Small-scale Turbulent Fluctuations Research Articles

Spectral turbulence kinetic energy budget and scale-based velocity decomposition for turbulence in bubble plumes

We conducted a spectral analysis of the turbulence kinetic energy (TKE) budget in a bubble plume using particle image velocimetry with fluorescent particles. Our findings confirmed the hypothesis of an inverse energy cascade in the bubble plume, where TKE is transferred from small to large eddies. This is attributed to direct injection of TKE by bubble passages across a wide range of scales, in contrast to canonical shear production of TKE in large scales. Turbulence dissipation was identified as the primary sink of the bubble-produced TKE and occurred at all scales. The decomposition of velocities using the critical length scale of inter-scale energy transfer allowed us to distinguish between large- and small-scale motions in the bubble plume. The large-scale turbulent fluctuations exhibited a skewed distribution and were likely associated with the return flow after bubble passage and the velocities induced by the bubble wake. The small-scale turbulent fluctuations followed a Gaussian distribution relatively well. The large-scale motions contributed to over half of the Reynolds stresses, while there were significant small-scale contributions to the normal stresses near the plume center but not to the shear stress. The large-scale motions in the vorticity field induced a street of vertically elongated vortex pairs, while the small-scale vortices exhibited similar sizes in both horizontal and vertical directions.

Anomalous tungsten transport driven by ion temperature gradient turbulence

The present study reveals that the anomalous tungsten particle transport based on the nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations shares some similarities with that of the linear gyrokinetic study, meanwhile there exists some significant differences. In particular, nonlinear excitation of the linearly stable modes plays a non-negligible role in the anomalous tungsten particle transport. The highlighted results are the downshift of the critical density gradient for zero tungsten particle transport and the modification of the poloidal profile of the outward tungsten particle transport, which are both related to the small scale turbulent fluctuations. The former one is due to the outward particle convection produced by the linearly stable modes. The later one is brought by both the linearly stable modes and the large-scale eddies with finite ballooning angle, which flatten the poloidal profile of the particle diffusion and further shift the peak positions of the strongest outward particle transport to the high poloidal angle regions.

A multiscale methodology for small-scale bubble dynamics in turbulence

We formulate in this paper a multiscale numerical framework that handles small-scale bubble dynamics in turbulence. Our framework involves bubbles with arbitrary density ratios with the carrier phase. We use a Moving Reference Frame method that follows a bubble to deal with a fast rising of bubbles present at high density ratios between the phases. We use a Proportional Integral Derivative controller to handle an additional acceleration term in the governing equations that stems from the change of a coordinate system from a fixed to a non-inertial one. Our framework accounts for the fact that the dynamics of bubbles are significantly influenced by the unsteadiness of the small-scale turbulent liquid fluctuations that modify the bubble shapes and alter their motion. In addition, we improve and speed up, with at least two orders of magnitude in computational time, the numerical framework recently proposed by Milan et al. (2020). The developed numerical framework can capture processes occurring at time scales even smaller than the Kolmogorov times. It can be applied to droplets, bubbles or particle systems in both laminar and turbulent flows, using any general DNS technique that handles two-phase flows.

Puff turbulence in the limit of strong buoyancy.

We provide a numerical validation of a recently proposed phenomenological theory to characterize the space–time statistical properties of a turbulent puff, both in terms of bulk properties, such as the mean velocity, temperature and size, and scaling laws for velocity and temperature differences both in the viscous and in the inertial range of scales. In particular, apart from the more classical shear-dominated puff turbulence, our main focus is on the recently discovered new regime where turbulent fluctuations are dominated by buoyancy. The theory is based on an adiabaticity hypothesis which assumes that small-scale turbulent fluctuations rapidly relax to the slower large-scale dynamics, leading to a generalization of the classical Kolmogorov and Kolmogorov–Obukhov–Corrsin theories for a turbulent puff hosting a scalar field. We validate our theory by means of massive direct numerical simulations finding excellent agreement.This article is part of the theme issue ‘Scaling the turbulence edifice (part 2)’.

