Eddy-viscosity Subgrid-scale Model Research Articles

Numerical Study of Supersonic Flow Past a Cylindrical Afterbody

The near wake of a cylindrical afterbody aligned with a uniform Mach 2.46 flow has been numerically investigated using Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes equations (k-epsilon two equation model) and Large Eddy Simulation (dynamic sub-grid scale eddy viscosity model). Mean flow field properties obtained from numerical simulations, such as axial velocity, pressure on the base surface has been compared with the experimental results. It has been found that k-epsilon model fails to predict the flow properties in the recirculation region where better agreement has been observed between the data obtained from LES and measurements. Data obtained from LES has been further analyzed to investigate the turbulent flow field in the wake region. Parameters like turbulent kinetic energy and primary Reynolds stress have been calculated and compared with the results obtained from an experiment in order to achieve a better understanding of the role of turbulence in the flow field.

Control of Turbulent Flow over a Circular Cylinder Using Tabs

In this study, we investigate tabs applied to turbulent flow over a circular cylinder for the reductions of the mean drag and lift fluctuations. Tabs are small and thin passive devices attached to the upper and lower surfaces of a circular cylinder near the flow separation. The Reynolds number considered is Re= 3900, based on the free-stream velocity and cylinder diameter. Large eddy simulations are performed using a dynamic global subgrid-scale eddy-viscosity model. A parametric study is carried out to find the optimal tab configuration for minimizing the mean drag and lift fluctuations. Parameters considered are the height (ly) and width (lz) of the tabs, and spanwise spacing (λz) between them. With the optimal parameters, the spanwise coherence of the vortex shedding behind the cylinder is effectively disrupted, resulting in three-dimensional vortical structures varying in the spanwise direction. As a result, the strength of the vortex shedding in the wake is successfully weakened, and the mean drag and lift fluctuations are significantly reduced by 14% and 95%, respectively, with the optimal tab configuration of ly/d=0.2, lz/d=0.3, and λz/d=4, where d is the cylinder diameter.

Comparison of single-stage and multi-stage drainage cannula flow characteristics during venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is a form of artificial heart–lung therapy able to support patients undergoing refractory cardio-respiratory failure. Drainage cannulae are responsible for extracting venous blood from the body via a negative pressure gradient induced by the pump downstream. However, the unique designs of single- and multi-stage cannulae, such as the presence of small inlets on the walls of the cannula (side holes), result in complex flow dynamics. This study evaluated flow features of both cannula designs using a stress blended eddy simulation turbulence model, within a patient-specific geometry of the venous system. The wall-adapted local eddy viscosity subgrid-scale model was used to resolve the large eddies directly in the free stream region, while small eddies were modeled using the k–ω shear stress transport model in the near-wall region. Flow within both cannulae was dominated by turbulent structures, such as counter-rotating vortex pairs, followed by a region of flow separation created by the entering jet. This phenomenon was synonymous with a jet in a crossflow, but involved multiple tandem and opposing jets in an internal tubular environment. The single-stage cannula drained 38% of the total flow via the most proximal holes compared to the multi-stage cannula (52.8%). The single-stage cannula allowed for larger tip velocities and was able to extract more flow from the upper body. Overall, this study demonstrated notable differences in blood flow dynamics between single- and multi-stage cannulae, which can be applied in clinical selection and cannula design.

A new dynamic subgrid-scale model using artificial neural network for compressible flow

The subgrid-scale (SGS) kinetic energy has been used to predict the SGS stress in compressible flow and it was resolved through the SGS kinetic energy transport equation in past studies. In this paper, a new SGS eddy-viscosity model is proposed using artificial neural network to obtain the SGS kinetic energy precisely, instead of using the SGS kinetic energy equation. Using the infinite series expansion and reserving the first term of the expanded term, we obtain an approximated SGS kinetic energy, which has a high correlation with the real SGS kinetic energy. Then, the coefficient of the modelled SGS kinetic energy is resolved by the artificial neural network and the modelled SGS kinetic energy is more accurate through this method compared to the SGS kinetic energy obtained from the SGS kinetic energy equation. The coefficients of the SGS stress and SGS heat flux terms are determined by the dynamic procedure. The new model is tested in the compressible turbulent channel flow. From the a posterior tests, we know that the new model can precisely predict the mean velocity, the Reynolds stress, the mean temperature and turbulence intensities, etc.

