Analysis Of Coherent Structures Research Articles

Analysis of coherent structures over interacting barchan dunes based on tomographic particle image velocimetry

The influence of barchan dune interaction upon unsteady flow separation and wake dynamics around the fixed-bed downstream barchan dune (DBD) model are experimentally investigated at a Reynolds number of 2640 based on the tomographic particle image velocimetry (PIV) system. The time-averaged statistics including the mean velocities, recirculation area, vortex spatial topology, Reynolds stress, and turbulent kinetic energy were used to characterize the flow field and large-scale anisotropy. It was found that arch-shaped vortex “chains” with strong spanwise coherence shedding from isolated barchan crestline populate the whole wake region, while elongated rod-shaped vortex structures with strong streamwise coherence induced by the up-downwash flow around the DBD were found to fill the whole measurement range, which is closely related to “sheltering” effect on the incoming flow acting at DBD due to the presence of upstream barchan dune (UBD). Additionally, in order to study the complex dynamic features of these predominated vortex structure transformations, time-resolved planar particle image velocimetry was applied. This technique allows for providing complementary insights into the temporal behavior of the unsteady coherent flow structures populating the wake field in different experimental configurations. It was found that the basic unsteady flapping motion, vortex roll-up, and complex vortex interactions including vortex pairing, merging, and breaking up can all be analyzed by dividing into certain scales with ease in a combination wavelet and Lagrangian framework.

Variational mode decomposition–based nonstationary coherent structure analysis for spatiotemporal data

The conventional modal analysis techniques face difficulties in handling nonstationary phenomena, such as transient, nonperiodic, or intermittent phenomena. This paper presents a variational mode decomposition–based nonstationary coherent structure (VMD-NCS) analysis that enables the extraction and analysis of coherent structures in the case of nonstationary phenomena from high-dimensional spatiotemporal data. The VMD-NCS analysis decomposes the input spatiotemporal data into intrinsic coherent structures (ICSs) that represent nonstationary spatiotemporal patterns and exhibit coherence in both spatial and temporal directions. Furthermore, unlike many conventional modal analysis techniques, the proposed method accounts for the temporal changes in the spatial distribution with time. The performance of the VMD-NCS analysis was validated based on the transient growth phenomena in the flow around a cylinder. It was confirmed that the temporal changes in the spatial distribution, depicting the transient growth of vortex shedding where fluctuations arising in the far-wake region gradually approach the near-wake region, were represented as a single ICS. Furthermore, in the analysis of the quasi-periodic flow field around a pitching airfoil, the temporal changes in the spatial distribution and the amplitude of vortex shedding behind the airfoil, influenced by the pitching motion of the airfoil, were captured as a single ICS. Additionally, the impact of two parameters that control the number of ICSs (K) and the penalty factor related to the temporal coherence (α), was investigated. The results revealed that K has a significant impact on the VMD-NCS analysis results. In the case of a relatively high K, the VMD-NCS analysis tends to extract more periodic spatiotemporal patterns resembling the results of dynamic mode decomposition. In the case of a small K, it tends to extract more nonstationary spatiotemporal patterns.

Linear and nonlinear Granger causality analysis of turbulent duct flows

This research focuses on the identification and causality analysis of coherent structures that arise in turbulent flows in square and rectangular ducts. Coherent structures are first identified from direct numerical simulation data via proper orthogonal decomposition (POD), both by using all velocity components, and after separating the streamwise and secondary components of the flow. The causal relations between the mode coefficients are analysed using pairwise-conditional Granger causality analysis. We also formulate a nonlinear Granger causality analysis that can account for nonlinear interactions between modes. Focusing on streamwise-constant structures within a duct of short streamwise extent, we show that the causal relationships are highly sensitive to whether the mode coefficients or their squared values are considered, whether nonlinear effects are explicitly accounted for, and whether streamwise and secondary flow structures are separated prior to causality analyses. We leverage these sensitivities to determine that linear mechanisms underpin causal relationships between modes that share the same symmetry or anti-symmetry properties about the corner bisector, while nonlinear effects govern the causal interactions between symmetric and antisymmetric modes. In all cases, we find that the secondary flow fluctuations (manifesting as streamwise vorticial structures) are the primary cause of both the presence and movement of near-wall streaks towards and away from the duct corners.

