diff --git a/dumux/freeflow/rans/zeroeq/CMakeLists.txt b/dumux/freeflow/rans/zeroeq/CMakeLists.txt
index 379e2f5d0a69ddb283fea0c3ba95604a24813f89..24c5d3e332d68b052fc221df413c8cf9e4b0aec6 100644
--- a/dumux/freeflow/rans/zeroeq/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/dumux/freeflow/rans/zeroeq/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 #install headers
 install(FILES
 model.hh
-models.hh
 problem.hh
 volumevariables.hh
 DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_INCLUDEDIR}/dumux/freeflow/rans/zeroeq)
diff --git a/dumux/freeflow/rans/zeroeq/model.hh b/dumux/freeflow/rans/zeroeq/model.hh
index 07b55e954a409db7aa5fd8840940635103053664..b0d647ba4d0f9fb127dc5b03093499d13619f182 100644
--- a/dumux/freeflow/rans/zeroeq/model.hh
+++ b/dumux/freeflow/rans/zeroeq/model.hh
@@ -27,7 +27,10 @@
  * These models calculate the eddy viscosity without solving additional PDEs,
  * only based on the wall distance and the velocity gradient.
  *
- * \copydoc Dumux::EddyViscosityModels
+ * The following models are available:
+ *  -# Prandtl's mixing length, e.g. \cite Oertel2012a
+ *  -# Van-Driest modification, \cite vanDriest1956a and \cite Hanna1981a
+ *  -# Baldwin-Lomax, \cite Baldwin1978a
  */
 
 #ifndef DUMUX_ZEROEQ_MODEL_HH
diff --git a/dumux/freeflow/rans/zeroeq/models.hh b/dumux/freeflow/rans/zeroeq/models.hh
deleted file mode 100644
index 15fa56e090ec3b0d72cfaa9731ca3301f0b821a1..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
--- a/dumux/freeflow/rans/zeroeq/models.hh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,49 +0,0 @@
-// -*- mode: C++; tab-width: 4; indent-tabs-mode: nil; c-basic-offset: 4 -*-
-// vi: set et ts=4 sw=4 sts=4:
-/*****************************************************************************
- *   See the file COPYING for full copying permissions.                      *
- *                                                                           *
- *   This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify    *
- *   it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by    *
- *   the Free Software Foundation, either version 2 of the License, or       *
- *   (at your option) any later version.                                     *
- *                                                                           *
- *   This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,         *
- *   but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of          *
- *   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the            *
- *   GNU General Public License for more details.                            *
- *                                                                           *
- *   You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License       *
- *   along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.   *
- *****************************************************************************/
-/*!
- * \file
- * \ingroup ZeroEqModel
- * \copydoc Dumux::EddyViscosityModels
- */
-#ifndef DUMUX_ZEROEQ_MODELS_HH
-#define DUMUX_ZEROEQ_MODELS_HH
-
-namespace Dumux {
-
-/*!
- * \ingroup ZeroEqModel
- * \brief The available 0-eq. eddy viscosity models.
- *
- * The following models are available:
- *  -# Prandtl's mixing length, e.g. \cite Oertel2012a
- *  -# Van-Driest modification, \cite vanDriest1956a and \cite Hanna1981a
- *  -# Baldwin-Lomax, \cite Baldwin1978a
- */
-class EddyViscosityModels
-{
-public:
-    static constexpr int none = 0;
-    static constexpr int prandtl = 1;
-    static constexpr int modifiedVanDriest = 2;
-    static constexpr int baldwinLomax = 3;
-};
-
-} // end namespace Dumux
-
-#endif
diff --git a/dumux/freeflow/rans/zeroeq/problem.hh b/dumux/freeflow/rans/zeroeq/problem.hh
index 5382d415af736b60e2d4590a6011cf79b78c84be..4db036eb3310a333030ab7c9e846d5561f0ce961 100644
--- a/dumux/freeflow/rans/zeroeq/problem.hh
+++ b/dumux/freeflow/rans/zeroeq/problem.hh
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@
 #ifndef DUMUX_ZEROEQ_PROBLEM_HH
 #define DUMUX_ZEROEQ_PROBLEM_HH
 
+#include <string>
+
 #include <dumux/common/properties.hh>
 #include <dumux/common/staggeredfvproblem.hh>
 #include <dumux/discretization/localview.hh>
@@ -32,7 +34,6 @@
 #include <dumux/freeflow/rans/problem.hh>
 