On the use of particle image velocimetry (PIV) data for the validation of Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) simulations during the intake process of a spark ignition direct injection (SIDI) engine

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of the in-cylinder flow field are widely used in the design of internal combustion engines (ICEs) and must be validated against experimental measurements to enable a robust predictive capability. Such validation is complicated by the presence of both large-scale cycle-to-cycle variations and small-scale turbulent fluctuations in experimental measurements of in-cylinder flow fields. Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) simulations provide overall flow structures with acceptable accuracy and affordable computational cost for widespread industrial applications. Due to the nature of averaging physical parameters in RANS, its validation against experimental results obtained by particle image velocimetry (PIV) requires consideration of how best to average or filter the measured turbulent flows. In this paper, PIV measurements on the cross-tumble plane were recorded every five crank angle degrees for [Formula: see text] cycles during the intake process of a motored, optically accessible spark ignition direct injection (SIDI) engine. Several methods including ensemble averaging, speed-based averaging and low-order proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) reconstruction were applied to remove the fluctuations from experimental PIV vector fields and thus enable comparison to RANS simulations. Quantitative comparison metrics were used to evaluate the performances of each method in representing the intake jet. Recommendations are made on how to provide a fair validation between measured data and simulation results in highly fluctuating flow fields such as the engine intake jet.

Effects of the large-scale circulation on temperature and water vapor distributions in the Π Chamber

Abstract. Microphysical processes are important for the development of clouds and thus Earth's climate. For example, turbulent fluctuations in the water vapor mixing ratio, r, and temperature, T, cause fluctuations in the saturation ratio, S. Because S is the driving factor in the condensational growth of droplets, fluctuations may broaden the cloud droplet size distribution due to individual droplets experiencing different growth rates. The small-scale turbulent fluctuations in the atmosphere that are relevant to cloud droplets are difficult to quantify through field measurements. We investigate these processes in the laboratory using Michigan Tech's Π Chamber. The Π Chamber utilizes Rayleigh–Bénard convection (RBC) to create the turbulent conditions inherent in clouds. In RBC it is common for a large-scale circulation (LSC) to form. As a consequence of the LSC, the temperature field of the chamber is not spatially uniform. In this paper, we characterize the LSC in the Π Chamber and show how it affects the shape of the distributions of r, T, and S. The LSC was found to follow a single roll with an updraft and downdraft along opposing walls of the chamber. Near the updraft (downdraft), the distributions of T and r were positively (negatively) skewed. At each measuring position, S consistently had a negatively skewed distribution, with the downdraft being the most negative.

POD-based analysis of time-resolved tornado-like vortices

In this study, three representative configurations of tornado-like vortices, i.e., single vortex, vortex breakdown and multi-vortex, are numerically simulated using large-eddy simulation (LES). Proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) is firstly employed to decompose flow-field snapshots into a series of orthogonal flow patterns (POD modes) and time-dependent coefficients. Then, a conditional-average analysis is conducted to obtain the four kinds of conditionally-averaged flow fields, which are then compared with instantaneous and ensemble-averaged flow fields. Next, a quadruple POD analysis is performed to decompose the instantaneous flow field into mean, coherent, transition and noise components. Finally, a qualitative analysis is implemented for unsteady vortex motions in horizontal and vertical planes. Results show that the conditional average shows larger-scale coherent structures than the classical ensemble average, while it loses the small-scale turbulent fluctuations present in instantaneous flow. The tornado vortex structure is controlled by the mean component in the single-vortex stage. With increase in swirl ratio, the tornado vortex evolves from single-vortex, to vortex-breakdown to multi-vortex, companied by kinetic energy transference to coherent and transition components. The horizontal and vertical vortex motions are essentially the results of horizontal and vertical velocity perturbations.