Experimental investigation about the aerodynamic noise caused by hypersonic turbulence

In this study, experimental investigations pertaining to aerodynamic noise are conducted in a hypersonic quiet wind tunnel, which possesses the unique capability of operating in both quiet and conventional modes, achieved by controlling the bleed slot to regulate the boundary layer flow. The measurement of aerodynamic noise and analysis of coherent structures of hypersonic turbulence are accomplished employing pressure probes and the nano-tracer-based planar laser scattering technique. The characterization of aerodynamic noise within the freestream unveils that noise generated by turbulent structures on the nozzle wall is the primary factor affecting the turbulence intensity of the freestream flow. Regarding the acoustic radiation noise generated by the turbulence on the nozzle wall, a peak frequency ranging from 54 to 57 kHz is observed in its spectrum within a unit Reynolds number range of 0.3×107–1.1×107 m−1. Under different operation modes, the freestream pitot-pressure data feature the similar spectral slope of f−2.2 and f−12 before and after the aforementioned peak. Through wavelet analysis, scales of the coherent structure in the turbulent boundary layer are examined, revealing that the maximum energy streamwise scale of the coherent structure is approximately 2.47 mm under the unit Reynolds number of 0.7×107 m−1. The product of this scale with the characteristic frequency of 56 kHz obtained from fluctuating pressure measurements is close to the local sound speed of about 140 m/s.

Three-dimensional Lagrangian coherent structures in patients with aortic regurgitation

Understanding blood transport in cardiovascular flows is important for managing patients with cardiovascular disease. In this study, three-dimensional Lagrangian coherent structures have been extracted for the first time in both healthy patients and patients with aortic regurgitation. To achieve this, a computationally efficient approach based on Lagrangian descriptors was employed with four-dimensional (4D) magnetic resonance imaging velocity fields. In healthy subjects, Lagrangian coherent structures analysis revealed well-defined mitral jet structures during early filling, directing flow toward ejection during systole. For patients with aortic regurgitation, complex flow structures included interactions between the mitral and regurgitant jets, indicating altered blood transport mechanisms. This study highlights the ability of Lagrangian descriptors to extract coherent structures from patient-specific 4D flow MRI data in a computationally efficient way. It also underscores the importance of extracting three-dimensional Lagrangian coherent structures to gain a better understanding of the complex interaction between the mitral inflow and the regurgitant jet.

Lagrangian coherent structure analysis on transport of Acetes chinensis along coast of Lianyungang, China

Lagrangian coherent structure analysis on transport of Acetes chinensis along coast of Lianyungang, China

Chemodynamics of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Their Alkylated and Nitrated Derivatives in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea.

The occurrence of continuously released polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in marginal seas is regulated by hydrological and biogeochemical processes; however, scarce knowledge is about their derivatives in marine environments. In this study, the dissolved and particulate PAHs and their alkylated/nitrated derivatives (A-PAHs/N-PAHs) in surface seawater of the southwestern Yellow Sea (YS) and northwestern East China Sea (ECS) during September 2022 were comprehensively discussed. Results confirm higher levels of Σ26PAHs (9.3-70 ng/L) and Σ43A-PAHs (13-76 ng/L) than Σ20N-PAHs (0.80-6.6 ng/L). The spatial heterogeneity of contaminants was regulated by substantial riverine runoff and ocean currents. Lagrangian Coherent Structure analysis further revealed the existence of a transport barrier at the shelf break of the southwestern YS where contaminants hardly crossed and tended to accumulate. The relationship between dissolved compounds and chlorophyll a indicated both biodegradation and the biological pump contributed to the depletion of PAHs and A-PAHs from surface seawater while the biological pump was the major driver for N-PAHs, despite their complicated water-particle partition behavior due to variations in physicochemical properties in the presence of nitro groups. Source identification demonstrated that pyrogenic and petrogenic sources dominated the YS and ECS, respectively, while photochemical transformations appeared more active in the YS.