Influence of aspect ratio on the wake dynamics of a pitching wing

The three-dimensional flow around a custom wing performing pitching oscillation is analyzed numerically using large-eddy simulation with the wall adapting local eddy-viscosity subgrid-scale model. The wake characteristics behind the pitching wing with three different aspect ratios, AR=2/3, 1, 4/3, is investigated in an upstream flow with Reynolds number, Re=2640. The Q−function is employed to identify the swirling structures in the flow field, and four primary vortices, namely, primary leading edge vortex (PLEV), secondary leading edge vortex, wing tip vortices, and trailing edge vortex, are identified. The evolution of vortices over the wing surface is presented in detail, and the arrangement of vortex rings in the wake is compared for three different aspect ratios. The PLEV develops into an arch vortex using the self-induction phenomenon, and the interlinking between the subsequent vortex rings depends on the arch vortex leaving the trailing edge. The force coefficient computed over the wing shows a positive thrust for AR=4/3. The mean velocity field contours indicate a spanwise loading on the wing, which is unaccountable in two-dimensional studies. The Reynolds stresses generated due to large-scale periodic velocity fluctuations in the wake are presented. The vorticity field in the midplane of the wing appears to be diffusive at higher aspect ratios. The comparison of vorticity from the three-dimensional and two-dimensional models suggests that a two-dimensional model will over predict the vorticity distribution and force coefficients in the wake.

Investigation of transition in a natural convection flow in an inclined parallel Plate Channel

In an inclined parallel plate channel, the influence of the angle of inclination on the transition of the free convection flow has been explored. Three dimensional large eddy simulations have been carried out employing the wall adaptive local eddy viscosity sub-grid scale model. The inclination angles of 15°, 30°, and 60° with respect to the horizontal are considered. The upper wall of the parallel plates is kept at constant heat flux, while the bottom one is adiabatic. The Grashof number, GrL considered in the present study is 8.22 × 1012. The variation of the transition zone of the flow with variation in inclination angle is shown using thermal boundary layer formation, variation of velocity fluctuations, Nusselt number variation, and Q criterion. Investigation of the thermal boundary layer shows the formation of flume structure at the early stage of the flow in the case of lower inclination of the channel. As the degree of inclination increases, the transition is delayed, and the transition region shifts downstream.

Kinetic-energy-flux-constrained model using an artificial neural network for large-eddy simulation of compressible wall-bounded turbulence

Kinetic energy flux (KEF) is an important physical quantity that characterizes cascades of kinetic energy in turbulent flows. In large-eddy simulation (LES), it is crucial for the subgrid-scale (SGS) model to accurately predict the KEF in turbulence. In this paper, we propose a new eddy-viscosity SGS model constrained by the properly modelled KEF for LES of compressible wall-bounded turbulence. The new methodology has the advantages of both accurate prediction of the KEF and strong numerical stability in LES. We can obtain an approximate KEF by the tensor-diffusivity model, which has a high correlation with the real value. Then, using the artificial neural network method, the local ratios between the real KEF and the approximate KEF are accurately modelled. Consequently, the SGS model can be improved by the product of that ratio and the approximate KEF. In LES of compressible turbulent channel flow, the new model can accurately predict mean velocity profile, turbulence intensities, Reynolds stress, temperature–velocity correlation, etc. Additionally, for the case of a compressible flat-plate boundary layer, the new model can accurately predict some key quantities, including the onset of transitions and transition peaks, the skin-friction coefficient, the mean velocity in the turbulence region, etc., and it can also predict the energy backscatters in turbulence. Furthermore, the proposed model also shows more advantages for coarser grids.

