Numerical Simulation of Three-Dimensional Laminar Flow Over a Backward Facing Step: Flow Near Side Walls

This paper reports the results of numerical simulations of steady, laminar flow over a backward-faclng step. The governing equations used in the simulations are the full "compressible" Navier-Stokes equations, solutions to which were computed by using a cell-centered, finite volume discretlzation. The convection terms of the governing equations were approximated with an accurate, hybrid flux-vector splitting flux-difference splitting scheme (second order upwind differencing). The validity and accuracy of the numerical solutions were verified by comparing the results to existing experimental data for flow at identical Reynolds numbers in the same backstep geometry. The paper focuses attention on the details of the flow field near the side wall of the geometry.