Large eddy simulation of a supersonic lifted jet flame in the high-enthalpy coflows

The stabilization mechanism of a supersonic lifted jet flame in the heated coflows should be attributed to the competition between autoignition and the propagation of active kernels at the flame base. As a result, the characteristics of the lifted hydrogen jet combustion gradually vary along the axial direction, which have not yet been deeply addressed in the previous studies. Highly-resolved large eddy simulation of a hydrogen jet injection into the air flow is carried out in this paper, the particular emphasis of which is placed on the evolution process of the turbulent structures as well as the flameholding mechanism. To analyze the effect of turbulence on the chemistry, an assumed probability density function method is adopted to close the source term of the governing equations. And the temporal and spatial resolution of the numerical schemes is high enough to capture the unsteady motion inside the supersonic reactive flowfeild. Predicted concentration of some important species agrees well with that measured by the experimental methods, demonstrating the responsibility of numerical results. From the instantaneous images, large eddy simulation reproduces the three-dimensional flowfield generated by the interaction of the inner jet and heated air flow. According to the time-averaged analysis, the combustion flowfield can be divided into three stages, namely the initial mixing, autoignition and subsequent turbulent flame. Evidently, the supersonic reactive flow passes through the transition from autoignition to the partially premixed flame, and the statistical features along the axial direction change correspondingly. Further, the effect of small-scale turbulent fluctuations on the reactive front within the shear layer is analyzed in detail, and the significant founding is propitious to understand the turbulent combustion regime in high-enthalpy conditions.

선박 프로펠러에 의해 발생하는 수중방사소음에 대한 수치 해석

Numerical simulations of turbulent flow, propeller cavitation, and induced underwater radiated noise over a marine propeller with a realistic ship geometry are conducted. Scaled ship geometries of the KVLCC2 hull and the KP458 propeller are considered in the present simulation. Turbulent flow past a marine propeller is investigated using incompressible large eddy simulation (LES) to accurately capture small scale turbulent fluctuations. In addition, to treat the propeller cavitation and track the cavity interface, a volume of fluid method (VOF) is used with the Schnerr-Sauer cavitation model. By using time series of fluid pressure and velocity field, acoustic pressure at the monitoring point is computed by the Ffowcs-Williams Hawkings (FW-H) acoustic analogy. The predicted acoustic pressure computed by integration on the cylindrical FW-H data surface are well matched with the experimental results measured at KRISO.

Numerical Simulations of Turbulent Flame Propagation in a Fan-Stirred Combustion Bomb and Bunsen-Burner at Elevated Pressure

Large eddy simulations (LES) have been carried out to calculate turbulent flame propagation in a fan-stirred combustion bomb and a Bunsen-type burner. Objective of the work is to reveal the main mechanism of increased flame wrinkling due to elevated pressure and to assess the ability of the turbulent flame-speed closure (TFC-class) combustion model to reproduce the enhancement of flame wrinkling or burning rate at elevated pressures. The simulations have been performed for a premixed methane/air mixture at equivalence ratio 0.9 and the pressure has been varied from 1 bar to 5 bar. The turbulent kinetic energy is found to increase with pressure in the high frequency range, indicating reinforced small-scale turbulent fluctuations at elevated pressure. The reason is attributed to the increased turbulent Reynolds number with pressure, which shifts the turbulent energy spectra to the higher wave number range. A reinforced flame wrinkling and an increased total burning rate are obtained at elevated pressure, which is in accordance with results from previous high-pressure combustion experiments. In addition, applying the same method to a quiescent flow in the bomb vessel reveals a decrease of the overall burning rate with pressure, which agrees with the behaviour of laminar flame speed at elevated pressures. Therefore, the beneficial effect of increased burning rate or flame wrinkling at elevated pressure can be explained by the enhanced small-scale turbulent fluctuations along with formation of small-scale vortices and flame structures, which over-compensate the reduced local laminar burning velocity at high pressures. The calculated amplification rates of flame wrinkling factor at increased pressures show a reasonable agreement with measured data for both fan-stirred bomb and Bunsen flame configurations, without using any additional adjusting parameters for considering the pressure effect. The results justify the applicability of the current TFC-LES method for high-pressure combustion processes.

