Scales In Turbulent Flows Research Articles

Turbulent Channel Flow Simulation Using LES Dynamic Model

Turbulent flow modelling has increasingly becomeone of the main scientific research occupations, seeking todevelop a universal modelling approach that can describeaccurately the dynamics of all turbulent flow scales. Modernattempts try to bring together two main objectives; theapplicability of the turbulent flow models to complex flowconfigurations of industrial interest as well as reducing thecomputational costs needed for their resolution. Large EddySimulation (LES) modelling approach has many promisingfeatures among all other turbulent flow modellingapproaches such as RANS or DNS. In this study, LESmodelling approach has been demonstrated and applied toturbulent channel flow at moderate Reynolds number using Fluent solver. The obtained turbulent flowstatistics were compared to their corresponding values of a detailed, well resolved DNS simulation. The obtained LESturbulent flow statistics have an acceptable trend to those ofthe reference DNS results, which reflects the validity of theLES approach to model turbulent flows accurately andencourages its use in predicting turbulent motion forindustrial and engineering applications.

A simplified CFD approach for bluff-body aerodynamics under small scale free stream turbulent flow

The study of free stream turbulence (FST) effects on bluff bodies by means of computational approaches has been addressed so far mainly applying scale resolving methods adopting a three-dimensional domain, which is cumbersome and complex. The development of an alternative more affordable approach capable of providing reliable data, at least qualitatively, about the impact of FST in aerodynamic responses of interest would be very beneficial for the penetration of CFD techniques in industrial applications. In this work, a 2D URANS approach is adopted to numerically replicate the well-known rod-induced small scale turbulent flow in wind tunnel testing. A square cylinder is selected as canonical application case to study the effects caused by ambient turbulence (0.7%), and 3.3% and 6.8% FST levels. The numerical results for the force coefficients, base pressure coefficient, mean and fluctuating pressure coefficient distributions, time-averaged flow structures, mean streamwise velocity and Reynolds stresses distributions are reported along with experimental data in the literature for exhaustive validation. The agreement between the proposed CFD approach and the wind tunnel data is remarkable as not only qualitative agreement has been reached, but in many cases consistency between numerical and experimental data has been obtained. The proposed approach, once its feasibility and accuracy has been satisfactorily assessed, may be applied for affordably study FST-dependent aerodynamics problems of interest in wind engineering.

Coherent structures at the origin of time irreversibility in wall turbulence

Time irreversibility is a distinctive feature of non-equilibrium phenomena such as turbulent flows, where irreversibility is mainly associated with an energy cascade process. The connection between time irreversibility and coherent motions in wall turbulence, however, has not been investigated yet. An Eulerian, multiscale analysis of time irreversibility in wall-bounded turbulence is proposed in this study, which differs from previous works relying on a Lagrangian approach and mainly focusing on homogeneous turbulence. Outcomes reveal a strong connection between irreversibility levels and coherent structures in both turbulent channel and boundary layer flows. In the near-wall region, irreversibility is directly related to the inner spectral peak originating from small-scale turbulent structures in the buffer layer. Conversely, stronger irreversibility is found in correspondence to the outer spectral peak originating from larger turbulent flow scales far from the wall. Our results represent a first effort to characterize Eulerian TI in wall-bounded turbulent flows, thus paving the way for further developments in wall-turbulence modeling and control accounting for broken temporal symmetry.