 #include "model.hh"
-#include "models.hh"
 
 namespace Dumux {
 
@@ -77,7 +78,7 @@ public:
     ZeroEqProblem(std::shared_ptr<const FVGridGeometry> fvGridGeometry, const std::string& paramGroup = "")
     : ParentType(fvGridGeometry, paramGroup)
     {
-        eddyViscosityModel_ = getParamFromGroup<int>(paramGroup, "RANS.EddyViscosityModel", 1);
+        eddyViscosityModel_ = getParamFromGroup<std::string>(paramGroup, "RANS.EddyViscosityModel", "vanDriest");
     }
 
     /*!
@@ -127,7 +128,7 @@ public:
                 volVars.update(elemSol, asImp_(), element, scv);
 
                 Scalar ksPlus = this->sandGrainRoughness_[elementID] * volVars.uStar() / volVars.kinematicViscosity();
-                if (ksPlus > 0 && eddyViscosityModel_ == EddyViscosityModels::baldwinLomax)
+                if (ksPlus > 0 && eddyViscosityModel_.compare("baldwinLomax") == 0)
                 {
                     DUNE_THROW(Dune::NotImplemented, "Roughness is not implemented for the Baldwin-Lomax model.");
                 }
@@ -151,7 +152,7 @@ public:
         }
 
         // update routine for specfic models
-        if (eddyViscosityModel_ == EddyViscosityModels::baldwinLomax)
+        if (eddyViscosityModel_.compare("baldwinLomax") == 0)
             updateBaldwinLomaxProperties();
     }
 
@@ -265,7 +266,7 @@ public:
     }
 
 public:
-    int eddyViscosityModel_;
+    std::string eddyViscosityModel_;
     std::vector<Scalar> kinematicEddyViscosity_;
     std::vector<Scalar> additionalRoughnessLength_;
 
diff --git a/dumux/freeflow/rans/zeroeq/volumevariables.hh b/dumux/freeflow/rans/zeroeq/volumevariables.hh
index aabe2bcbce0c6bb245b3fc8d916c7a5fb203b39b..4f61a3d95f3eca7099053bef421956e3b9ecf374 100644
--- a/dumux/freeflow/rans/zeroeq/volumevariables.hh
+++ b/dumux/freeflow/rans/zeroeq/volumevariables.hh
@@ -25,9 +25,10 @@
 #ifndef DUMUX_ZEROEQ_VOLUME_VARIABLES_HH
 #define DUMUX_ZEROEQ_VOLUME_VARIABLES_HH
 
+#include <string>
+
 #include <dune/common/exceptions.hh>
 #include <dumux/freeflow/rans/volumevariables.hh>
-#include "models.hh"
 
 namespace Dumux
 {
@@ -94,7 +95,7 @@ public:
         RANSParentType::updateRANSProperties(elemSol, problem, element, scv);
         additionalRoughnessLength_ = problem.additionalRoughnessLength_[RANSParentType::elementID()];
         yPlusRough_ = wallDistanceRough() * RANSParentType::uStar() / RANSParentType::kinematicViscosity();
-        dynamicEddyViscosity_ = calculateEddyViscosity(elemSol, problem, element, scv);
+        dynamicEddyViscosity_ = calculateEddyViscosity(elemSol, problem, element, scv, problem.eddyViscosityModel_);
         calculateEddyDiffusivity(problem);
     }
 
@@ -129,12 +130,14 @@ public:
      * \param problem The object specifying the problem which ought to be simulated
      * \param element An element which contains part of the control volume
      * \param scv The sub-control volume
+     * \param modelName The name of the used model
      */
     template<class ElementSolution, class Problem, class Element, class SubControlVolume>
     Scalar calculateEddyViscosity(const ElementSolution &elemSol,
                                   const Problem &problem,
                                   const Element &element,
-                                  const SubControlVolume& scv)
+                                  const SubControlVolume& scv,
+                                  const std::string modelName)
     {
         using std::abs;
         using std::exp;
@@ -144,30 +147,30 @@ public:
         unsigned int wallNormalAxis = problem.wallNormalAxis_[RANSParentType::elementID()];
         Scalar velGrad = abs(RANSParentType::velocityGradients()[flowNormalAxis][wallNormalAxis]);
 