CFD simulations of wind flow and pollutant dispersion in a street canyon with traffic flow: Comparison between RANS and LES

• CFD simulations for a street canyon with moving traffic are systematically validated. • Among the five RANS models, SKE has the best performance against wind tunnel data. • All RANS models overestimate pollutant concentration near moving traffics. • LES outperforms the RANS simulation in predicting mean velocity and concentration. • Pollutant concentrations are strongly affected by turbulent diffusion fluxes. The dispersion of traffic pollutants in street canyons takes place under the joint influence of the urban morphology and traffic-induced air motions. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) are increasingly used to explore air quality problems in cities, however, numerical setup guidance for studies considering moving traffics remains missing. This study presents a systematic evaluation and comparison of steady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) and large-eddy simulation (LES) in reproducing the wind flow and pollutant dispersion in a street canyon under traffic flow using the quasi-steady method. The RANS simulations are performed with five turbulence models, and the standard k-ε (SKE) turbulence model is found to yield the best agreement with the wind-tunnel data. The LES simulation with the wall-adapting local eddy-viscosity subgrid-scale model outperforms all RANS models in simulating the mean velocity and mean pollutant concentration, and can accurately predict the turbulent velocity. The counter-gradient turbulent mass flux captured by LES reveals that the gradient-diffusion hypothesis used in steady RANS fails in the regions near moving traffics, which strongly affects the predicted mean concentration. The findings of this study can support future CFD studies on pollutant dispersion in urban environments.

Topological investigation of junction flow between cylinder and flat plate

The paper presents a numerical investigation on the junction flow occurring at the intersection between a wall and a protruding circular cylinder. Simulations of flow for Reynolds number ( Re) in the range [125 - 20000] have been carried out using OpenFOAM, an open source CFD tool. Plots of stream tracers have been used to qualitatively characterize the flow topology as either attachment or separation based on the type of singular points, classified as nodes and saddle points. Quantitative variations of momentum flux have been applied to identify a key mechanism for the transition of topology using the relative momentum strength of the incoming and reverse flow. Effect of a thinner boundary layer has been assessed by (i) imposing a reduced wall shear stress, and (ii) increasing the Reynolds number. Features of a typical unsteady flow, in the transition regime, at Re = 20000 have been predicted using Large Eddy Simulation (LES) with a one-equation eddy viscosity sub-grid scale model. Description of the time evolution of the topology at Re = 20000 has been able to validate the one-equation model in OpenFoam as well as to further validate the key mechanism identified for topology transition.

Large-eddy simulations of the flow over a semi-circular cylinder at Re = 50000

Large-eddy simulations (LES) of the flow over a semi-circular cylinder at a diameter-based Reynolds number 50000 and zero angle of attack are presented. In comparison with the prominent benchmark flows past circular and square cylinders, this test problem has been less investigated in the literature from both numerical and experimental perspectives. Also, this case can be even more challenging for validation and verification of the computational codes due to a negative lift force, which characterizes this flow regime. A standard numerical platform based on a second-order finite volume method and the k-equation eddy viscosity subgrid scale model and its dynamic version, implemented in the OpenFOAM CFD toolbox, is used for the present LES. A detailed spectral analysis is provided to examine dynamics of the vortex shedding and shear layer instabilities. The moderate Reynolds number is chosen in order to replicate experimental data, which is limited to integral flow parameters like the lift, drag and pressure coefficients and a Strouhal number. The numerical and experimental data available for the flows over the circular and square cylinders at the Reynolds number 20000−50000 are used for qualitative assessment of the present results. Similarity of the turbulent wakes between the circular, square and semi-circular cylinders are discussed and compared both, for the integral flow parameters and high order statistics as well. Overall, present simulations provide reasonable agreement with available measurements and numerical calculations. Consistency and satisfactory agreement with the previous numerical and experimental results obtained for the circular and square cylinders are shown as well.

Computational efficiency of CFD modeling for building engineering: An empty domain study

In computational wind engineering, Large Eddy Simulation (LES) operates with superior accuracy. However, this comes with a higher computational cost compared to Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) models. We propose multiple strategies to reduce the computational cost without compromising accuracy. The turbulence synthesis approach is adopted for efficient inflow generation. To alleviate the issues with tedious and resource-consuming computations, the concept of ‘interpolation’ is endorsed. This approach allows the usage of identical inflow information for different arrangements of meshing. The effect of employing larger time-step and coarser mesh, on the performance of LES with wall functions, is also investigated. Several LES cases are studied, initially with special near-wall treatment, and later, with three different Subgrid Scale (SGS) models. The profiles of mean velocities, turbulence intensities, and integral length scales are examined, in addition to the velocity spectra. The horizontal homogeneity is assessed for all cases. The results show that the wall-adapting eddy viscosity (WALE) SGS model with LES can reduce the computational time at a lower error range. Besides, among three investigated hybrid models, the Detached Eddy Simulation (DES) and the Delayed Detached Eddy Simulation (DDES) provide a significant reduction in the computational cost, compared to LES with the dynamic one-equation eddy-viscosity SGS model, when the objective is to achieve a similar level of accuracy.

