Stability of k-ε model in Kolmogorov flow

  • Jiashuo GUO ,
  • Le FANG
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  • Sino-French Engineer School, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
Le FANG, E-mail: le.fang@buaa.edu.cn

Received date: 2025-07-04

  Revised date: 2025-10-20

  Online published: 2025-12-30

Supported by

Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 12372214 and U2341231)

Copyright

© Shanghai University 2026

Abstract

The Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) technique enables critical engineering predictions and is widely adopted. However, since this iterative computation relies on the fixed-point iteration, it may converge to unexpected non-physical phase points in practice. We conduct an analysis on the phase-space characteristics and the fixed-point theory underlying the k-ε turbulence model, and employ the classical Kolmogorov flow as a framework, leveraging its direct numerical simulation (DNS) data to construct a one-dimensional (1D) system under periodic/fixed boundary conditions. The RANS results demonstrate that under periodic boundary conditions, the k-ε model exhibits only a unique trivial fixed point, with asymptotes capturing the phase portraits. The stability of this trivial fixed point is determined by a mathematically derived stability phase diagram, indicating the fact that the k-ε model will never converge to correct values under periodic conditions. In contrast, under fixed boundary conditions, the model can yield a stable non-trivial fixed point. The evolutionary mechanisms and their relationship with boundary condition settings systematically explain the inherent limitations of the k-ε model, i.e., its deficiency in computing the flow field under periodic boundary conditions and sensitivity to boundary-value specifications under fixed boundary conditions. These conclusions are finally validated with the open-source code OpenFOAM.

Cite this article

Jiashuo GUO , Le FANG . Stability of k-ε model in Kolmogorov flow[J]. Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, 2026 , 47(1) : 165 -184 . DOI: 10.1007/s10483-026-3337-8

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