A Numerical Study of the Minimum-Dissipation Model for Large-Eddy Simulation in OpenFOAM

The minimum-dissipation model (QR) has been utilized in studying turbulent channel flows at Reynolds numbers Reτ of up to 2000, as well as in investigating the flow past a circular cylinder at a Reynolds number (Re) of 3900, and flow over periodic hills at Re = 10,595. In our investigations, we have employed both symmetry-preserving discretizations and standard second-order accurate discretization methods within the OpenFOAM framework. The outcomes are compared with Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) and experiment, indicating a favorable alignment between the QR results and the reference data. The findings suggest that the static QR model achieves comparable performance to dynamic models while cutting computational costs by a factor of three. The model coefficient C = 0.024 produces the most precise predictions, and as the mesh resolution increases, the influence of the subgrid model decreases, dropping to less than 20% of the molecular viscosity at the finest mesh. Furthermore, the QR model can predict the mean and root-mean-square velocity accurately up to Reτ=2000 without a wall damping function. The characteristics of turbulence strongly rely on spatial discretization methods. Various comparisons demonstrate the QR model conjugated with symmetry-preserving discretization performs better than the standard OpenFOAM discretization. Within the realm of OpenFOAM discretization, central difference schemes outperform other approaches.