A new correlation-based transition model has been developed, which is based strictly on local variables. As a result, the transition model is compatible with modern computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approaches, such as unstructured grids and massive parallel execution. The model is based on two transport equations, one for intermittency and one for the transition onset criteria in terms of momentum thickness Reynolds number. The proposed transport equations do not attempt to model the physics of the transition process (unlike, e.g., turbulence models) but form a framework for the implementation of correlation-based models into general-purpose CFD methods. Part I (this part) of this paper gives a detailed description of the mathematical formulation of the model and some of the basic test cases used for model validation, including a two-dimensional turbine blade. Part II (Langtry, R. B., Menter, F. R., Likki, S. R., Suzen, Y. B., Huang, P. G., and Völker, S., 2006, ASME J. Turbomach., 128(3), pp. 423–434) of the paper details a significant number of test cases that have been used to validate the transition model for turbomachinery and aerodynamic applications. The authors believe that the current formulation is a significant step forward in engineering transition modeling, as it allows the combination of correlation-based transition models with general purpose CFD codes.

The present author was asked to provide an update on the status and the more recent developments around the shear-stress transport (SST) turbulence model for this special issue of the journal. The article is therefore not intended as a comprehensive overview of the status of engineering turbulence modelling in general, nor on the overall turbulence modelling strategy for ANSYS computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in particular. It is clear from many decades of turbulence modelling that no single model – nor even a single modelling approach – can solve all engineering flows. Any successful CFD code will therefore have to offer a wide range of models from simple Eddy-viscosity models through second moment closures all the way to the variety of unsteady modelling concepts currently under development. This article is solely intended to outline the role of the concepts behind the SST model in current and future CFD simulations of engineering flows.

A new correlation-based transition model has been developed, which is built strictly on local variables. As a result, the transition model is compatible with modern computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods using unstructured grids and massive parallel execution. The model is based on two transport equations, one for the intermittency and one for the transition onset criteria in terms of momentum thickness Reynolds number. The proposed transport equations do not attempt to model the physics of the transition process (unlike, e.g., turbulence models), but form a framework for the implementation of correlation-based models into general-purpose CFD methods. Part I of this paper (Menter, F. R., Langtry, R. B., Likki, S. R., Suzen, Y. B., Huang, P. G., and Völker, S., 2006, ASME J. Turbomach., 128(3), pp. 413–422) gives a detailed description of the mathematical formulation of the model and some of the basic test cases used for model validation. Part II (this part) details a significant number of test cases that have been used to validate the transition model for turbomachinery and aerodynamic applications, including the drag crisis of a cylinder, separation-induced transition on a circular leading edge, and natural transition on a wind turbine airfoil. Turbomachinery test cases include a highly loaded compressor cascade, a low-pressure turbine blade, a transonic turbine guide vane, a 3D annular compressor cascade, and unsteady transition due to wake impingement. In addition, predictions are shown for an actual industrial application, namely, a GE low-pressure turbine vane. In all cases, good agreement with the experiments could be achieved and the authors believe that the current model is a significant step forward in engineering transition modeling.

A rotation-curvature correction suggested earlier by Spalart and Shur (1997, “On the Sensitization of Turbulence Models to Rotation and Curvature,” Aerosp. Sci. Technol., 1(5), pp. 297–302) for the one-equation Spalart–Allmaras turbulence model is adapted to the shear stress transport model. This new version of the model (SST-CC) has been extensively tested on a wide range of both wall-bounded and free shear turbulent flows with system rotation and/or streamline curvature. Predictions of the SST-CC model are compared with available experimental and direct numerical simulations (DNS) data, on the one hand, and with the corresponding results of the original SST model and advanced Reynolds stress transport model (RSM), on the other hand. It is found that in terms of accuracy the proposed model significantly improves the original SST model and is quite competitive with the RSM, whereas its computational cost is significantly less than that of the RSM.