Parallel High-Order Adaptive Mesh Refinement Finite-Volume Schemes for Multi-Scale Physically-Complex Flows

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Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has proven to be an important enabling technology in many areas of science and engineering. Despite the numerous advances, there is still a wide variety of multi-scale, physically-complex flows that remain both poorly understood and which have proven to be very challenging to predict by computational means. Such flows would include but are not limited to: (i) turbulent and reactive flows encountered in advanced aerospace propulsion, more general transportation, as well as stationary power generation systems; (ii) high-speed compressible flows of gases and conducting fluids and plasmas; and (iii) micro-scale and/or rarefied non-equilibrium flows among others. As with all multi-scale processes, the small-scale physics directly impacts the observed large-scale behaviour. In order to enable the more routine solution of multi-scale, physically-complex flows for practical engineering applications, further and rather significant advances in numerical methods and CFD algorithm design are required. The proposed research will therefore focus on the further development of a novel class or family of highly-scalable, parallel, adaptive mesh refinement (AMR), high-order, finite-volume schemes for the prediction of multi-scale, physically-complex flows on multi-block, body-fitted, unstructured, and hybrid computational meshes using new and emerging HPC architectures. The applicant's recent advances in high-order spatial discreatization procedures, anisotropic and hybrid AMR meshing strategies with local solution-dependent refinement, and efficient parallel algorithm design in the last 4-6 year period will provide the basis for the research moving forward. Key elements of the research will include: (i) the further development of isotropic and anisotropic AMR techniques for the treatment of complex geometries and interfaces using hybrid (structured and unstructured) multi-block grids where the mesh refinement is directed by adjoint-based estimates of the solution error; (ii) the enhancement and extension of high-order finite-volume spatial coupled with high-order temporal discretization schemes for improved solution accuracy on both anisotropic and hybrid AMR meshes; (iii) the development of improved parallel implicit time-marching methods using multi-level preconditioning techniques; and (iv) the design of efficient and scalable parallel methods for effective use of heterogeneous multi-core systems with floating-point accelerators. The potential, capabilities, and performance of the proposed computational tools for multi-scale, physically-complex problems will be assessed through application to the prediction of laminar and turbulent reactive flows, non-equilibrium micro-channel flows, as well as high-speed space plasma flows. It is anticipated that the results arising from the research will lead to a more than one order of magnitude improvement in efficiency when compared to CFD algorithms in current use, both in terms of computational performance and resolution capabilities. This will enable the more routine prediction of a far wider range of physically complex flows for many more practical problems. For aerospace propulsion and other transportation system applications, improved prediction of turbulent combusting flows in gas-turbine combustors would lead to improved aircraft engines with lower emissions, reduced noise output, lower fuel consumption, and less environmental impact. In particular, the proposed research will greatly enhance and find application in the applicant's on-going research partnerships and collaborations with two leading manufacturers of gas turbine engines: Pratt & Whitney Canada and Rolls-Royce Canada.