Mechanisms and models of particle drag enhancements in turbulent environments

This study conducts direct numerical simulations of free-streaming turbulence passing over individual fixed particles and particle arrays of different number densities. The purpose is to investigate the changes in the mean particle drag due to turbulent environments and the responsible mechanisms. It is confirmed that turbulent environments significantly enhance the particle drag relative to the standard drag in a uniform flow, and the nonlinear dependency of the drag force on the instantaneous incoming flow velocity is insufficient to explain the enhancement. Two mechanisms of particle–turbulence interactions are found to be responsible for the particle drag enhancements. The first mechanism is the enlarged pressure drops on the particle surface, mainly governed by the large scales in turbulent flows. The second mechanism is the increased viscous stresses on the particle surface, dominated by the small scales that enhance the mixing of the low- and high-speed fluids across the particle boundary layer. In terms of quantitative drag enhancement predictions, more general models accounting for the anisotropy of the turbulence are proposed, which fit well with both the simulation data generated in this study and those reported in the literature. Finally, by measuring the drag forces of laminar and turbulent flows passing over arrays of particles, it is found that the overall particle drag increases with decreasing particle–particle relative gap distance. However, the relative enhancement due to turbulence decreases with the particle–particle relative gap distance.

Spatial variation of mean flow and turbulence characteristics within channel contraction – an experimental approach

ABSTRACT The influence of three different channel contractions on the mean flow and turbulent characteristics has been measured experimentally in a recirculating flume. The velocity deficit, turbulence intensity, Reynolds stress, and turbulence scales data within the channel contractions were obtained from three-dimensional velocity fluctuations measurements using Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter. The mean flow profile shows undulation towards the free surface for all the contraction ratios, indicating the presence of the velocity-dip phenomenon due to the secondary currents. These currents changed the pattern of turbulence intensities and Reynolds shear stresses significantly within the channel contraction compared to the without contraction case. The results reveal that with the increase of channel contraction ratio, the strength of the secondary current increased considerably and resulted in a significant change in flow patterns close to the free surface compared to the bottom. The length scales of turbulent flow indicate eddy sizes in different ranges to be smaller at near-bed region within the contraction zone due to the breakdown of larger eddies.

Simulación numérica de la cascada de energía en fluidos turbulentos

Transfer of energy from large to small scales in turbulent flows is described as a flux of energy from small wave numbers to large wave numbers in the spectral representation of the Navier-Stokes equation. The problem of resolving the relevant scales in the flow corresponds in the spectral representation to determining the spectral truncation at large wave numbers. The effective number of degrees of freedom in the flow depends on the Reynolds number and a numerical simulation of the Navier Stokes equation for high Reynolds numbers is impractical without some sort of reduction of the number of degrees of freedom. The shell models are constructed to obey the same conservation laws and symmetries as the Navier Stokes equation as an alternative. In this work we present the Sabra shell model for the study of the energy cascade of turbulence and we will show numerically that the energy dissipation is approximately -1/3 which is in agreement with the theory K41.

Numerical modeling of flow past a volumeless and thin rigid body using direct forcing immersed boundary method

AbstractThe new capability has been added as the numerical method for modeling volumeless and thin rigid bodies to the direct forcing immersed boundary (DFIB) method. The DFIB approach is based on adding a virtual force to the Navier–Stokes equations of incompressible flow to account for the interaction between the fluid and structures. The volume of a solid function (VOS) identifies the stationary or moving solid structures in a given fluid domain. A new VOS‐based algorithm was developed to identify thin, rigid structure boundary points in fluid flow and ensure that the fluid cannot cross through the boundary of a thin rigid structure while moving or stationary. The DFIB method was first validated in a three‐dimensional (3D) turbulent flow over a circular cylinder. The large‐eddy simulation simulated the turbulent flow scales. The proposed algorithm was tested using a 3D turbulent flow past a stationary and rotating Savonius wind turbine that functions as a thin, rigid body. The validation results showed that the selected DFIB approach, combined with the novel algorithm, could simulate a thin, volumeless, rigid structure that is stationary and rotating in incompressible turbulent flows. The current method is also applicable for two‐way fluid‐structure interaction problems.

