Turbulent Kinetic Energy Research Articles

Effects of axisymmetric confinement on vortical structures emanating from round turbulent jets

Confined jets occur in many engineering applications including combustion chambers, jet pumps, and chemical reactors. The effects of axisymmetric confinement on the vortical structures identified in a turbulent jet are investigated using large eddy simulation at a Reynolds number of 30 000 (based on nozzle exit conditions) and expansion ratio (chamber-to-nozzle diameter ratio) of five. The results obtained from the confined jet are compared with those of a free jet under the same nozzle exit flow conditions. A prominent recirculation zone forms between the expanding jet and the confining wall, resulting in early shear layer distortion and a shorter interaction length in the confined jet (0.85 jet diameters) compared to the free jet (1.15 jet diameters). Using the λ2 criterion for vortex identification, two dominant structural modes are identified in the near-exit region of the free jet: ring and helical modes. However, in the confined jet, the helical mode is absent, and the turbulent confined fluid accelerates the breakup of the ring vortices. The interaction of the secondary line vortices with the breaking structures leads to the formation of new hairpin-like vortices, which also contribute to further vortex breakup. These results explain the enhanced mixing performance of confined jets as the mixing is directly tied to the breakup of large vortical structures. Proper orthogonal decomposition modes are also presented to identify the structures/events with the highest contribution to the total turbulent kinetic energy in both flow fields.

Scaling the Diurnal Mixing/Mixed Layer Depth in the Tropical Ocean: A Case Study in the South China Sea

AbstractThe diurnal cycling of the surface mixing/mixed layer (ML) depth, air‐sea heat flux, and vertical profiles of the temperature and turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate in the tropical central South China Sea was observed in summer (June 2017) and winter (January 2018). In the daytime, solar heating warmed and stabilized the ML, and the thickness of the ML can be well characterized by the Zilitinkevich scale as noted in previous studies. By contrast, in the nighttime the ML was deepened by convective turbulence generated by surface cooling. Guided by these observations, we have derived a simple scaling for the nighttime deepening of the ML by simplifying the classic Kraus‐Turner type model. We show that the variation of the ML depth can be scaled by a function of the wind speed, air‐sea heat flux and the temporal variation of the sea surface temperature, all of which are observable variables at the sea surface. It is found that the scaling works well in reproducing observed variations of the ML depth from hydrographic data. As such, this study advances our understanding of the response of the upper ocean to atmospheric forcing and provides a simple way for predicting the ML depth with solely surface observations.

Temporal-spatial and energy dissipation characteristics of vortex evolutions in Francis turbine during load reduction

This study numerically investigates the load reduction effects, on a model Francis turbine, combining cavitation model and structured dynamic grid technique. The results indicate that the vapor volume in the draft tube undergoes two rapid increases and decreases until cavitation ceases. The precessing vortex rope transitions from a strong helical structure to axial contraction as ellipticity increases, ultimately forming a discrete band before disappearing. Initially, vapor volume in the runner increases gradually and linearly, followed by continued growth with a consistent pulsation amplitude. The inter-blade vortex (IBV) first appears at the blade trailing edge and then develops into a complete structure extending from the runner crown to the blade trailing edge, driven by pulsating vapor volume growth. Axial force extracted by the runner changes significantly and correlates closely with variations in the vapor volume in the runner. Flow separation in the runner occurs near the runner crown, forming dual separation lines that enhance IBV formation, which highlights the significant influence of crown-proximal flow separation on IBV development. Regarding energy loss, initial decreases followed by increases are observed in both the draft tube and runner, with draft tube losses consistently exceeding 57.4% and runner losses exceeding 27.1%. Turbulent kinetic energy generation and Reynolds stress are the primary forms of energy dissipation, with high-value regions corresponding to vortex locations, underscoring the substantial role of vortices in energy dissipation. This study provides new insights into the evolution of vortices and energy dissipation characteristics during load reduction in Francis turbines.

