Using Proper Orthogonal Decomposition Methods for Comparing CFD Results to Experimental Measurements

This work presents a method for quantitative comparison of numerical results to experimental measurements. It is based on the concept of Proper Orthogonal Decomposition. This technique is selected in order to compare the unsteady aerodynamic flows around static and oscillating bodies obtained from wind tunnel testing and numerical simulations. Two dimensional Time-resolved Particle Image Velocimetry measurements are carried out on the upper surface a 4:1 rectangular cylinder. Simulations are performed using unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes and an unsteady Discrete Vortex Method. It is demonstrated that the proposed technique is a good preliminary step for comparing the main characteristics of unsteady aerodynamic data.