Correction to: Wavelet Analysis of Coherent Structures above Maize and Soybean Crops

Correction to: Wavelet Analysis of Coherent Structures above Maize and Soybean Crops

Evolution of coronal hole solar wind in the inner heliosphere: Combined observations by Solar Orbiter and Parker Solar Probe

We study the radial evolution, from 0.1 AU to the Earth, of a homogeneous recurrent fast wind, coming from the same source on the Sun, by means of new measurements by both Solar Orbiter and Parker Solar Probe. With respect to previous radial studies, we extend, for the first time, the analysis of a recurrent fast stream at distances never reached prior to the Parker Solar Probe mission. Confirming previous findings, the observations show: (i) a decrease in the radial trend of the proton density that is slower than the one expected for a radially expanding plasma, due to the possible presence of a secondary beam in the velocity distribution function; (ii) a deviation for the magnetic field from the Parker prediction, supported by the strong Alfvénicity of the stream at all distances; and (iii) a slower decrease in the proton temperature with respect to the adiabatic prediction, suggesting the local presence of external heating mechanisms. Focusing on the radial evolution of the turbulence, from the inertial to the kinetic range along the turbulent cascade, we find that the slopes, in both frequency ranges, strongly depend on the different turbulence observed by the two spacecraft, namely a mostly parallel turbulence in the Parker Solar Probe data and a mostly perpendicular turbulence in the Solar Orbiter intervals. Moreover, we observe a decrease in the level of intermittency for the magnetic field during the expansion of the stream. Furthermore, we perform, for the first time, a statistical analysis of coherent structures around proton scales at 0.1 AU and we study how some of their statistical properties change from the Sun to the Earth. As expected, we find a higher occurrence of events in the Parker Solar Probe measurements than in the Solar Orbiter data, considering the ratio between the intervals length and the proton characteristic scales at the two radial distances. Finally, we complement this statistical analysis with two case studies of current sheets and vortex-like structures detected at the two radial distances, and we find that structures that belong to the same family have similar characteristics at different radial distances. This work provides an insight into the radial evolution of the turbulent character of solar wind plasma coming from coronal holes.

Vertical propagation of submeso and coherent structure in a tall and dense amazon forest in different stability conditions. PART II: Coherent structures analysis

Observations of the vertical structure of the turbulent flow in different stability regimes above and within the Amazon Forest at the Amazon Tall Tower Observatory (ATTO) site have been presented in Part I. Here, the influence of stability on the inception and development of coherent structures is investigated. According to the mixing-layer analogy the coherent vortices that dominate the turbulent flows at the canopy-atmosphere interface are generated by hydrodynamical instabilities triggered by an inflection in the vertical profile of the mean wind speed at or near the canopy top. The coherent motions time, Tpeak and separation length scale, Λ, depend on the shear length scale, Ls, close to the canopy top. The present analysis studies the characteristics of Ls, Tpeak and Λ in the five stability regimes defined in Part I.The behaviour of Ls with stability is evaluated and parameterized. Ls increases with decreasing stability, presenting two asymptotes for large unstable and stable stratification and a linear behaviour close to neutral stratification. Coherent structures and their timescale are detected with an original method based on the autocorrelation functions of 5-min subsets of turbulent quantities. The vertical time scale is larger in neutral conditions and decreases for both increasing and decreasing stability. At the canopy top the separation length scale presents a linear dependence on Ls, whose slope is maximum in neutral conditions and decreases departing from neutrality. An original parameterization of the dependence of this slope on h/L, where h is the canopy height and L is the Obukhov length, is shown. Combining the parameterizations, the dependence of the separation length scale is finally presented. Λ has a maximum for slightly unstable conditions, linearly decreases towards neutral and weakly stable stratifications and then it tends to zero for very intense unstable and stable stratifications.