Verification and Validation: The Path to Predictive Scale-Resolving Simulations of Turbulence

AbstractThis work investigates the importance of verification and validation (V&V) to achieve predictive scale-resolving simulations (SRSs) of turbulence, i.e., computations capable of resolving a fraction of the turbulent flow scales. Toward this end, we propose a novel but simple V&V strategy based on grid and physical resolution refinement studies that can be used even when the exact initial flow conditions are unknown, or reference data are unavailable. This is particularly relevant for transient and transitional flow problems, as well as for the improvement of turbulence models. We start by presenting a literature survey of results obtained with distinct SRS models for flows past circular cylinders (CCs). It confirms the importance of V&V by illustrating a large variability of results, which is independent of the selected mathematical model and Reynolds number. The proposed V&V strategy is then used on three representative problems of practical interest. The results illustrate that it is possible to conduct reliable V&V exercises with SRS models and evidence the importance of V&V to predictive SRS of turbulence. Most notably, the data also confirm the advantages and potential of the proposed V&V strategy: separate assessment of numerical and modeling errors, enhanced flow physics analysis, identification of key flow phenomena, and ability to operate when the exact flow conditions are unknown or reference data are unavailable.

Next generation combined sonic-hotfilm anemometer: wind alignment and automated calibration procedure using deep learning

The study of naturally occurring turbulent flows requires ability to collect empirical data down to the fine scales. While hotwire anemometry offers such ability, the open field studies are uncommon due to the cumbersome calibration procedure and operational requirements of hotwire anemometry, e.g., constant ambient properties and steady flow conditions. The combo probe-the combined sonic-hotfilm anemometer developed and tested over the last decade-has demonstrated its ability to overcome this hurdle. The old-er generation had a limited wind alignment range of 120 degrees and the in-situ calibration procedure was human decision based. This study presents the next generation of the combo probe design, and the new fully automated in-situ calibration procedure implementing deep learning. The elegant new design now enables measurements of the incoming wind flow in a 360-degree range. The improved calibration procedure is shown to have the robustness necessary for operation in everchanging open field flow and environmental conditions. This is especially useful with diurnally changing environments or non-stationary measuring stations, i.e., probes placed on moving platforms like boats, drones, and weather balloons. Together, the updated design and the new calibration procedure, allow for continuous field measurements with minimal to no human interaction, enabling near real-time monitoring of fine-scale turbulent fluctuations. Integration of these probes will contribute toward generation of a large pool of field data to be collected to unravel the intricacies of all scales of turbulent flows occurring in natural setups.

Effect of boundary conditions and domain size on the turbulent flow characteristics over a circular cylinder

ABSTRACT Numerical investigation of the effects of boundary conditions and computational domain size on simulations of a circular cylinder in three-dimensional (3-D) turbulent flow at has been conducted using a direct-forcing immersed boundary (DFIB) method. The turbulent flow scales were simulated using the Smagorinsky model. Two computational domain sizes and three different sets of boundary conditions were investigated. The results of all the cases were compared against published literature. The study proved the capability of the selected DFIB method for investigating fluid-structure interactions in turbulent flow. It also found that the increase in the size of the computational domain improved the accuracy of the results, especially in the far wake region. Interestingly, switching the lateral boundaries between periodic and symmetry conditions enabled the numerical simulation to approach the two different experimental results.

Turbulence scale effects and resolution requirements in aero-optics.

While optical aberrations caused by atmospheric turbulence have been extensively investigated and well characterized, recent research has identified structural differences in optical phase distortions caused by aircraft-induced, compressible turbulence. These so-called aero-optical distortions can be a critical obstacle in the development of airborne optical systems and reduce the fidelity and on-target intensity of optical beams. Using a model index-of-refraction spectrum that accounts for changes in density due to both temperature and pressure fluctuations in aero-optically active flow fields, expressions for the two-dimensional phase distortion over an aperture are developed. From these results, relations among ${{\rm OPD}_{{\rm rms}}}$, turbulent flow scales, and aperture size are examined while accounting for the effects of piston and tip/tilt corrections. Additionally, using the model spectrum, resolution requirements for wavefront sensors and numerical simulations of aero-optical flows are examined.

