Theoretical analysis and prediction of turbulence has been, and to this date sti ll is, the fundamental problem

of fluid dynamics, particularly of computational fluid dynam ics (CFD). The major difficulty arises from the random or chaotic nature of turbulence phen omena. Because of this unpredictability, it has been customary to work with the time averaged f orms of the governing equations, which inevitably results in terms involving higher order co rrelations of fluctuating quantities of flow variables. The semi-empirical mathematical model s introduced for calculation of these unknown correlations form the basis for turbulence modeling . It is the focus of the present study to investigate the main principles of turbulence modeling, including examination of the physics of turbulence, closure models, and application to spe cific flow conditions. Since turbulent flow calculations usually involve CFD, special emph asis is given to this topic throughout this study. There are three key elements involved in CFD: (1) grid generation (2) algorithm development (3) turbulence modeling While for the first two elements precise mathematical theories exist, the concep t of turbulence modeling is far less precise due to the complex nature of turbulent flow. Turbu lence is threedimensional and time-dependent, and a great deal of information is required to describe all of the mechanics of the flow. Using the work of previous investigators (e.g. Prandtl, Taylor, and von Karman), an ideal turbulence model attempts to capture the essence of the releva nt physics, while introducing as little complexity as possible. The description of a turbulent fl ow may require a wide range of information, from simple definitions of the skin friction or heat transfer coefficients, all the way up to more complex energy spectra and turbulence fluct uation magnitudes and scales, depending on the particular application. The complexity of the mathematical models increases with the amount of information required about the flowfield, and is reflected by the way in which the turbulence is modeled, from simple mixing-l ength models to the complete solution of the full Navier-Stokes equations