Lagrangian Coherent Structure Analysis on the Vegetated Compound Channel with Numerical Simulation

Natural channels often consist of a mainstream near their thalwegs and shallow vegetated areas near shores. The compounded and partially vegetated cross-sections play a significantly role in determining the hydrodynamic characteristics of a channel. By employing the Lagrangian Coherent Structure (LCS) analysis, the present work unravels the effect of vegetation and geometry on the hydrodynamic interactions between mainstreams with the various depths and vegetated shallow areas. The LCS method is the concept of dynamical system analyses, which is determined by the finite-time Lyapunov exponents (FTLE) field of fluid particles. It enables to overcome the limitations of using the particle tracking method in cost and time for simulations. Since the LCSs represent material surfaces or asymptotic lines which particles approach, but do not pass through, they match well with the trajectories of particles or materials obtained by solving particle motion equations. Therefore, the temporal and spatial developments of the interfacial layers could be investigated by using the FTLE. As the difference of depth becomes appreciable, the values of FTLE are relatively larger farther from the vegetated area. It implies that the interfacial layer becomes wider with the larger size of vortex produced by the differences of velocities between the mainstreams and the vegetated areas. In other words, as depth differences become large, materials and momentum can be spread from the vegetated area to or collected from a wider area of the mainstream.

Detailed numerical simulations of low-temperature oxidation of NOx by ozone

Limiting gaseous nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions is a major global concern due to their harmful effect on human health and the environment. During the past decade, low-temperature oxidation by ozone (O3) has emerged as a promising solution for NOx removal in the transportation and energy generation sectors. In the present study, three-dimensional (3D) large eddy simulations (LES) of the turbulent reacting flow inside a NOx-O3 reactor are performed. It is the first publication using LES and detailed finite rate chemistry for such a reactor. Additionally, plug-flow reactor (PFR) simulations are employed to identify the best performing chemical kinetic mechanisms among those available in the literature over the range of conditions studied. Furthermore, results from different experimental works are reviewed to analyze the variability in the literature. Additionally, this will aid in devising a strategy for validation. Time-averaged results obtained from PFR and combined LES-PFR simulations are observed to agree well with experimental results. The species correlation, distribution, and overall flow uniformity in the pure LES simulations are also assessed and the results highlight the benefits of a high mixing efficiency reactor geometry. Moreover, relevant features of the unsteady flow throughout the present reactor are studied. In particular, the analysis of coherent structures and the existence of regions with non-reacted gases and their relation to mixing and NOx oxidation efficiency are evaluated. The present simulations enable a novel understanding of the interplay between mixing and chemistry and highlight, for the first time, details of the oxidation of NOx by O3.

Fluid Flow Characteristics of Healthy and Calcified Aortic Valves Using Three-Dimensional Lagrangian Coherent Structures Analysis

Aortic valve calcification is an important cardiovascular disorder that deteriorates the accurate functioning of the valve leaflets. The increasing stiffness due to the calcification prevents the complete closure of the valve and therefore leads to significant hemodynamic alterations. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling enables the investigation of the entire flow domain by processing medical images from aortic valve patients. In this study, we computationally modeled and simulated a 3D aortic valve using patient-specific dimensions of the aortic root and aortic sinus. Leaflet stiffness is deteriorated in aortic valve disease due to calcification. In order to investigate the influence of leaflet calcification on flow dynamics, three different leaflet-stiffness values were considered for healthy, mildly calcified, and severely calcified leaflets. Time-dependent CFD results were used for applying the Lagrangian coherent structures (LCS) technique by performing finite-time Lyapunov exponent (FTLE) computations along with Lagrangian particle residence time (PRT) analysis to identify unique vortex structures at the front and backside of the leaflets. Obtained results indicated that the peak flow velocity at the valve orifice increased with the calcification rate. For the healthy aortic valve, a low-pressure field was observed at the leaflet tips. This low-pressure field gradually expanded through the entire aortic sinus as the calcification level increased. FTLE field plots of the healthy and calcified valves showed a variety of differences in terms of flow structures. When the number of fluid particles in the healthy valve model was taken as reference, 1.59 and 1.74 times more particles accumulated in the mildly and severely calcified valves, respectively, indicating that the calcified valves were not sufficiently opened to allow normal mass flow rates.

