Numerical prediction of a turbulent separated and reattaching flow in a 2-D plane channel with a one-sided abrupt expansion

A turbulent separated and reattaching flow was predicted with several, including two low-Reynolds number, kappa-epsilon models. These results were compared with the experimental result that was obtained through the use of three-dimensional particle tracking velocimetry. Although the standard model generally gives better results than the low-Reynolds model in the separated free shear layer, the latter works better in the near-wall region. Further improvement in the low-Reynolds kappa-epsilon model, particularly in the model parameters, should make its prediction of turbulent flows with separation and reattachment accurate enough for engineering applications.