The study of droplet‐laden turbulent airflow over waved water surface by direct numerical simulation

Abstract

AbstractThe objective of the present paper is to elucidate possible effects of sea spray on the momentum transfer in marine boundary layer under strong wind forcing conditions by performing direct numerical simulation (DNS) of turbulent, droplet‐laden airflow over a waved water surface. Three‐dimensional, turbulent Couette airflow is considered in DNS as a model of a constant‐flux layer in the atmospheric surface layer. Two‐dimensional stationary waves at the water surface are prescribed and assumed to be unaffected by the airflow and/or droplets. Droplets are considered as nondeformable spheres and tracked in a Lagrangian framework, and their impact on the carrier flow is modeled with the use of a point‐force approximation. The results show that drops dynamics and their impact on the carrier airflow is controlled by the drops velocity at injection, the ratio of drops gravitational settling velocity versus the product of air friction velocity and Karman constant ( ), and the wave slope, ka. Drops injected into the flow with the surrounding airflow velocity reduce the turbulent air‐stress and increase mean air velocity as compared to the droplet‐free case. On the other hand, the opposite effect is observed for drops injected with velocity equal to the water surface velocity, which increase the turbulent air stress and reduce the mean wind velocity. This modification of the airflow by drops is most pronounced for the ratio , increases with drops mass loading, and is reduced for steeper waves and smaller settling velocity.