Verification Approaches for the 3D Static LES Simulations of the Stonecutters Bridge Deck

Abstract

[Abstract] In computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, verification is the process of identifying both the spatial and the temporal discretisations providing relatively insensitive model results. The underlying goal of this task is to identify the mesh with a lower number of elements and the longer time step size compatible with the purposes of the study. In this manner, the computational burden associated with CFD methods may be decreased without compromising the accuracy of the numerical results. In general, this process is accomplished by studying three meshes with increasing discretisation levels (coarse, medium and fine), expecting that the medium one would provide satisfactory results. Once the satisfactory spatial discretisation level is selected, the different time step sizes are studied, taking into account that a Courant number (Co) of 1 is usually considered the maximum allowable value for numerical stability when adopting a LES (Large Eddy Simulation) approach. In this study, a detailed verification study considering two different approaches, providing the uncertainty level of several parameters of interest depending on the spatial and temporal discretisation is reported. The first of them consists in the curve fitting of linear or quadratic curves to selected model outputs; meanwhile the second approach relies on the Richardson extrapolation principle. These two different approaches are applied in the frame of the 3D LES numerical simulations of the Stonecutters bare deck geometry. In the study the focus is put on the sensitivity of the integral parameters, that is the force coefficients and Strouhal number, with the spatial and temporal discretisations.