is its high compatibility with high-order numerical schemes and explicit algorithms. This allows efficient computing on modern GPU-based architectures, enabling scale-resolved simulations within a reasonable time frame, mainly comparable to more standard unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes simulations. The effectiveness and accuracy of the method are demonstrated through testing and validation in various canonical scenarios, typical of wall turbulence studies. Here, for the first time, its ability to replicate experimental data associated with a gas turbine nozzle in the transonic regime is verified, testing numerical results compatibility with a precursor and well-established experimental campaign.