Numerical assessment of transient flow and energy dissipation in a Pelton turbine during startup

The Pelton turbine, known for its high application water head, wide efficient operating range, and rapid start-stop capability, is ideal for addressing intermittent and stochastic load issues. This study numerically analyzes the transient two-phase flow and energy dissipation during the startup of a Pelton turbine. Dynamic mesh technology controlled nozzle opening changes, and momentum balance equations managed runner rotation. Findings showed that the runner speed initially increased rapidly and then more slowly, and flow rate matched the nozzle opening variations. Runner torque first rose linearly, then decreased, with the fastest decline during nozzle closing. Hydraulic efficiency peaked early in nozzle reduction but then dropped sharply. Strong vortices formed due to upstream inflow and downstream backflow impact in the distributor pipe. The jet needle and guide vane improved flow in the converging section of nozzle, but flow began to diffuse with increased stroke. Initially, the jet spread fully on the bucket surface, but later only affected the bucket tips. Pressure fluctuations in the water supply mechanism were primarily due to jet needle motion, with higher amplitude during movement and lower when stationary. These fluctuations propagated upstream, weakening over distance. Reynolds stress work and turbulent kinetic energy generation, respectively, dominated energy transmission and energy dissipation, with their maximum contribution exceeding 96% and 70%. High-energy clusters corresponded to jet impact positions, highlighting jet-bucket interference as crucial for energy transport. This study established a performance evaluation method for Pelton turbine startups, supporting further investigation into characteristic parameters, flow evolution, and energy dissipation patterns.

Scaling of coherent structures in compressible wall-bounded turbulence

Semi-local scales have been widely used in compressible wall-bounded turbulence, but it is still unclear whether they are applicable to the scaling of coherent structures, especially under conditions of high Mach number and cold wall temperature. By scrutinizing the direct numerical simulation dataset at different Mach numbers and wall temperatures, this paper demonstrates that the coherent structures normalized by semi-local scales are universal in size. In addition to this, we find that the ratios of Kolmogorov scales to semi-local scales are independent of Mach number and wall temperature. Thus, Kolmogorov scales can achieve the same scaling effect as the semi-local scales. The velocity spectra are also compared to verify the current scaling method quantitatively. A method to determine the threshold for the vortex identification criterion is proposed, allowing the same threshold for different cases to obtain vortices of similar size. The scaling of other statistics including turbulent kinetic energy, streamwise Reynolds normal stress, and root mean square of fluctuating vorticity is also investigated. A new velocity scale is proposed based on the total-stress-based transformation for mean streamwise velocity, which can collapse the profiles of these statistics more accurately than the semi-local velocity scale. The present paper demonstrates that through appropriate normalization, the structures and statistics of compressible turbulence become universal, reaffirming the validity of Morkovin's hypothesis even for the present high Mach number and cold wall cases.

Numerical prediction of passive speed and performance for multistage pump without power drive in natural flow process

With the development of engineering applications and the increase in system complexity, some particular fields, such as liquid rocket engine turbopumps, aircraft engine fuel systems, and marine natural flow cooling systems, are increasingly focusing on the performance characteristics of pumps under natural flow conditions. The pump is in the form of resistance components under natural flow conditions without a power drive. The impeller undergoes passive rotation by the impact of inlet flow. Due to the specificity of its operating conditions and performance indicators, the pump's natural flow performance cannot be evaluated by regular methods. Therefore, this paper proposed a numerical prediction method for pump natural flow performance based on a coupled computational fluid dynamics coupled with six-degrees-of freedom model. The performance of a multistage pump with guide vanes was evaluated under different natural flow conditions, and the accuracy was verified by experimental measurements. The transient variation mode of pump performance parameters with time at the initial stage of natural flow impact was analyzed. The flow field's transient evolution characteristics and the wall shear stress variation during natural flow were investigated. It was found that the impeller's passive rotational speed increases linearly with the natural flow rate, while the hydraulic loss shows an exponentially increasing trend. Meanwhile, the natural flow loss coefficient shows an exponentially decreasing trend and gradually tends to a stable value. The high turbulent kinetic energy inside the impeller is mainly distributed in the flow separation region and large velocity gradients. The distribution of shear stresses is closely related to the flow behavior inside the pump and the geometrical features of the hydraulic components.

CFD-DEM analysis of internal flow characteristics in multistage deep-sea mining pumps

ABSTRACT The potential profits associated with deep-sea mineral deposits have encouraged the development of new mining techniques. In particular, the effectiveness of lift pumps is crucial to the success or failure of these mining operations. In this study, the interior pressure field, turbulence characteristics, and turbulent kinetic energy of deep-sea mining pumps were numerically simulated using the computational fluid dynamics/discrete element method (CFD-DEM). Turbulence in the solid–liquid two-phase flow in deep-sea mining lift pumps was also investigated using CFD-DEM, and the key factors affecting lift and efficiency were obtained. Data exchange among particles and between particles and fluids was fully considered to obtain reliable calculation results. The results show that lift pump operation improves when the speed increases. A real-world hydraulic test was conducted to verify the simulation result. That is, increasing the speed of the lift pump stabilises the flow of particles and fluids and gradually increases the lift and efficiency. The simulation method provides a reliable starting point for developing and optimising subsea lift pumps.

