In order to compute turbulent flows and heat transfer in complex configurations such as IC engines, much is to gain in computational effort and speed if the near-wall molecular layer can be bridged by pre-integrated analytical Wall Functions. Wall Functions make it possible to obtain computational solutions with relatively coarse numerical mesh without having to resolve very thin near-wall molecular layers, which otherwise require very fine mesh density and much larger computational effort. Typically, Wall Functions reduce the number of grid cells by more than 50%.
Conventional Wall functions, developed almost 30 years ago, are used in almost all commercial CFD codes, but they are known to be erroneous in most complex flows because of inherent assumptions of turbulence energy equilibrium, which are very rare in practical situations. In this project we have developed new, advanced Wall
Functions that are free from any conventional assumptions (.i.e. no log-law velocity distribution), thus accounting for all major physical processes in complex flows, such as pressure gradient, near-wall convection, strong variation of the energy dissipation rate, as well as variation of fluid properties in cases of large difference between the fluid and wall temperature.