Reynolds number effect on the velocity derivative flatness factor

Abstract

This paper investigates the effect of a finite Reynolds number (FRN) on the flatness factor ($F$) of the velocity derivative in decaying homogeneous isotropic turbulence by applying the eddy damped quasi-normal Markovian (EDQNM) method to calculate all terms in an analytic expression for $F$ (Djenidi et al., Phys. Fluids, vol. 29 (5), 2017b, 051702). These terms and hence $F$ become constant when the Taylor microscale Reynolds number, $Re_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}}$ exceeds approximately $10^{4}$. For smaller values of $Re_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}}$, $F$, like the skewness $-S$, increases with $Re_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}}$; this behaviour is in quantitative agreement with experimental and direct numerical simulation data. These results indicate that one must first ensure that $Re_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}}$ is large enough for the FRN effect to be negligibly small before the hypotheses of Kolmogorov (Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR, vol. 30, 1941a, pp. 301–305; Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR, vol. 32, 1941b, pp. 16–18; J. Fluid Mech., vol. 13, 1962, pp. 82–85) can be assessed unambiguously. An obvious implication is that results from experiments and direct numerical simulations for which $Re_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}}$ is well below $10^{4}$ may not be immune from the FRN effect. Another implication is that a power-law increase of $F$ with respect to $Re_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}}$, as suggested by the Kolmogorov 1962 theory, is not tenable when $Re_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}}$ is large enough.