Numerical investigation of bimodal tip clearance effect on the lift-drag and flow characteristics of a hydrofoil

Tip leakage flow has adverse effect on energy conversion of the hydraulic machinery. The new tip clearance structure based on Bimodal Gaussian function is designed to reduce tip leakage vortex. The effects of bimodal structure with different amplitudes and arrangement positions on lift-drag and flow characteristics are studied. The results show that the maximum rise of the lift-drag ratio reaches 5.88% when the bimodal structure amplitude is equal to the tip clearance size. The bimodal structure reduces the outflow velocity at the peak and forms a smooth streamline, which weakens the entrainment with the mainstream. The location of the bimodal structure far away from leading edge helps to produce smooth streamlines and make the flow field smoother, and reduces the area of high turbulent kinetic energy region near leading edge and in tip clearance outflow region significantly. The arrangement position of bimodal structure close to leading edge can produce a low-speed zone or a recirculation zone in the mainstream, which can block the mainstream flow and reduce the energy characteristics of the hydrofoil.

High-altitude balloon-launched uncrewed aircraft system measurements of atmospheric turbulence and qualitative comparison with infrasound microphone response

Abstract. This study investigates the use of a balloon-launched uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) for the measurement of turbulence in the troposphere and lower stratosphere. The UAS was a glider which could conduct an automated descent following a designated flight trajectory and was equipped with in situ sensors for measuring thermodynamic and kinematic atmospheric properties. In addition, this aircraft was equipped with an infrasonic microphone to assess its suitability for the remote detection of clear-air turbulence. The capabilities of the UAS and sensing systems were tested during three flights conducted in New Mexico, USA, in 2021. It was found that the profiles of temperature, humidity, and horizontal winds measured during descent were in broad agreement with those made by radiosonde data published by the US National Weather Service, separated by up to 380 km spatially and by 3 to 5 h temporally. Winds measured during controlled flight descent were consistent with the winds measured by global-positioning-system-derived velocity during balloon ascent. During controlled descent with this particular payload, a nominal vertical resolution on the order of 1 m was achieved for temperature, relative humidity, and pressure with a nominal vertical resolution of the wind velocity vector on the order of 0.1 m; the aircraft had a glide slope angle from 1 to 4° during this time. Analysis approaches were developed that provided turbulent kinetic energy and dissipation rate, but it was found that the corresponding Richardson number was sensitive to the methodology used to determine the vertical gradients from a single flight. The low-frequency content of the infrasonic microphone signal was observed to qualitatively align with long-wavelength wind velocity fluctuations detected at high altitude. Moreover, the microphone measured more broadband frequency content when the aircraft approached turbulence produced by the boundary layer.

Cascades of turbulent kinetic energy and multicomponent scalars in a momentum-scalar coupling turbulence driven by multiple mechanisms under homogeneous and isotropic hypotheses

Cascades of turbulent kinetic energy and multicomponent scalars in a momentum-scalar coupling turbulence driven by multiple mechanisms under homogeneous and isotropic hypotheses

Exploring Near-Wake Structures: Bio-Inspired Convergent-Divergent Riblets on Circular Bluff Bodies

Abstract Convergent-divergent (C-D) riblets represent a pioneering rough surface inspired by the skin of fast-swimming sharks and flight feathers of the birds. In this study, we applied convergent-divergent riblets to the outer surface of a circular cylinder to examine their influence on the near-wake flow structure behind the cylinder. Various experimental techniques, such as particle image velocimetry (PIV), hot-wire anemometer, and a load cell for force measurement, were employed for this study. The experimental measurements have been conducted at different Reynolds numbers ranging from (6–12) ×103. The findings from force measurement indicate a decrease in the mean drag coefficient of around 14%, 15%, 11%, and 12% obtained by riblets at Re = 6000, 7500, 10,000, and 12,000, respectively. The time-averaged flow field including streamlines, velocity field, Reynolds shear stress, vorticity, and turbulent kinetic energy were measured. The measurements suggest that the wake's size has decreased by using convergent-divergent riblets. Furthermore, data obtained from the hot-wire anemometer reveal that these riblets alter the vortex shedding frequency to a higher value and impact the amplitude peak of the power spectrum at various Re numbers.