Large-Eddy Simulation of Turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard Convection: An Assessment of Subgrid-Scale Models

Large eddy simulation of turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection was carried out to assess various algebraic eddy viscosity subgrid-scale models: (i) Smagorinsky with Wall-Damping, (ii) Dynamic Smagorinsky, (iii) Wall-Adapting Local Eddy-Viscosity, (iv) Vreman, (v) Mixed-Scale, and (vi) a buoyancy-modified Mixed-Scale model that accounts for the buoyancy effects from subgrid-scales. The last model is proposed for the first time in this study. Non-dissipative, kinetic energy conserving, fully implicit method was employed for simulations. To evaluate the models, mean and turbulent (both low- and high-order) flow diagnostics were computed. Some advanced turbulent statistics such as skewness, turbulent heat flux, subgrid-scale kinetic energy and Nusselt number were also calculated and compared with each other and against a reference solution. Since models differ from each other by means of turbulent generation terms, they have their own strengths and weaknesses which are particularly observed in the near-wall treatments. Additionally, unlike the others, the Dynamic Smagorinsky model computes the subgrid-scale viscosity coefficient dynamically which has some effects on results. Overall, the Mixed-Scale and its new, buoyancy-modified variant show different characteristics and mostly the best agreement with Direct Numerical Simulation data. They are also found computationally less expensive. Moreover, buoyancy enhancement in the new model slightly improves the predictions of Mixed-Scale model. Although relatively poor performance by the Dynamic Smagorinsky model is observed especially in estimating the integrated Nusselt number, it captures the turbulent heat flux more accurately than the others. A more detailed discussion on the model's performance based on evaluations are also made.

Importance of Sub-Grid Scale Modeling for Accurate Aerodynamic Simulations

Abstract The Ahmed body is one of the most well-investigated vehicle bodies for aerodynamic purposes. Despite its simple geometry, the flow around the body, especially at the rear, is very complex as it is dominated by a large wake with strong interaction between vortical structures. In this study, the flow around the 25 deg Ahmed body has been investigated using large eddy simulations and compared to high-resolution particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements. Special emphasis was put on studying three commonly used sub-grid scale (SGS) models and their ability to capture vortical structures around the Ahmed body. The ability of the SGS models to capture the near-wall behavior and small-scale dissipation is crucial for capturing the correct flow field. Very good agreement between simulations and PIV measurements were seen when using the dynamic Smagorinsky-Lilly and the wall-adopting local eddy-viscosity SGS models, respectively. However, the standard Smagorinsky-Lilly model was not able to capture the flow patterns when compared to the PIV measurements due to shortcomings in the near-wall modeling in the standard Smagorinsky-Lilly model, resulting in overpredicted separation.

A comparative turbulent flow study of unconfined orthogonal and oblique slot impinging jet using large-eddy simulation

The incompressible turbulent flow field of the slot impinging jet has been studied numerically at a Reynolds number of 7900 and d = 6w using large-eddy simulation with the wall adapting local eddy-viscosity subgrid-scale model for the angles of impingement 70° and 90°. The validity of the computation is confirmed by reasonable comparisons of the wall shear stress, pressure variation over the impingement plate, jet-centerline velocity, and second-order turbulent properties with past experimental and numerical results. The turbulent stress, turbulent length scales, and turbulent structure sizes are observed to be increased in the oblique impingement. The appearance of the oblate spheroid-shaped, three-dimensional isotropic, and prolate spheroid-shaped turbulence has been marked in the wall-jet region using the anisotropy invariant map. The power spectra of the fluctuating field maintain the −5/3 slope in the inertial subrange, which as expected becomes steeper in the dissipation range, as stated by Kolmogorov. Both positively skewed and negatively skewed fluctuations are seen in the flow field, and their probability density functions suggest that the fluctuation range increases in the case of oblique impingement. The involvement of various shearing and swirling structures has been investigated employing the proper orthogonal decomposition, the Q- function, and the λ2- function, where the isosurface of vorticity components is used to represent the direction of rotations.