Stirring anisotropic turbulence with an active grid

We study spectra and high-order structure functions in anisotropic wind tunnel turbulence, which is generated using an active grid. In the first experiment, we impose homogeneous shear turbulence with a constant gradient of the mean flow and (approximately) homogeneous turbulent fluctuations. We measure mixed structure functions of order 2, 3, 4, 6, and 10 using an array of two-component hotwires. These structure functions, which vanish for isotropic turbulence, display scaling with scaling exponents that highlight intermittency: the return to isotropy at small scales of large fluctuations is much slower than expected on the basis of a simple Kolmogorov-like scaling argument [J. L. Lumley, “Similarity and the turbulent energy spectrum,” Phys. Fluids 10, 855 (1967)]. In the second experiment, we impose anisotropy in otherwise homogeneous turbulence through the time modulation of the active grid. This is done by driving the grid using signals from a turbulence (shell) model, which acts as a convenient turbulent random signal generator. In this way, different statistical properties of different velocity components could be imposed. Similar to the first experiment, our interest is in the return to isotropy of the small-scale turbulent fluctuations, which is quantified using second-order quantities such as spectra and correlation functions. Also, in this case, the strongly anisotropic correlations induced by the forcing at large scales tend to return to isotropy at small, inertial-range scales, but with the imprint of large-scale anisotropy retained.

The role of coherent structures and inhomogeneity in near-field interscale turbulent energy transfers

We use DNS to study inter-scale and inter-space energy exchanges in the near-field of a turbulent wake of a square prism in terms of the KHMH equation written for a triple decomposition of the velocity field accounting for the quasi-periodic vortex shedding. Orientation-averaged terms of the KHMH are computed on the plane of the mean flow and on the geometric centreline. We consider locations between $2$ and $8$ times the width $d$ of the prism. The mean flow produces kinetic energy which feeds the vortex shedding coherent structures. In turn, these structures transfer energy to the stochastic fluctuations over all length-scales $r$ from the Taylor length $\lambda$ to $d$ and dominate spatial turbulent transport of two-point stochastic turbulent fluctuations. The orientation-averaged non-linear inter-scale transfer rate $\Pi^{a}$ which was found to be approximately independent of $r$ by Alves Portela et. al. (2017) in the range $\lambda\le r \le 0.3d$ at a distance $x_{1}=2d$ from the square prism requires an inter-scale transfer contribution of coherent structures for this approximate constancy. However, the near-constancy of $\Pi^a$ at $x_1=8d$ which was also found by Alves Portela et. al. (2017) is mostly due to stochastic fluctuations. Even so, the proximity of $-\Pi^a$ to the turbulence dissipation rate $\varepsilon$ in the range $\lambda\le r\le d$ at $x_1=8d$ requires contributions of the coherent structures. Spatial inhomogeneity also makes a direct and distinct contribution to $\Pi^a$, and the constancy of $-\Pi^a/\varepsilon$ close to 1 would not have been possible without it either in this near-field flow. Finally, the pressure-velocity term is also an important contributor to the KHMH, particularly at scales r larger than about $0.4d$, and appears to correlate with the purely stochastic non-linear inter-scale transfer rate when the orientation average is lifted.

Study of clay–sand network structures and its effect on river bank erosion: an experimental approach

Evolution of the riverbank morphology due to the removal and collapse of bank sediment results in substantial loss of fertile land and human property. At the lower stretch of a perennial river, clay–sand mixed bank sediments are predominant. Existing literature reveals that large shear stresses are generated due to the interaction between the hydrodynamic forces and bank roughness. This may lead to the dislodgement of the sediment particles from the bank surface. The generation of shear stress of a turbulent flow depends on the scales of turbulent fluctuations and the clay–sand network structures (size, shape, and arrangement of clay and sand particles). However, information on the modulation of turbulent flow structures due to the variation of clay–sand network structures of the bank sediment remains unrevealed. In the present experimental investigation, an attempt is undertaken to study the effect of sediment surface roughness and the associated turbulent scales of the interacting flow. This is achieved by fabricating artificial banks of five different proportions of clay in the clay–sand mixture in a laboratory flume. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and 3D profilometer measured the surface roughness parameters of clay–sand network structures for different clay proportions. Information on near bank turbulence characteristics was quantified using a 16 MHz acoustic Doppler velocimeter (ADV). Results from the present study show that the surface roughness of bank sediment decreases with increasing clay fraction in the clay–sand network structure of the bank sediment, which also lowers the associated turbulent velocity fluctuations or eddy scales of the flow. Furthermore, small-scale turbulent fluctuations decrease the sediment entrainment rate from the bank face.