-        if (problem.eddyViscosityModel_ == EddyViscosityModels::none)
+        if (modelName.compare("none") == 0)
         {
             // kinematicEddyViscosity = 0.0
         }
-        else if (problem.eddyViscosityModel_ == EddyViscosityModels::prandtl)
+        else if (modelName.compare("prandtl") == 0)
         {
             Scalar mixingLength = problem.karmanConstant() * wallDistanceRough();
             kinematicEddyViscosity = mixingLength * mixingLength * velGrad;
         }
-        else if (problem.eddyViscosityModel_ == EddyViscosityModels::modifiedVanDriest)
+        else if (modelName.compare("vanDriest") == 0)
         {
             Scalar mixingLength = problem.karmanConstant() * wallDistanceRough()
                                   * (1.0 - exp(-yPlusRough() / 26.0))
                                   / sqrt(1.0 - exp(-0.26 * yPlusRough()));
             kinematicEddyViscosity = mixingLength * mixingLength * velGrad;
         }
-        else if (problem.eddyViscosityModel_ == EddyViscosityModels::baldwinLomax)
+        else if (modelName.compare("baldwinLomax") == 0)
         {
             kinematicEddyViscosity = problem.kinematicEddyViscosity_[RANSParentType::elementID()];
         }
         else
         {
             DUNE_THROW(Dune::NotImplemented,
-                       "This eddy viscosity model is not implemented: " << problem.eddyViscosityModel_);
+                       "The eddy viscosity model \"" << modelName << "\" is not implemented.");
         }
 
         return kinematicEddyViscosity * NavierStokesParentType::density();
diff --git a/test/freeflow/rans/test_pipe_laufer.input b/test/freeflow/rans/test_pipe_laufer.input
index f11416bc5e421ece71de718dd61395f5decd2ef2..20eba371cd6346cf8e36120fb1e68b51c01236de 100644
--- a/test/freeflow/rans/test_pipe_laufer.input
+++ b/test/freeflow/rans/test_pipe_laufer.input
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ EnableGravity = false
 SandGrainRoughness = 0.0 # [m] # not implemented for EddyViscosityModel = 3
 
 [RANS]
-EddyViscosityModel = 3
+EddyViscosityModel = "baldwinLomax"
 UseStoredEddyViscosity = false
 
 [Assembly]
diff --git a/test/freeflow/rans/test_pipe_laufer_reference.input b/test/freeflow/rans/test_pipe_laufer_reference.input
index 262dceb9fe3d8f24e99d50df255f9d4828c8d417..daedf5780a50ae6f23e8d3bb9d4bc9febd3898b9 100644
--- a/test/freeflow/rans/test_pipe_laufer_reference.input
+++ b/test/freeflow/rans/test_pipe_laufer_reference.input
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ InletVelocity = 2.5 # [m/s]
 EnableGravity = false
 
 [RANS]
-EddyViscosityModel = 3
+EddyViscosityModel = "baldwinLomax"
 
 [Assembly]
 NumericDifferenceMethod = 0
diff --git a/test/freeflow/rans/test_pipe_zeroeqni.input b/test/freeflow/rans/test_pipe_zeroeqni.input
index 77273d9aedd52417e2845b762f3858c1799c78a0..924d1259068a63aa870eca9865b69c759c6b2e03 100644
--- a/test/freeflow/rans/test_pipe_zeroeqni.input
+++ b/test/freeflow/rans/test_pipe_zeroeqni.input
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ WallTemperature = 303.15 # [K]
 EnableGravity = false
 
 [RANS]
-EddyViscosityModel = 3
+EddyViscosityModel = "baldwinLomax"
 
 [Assembly]
 NumericDifferenceMethod = 0
diff --git a/test/freeflow/ransnc/test_flatplate2c.input b/test/freeflow/ransnc/test_flatplate2c.input
index 0098301d0693d90cb8bcf3fdc05ce13d2d3fef9d..0651ae51e6d6b266766d4468903d87a2940b4fb5 100644
--- a/test/freeflow/ransnc/test_flatplate2c.input
+++ b/test/freeflow/ransnc/test_flatplate2c.input
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ InletVelocity = 0.1 # [m/s]
 EnableGravity = false
 
 [RANS]
-EddyViscosityModel = 3
+EddyViscosityModel = "baldwinLomax"
 TurbulentSchmidtNumber = 0.7
 
 [Assembly]
diff --git a/test/freeflow/ransnc/test_flatplate2cni.input b/test/freeflow/ransnc/test_flatplate2cni.input
index d3640ff2e28f0fff9c953e1fbe598a44926d5594..b23acfd7ee636916bc0126169bb926412cb8b552 100644
--- a/test/freeflow/ransnc/test_flatplate2cni.input
+++ b/test/freeflow/ransnc/test_flatplate2cni.input
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ InletVelocity = 0.1 # [m/s]
 EnableGravity = false
 
 [RANS]
+EddyViscosityModel = "prandtl"
 TurbulentSchmidtNumber = 0.7
 TurbulentPrandtlNumber = 0.85