CFD Simulation of Ground Vortex Intake Test Case using ANSYS FLUENT

The primary objective of this paper is to assess the ability of the general purpose CFD code, ANSYS Fluent, to predict ground vortex effects when an intake is placed near the ground and under crosswind conditions as defined by the 5th Propulsion Aerodynamics Workshop (PAW-05). Three crosswind speed configurations are studied. A hierarchy of workshop-supplied computational meshes is employed to perform mesh-independence studies. The anisotropic mesh adaptation module, ANSYS OptiGrid, is applied to precisely capture the ground and trailing vortices formed at the intake. The general-purpose k-ω Shear Stress Transport (SST) turbulence model is used to perform all simulations. Numerical predictions of total pressure recovery and distortion coefficient are compared against existing experimental data at a plane representative of the fan face at the engine intake, the Aerodynamic Interface Plane (AIP). In addition, incoming boundary layer profiles, surface static pressure plots, flow field contours and streamlines are used to study the complex physics generated by the presence of the intake in close proximity to the ground.