Hybrid RANS/LES of a supersonic combustor

A novel method for the hybridization of RANS and LES is presented tailored for the utilization in supersonic combustor ducts. The intention is to treat the largest portion of the boundary layers with RANS in order to reduce the computational requirements of LES in near-wall regions. The method is comprised of two components: Component A accounts for boundary layer growth in supersonic flow regions with thin boundary layers. Component B is designed to identify shock/boundary layer interaction regions and places the RANS/LES interface such that these interaction regions are treated with RANS. The method is not tied to specific models for RANS or LES, instead it represents a procedure to couple an eddy viscosity type RANS turbulence model with an arbitrary LES model. The hybrid RANS/LES approach is applied to the simulation of a two-staged injection supersonic combustor and the findings are compared to URANS simulations conducted for the same flow conditions.