Subgrid-scale model for large-eddy simulation of transition and turbulence in compressible flows

This article focuses on a subgrid-scale (SGS) eddy viscosity model based on helicity which is derived from our previous research [Yu et al., “Subgrid-scale eddy viscosity model for helical turbulence,” Phys. Fluids 25, 095101 (2013)] for large-eddy simulation of transition and turbulence in compressible flows. Based on the character of the compressible boundary layer over a flat plate, we obtain from theoretical analysis that this model can automatically distinguish laminar flow and turbulence and can also simulate turbulence well. Meanwhile, an a priori test using direct numerical simulation (DNS) data of a spatially developing flat-plate boundary layer at Ma = 2.25 shows that the helicity model can clearly differentiate laminar, transitional, and turbulent regions. Comparing the numerical simulation results with DNS and other SGS models in the spatially developing boundary-layer over a flat plate, we find that the suggested model could precisely predict the onset of transition, transition peak, skin-friction coefficient, mean velocity profile, mean temperature profile, and turbulence intensities. In the case of a compression ramp, the model can well simulate the bypass-type transition, the separated and reattached points, and the size of the separation bubble in the corner region. Furthermore, the prominent advantage of the proposed model can predict transitional flow exactly with no explicit filtering or dynamic procedure.

Large Eddy Simulation of Spanwise Rotating Turbulent Channel Flow with Subgrid-Scale Eddy Viscosity Model Based on Helicity

Fully developed rotating turbulent channel flow (RTCF) has been numerically investigated using large-eddy simulation (LES). The subgrid-scale (SGS) eddy viscosity model is base on an SGS helicity dissipation balance and the spectral relative helicity. Posterior test has been implemented to an RTCF with rotation in spanwise direction. The friction Reynolds number Re-tau = u(tau)delta / nu based on wall shear velocity u(tau) half width of the channel delta and the kinematic viscosity nu is 180. Two rotation numbers Ro(tau) =2 Omega delta / u(tau) equal to 22 and 80 have been computed with respective grid resolution. The results from dynamic Smagorinsky model (DSM) and direct numerical simulation (DNS) are used as references. The results demonstrate that the eddy viscosity model can predict both the precise velocity profile and the turbulent intensity.

Assessment of Numerical Simulation Capabilities of the Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS 6) for Planar Air Curtain Flows

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) results are discussed for momentum driven planar jet flows, resembling configurations in use for air curtain in the context of smoke control in building fire. The CFD package Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) is used. Special focus is given to the impact of grid resolution, synthetic turbulent inflow boundary condition and sub-grid scale eddy viscosity models. The computational results are compared with summarized literature data. Investigation of different set-ups of inlet boundary conditions, including the inlet duct length, velocity profile and method of generation of turbulence at the level of the inflow, reveals that the inlet boundary condition is the most influential factor governing the flow downstream. The FDS results successfully reproduce the planar jet flows, both in terms of mean variables and second-order statistics. ‘Reference’ results have been obtained with a fully developed turbulent flow emerging from a long inlet duct. By reducing the inlet duct length and applying the Synthetic Eddy Method (SEM) at the inflow boundary condition, the ‘reference’ results have been reproduced with a reduction in the computing times of approximately 20%. However, care must be taken when choosing the parameters of SEM, in particular the number of eddies and their length scale. The impact of turbulent viscosity model is noticeable, but not of primary importance for the flow at hand, provided that a sufficiently fine computational mesh is used.

