On mean flow universality of turbulent wall flows. II. Asymptotic flow analysis

Abstract

ABSTRACTUnderstanding of the structure of turbulent flows at extreme Reynolds numbers (Re) is relevant because of several reasons: almost all turbulence theories are only valid in the high Re limit, and most turbulent flows of practical relevance are characterized by very high Re. Specific questions about wall-bounded turbulent flows at extreme Re concern the asymptotic laws of the mean velocity and turbulence statistics, their universality, the convergence of statistics towards their asymptotic profiles, and the overall physical flow organization. In extension of recent studies focusing on the mean flow at moderate and relatively high Re, the latter questions are addressed with respect to three canonical wall-bounded flows (channel flow, pipe flow, and the zero-pressure gradient turbulent boundary layer). Main results reported here are the asymptotic logarithmic law for the mean velocity and corresponding scale-separation laws for bulk flow properties, the Reynolds shear stress, the turbulence production and turbulent viscosity. A scaling analysis indicates that the establishment of a self-similar turbulence state is the condition for the development of a strict logarithmic velocity profile. The resulting overall physical flow structure at extreme Re is discussed.