CFD Exercise 1: Steady flow, Backward Facing Step

In this exercise incompressible gas over a backward facing step, which has detailed geometry is shown in
Figure 1, is simulated and results compared with experimental data of Vogel and Eaton[1]. The value of
step height based Reynolds number is 28000. The bottom wall is heated with a heat flux of 500W/m 2.
For turbulence model default StarCCM K-Epsilon turbulence model with High y+ wall treatment, K-
Omega and K-Omega model model with shear stress transport and Spalart-Allmaras, and K-Epsilon
turbulence model with High y+ wall treatment, K-Omega model and K-Omega model with shear stress
transport with coefficients mentioned work of Pozarlik et al. are used [2].

Figure 1. Geometry of backward facing step

Figure 2. 2D Mesh

Figure 3. Velocity field result of K-Epsilon model with coefficients of Pozarlik et al.

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 Figure 4. Skin Friction Values respect to position

Figure 5. Nusselt Number Values respect to position

The simulations are conducted utilizing 2D mesh which can be seen in Figure 2. As a result of simulations
similar trends of velocity scalars are obtained. For instance, velocity scalar obtained using K-Epsilon
model with parameters of Pozarlik et al. is shown in Figure 3. To evaluate results more quantitively they
are compared with experimental result of Vogel and Eaton, then it is observe that K-Epsilon models have
more match with experimental data and better prediction for reattachment length. Especially K-Epsilon
model coefficients driven from work of Pozarlik et al. provides best results. However, this result is not
same with findings of Pozarlik et al. which concludes that K-Omega and SST turbulence models are more
successful to predict reattachment length. Main reason of this conflict is that these turbulent models

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need adjustment of coefficient for each simulation scenario. The coefficients of their work are one of the
optimum, so their results have better similarity with experimental results. On the contrary, in this work
every coefficient they suggested could not be used due to they are not configurable for StarCCM. When
some default non-case oriented coefficients are used for K-Omega and SST, same result of Pozarlik et al.
could not be obtained. In addition, airfoil oriented turbulence model Spalart-Allmaras provides the most
unfitted results with experimental data as expected.

References

[1] Vogel, J. C. and Eaton, J. K., 1985. “Combined Heat Transfer and Fluid Dynamic Measurements
Downstream of a Backward-Facing Step.” AIAA J. 23(2) pp. 163-171.

[2] Pozarlik, A. K., Panara, D., Kok, J. B. W., & van der Meer, T. H., 2008. “Heat transfer in a recirculation
zone at steady-state and oscillating conditions: the back facing step test case.” In T. H. van der Meer, A.
A. van Steenhoven, & G. G. M. Stoffels (Eds.), Proceedings 5th European Thermal-Sciences Conference
(Eurotherm 2008) Eindhoven: Eindhoven University of Technology.