MAE Distinguished Seminar: 50 Years of High-Fidelity Numerical Simulation of Turbulent Flows – A Case Study in Predictive Science and Engineering

Abstract: With the exponential growth in computer power, high fidelity numerical simulations have provided unprecedented comprehensive datasets for the study of the mechanics of turbulent flows. A brief review of fundamental research on the structure and mechanics of wall-bounded turbulent flows will be presented with particular emphasis on the role played by large scale numerical simulations in conducting controlled experiments of discovery and the insights gained as a result. On the other hand, the early promise of direct numerical simulations to provide data for improving engineering models has not been fulfilled. I will conclude by presenting recent progress in large eddy simulation of complex flows, and specifically for prediction of aircraft performance at the edges of flight envelope. Recent work has demonstrated that leveraging large eddy simulation with appropriate wall/subgrid-scale models and low dissipation numerical methods on modern computer architectures offers a tractable path toward meeting industry’s stringent accuracy and affordability requirements.

Bio: Parviz Moin is the Franklin P. and Caroline M. Johnson Professor in the School of Engineering and founding director of the Center for Turbulence Research at Stanford University. He pioneered the development of direct and large eddy simulation techniques and their use for the study of turbulence physics, control and modeling concepts. Professor Moin is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and American Physical Society.