Direct numerical simulation study on wall-modeling of turbulent water channel flows with temperature-dependent viscosity

We discuss wall-modeling of turbulent heat transfer of water channel flows with temperature-dependent viscosity via direct numerical simulations. We considered a top-cooled wall (293[K]) and a bottom-heated wall (353[K]) and varied the friction Reynolds numbers from 300 to 1000. The fluid viscosity varied depending on the local fluid temperature, whereas the other physical properties were assumed to be constant. The results show that semi-local scaling based on the local viscosity and wall friction velocity reasonably accounts for the effects of variable viscosity on turbulent flows, except in the vicinity of the wall, where wall cooling intensifies the turbulent vortical motion, leading to increased semi-locally scaled eddy diffusivities compared with those near the heated wall. In the vicinity of the cooled wall, turbulent transport is enhanced by increased viscous transport, which transfers more turbulent kinetic energy toward the cooled wall. The effectiveness of semi-local scaling for wall-modeling was validated by performing a wall-modeled large-eddy simulation at Reτ=1000, where we incorporated the semi-local viscous length scale into the classical mixing-length model. The modified mixing-length model reasonably reproduced the effects of variable viscosity on turbulent flows.

Forced convection heat transfer in AlSi7Mg lattice structures fabricated by additive manufacturing

The thermal-hydraulic performance of lattice structures with different topologies and relative densities was investigated. AlSi7Mg sandwich panels cored with vertical fin, pyramidal, and tetrahedral lattices were fabricated using additive manufacturing. Four different relative densities (7.5 %, 10 %, 12.5 %, and 15 %) were considered for each lattice core. The experiment was conducted under constant heat flux and steady-state forced convection. Results showed that increasing relative density led to an increase in the average Nusselt number by 3.2–12.5 % in the vertical fin, 23.8–56.4 % in the pyramidal lattice, and 38.8–46.9 % in the tetrahedral lattice. To evaluate the efficiency of different topologies, the average Nusselt number was compared at a fixed pumping power. The pyramidal lattice exhibited the best performance among the test samples, followed by the tetrahedral lattice. The numerical analysis was performed to gain further insights into the heat transfer mechanisms involved. As the relative density increased, an increase in both the maximum fluid velocity and turbulent kinetic energy was observed in all test samples. The numerical results demonstrate that the observed improvement in thermal-hydraulic performance with increasing relative densities in experiments is attributable to the enhanced momentum of the fluid and turbulent mixing.

Particle image velocimetry in the impeller of a centrifugal pump: Relationship between turbulent flow and energy loss

Turbulent flows play a dominant role in the operation of centrifugal pumps, which find widespread use in industrial settings and various aspects of human life. The dissipation rate of turbulent kinetic energy emerges as a key parameter within these devices, with its local values exerting a significant influence on centrifugal pump performance. Recent advances in particle image velocimetry (PIV) techniques have expanded the ability to analyze complex turbulent flows across a broad spectrum of scales. In this context, this paper aims to deepen our understanding of the turbulent flow field and its correlation with energy loss in centrifugal pump impellers. To achieve this, experiments were conducted using PIV on a transparent pump operating under different conditions. Statistics of the turbulent flow were then obtained from phase-ensemble averages of velocities, vorticity, turbulence production, and local dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy. To overcome the limited spatial resolution constraint of PIV, the large-eddy PIV (LES-PIV) method was employed to estimate the local dissipation rate. In this method, it is assumed that the motion of larger scales is measured by the PIV technique, while the smaller scales (unresolved scales) are modeled by a sub-grid scale model, calculated from the strain rate tensors obtained from the measured fields. Energy losses in the impeller were studied using two methodologies: (i) a conventional method based on power measurements, and (ii) an alternative approach based on the budget of turbulent kinetic energy. Our results reveal that turbulent loss caused by turbulence production is the main source of energy loss in the pump impeller, and it is particularly pronounced in low-flow operating conditions characterized by large-scale structures. On the other hand, in situations where flow rates exceed the best efficiency point (BEP) condition, the predominant flow structures are marked by small-scale features, mainly attributed to local dissipation of turbulence. Our findings clarify the characteristics of energy losses in centrifugal pump impellers and their relationship with the turbulent flow field, and, in addition, providing a methodology for calculating the local turbulent dissipation rate and its limitations when derived from PIV measurements.

