SU2 NACA0012 Transitional flow simulation Convergence Issues
 

Hey,

I am attempting to simulate a 2D NACA0012 aerofoil using the SU2 SA BC-transitional model under low Re, incompressible flow with the following conditions below, an image of the SU2 setup printout is also attached to this post:

Re = 3e5
Density = 1.225 kg/m^3
Velocity = 4.38 m/s at zero angle of attack
Viscosity = 1.789e-05
Chord Length = 1m


The purpose is to evaluate CD, CL and transition location along the aerofoil chord. However the simulation struggles to converge, Below is a list of parameters I have tested to attempt to gain convergence,

Fixed CFL: Ran at values ranging from 0.2 to 50 with no success.
Adaptive CFL: Resulted in residual oscillations of RMS values.
Multigrid: Ran at MGLEVEL of 0,2,3 testing V_CYCLE and W_CYCLE resulted in divergence occurring.

I was wondering how I can help improve the convergence, thanks in advance for any suggestions on how to do so.

Mesh: Mesh used for this simulation was taken from the Turbulent NACA0012 SU2 tutorial
Link: https://su2code.github.io/tutorials/...lent_NACA0012/


SU2 cfg below:

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
% %
% SU2 configuration file %
% Case description: 2D NACA 0012 Airfoil SA BC Transitional model %
% Author: --
% Date: -- %
% File Version 7.3.1 "Blackbird" %
% %
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

% ------------- DIRECT, ADJOINT, AND LINEARIZED PROBLEM DEFINITION ------------%
%
% Physical governing equations (EULER, NAVIER_STOKES,
% WAVE_EQUATION, HEAT_EQUATION, FEM_ELASTICITY,
% POISSON_EQUATION)
SOLVER= INC_RANS
%
% Specify turbulent model (NONE, SA, SA_NEG, SST)
KIND_TURB_MODEL= SA
%
%Specify transition model (NONE, LM, BC)
KIND_TRANS_MODEL= BC
FREESTREAM_TURBULENCEINTENSITY = 0.0007
%
% Mathematical problem (DIRECT, CONTINUOUS_ADJOINT)
MATH_PROBLEM= DIRECT
%
% Restart solution (NO, YES)
RESTART_SOL= NO

% -------------------- INCOMPRESSIBLE FREE-STREAM DEFINITION ------------------%
%
% Free-stream density (1.2886 Kg/m^3 (air), 998.2 Kg/m^3 (water))
INC_DENSITY_INIT= 1.225
%
% Initial velocity for incompressible flows (1.0,0,0 m/s by default)
%
% AoA 0.0 deg
INC_VELOCITY_INIT= ( 4.38, 0.0, 0.0 )
%
% Non-dimensionalization scheme for incompressible flows. Options are
% INITIAL_VALUES (default), REFERENCE_VALUES, or DIMENSIONAL.
% INC_*_REF values are ignored unless REFERENCE_VALUES is chosen.
INC_NONDIM= DIMENSIONAL
%
% Reference density for incompressible flows (1.0 kg/m^3 by default)
INC_DENSITY_REF= 1.0
%
% Reference velocity for incompressible flows (1.0 m/s by default)
INC_VELOCITY_REF= 1.0
%
% Reference temperature for incompressible flows that include the
% energy equation (1.0 K by default)
INC_TEMPERATURE_REF = 1.0

% --------------------------- VISCOSITY MODEL ---------------------------------%
%
% Viscosity model (SUTHERLAND, CONSTANT_VISCOSITY).
VISCOSITY_MODEL= CONSTANT_VISCOSITY
%
% Molecular Viscosity that would be constant (1.716E-5 by default)
MU_CONSTANT= 1.789e-05

% ---------------------- REFERENCE VALUE DEFINITION ---------------------------%
%
% Reference origin for moment computation
REF_ORIGIN_MOMENT_X = 0.25
REF_ORIGIN_MOMENT_Y = 0.00
REF_ORIGIN_MOMENT_Z = 0.00
%
% Reference length for pitching, rolling, and yawing non-dimensional moment
REF_LENGTH= 1.0
%
% Reference area for force coefficients (0 implies automatic calculation)
REF_AREA= 0

