Non-explicit large eddy simulations of turbulent channel flows from [formula omitted] up to [formula omitted

Abstract

This numerical study based on high-order finite-difference schemes presents LES-NWR (Large Eddy Simulation with near-wall resolution) of turbulent channel flows up to Reτ=5200 using non-explicit approaches for which numerical dissipation is introduced via the discretisation of viscous terms of the Navier-Stokes equations. These models are cheaper than explicit LES models as no extra terms are needed in the equations to account for the contribution of the unresolved scales. The Approximate Deconvolution Method with Relaxation Term (ADM-RT) approach is also assessed and the present LES data are compared with reference Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) data for first and second order moments as well as for the turbulent kinetic energy budget. Even if the viscous sublayer is not resolved, the proposed non-explicit LES approaches are in excellent agreement with the reference DNS data and to a certain extent with the ADM-RT model, for a fraction of the cost of the DNS. The proposed non-explicit models, for which the possibility to locally adjust the added numerical dissipation is investigated, are straightforward to implement and come with a negligible additional computational cost while the ADM-RT model is 30% more expensive than the non-explicit models.The parameters of the models are defined before the simulations and no modifications of the parameters are needed when the Reynolds number and the mesh resolution are changed. It is shown that a modulation of the magnitude of the numerical dissipation in time and in space is not necessarily needed, at least for the mesh resolutions and Reynolds numbers considered in the present study. The main conclusion is that non-explicit models can replace advantageously explicit models when high-order finite-difference methods are used. They can generate accurate LES-NWR of turbulent channel flows over a wide range of Reynolds numbers at a fraction of a cost of DNS.