MLFV: a novel machine learning feature vector method to predict characteristics of turbulent heat and fluid flow

PurposeThis study aims to introduce a novel machine learning feature vector (MLFV) method to bring machine learning to overcome the time-consuming computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations for rapidly predicting turbulent flow characteristics with acceptable accuracy.Design/methodology/approachIn this method, CFD snapshots are encoded in a tensor as the input training data. Then, the MLFV learns the relationship between data with a rod filter, which is named feature vector, to learn features by defining functions on it. To demonstrate the accuracy of the MLFV, this method is used to predict the velocity, temperature and turbulent kinetic energy fields of turbulent flow passing over an innovative nature-inspired Dolphin turbulator based on only ten CFD data.FindingsThe results indicate that MLFV and CFD contours alongside scatter plots have a good agreement between predicted and solved data with R2 ≃ 1. Also, the error percentage contours and histograms reveal the high precisions of predictions with MAPE = 7.90E-02, 1.45E-02, 7.32E-02 and NRMSE = 1.30E-04, 1.61E-03, 4.54E-05 for prediction velocity, temperature, turbulent kinetic energy fields at Re = 20,000, respectively.Practical implicationsThe method can have state-of-the-art applications in a wide range of CFD simulations with the ability to train based on small data, which is practical and logical regarding the number of required tests.Originality/valueThe paper introduces a novel, innovative and super-fast method named MLFV to address the time-consuming challenges associated with the traditional CFD approach to predict the physics of turbulent heat and fluid flow in real time with the superiority of training based on small data with acceptable accuracy.

Influence of thermodynamic conditions on the mixing characteristics of a supercritical nitrogen jet under mode excitation

Fuel injection mixing is one of the critical factors affecting the energy conversion efficiency and emission level of thermal engines. The effect of thermodynamic conditions on mixing characteristics of supercritical cryogenic nitrogen jet under varicose mode excitation is investigated using the unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes method combined with real-gas thermodynamics and transport properties of nitrogen in NIST database. The ambient-to-jet density ratio is defined to represent different thermodynamic conditions and is found to affect the jet mixing enhancement directly. As the density ratio increases from 0.098 to 0.432, the density gradient reduces in the jet shear layer, mitigating flow stratification. Jet mixing is enhanced with a reduction of density potential core length by 24 % and a tripled density spreading angle. Under varicose mode excitation, large vortices are formatted close to the jet orifice, especially for higher density ratio cases. The peak of the jet turbulent kinetic energy is higher and shifts upstream as density ratio increasing. The jet mixing enhancement is further achieved, with the spreading angle increment growing from 1° to 4° and the velocity decay rate increasing from 0.03 to 0.15. As the excitation amplitude rising from 5 % to 15 %, the growth of jet momentum instability in the jet potential core breaks the velocity gradients inhibition on jet mixing. The supercritical jet enters self-similar region earlier, with density potential core length shortened by 51 % and spreading angle increased by 28 % at a middle density ratio of 0.275.

A Novel Approach to Wave Energy Conversion Using CFD Technique

Abstract This article details the development and evaluation of a novel wave energy converter (WEC) aimed at efficiently capturing wave energy for electricity production. The study employs Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) techniques, specifically the URANS method and the k-ω SST turbulence model, to solve the Navier-Stokes equations and capture the free surface using the Volume of Fluid (VOF) model. The CFD results are validated against experimental data to ensure accuracy. Various design parameters of the proposed device were tested, revealing that the arms and bottom angle significantly affect its performance. Unlike the floating Wave Dragon (WD) device, which utilises potential energy and is set in deep water, the new fixed-seabed device is positioned in the transitional wave region near the shore, where waves retain 80% of their energy. It can be constructed from environmentally friendly cement, making it resistant to hurricanes and suitable for any wave turbine in the open sea. The MP687 turbine was used to capture the wave energy in the proposed device, testing its performance in three positions: in the open sea, in the middle of the device, and at the device’s outlet. The results show that the device significantly enhances wave energy concentration, especially when the turbine is placed at the outlet. The proposed device offers numerous advantages, including its fixed position in a high-energy wave zone, the efficient use of turbulent kinetic energy, and robust construction that can withstand storms.

The turbulent soundscape of intertidal oyster reefs.

