Toward Physically-Rigorous and Credible Scale-Resolving Turbulence Simulations: Systematic Assessment with the Partially Averaged Navier-Stokes (PANS) Method
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Establishing trust in turbulence simulations for complex flows demands not only careful grid convergence, but also rigorous physical credibility of resolved scales. The Partially Averaged Navier-Stokes (PANS) method provides a rigorous, variable-resolution framework that bridges RANS, LES, and DNS by systematically reducing the unresolved-to-total kinetic energy ratio (fk) enabling unambiguous control of both physical and numerical resolution. In this presentation, we demonstrate a comprehensive strategy for Verification, Validation, and Uncertainty Quantification (VV-UQ) in scale-resolving simulation, drawing on recent advances and validated benchmark studies. By systematically decreasing fk alongside grid refinement, we present evidence of robust convergence of key quantities of interest (QoI)—including forces, integral turbulence statistics, and resolved spectral content. Crucially, we leverage physically grounded proxies—production-to-dissipation ratio (P/ε) and strain-to-dissipation ratio (Sk/ε)—as a posteriori diagnostics for assessing local and global adequacy of physical resolution. When these metrics approach their theoretically expected values, confidence is established that the dynamically relevant motions have been sufficiently resolved. Our findings establish that when both grid and fk are systematically controlled, and when physical resolution diagnostics are satisfied, convergence of QoI is achieved—yielding intrinsic, model-agnostic VV-UQ. This physically principled strategy advances the credibility and transparency of hybrid turbulence simulations, and offers a template for best practices in the deployment of PANS and next-generation variable-resolution models.