Extension of the partially integrated transport modeling method to the simulation of passive scalar turbulent fluctuations at various Prandtl numbers

The present work aims to extend the hybrid non zonal RANS/LES partially integrated transport modeling (PITM) method to turbulent flows in the presence of passive scalar contaminant for simulating large scales of turbulent flows. Focussing on the methodological aspects, we derive the basic transport equations both for the scalar variance of fluctuations and dissipation-rate of the variance. The basis of the method was introduced in references [R. Schiestel and A. Dejoan, “Towards a new partially integrated transport model for coarse grid and unsteady turbulent flow simulations ”, Theor. Comput. Fluid Dyn. 18, 443 (2005)] and [B. Chaouat and R. Schiestel, “A new partially integrated transport model for subgrid-scale stresses and dissipation rate for turbulent developing flows ”, Phys. Fluids 17, 065106 (2005)]. It provides a continuous approach for hybrid Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes equations-large eddy simulation (RANS-LES) with seamless coupling between RANS and LES regions. The main motivation is to simulate accurately in LES mode performed on coarse grids, scalar fluctuation fields, in addition to mean scalar fields. As known, the knowledge of the rms scalar fluctuations is often involved in handling practical engineering and geophysical flows. Like in dynamical equations, it is found that the coefficient appearing in the destruction term of the dissipation-rate of the scalar variance is a function of the cutoff-wave number and also of the Prandtl number and the Reynolds number. Depending on the value of the Prandtl-number, different expressions of this function have been derived according to the relevant physics in the wave number space. Finally, numerical simulations of fully turbulent flows including passive scalar transport fields have been performed on several meshes of medium and coarse grid resolutions at the Reynolds number Rτ=395 for the Prandtl numbers Pr=0.1, 1 and 10, respectively associated with heat transfer of liquid metals, gas and water for illustrating the theoretical development made on PITM. As expected, the PITM method provides satisfactory results in good agreement with data of direct numerical simulations. From a general point of view, this work opens new routes of modeling and simulation of turbulent flows including a passive scalar with a drastic reduction of the computational time and memory in term of number of grid points in comparison with the demanding resources of highly resolved LES.

Angular velocimetry for fluid flows: an optical sensor using structured light and machine learning.

Most velocimetry approaches for fluid flows measure linear components of the velocity vector; yet, the angular velocity components, particularly at small scales in turbulent flows, also need to be resolved to study energy transfer and other important flow characteristics. Here, we detail an optical sensor approach to determine a component of the angular velocity vector. This approach uses beams of structured light and a machine learning-based analysis. We discuss the methodology to train the machine learning model and test it in experimentally validated simulations. This approach represents an interesting new direction for fluid flow velocimetry which may be extended to sense other flow parameters by selecting different light structures.

A finite-size correction model for two-fluid large-eddy simulation of particle-laden boundary layer flow

Abstract

Persistence analysis of velocity and temperature fluctuations in convective surface layer turbulence

Persistence is defined as the probability that the local value of a fluctuating field remains at a particular state for a certain amount of time, before being switched to another state. The concept of persistence has been found to have many diverse practical applications, ranging from non-equilibrium statistical mechanics to financial dynamics to distribution of time scales in turbulent flows and many more. In this study, we carry out a detailed analysis of the statistical characteristics of the persistence probability density functions (PDFs) of velocity and temperature fluctuations in the surface layer of a convective boundary layer using a field-experimental dataset. Our results demonstrate that for the time scales smaller than the integral scales, the persistence PDFs of turbulent velocity and temperature fluctuations display a clear power-law behavior, associated with a self-similar eddy cascading mechanism. Moreover, we also show that the effects of non-Gaussian temperature fluctuations act only at those scales that are larger than the integral scales, where the persistence PDFs deviate from the power-law and drop exponentially. Furthermore, the mean time scales of the negative temperature fluctuation events persisting longer than the integral scales are found to be approximately equal to twice the integral scale in highly convective conditions. However, with stability, this mean time scale gradually decreases to almost being equal to the integral scale in the near-neutral conditions. Contrarily, for the long positive temperature fluctuation events, the mean time scales remain roughly equal to the integral scales, irrespective of stability.