% -------------------- BOUNDARY CONDITION DEFINITION --------------------------%
%
% Navier-Stokes wall boundary marker(s) (NONE = no marker)
MARKER_HEATFLUX= ( airfoil, 0.0 )
%
% Farfield boundary marker(s) (NONE = no marker)
MARKER_FAR= ( farfield )
%
% Marker(s) of the surface to be plotted or designed
MARKER_PLOTTING= ( airfoil )
%
% Marker(s) of the surface where the functional (Cd, Cl, etc.) will be evaluated
MARKER_MONITORING= ( airfoil )

% ------------- COMMON PARAMETERS DEFINING THE NUMERICAL METHOD ---------------%
%
% Numerical method for spatial gradients (GREEN_GAUSS, WEIGHTED_LEAST_SQUARES)
NUM_METHOD_GRAD= GREEN_GAUSS
%
% Courant-Friedrichs-Lewy condition of the finest grid
CFL_NUMBER= 10
%
% Adaptive CFL number (NO, YES)
CFL_ADAPT= NO
%
% Parameters of the adaptive CFL number (factor down, factor up, CFL min value,
% CFL max value )
CFL_ADAPT_PARAM= ( 0.1, 1.2, 5, 1E3 )
%
% Maximum Delta Time in local time stepping simulations
MAX_DELTA_TIME= 1e6
%
% Runge-Kutta alpha coefficients
RK_ALPHA_COEFF= ( 0.66667, 0.66667, 1.000000 )
%
% Number of total iterations
ITER= 800000

% ----------------------- SLOPE LIMITER DEFINITION ----------------------------%
%
% Coefficient for the limiter
VENKAT_LIMITER_COEFF= 0.01
%
% Coefficient for the sharp edges limiter
ADJ_SHARP_LIMITER_COEFF= 3.0
%
% Reference coefficient (sensitivity) for detecting sharp edges.
REF_SHARP_EDGES= 3.0
%
% Remove sharp edges from the sensitivity evaluation (NO, YES)
SENS_REMOVE_SHARP= NO
%
% Slope limiter for species equations (NONE, VENKATAKRISHNAN, VENKATAKRISHNAN_WANG, BARTH_JESPERSEN, VAN_ALBADA_EDGE)
SLOPE_LIMITER_SPECIES = VENKATAKRISHNAN

% ------------------------ LINEAR SOLVER DEFINITION ---------------------------%
%
% Linear solver for implicit formulations (BCGSTAB, FGMRES)
LINEAR_SOLVER= FGMRES
%
% Preconditioner of the Krylov linear solver (JACOBI, LINELET, LU_SGS)
LINEAR_SOLVER_PREC= ILU
%
% Linael solver ILU preconditioner fill-in level (0 by default)
LINEAR_SOLVER_ILU_FILL_IN= 0
%
% Minimum error of the linear solver for implicit formulations
LINEAR_SOLVER_ERROR= 1E-10
%
% Max number of iterations of the linear solver for the implicit formulation
LINEAR_SOLVER_ITER= 10

% -------------------------- MULTIGRID PARAMETERS -----------------------------%
%
% Multi-Grid Levels (0 = no multi-grid)
MGLEVEL= 0
%
% Multi-grid cycle (V_CYCLE, W_CYCLE, FULLMG_CYCLE)
MGCYCLE= W_CYCLE
%
% Multi-grid pre-smoothing level
MG_PRE_SMOOTH= ( 1, 2, 3, 3 )
%
% Multi-grid post-smoothing level
MG_POST_SMOOTH= ( 1, 1, 1, 1 )
%
% Jacobi implicit smoothing of the correction
MG_CORRECTION_SMOOTH= ( 0, 0, 0, 0 )
%
% Damping factor for the residual restriction
MG_DAMP_RESTRICTION= 0.75
%
% Damping factor for the correction prolongation
MG_DAMP_PROLONGATION= 0.75

