Cascade turbine T106C setup and initialization

Hello,

I’ve recently started using PyFR and wanted to move beyond the tutorials to something a bit more challenging. I chose the well-known T106C test case, using the baseline mesh from the HiOCFD5 workshop (21k hex elements).

I’ve read on this forum that the T106C requires a rather careful flow initialization. I’ve tried several approaches, but so far none have been stable:

  • p-progression (p0 → p1 → …): blows up

  • p-progression with entropy filter: still blows up

  • p-controller: too intrusive

  • starting directly at p=1: blows up as well

Interestingly, the solution looks reasonably physical and transient before the solver diverges.

Below I’ve included my .ini file. Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Andrea

[backend]

precision = single

[constants]

gamma = 1.4

mu = 0.000008

Pr = 0.71

[solver]

system = navier-stokes

order = 1

;anti-alias = flux

viscosity-correction = none

shock-capturing = none

[solver-time-integrator]

formulation = std

scheme = rk45

controller = none

atol = 1e-5

rtol= 1e-5

tstart = 0

tend = 200.00

dt = 0.00005

[soln-plugin-dtstats]

flushsteps = 100

file = dtstats.csv

header = true

[solver-interfaces]

riemann-solver = rusanov

ldg-beta = 0.5

ldg-tau = 0.1

[solver-interfaces-quad]

flux-pts = gauss-legendre

[solver-elements-hex]

soln-pts = gauss-legendre

[soln-plugin-nancheck]

nsteps = 1

[soln-plugin-writer]

dt-out = 1

basedir = ./output

basename = t106c-{t:.2f}

[solver-entropy-filter]

d-min = 1e-6

p-min = 1e-6

e-tol = 1e-6

niters = 2

formulation = nonlinear

[soln-bcs-inlet]

type = sub-in-ftpttang

pt = 1

cpTt = 3.5

theta = 32.7

phi = 90

;[soln-bcs-inlet]

;type = sub-in-frv

;rho = 0.816

;u = 0.6214730

;v = 0.3989786

;w = 0.0

[soln-bcs-outlet]

type = sub-out-fp

p = 0.753

[soln-bcs-wall]

type = no-slp-adia-wall

[soln-ics]

rho = 0.8

u = 0.0

v = 0.0

w = 0.0

p = 0.753

[soln-plugin-fluidforce-wall]

nsteps = 10

file = blade-forces.csv

header = true

quad-deg = 6

morigin = (0.0, 0.0, 0.5)

See this manuscript for a description of a start-up procedure:

http://aero-comlab.stanford.edu/Papers/witherden_jameson_aiaaj_2019.pdf

Your initial conditions are also somewhat aggressive in terms of having zero velocity. Try with an initial velocity closer to what would be in the domain if the blade was not present.

Regards, Freddie.

Many thanks! I managed to make it run. Now goes pretty smoothly and fast.
Starting with a lower Re at p1 helps. Then I moved to p2 at Re 80000. At the outlet I used just a pressure outlet BC.
Regards
Andrea