Local analysis of the clustering, velocities, and accelerations of particles settling in turbulence

Abstract

Using 3D Vorono\text{\"i} analysis, we explore the local dynamics of small, settling, inertial particles in isotropic turbulence using Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS). We independently vary the Taylor Reynolds number $R_\lambda \in[90,398]$, Froude number $Fr\equiv a_\eta/g\in[0.052,\infty]$ (where $a_\eta$ is the Kolmogorov acceleration, and $g$ is the acceleration due to gravity), and Kolmogorov scale Stokes number $St\equiv\tau_p/\tau_\eta\in[0,3]$. In agreement with previous results using global measures of particle clustering, such as the Radial Distribution Function (RDF), we find that for small Vorono\text{\"i} volumes (corresponding to the most clustered particles), the behavior is strongly dependent upon $St$ and $Fr$, but only weakly dependent upon $R_\lambda$, unless $St>1$. However, larger Vorono\text{\"i} volumes (void regions) exhibit a much stronger dependence on $R_\lambda$, even when $St\leq 1$, and we show that this, rather than the behavior at small volumes, is the cause of the sensitivity of the standard deviation of the Vorono\text{\"i} volumes that has been previously reported. We also show that the largest contribution to the particle settling velocities is associated with increasingly larger Vorono\text{\"i} volumes as the settling parameter $Sv\equiv St/Fr$ is increased. Our local analysis of the acceleration statistics of settling inertial particles shows that clustered particles experience a net acceleration in the direction of gravity, while particles in void regions experience the opposite. The particle acceleration variance, however, is a convex function of the Vorono\text{\"i} volumes, with or without gravity, which seems to indicate a non-trivial relationship between the Vorono\text{\"i} volumes and the sizes of the turbulent flow scales. Results for the variance of the fluid acceleration at the inertial particle "..."