A comparative analysis of coherent structures around a pile over rigid-bed and scoured-bottom

Environmentally friendly piled coastal defence structures gained a particular significance in recent years, given these structures do not interrupt the longshore/cross-shore sediment transport. Flow around an emergent pile is known to generate certain typical coherent flow patterns depending on the flow and boundary conditions, as well as geometry. When the bed is erodible, the scouring process, which typically takes place around the pile, significantly alters these generated coherent structures. The primary objective of this study is to understand the influence of the presence of a scour-hole around the pile on the coherent flow structures, time-averaged kinematic characteristics (i.e. mean flow and turbulence) as well as dynamic pressure characteristics. To achieve this objective, a three-dimensional numerical model was utilized. The model that solves the flow around the emergent pile on rigid-bed was calibrated by using a spatially and temporally high-resolution experimental dataset. Later on, high-resolution DEM data of a scoured-bottom from flume experiments were imported into the calibrated model, and the model was run with identical hydraulic conditions with the experiments. Then, the outputs of the two models, with rigid-bed and with scoured-bottom conditions, were comparatively analysed. It was seen that as a consequence of the presence of a scour-hole, lee-wake vortices were dramatically weakened behind the cylinder. Instead of that, a couple of pronounced large-scale counter-rotating streamwise vortices (LSCSV) behind the cylinder dominate the flow domain to a great extent. Results suggest that the presence of a scour-hole on the bed renders the pile more streamlined against the flow.

Kinetics and prey capture by a paddling jellyfish: three-dimensional simulation and Lagrangian coherent structure analysis

Abstract

Wall-Shear-Stress-Based Conditional Sampling Analysis of Coherent Structures in a Turbulent Boundary Layer

Abstract Coherent structures are critical for controlling turbulent boundary layers due to their roles in momentum and heat transfer in the flow. Turbulent coherent structures can be detected by measuring wall shear stresses that are footprints of coherent structures. In this study, wall shear stress fluctuations were measured simultaneously in a zero pressure gradient turbulent boundary layer using two house-made wall shear stress probes aligned in the spanwise direction. The wall shear stress probe consisted of two hot-wires on the wall aligned in a V-shaped configuration for measuring streamwise and spanwise shear stresses, and their performance was validated in comparison with a direct numerical simulation result. Relationships between measured wall shear stress fluctuations and streamwise velocity fluctuations were analyzed using conditional sampling techniques. The peak detection method and the variable-interval time-averaging (VITA) method showed that quasi-streamwise vortices were inclined toward the streamwise direction. When events were simultaneously detected by the two probes, stronger fluctuations in streamwise velocity were detected, which suggests that stronger coherent structures were detected. In contrast to the former two methods, the hibernating event detection method detects events with lower wall shear stress fluctuations. The ensemble-averaged mean velocity profile of hibernating events was shifted upward compared to the law of the wall, which suggests low drag status of the coherent structures related with hibernating events. These methods suggest significant correlations between wall shear stress fluctuations and coherent structures, which could motivate flow control strategies to fully exploit these correlations.

Paddling motion of a free-swimming jellyfish and Lagrangian coherent structure analysis