% -------------------- FLOW NUMERICAL METHOD DEFINITION -----------------------%
%
% Convective numerical method (JST, LAX-FRIEDRICH, CUSP, ROE, AUSM, HLLC,
% TURKEL_PREC, MSW)
CONV_NUM_METHOD_FLOW= JST
%
% Monotonic Upwind Scheme for Conservation Laws (TVD) in the flow equations.
% Required for 2nd order upwind schemes (NO, YES)
MUSCL_FLOW= YES
%
% Slope limiter (VENKATAKRISHNAN, MINMOD)
SLOPE_LIMITER_FLOW= VENKATAKRISHNAN
%
% 2nd and 4th order artificial dissipation coefficients
JST_SENSOR_COEFF= ( 0.5, 0.02 )
%
% Time discretization (RUNGE-KUTTA_EXPLICIT, EULER_IMPLICIT, EULER_EXPLICIT)
TIME_DISCRE_FLOW= EULER_IMPLICIT

% -------------------- TURBULENT NUMERICAL METHOD DEFINITION ------------------%
%
% Convective numerical method (SCALAR_UPWIND)
CONV_NUM_METHOD_TURB= SCALAR_UPWIND
%
% Monotonic Upwind Scheme for Conservation Laws (TVD) in the turbulence equations.
% Required for 2nd order upwind schemes (NO, YES)
MUSCL_TURB= NO
%
% Slope limiter (VENKATAKRISHNAN, MINMOD)
SLOPE_LIMITER_TURB= VENKATAKRISHNAN
%
% Time discretization (EULER_IMPLICIT)
TIME_DISCRE_TURB= EULER_IMPLICIT


% --------------------------- CONVERGENCE PARAMETERS --------------------------%
%
% Convergence criteria (CAUCHY, RESIDUAL)
CONV_FIELD= RMS_PRESSURE
%
% Min value of the residual (log10 of the residual)
CONV_RESIDUAL_MINVAL= -14
%
% Start convergence criteria at iteration number
CONV_STARTITER= 10
%
% Number of elements to apply the criteria
CONV_CAUCHY_ELEMS= 100
%
% Epsilon to control the series convergence
CONV_CAUCHY_EPS= 1E-6

% ------------------------- INPUT/OUTPUT INFORMATION --------------------------%
%
% Mesh input file
MESH_FILENAME= n0012_2D.su2
%
% Mesh input file format (SU2, CGNS, NETCDF_ASCII)
MESH_FORMAT= SU2
%
% Mesh output file
MESH_OUT_FILENAME= mesh_out.su2
%
% Restart flow input file
SOLUTION_FILENAME= solution_flow.dat
%
% Restart adjoint input file
SOLUTION_ADJ_FILENAME= solution_adj.dat
%
% Output file format (PARAVIEW, TECPLOT, STL)
TABULAR_FORMAT= CSV
%
% Output file convergence history (w/o extension)
CONV_FILENAME= history
%
% Output file restart flow
RESTART_FILENAME= restart_flow.dat
%
% Output file restart adjoint
RESTART_ADJ_FILENAME= restart_adj.dat
%
% Output file flow (w/o extension) variables
VOLUME_FILENAME= flow
%
% Output file adjoint (w/o extension) variables
VOLUME_ADJ_FILENAME= adjoint
%
% Output objective function gradient (using continuous adjoint)
GRAD_OBJFUNC_FILENAME= of_grad.dat
%
% Output file surface flow coefficient (w/o extension)
SURFACE_FILENAME= surface_flow
%
% Output file surface adjoint coefficient (w/o extension)
SURFACE_ADJ_FILENAME= surface_adjoint
%
% Writing frequency for history output
HISTORY_WRT_FREQ_INNER= 100
%
HISTORY_WRT_FREQ_OUTER= 100
%
HISTORY_WRT_FREQ_TIME= 100
%
% Writing solution frequency
OUTPUT_WRT_FREQ= 500

%
%
% Screen output
SCREEN_OUTPUT = (INNER_ITER, WALL_TIME, RMS_PRESSURE, RMS_NU_TILDE, LIFT, DRAG)
%
% Volume output fields/groups (use 'SU2_CFD -d <config_file>' to view list of available fields)
VOLUME_OUTPUT= (COORDINATES, SOLUTION, PRIMITIVE, INTERMITTENCY)
%
HISTORY_OUTPUT= ( ITER, TIME_DOMAIN, AOA, CFL_NUMBER, FLOW_COEFF, AERO_COEFF, RMS_RES )