Local analysis of the clustering, velocities, and accelerations of particles settling in turbulence

Using 3D Vorono\text{\"i} analysis, we explore the local dynamics of small, settling, inertial particles in isotropic turbulence using Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS). We independently vary the Taylor Reynolds number $R_\lambda \in[90,398]$, Froude number $Fr\equiv a_\eta/g\in[0.052,\infty]$ (where $a_\eta$ is the Kolmogorov acceleration, and $g$ is the acceleration due to gravity), and Kolmogorov scale Stokes number $St\equiv\tau_p/\tau_\eta\in[0,3]$. In agreement with previous results using global measures of particle clustering, such as the Radial Distribution Function (RDF), we find that for small Vorono\text{\"i} volumes (corresponding to the most clustered particles), the behavior is strongly dependent upon $St$ and $Fr$, but only weakly dependent upon $R_\lambda$, unless $St>1$. However, larger Vorono\text{\"i} volumes (void regions) exhibit a much stronger dependence on $R_\lambda$, even when $St\leq 1$, and we show that this, rather than the behavior at small volumes, is the cause of the sensitivity of the standard deviation of the Vorono\text{\"i} volumes that has been previously reported. We also show that the largest contribution to the particle settling velocities is associated with increasingly larger Vorono\text{\"i} volumes as the settling parameter $Sv\equiv St/Fr$ is increased. Our local analysis of the acceleration statistics of settling inertial particles shows that clustered particles experience a net acceleration in the direction of gravity, while particles in void regions experience the opposite. The particle acceleration variance, however, is a convex function of the Vorono\text{\"i} volumes, with or without gravity, which seems to indicate a non-trivial relationship between the Vorono\text{\"i} volumes and the sizes of the turbulent flow scales. Results for the variance of the fluid acceleration at the inertial particle "..."

Finite element generation of sibilants /s/ and /z/ using random distributions of Kirchhoff vortices

The numerical simulation of sibilant sounds in three-dimensional realistic vocal tracts constitutes a challenging problem because it involves a wide range of turbulent flow scales. Rotating eddies generate acoustic waves whose wavelengths are inversely proportional to the flow local Mach number. If that is low, very fine meshes are required to capture the flow dynamics. In standard hybrid computational aeroacoustics (CAA), where the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations are first solved to get a source term that is secondly input into an acoustic wave equation, this implies resorting to supercomputer facilities. As a consequence, only very short time intervals of the sibilant can be produced, which may be enough for its spectral characterization but insufficient to synthesize, for instance, an audio file from it or a syllable sound. In this work, we propose to substitute the aeroacoustic source term obtained from the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in the first step of hybrid CAA, by a random distribution of Kirchhoff's spinning vortices, located in the region between the upper incisors and the lower lip. In this way, one only needs to solve a linear wave equation to generate a sibilant, and therefore avoids the costly large-scale computations. We show that our proposal can recover the outcomes of hybrid CAA simulations in average, and that it can be applied to generate sibilants /s/ and /z/. Modeling and implementation details of the Kirchhoff vortex distribution in a stabilized finite element code are discussed in the paper, as well as the outcomes of the simulations.

Assessment of Fractal/Wrinkling Theories for Describing Turbulent Reacting Fine Structures under MILD Combustion Regimes

ABSTRACT This paper presents an assessment study of a modification introduced to a recently developed extended version of Eddy Dissipation Concept (EDC) chemistry/flow interaction approach for modeling Moderate or Intense Low-oxygen Dilution (MILD) combustion conditions. Compared to traditional combustion regimes, MILD combustion systems produce higher thermal efficiency and lower pollutant emissions. However, numerical simulation of turbulent flames under MILD combustion conditions poses challenges mainly due to strong coupling between turbulent flow and chemical kinetics over a wide range of turbulent flow conditions. Hence, combustion modeling is key for describing the interaction between chemistry and turbulent flow in MILD reacting flow regimes. This study examines the performance of a hybrid combustion approach (called hereafter wrinkling-EDC) which models the reacting scales of turbulent flows based on a fractal-based flame surface density and turbulent intermittency approaches in, respectively, premixed and diffusion flame regimes. Simulations are performed for two MILD combustion conditions of a Jet-in-Hot-Coflow burner, namely HM1 and HM3 flames, using wrinkling-EDC as well as the extended EDC. In addition, the results of the standard EDC model are provided for reference. The predictions of all three models are compared with their counterparts’ experimental measurements of temperature and species concentrations. For both HM1 and HM3 flames, the results indicate that, compared to the standard and extended EDC approaches, the wrinkling-EDC model produces better predictions of the mixing field (close to the centerline of the burner) and temperature field. However, the predictions of all models become more comparable downstream of the burner. In addition, while all models produce comparable predictions of major species, intermediate and slow-forming species are best predicted downstream of the burner by the standard EDC model.

