An investigation of turbulent open channel flow with heat transfer by large eddy simulation

Abstract

Large eddy simulation of fully developed turbulent open channel flow with heat transfer is performed. The three-dimensional filtered Navier–Stokes and energy equations are numerically solved using a fractional-step method. Dynamic subgrid-scale (SGS) models for the turbulent SGS stress and heat flux are employed to close the governing equations. Two typical temperature boundary conditions, i.e., constant temperature and constant heat flux being maintained at the free surface, respectively, are used. The objective of this study is to explore the behavior of heat transfer in the turbulent open channel flow for different temperature boundary conditions and to examine the reliability of the LES technique for predicting turbulent heat transfer at the free surface, in particular, for high Prandtl number. Calculated parameters are chosen as the Prandtl number ( Pr) from 1 up to 100, the Reynolds number ( Re τ ) 180 based on the wall friction velocity and the channel depth. Some typical quantities, including the mean velocity, temperature and their fluctuations, heat transfer coefficients, turbulent heat fluxes, and flow structures based on the velocity, vorticity and temperature fluctuations, are analyzed.