Swimming and prey capture by prolate and oblate jellyfishes are numerically examined in two-dimensions using multi-relaxation-time lattice Boltzmann (MRT-LB) and immersed boundary (IB) methods. The near-field fluid structure interaction (FSI) and predator-prey interaction mechanisms are revealed via the simulated Eulerian flow characteristics, finite-time Lyapunov exponent (FTLE) field, and Lagrangian coherent structures (LCS). We implement appropriate periodic body force (Fb) distribution at nodal points of the elastic bell in radial direction to model the paddled swimming as well as complex feeding behavior. For a paddling jellyfish the evolved starting and stopping vortices, as move close to each other in near-wake, create the necessary vortex induced thrust that facilitate the forward body motion. The forced bell contraction in power stroke assists quicker propulsive swimming, whereas passive bell expansion in resting phase facilitates the continued vortex induced forward movement for larger duration, via the refilled fluid momentum. For feeding the detailed prey interception and precise capture areas for various jellyfish models are identified hereby via the computed prey tracks, forward and backward time FTLE fields, and LCS. Swimming performances are analyzed based on interactive thrust and drag forces, input power (energy rate required for bell contraction), output power (thrust multiplied by centroid velocity), and cost of transport (COT). At low Reynolds number (Re) the COT becomes higher for an oblate jellyfish than that of a prolate one; while with increased Re the oblate species appears more economical. However, for enhanced paddling force (Fb) or reduced flapping frequency of bell, the COT for an oblate jellyfish steadily decreases. Hereby impacts of the varied force duration, flapping amplitude, flapping frequency, and bell-elasticity on the swimming are analyzed in greater detail. Notably, the propulsion efficiency increased for higher flapping frequency. The present numerical model efficiently unfolds prey capture mechanisms that are adopted by prolate and oblate medusae and quantifies their success rate (clearance rate, CR) in prey capture. Unlike in past studies, the FTLE fields and LCS that are computed here by tracking the transient motion of a large number of suspended Lagrangian prey particles exhibit the realistic predator-prey interaction and precise prey capture surface, which are difficult to measure or analyze empirically.

A direct numerical simulation analysis of coherent structures in bubble-laden channel flows

Abstract

Analysis of coherent structures in partly confined swirling flows

The precessing vortex core (PVC) and symmetric coherent structures in partly confined swirling flows of gas turbine combustors are investigated numerically. The computational combustor features a sidewall in the circumferential direction, and the ratio between the sidewall length (L) and dome height (H) is specified as 0, 0.27, 0.68, and 1 to construct various confinements. Then a large eddy simulation is performed under the isothermal condition to investigate the effect of different L/H values on dominant coherent structures in combustors. The time-averaged flowfields exhibit different shapes of the inner recirculation zone (IRZ) with increasing L/H. Proper orthogonal decomposition is used to extract coherent structures from the turbulence; the single helical structure referred to as the PVC, and the symmetric vortices that shed and are amplified in the shear layer, are found to dominate the evolution of the flow in all cases. Relevant phase-averaged velocity fields show that the PVC synchronizes with the IRZ rotating around the centerline of the combustor while the symmetric coherent structure causes the deformation of the IRZ. By examining the azimuthal wave related to the PVC, it is shown that the PVC is suppressed in the partly confined swirling flow, and its strength is enhanced as L/H increases. Changes in shear layer thickness are suggested as being responsible for the suppression of the PVC under the partly confined condition.

Eulerian and Lagrangian analysis of coherent structures in separated shear flow by time-resolved particle image velocimetry

We investigate the turbulent shear flow that separates from a two-dimensional backward-facing step. We aim to analyze the unsteady separated and reattaching shear flow in both the Eulerian and Lagrangian frameworks in order to provide complementary insight into the self-sustaining coherent structures and Lagrangian transport of the entrainment process. The Reynolds number is Reh = 1.0 × 103, based on the incoming free-stream velocity and step height. The separated and reattaching shear flow as well as the recirculation region beneath is measured by time-resolved planar particle image velocimetry. As a result, time sequences of velocity vector fields in a horizontal–vertical plane in the center of the step model are obtained. In the Eulerian approach, a set of temporally orthogonal dynamic modes are extracted, and each one represents a single-frequency vortex pattern that neutrally evolves in time. The self-sustaining coherent structures are represented by reduced-order reconstruction of the identified high-amplitude dynamic modes, showing the basic unsteady flapping motion of the shear layer and the vortex rolling-up, pairing, and shedding processes superimposed on it. On the other hand, trajectories of passive fluid tracers depict the Lagrangian fluid transport by the entrainment process in the separated shear flow and identify the time-dependent vortex rolling-up process as well as complex vortex interactions. The contours of the finite-time Lyapunov exponent reveal the unsteady Lagrangian coherent structures that significantly shape the vortex patterns and contribute substantial parts to the fluid entrainment in the shear flow.