TsAGI scientists develop new turbulence model

Experiments are an important component of aircraft design. But often aerodynamic experiments are often replaced by computational simulation. This saves time and resources at the preliminary stages of work. Scientists of the Zhukovsky Central AeroHydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI, a member of the National Research Center “Zhukovsky Institute”) are actively engaged in the development of computational methods. Among the recent results is the development of new turbulence models — the equations systems that describes turbulent gas flow — the methods to determine the turbulence influence of gas flow) for aerodynamic design of civil aviation equipment.

Young TsAGI specialists are the authors of the development and were awarded an annual prize in the field of science and innovations from the Governor of the Moscow region. The scientists set out to develop turbulence models, which would improve computational accuracy compared with standard models. This is a significant step to minimize errors when comparing a wind tunnel experiment and a numerical simulation.

The scientists used for their work the application program package EWT-TsAGI (an Electronic Wind Tunnel). It was developed at the Institute to research in computational aerodynamics. An important result was the turbulence modeling. In particular, the model can be used in jet stream flow analysis. The end results are for one of the modifications of the Russian regional Sukhoi Superjet aircraft.

An annual prize in the area of science and innovation for young scientists from the Governor of the Moscow region is awarded for outstanding scientific or technological achievements and their practical application, ensuring the promotion of innovation in the economy and the social sphere.