Well-resolved Large-Eddy Simulations (LES) of a pseudo-shock system in the divergent part of a Laval nozzle with rectangular cross section are conducted and compared with experimental results. The LES matches the parameter set of a reference experiment. Details of the experiment, such as planar side walls, are taken into account, all wall boundary layers are well-resolved and no wall model is used. The Adaptive Local Deconvolution Method (ALDM) with shock sensor is employed for subgrid-scale turbulence modeling and shock capturing. The LES results are validated against experimental wall-pressure measurements and schlieren pictures. A detailed discussion of the complex flow phenomena of three-dimensional shock-wave-boundary-layer interaction, including corner vortices and recirculation zones, is presented. Limitations of RANS approaches are discussed with reference to the LES results.

We present a high fidelity Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) of a pseudo-shock system in the divergent part of a Laval nozzle with rectangular cross section. The parallel side walls are taken into account, all wall boundary layers are well resolved and no wall model is used. For the first time it was possible to perform a wall-resolved LES for the same parameter set of a reference experiment. The results are validated against experimental wall-pressure measurements and schlieren pictures. Detailed insight into the complex 3-D flow phenomena including corner vortices and recirculation zones is presented. Differences between our LES and RANS simulations are discussed.