A priori study of subgrid-scale features in turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection

At the crossroad between flow topology analysis and turbulence modeling, a priori studies are a reliable tool to understand the underlying physics of the subgrid-scale (SGS) motions in turbulent flows. In this paper, properties of the SGS features in the framework of a large-eddy simulation are studied for a turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection (RBC). To do so, data from direct numerical simulation (DNS) of a turbulent air-filled RBC in a rectangular cavity of aspect ratio unity and π spanwise open-ended distance are used at two Rayleigh numbers Ra∈{108,1010} [Dabbagh et al., “On the evolution of flow topology in turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection,” Phys. Fluids 28, 115105 (2016)]. First, DNS at Ra = 108 is used to assess the performance of eddy-viscosity models such as QR, Wall-Adapting Local Eddy-viscosity (WALE), and the recent S3PQR-models proposed by Trias et al. [“Building proper invariants for eddy-viscosity subgrid-scale models,” Phys. Fluids 27, 065103 (2015)]. The outcomes imply that the eddy-viscosity modeling smoothes the coarse-grained viscous straining and retrieves fairly well the effect of the kinetic unfiltered scales in order to reproduce the coherent large scales. However, these models fail to approach the exact evolution of the SGS heat flux and are incapable to reproduce well the further dominant rotational enstrophy pertaining to the buoyant production. Afterwards, the key ingredients of eddy-viscosity, νt, and eddy-diffusivity, κt, are calculated a priori and revealed positive prevalent values to maintain a turbulent wind essentially driven by the mean buoyant force at the sidewalls. The topological analysis suggests that the effective turbulent diffusion paradigm and the hypothesis of a constant turbulent Prandtl number are only applicable in the large-scale strain-dominated areas in the bulk. It is shown that the bulk-dominated rotational structures of vortex-stretching (and its synchronous viscous dissipative structures) hold the highest positive values of νt; however, the zones of backscatter energy and counter-gradient heat transport are related to the areas of compressed focal vorticity. More arguments have been attained through a priori investigation of the alignment trends imposed by existing parameterizations for the SGS heat flux, tested here inside RBC. It is shown that the parameterizations based linearly on the resolved thermal gradient are invalid in RBC. Alternatively, the tensor-diffusivity approach becomes a crucial choice of modeling the SGS heat flux, in particular, the tensorial diffusivity that includes the SGS stress tensor. This and other crucial scrutinies on a future modeling to the SGS heat flux in RBC are sought.

A dynamic hybrid RANS/LES approach based on the local flow structure

By extracting the structural function from Vreman eddy-viscosity subgrid-scale model, a new turbulent length scale, which could quantify the degree of the instability of the local flow, is proposed. A hybrid RANS/LES method that combines both this kind of length scale and wall distance is obtained. The new model is capable of automatically determining the “transition” from RANS region to LES region according to the local flow state, instead of just taking the grid spacing into consideration. To investigate the WMLES (Wall-modeled LES) capability of this model, it is applied to fully-developed plane channel flows with two coarse grids whose grid numbers in wall parallel directions are respectively 37 × 37 and 49 × 49. Reτ ranges from 590 to 12,500. Most of the turbulent structures are resolved and sufficient resolved stresses are provided even near the wall. The prediction of mean velocity profiles is adequately accurate, and the phenomenon of “log layer mismatch” is removed. Flows pass a circular cylinder at subcritical Reynolds number is selected as an additional test case to explore the new model's performance subjected to separated flows. The present model has the potential of obtaining encouraging results with economical computation cost.

Large Eddy Simulation of Low Swirl Flames Under External Flow Excitations

Low swirl flame characteristics under external flow excitations are numerically investigated using large eddy simulations with a dynamically thickened flame combustion model. A finite volume scheme on a Cartesian grid with a dynamic one equation eddy viscosity subgrid scale model is used for large eddy simulations. The excitations are imposed on inlet velocity profiles by a sinusoidal forcing function over a wide range of amplitudes and frequencies. Present investigation shows that although, the swirling motion of the low swirl flame is not intense enough to induce a recirculation zone in ensemble averaged results, external flow excitations increase the local swirl number upstream of the flame front. Such increase in the local swirl number is at maximum value when the low swirl flame is excited at the dominant frequency of the flow field, which in turn induces a vortex breakdown and hence a central recirculation zone. The strength and size of the time averaged recirculation zone depend on both the amplitude and frequency of the excitations. Moreover, phase-locked results indicate that external flow excitations induce local swirl fluctuations ahead of the flame front which alter the strength of the recirculation zone at different phase angles of the excitations.