Large-Scale Pattern Formation in the Presence of Small-Scale Random Advection.

Despite the presence of strong fluctuations, many turbulent systems such as Rayleigh-Bénard convection and Taylor-Couette flow display self-organized large-scale flow patterns. How do small-scale turbulent fluctuations impact the emergence and stability of such large-scale flow patterns? Here, we approach this question conceptually by investigating a class of pattern forming systems in the presence of random advection by a Kraichnan-Kazantsev velocity field. Combining tools from pattern formation with statistical theory and simulations, we show that random advection shifts the onset and the wave number of emergent patterns. As a simple model for pattern formation in convection, the effects are demonstrated with a generalized Swift-Hohenberg equation including random advection. We also discuss the implications of our results for the large-scale flow of turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection.

Turbulent superstructures in Rayleigh-B\xe9nard convection

Turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection displays a large-scale order in the form of rolls and cells on lengths larger than the layer height once the fluctuations of temperature and velocity are removed. These turbulent superstructures are reminiscent of the patterns close to the onset of convection. Here we report numerical simulations of turbulent convection in fluids at different Prandtl number ranging from 0.005 to 70 and for Rayleigh numbers up to 107. We identify characteristic scales and times that separate the fast, small-scale turbulent fluctuations from the gradually changing large-scale superstructures. The characteristic scales of the large-scale patterns, which change with Prandtl and Rayleigh number, are also correlated with the boundary layer dynamics, and in particular the clustering of thermal plumes at the top and bottom plates. Our analysis suggests a scale separation and thus the existence of a simplified description of the turbulent superstructures in geo- and astrophysical settings.

Estimating large-scale structures in wall turbulence using linear models

A dynamical systems approach is used to devise a linear estimation tool for channel flow at a friction Reynolds number of $Re_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}}=1000$. The estimator uses time-resolved velocity measurements at a single wall-normal location to estimate the velocity field at other wall-normal locations (the data coming from direct numerical simulations). The estimation tool builds on the work of McKeon & Sharma (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 658, 2010, pp. 336–382) by using a Navier–Stokes-based linear model and treating any nonlinear terms as unknown forcings to an otherwise linear system. In this way nonlinearities are not ignored, but instead treated as an unknown model input. It is shown that, while the linear estimator qualitatively reproduces large-scale flow features, it tends to overpredict the amplitude of velocity fluctuations – particularly for structures that are long in the streamwise direction and thin in the spanwise direction. An alternative linear model is therefore formed in which a simple eddy viscosity is used to model the influence of the small-scale turbulent fluctuations on the large scales of interest. This modification improves the estimator performance significantly. Importantly, as well as improving the performance of the estimator, the linear model with eddy viscosity is also able to predict with reasonable accuracy the range of wavenumber pairs and the range of wall-normal heights over which the estimator will perform well.

Does the Representation of Flow Structure and Turbulence at a Cold Front Converge on Multiscale Observations with Model Resolution?

In situ aircraft observations are used to interrogate the ability of a numerical weather prediction model to represent flow structure and turbulence at a narrow cold front. Simulations are performed at a range of nested resolutions with grid spacings of 12 km down to 100 m, and the convergence with resolution is investigated. The observations include the novel feature of a low-altitude circuit around the front that is closed in the frame of reference of the front, thus allowing the direct evaluation of area-average vorticity and divergence values from circuit integrals. As such, the observational strategy enables a comparison of flow structures over a broad range of spatial scales, from the size of the circuit itself ([Formula: see text]100 km) to small-scale turbulent fluctuations ([Formula: see text]10 m). It is found that many aspects of the resolved flow converge successfully toward the observations with resolution if sampling uncertainty is accounted for, including the area-average vorticity and divergence measures and the narrowest observed cross-frontal width. In addition, there is a gradual handover from parameterized to resolved turbulent fluxes of moisture and momentum as motions in the convective boundary layer behind the front become partially resolved in the highest-resolution simulations. In contrast, the parameterized turbulent fluxes associated with subgrid-scale shear-driven turbulence ahead of the front do not converge on the observations. The structure of frontal rainbands associated with a shear instability along the front also does not converge with resolution, indicating that the mechanism of the frontal instability may not be well represented in the simulations.