Epidermal biopolysaccharides from plant seeds enable biodegradable turbulent drag reduction

The high cost of synthetic polymers has been a key impediment limiting the widespread adoption of polymer drag reduction techniques in large-scale engineering applications, such as marine drag reduction. To address consumable cost constraints, we investigate the use of high molar mass biopolysaccharides, present in the mucilaginous epidermis of plant seeds, as inexpensive drag reducers in large Reynolds number turbulent flows. Specifically, we study the aqueous mucilage extracted from flax seeds (Linum usitatissimum) and compare its drag reduction efficacy to that of poly(ethylene oxide) or PEO, a common synthetic polymer widely used as a drag reducing agent in aqueous flows. Macromolecular and rheological characterisation confirm the presence of high molar mass (≥2 MDa) polysaccharides in the extracted mucilage, with an acidic fraction comprising negatively charged chains. Frictional drag measurements, performed inside a bespoke Taylor-Couette apparatus, show that the as-extracted mucilage has comparable drag reduction performance under turbulent flow conditions as aqueous PEO solutions, while concurrently offering advantages in terms of raw material cost, availability, and bio-compatibility. Our results indicate that plant-sourced mucilage can potentially serve as a cost-effective and eco-friendly substitute for synthetic drag reducing polymers in large scale turbulent flow applications.

On the thermal equilibrium state of large-scale flows

In a forced three-dimensional turbulent flow the scales larger than the forcing scale have been conjectured to reach a thermal equilibrium state forming a $k^{2}$ energy spectrum, where $k$ is the wavenumber. In this work we examine the properties of these large scales in turbulent flows with the use of numerical simulations. We show that the choice of forcing can strongly affect the behaviour of the large scales. A spectrally dense forcing (a forcing that acts on all modes inside a finite-width spherical shell) with long correlation times may lead to strong deviations from the $k^{2}$ energy spectrum, while a spectrally sparse forcing (a forcing that acts only on a few modes) with short correlated time scale can reproduce the thermal spectrum. The origin of these deviations is analysed and the involved mechanisms is unravelled by examining: (i) the number of triadic interactions taking place, (ii) the spectrum of the nonlinear term, (iii) the amplitude of interactions and the fluxes due to different scales and (iv) the transfer function between different shells of wavenumbers. It is shown that the spectrally dense forcing allows for numerous triadic interactions that couple one large-scale mode with two forced modes and this leads to an excess of energy input at the large scales. This excess of energy is then moved back to the small scales by self-interactions of the large-scale modes and by interactions with the turbulent small scales. The overall picture that arises from the present analysis is that the large scales in a turbulent flow resemble a reservoir that is in (non-local) contact with a second out-of-equilibrium reservoir consisting of the smaller (forced, turbulent and dissipative) scales. If the injection of energy at the large scales from the forced modes is relative weak (as is the case for the spectrally sparse forcing) then the large-scale spectrum remains close to a thermal equilibrium and the role of long-range interactions is to set the global energy (temperature) of the equilibrium state. If, on the other hand, the long-range interactions are dominant (as is the case for the spectrally dense forcing), the large-scale self-interactions cannot respond fast enough to bring the system into equilibrium. Then the large scales deviate from the equilibrium state with energy spectrum that may display exponents different from the $k^{2}$ spectrum.