Turbulence and sound are important cues for oyster reef larval recruitment. Numerous studies have found a relationship between turbulence intensity and swimming behaviors of marine larvae, while others have documented the importance of sounds in enhancing larval recruitment to oyster reefs. However, the relationship between turbulence and the reef soundscape is not well understood. In this study we made side-by-side acoustic Doppler velocimeter turbulence measurements and hydrophone soundscape recordings over 2 intertidal oyster reefs (1 natural and 1 restored) and 1 adjacent bare mudflat as a reference. Sound pressure levels (SPL) were similar across all three sites, although SPL > 2000 Hz was highest at the restored reef, likely due to its larger area that contained a greater number of sound-producing organisms. Flow noise (FN), defined as the mean of pressure fluctuations recorded by the hydrophone at f < 100 Hz, was significantly related to mean flow speed, turbulent kinetic energy, and turbulence dissipation rate (ε), agreeing with theoretical calculations for turbulence. Our results also show a similar relationship between ε and FN to what has been previously reported for ε vs. downward larval swimming velocity (w b ), with both FN and w b demonstrating rapid growth at ε > 0.1 cm2 s-3. These results suggest that reef turbulence and sounds may attract oyster larvae in complementary and synergistic ways.

Large eddy simulation of round jets with mild temperature difference

Understanding the behaviour of hot jets is crucial for various engineering and environmental applications. The present work studies the influence of heat transfer on the dynamics of horizontal round hot jets through Large Eddy Simulations (LES). Our focus lies on trajectory development, large-scale coherent structures, and turbulent kinetic budget analysis in the near-field and intermediate-field regions. LES of two horizontal round hot jets with Reynolds numbers (3934 and 5100) and corresponding Froude numbers (32.98 and 17.07) were carried out using buoyantPimpleFoam solver in OpenFOAM, and the simulation on an isothermal jet was also performed as a baseline for comparison. The results reveal that the jet core temperature decays faster in the streamwise direction but more slowly in the radial direction, indicating a wider temperature spread than velocity, and the maximum difference between the temperature and velocity spread is about 0.5D. Moreover, the energy associated with the large-scale coherent structure decreases with increasing initial jet temperature. The energy of the first two modes of snapshot Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) and extended POD dropped by 12% and 14%, respectively. The coherent motion with the greatest correlation between the temperature and velocity fluctuations is identified as four pairs of Q1 and Q3 events, which are Reynolds shear stress dominant events. Furthermore, compared with the isothermal jet, the turbulent kinetic energy budgets of the hot jets indicate that the diffusion and generation terms are both reduced by approximately 50%, suggesting a transfer of more kinetic energy into potential energy rather than turbulence. The finding highlights the potential of heightened temperatures to mitigate instabilities associated with large-scale motions in hot jets. This study fills the gap on a comprehensive analysis of heat transfer effects on jet dynamics, and quantitative insights into the large-scale coherent structures are provided, contributing to a better understanding of hot jet behaviour.

Evaluation of near‐surface and boundary‐layer meteorological conditions that support cold‐fog formation using Cold Fog Amongst Complex Terrain field campaign observations

AbstractCold fog refers to a type of fog that forms when the temperature is below 0°C. It can be composed of liquid, ice, and mixed‐phase fog particles. Cold fog happens frequently over mountainous terrain in the cold season, but it is difficult to predict. Using observations from the Cold Fog Amongst Complex Terrain (CFACT) field campaign conducted in Heber Valley, Utah, in the western United States during January and February of 2022, this study investigates the meteorological conditions in the surface and boundary layers that support the formation of wintertime ephemeral cold fog in a local area of small‐scale mountain valleys. It is found that fog formation is susceptible to subtleties in forcing conditions and is supported by several factors: (1) established high pressure over the Great Basin with associated local clear skies, calm winds, and a stable boundary layer; (2) near‐surface inversion with saturation near the surface and strong moisture gradient in the boundary layer; (3) warm (above‐freezing) daytime air temperature with a large diurnal range, accompanied with warm soil temperatures during the daytime; (4) a period of increased turbulence kinetic energy (above 0.5 m2·s−2), followed by calm conditions throughout the fog's duration; and (5) supersaturation with respect to ice. Then, the field observations and identified supporting factors for fog formation were utilized to evaluate high‐resolution (˜400 m horizontal grid spacing) Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model simulations. Results show that the WRF model accurately simulates the mesoscale conditions facilitating cold‐fog formation but misses some critical surface and atmospheric boundary conditions. The overall results from this paper indicate that these identified factors that support fog formation are vital to accurately forecasting cold‐fog events. At the same time, they are also critical fields for the NWP model validation.