Influence of a k-type Roughness on the Behaviour of Turbulence in an Unsteady Channel Flow

Abstract

Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) have been carried out for a spatially fully developed turbulent channel flow with one smooth wall and one k-type rough-wall surface to study the influence of a square bar roughness on the behaviour of unsteady turbulent flow. The flow state under investigation is a uniform acceleration from an initially steady turbulent flow. Results are compared with simulations of flows in a smooth wall channel undergoing a similar acceleration, and with quasi-steady behaviour obtained using steady flow simulations. The turbulence in the wall region and the buffer layer of an accelerating flow with a rough wall shows strikingly different behaviour from that of corresponding flows with smooth walls. The characteristic long delays in the response of the streamwise turbulent velocity and the different behaviours of the three turbulent velocity components that are exhibited in smooth wall flows are not seen in the rough wall flow. This is attributed to different turbulent production mechanisms in the two types of flows. Important differences are also seen in the wall shear stress responses one wall is rough and when both walls are smooth.