An investigation of anisotropy in the bubbly turbulent flow via direct numerical simulations

Abstract

We investigated the effects of bubble count, flow direction, and Eötvös number on deformable bubbles in turbulent channel flow. For a given shear Reynolds number Re = 180 and fixed bubble volume fractions (1.263% and 2.525%), we conducted a series of direct numerical simulations using a coupled level-set and volume-of-fluid solver to evaluate their impact on bubble volume fraction distribution, velocity fields, and turbulence characteristics. Each aspect was studied based on the microscopic equations of two-phase flow, and the accuracy of the modeling terms used in current Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equation (RANS) models was assessed. The influence on the anisotropic state was analyzed using the Lumley triangle, and the anisotropy of Reynolds stresses was captured through the exact balance equations. The results indicate that in upward flow, bubbles tend to accumulate near the wall, with smaller Eötvös numbers leading to closer proximity to the wall and greater attenuation of the liquid-phase velocity. This distribution enhances energy dissipation and turbulence isotropy. In downward flow, bubbles cluster in the channel center, generating additional pseudo-turbulence and attenuating energy in the buffer layer. Moreover, the interfacial transfer of turbulent energy, as currently modeled in RANS, is found to be inadequate for upward flows.