Multiscale anisotropic fluctuations in sheared turbulence with multiple states

We use high resolution direct numerical simulations to study the anisotropic contents of a turbulent, statistically homogeneous flow with random transitions among multiple energy containing states. We decompose the velocity correlation functions on different sectors of the three dimensional group of rotations, SO(3), using a high-precision quadrature. Scaling properties of anisotropic components of longitudinal and transverse velocity fluctuations are accurately measured at changing Reynolds numbers. We show that independently of the anisotropic content of the energy containing eddies, small-scale turbulent fluctuations recover isotropy and universality faster than previously reported in experimental and numerical studies. The discrepancies are ascribed to the presence of highly anisotropic contributions that have either been neglected or measured with less accuracy in the foregoing works. Furthermore, the anomalous anisotropic scaling exponents are devoid of any sign of saturation with increasing order. Our study paves the way to systematically assess persistence of anisotropy in high Reynolds number flows.

On laminar-turbulent transition in nanofluid flows

The paper presents experimental data on the laminar-turbulent transition in the nanofluid flow in the pipe. The transition in the flows of such fluids is shown to have lower Reynolds numbers than in the base fluid. The degree of the flow destabilization increases with an increase in concentration of nanoparticles and a decrease in their size. On the other hand, in the turbulent flow regime, the presence of particles in the flow leads to the suppression of smallscale turbulent fluctuations. The correlation of the measured viscosity coefficient of considered nanofluids is presented.

Editorial: IFP Energies nouvelles International Conference LES4ICE 2014 – Large-Eddy Simulation for Internal Combustion Engine Flows

Further improving the environmental performances of Internal Combustion Engines (ICE) increasingly requires moving beyond traditional multidimensional simulation tools based on a cycle averaged approach (Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes, RANS), and to reliably predict and control individual engine cycles under realistic operating conditions. Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) offers this unique potential by predicting spatially filtered flow realizations, thus opening up new perspectives for extending the scope of application of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) for ICE. Since its 1 edition in 2008, the LES4ICE conference provides a forum for exchange concerning research and development of LES and related experimental techniques for their application to ICE flows. It brings together researchers and engineers working in the field of piston engine combustion to debate the state of the art in LES applied to ICE and examine advanced experimental techniques capable of supporting and validating its development. The present special issue proposes an extract from the contributions to the 2014 edition of LES4ICE, following a selection by the conference’s Scientific Committee. The selected four articles provide a view on some recent advances in the domain of LES and related experimental techniques, and on their application to ICE flows. The study of Cyclic Combustion Variability (CCV) in Spark-Ignition Engines (SIE) has become a prominent topic for LES research in the past decade. It has been demonstrated how combining advanced optical diagnostics and state-of-the-art LES can allow identifying the causes of CCV, and that the acquired understanding could efficiently be capitalized in the form of reduced models for 1D CFD simulations of complete engine systems. This on-going research opened exciting perspectives for the application of LES to other yet poorly understood and mastered non-cyclic phenomena in SIE, as in particular the link between CCV and engine knock. A longstanding issue when studying the causes of CCV in SI engines is the relative importance of the variability of large-scale coherent structures, and of small scale turbulent fluctuations. A method aiming at addressing this question was proposed by S. Buhl, F. Hartmann and C. Hasse, in their contribution “Identification of Large-Scale Structure Fluctuations in IC Engines using POD-Based Conditional Averaging” [1]. They propose a method combining POD and conditional averaging, and discuss its application to the analysis of the origins of CCV for two different LES datasets. Oil & Gas Science and Technology – Rev. IFP Energies nouvelles (2016) 71, E1 C. Angelberger and C. Mounaim-Rousselle, published by IFP Energies nouvelles, 2016 DOI: 10.2516/ogst/2015048 IFP Energies nouvelles International Conference Rencontres Scientifiques d'IFP Energies nouvelles