Application of Laminar-Turbulent Transition Criteria in Navier-Stokes Computations

A new method concerning laminar-turbulent transition computation was implemented in the ONERA Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes solver elsA. It is based on the computation line concept and leads to the removal of most of the mesh topology limitations. Further improvements were also developed, such as the extension of a previous criterion (the Arnal-Habiballah-Delcourt criterion) to separated boundary-layers. Some changes in the numerical treatment of the transition point aimed at stabilizing and improving the accuracy of the computations. Two two-dimensional test cases [the Somers laminar airfoil and the A310 (TC11) profile] and a three-dimensional test case (the variable sweep angle wing) were considered to validate the implementation and the different improvements.