Improved predictability of two-dimensional turbulent flows using wavelet packet compression

We propose to use new orthonormal wavelet packet bases, more efficient than the Fourier basis, to compress two-dimensional turbulent flows. We define the “best basis” of wavelet packets as the one which, for a given enstrophy density, condenses the L² norm into a minimum number of non-negligible wavelet packet coefficients. Coefficients below a threshold are discarded, reducing the number of degrees of freedom. We then compare the predictability of the original flow evolution with several such reductions, varying the number of retained coefficients, either from a Fourier basis, or from the best-basis of wavelet packets. We show that for a compression ratio of 1/2, we still have a deterministic predictability using the wavelet packet best-basis, while it is lost when using the Fourier basis. Likewise, for compression ratios of 1/20 and 1/200 we still have statistical predictability using the wavelet packet best-basis, while it is lost when using the Fourier basis. In fact, the significant wavelet packet coefficients in the best-basis appear to correspond to coherent structures. The weak coefficients correspond to vorticity filaments, which are only passively advected by the coherent structures. In conclusion, the wavelet packet best-basis seems to distinguish the low-dimensional dynamically active part of the flow from the high-dimensional passive components. It gives us some hope of drastically reducing the number of degrees of freedom necessary to the computation of two-dimensional turbulent flows.     

EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF MEASUREMENT FOR DISSIPATION RATE SCALING EXPONENT IN HEATED WALL TURBULENCE

Experimental investigations have been devoted to the study of scaling law of coarse-grained dissipation rate structure function for velocity and temperature fluctuation of non-isotropic and inhomogeneous turbulent flows at moderate Reynolds number. Much attention has been paid to the case of turbulent boundary layer, which is typically the non-istropic and inhomogeneous trubulence because of the dynamically important existence of organized coherent structure burst process in the near wall region . Longitudinal velocity and temperature have been measured at different vertical positions in turbulent boundary layer over a heated and unheated flat plate in a wind tunnel using hot wire anemometer. The influence of non-isotropy and inhomogeneity and heating the wall on the scaling law of the dissipation rate structure function is studied because of the existence of organized coherent structure burst process in the near wall region . The scaling law of coarse-grained dissipation rate structure function is foun     

Proper Orthogonal Decomposition of the mixing layer flow into coherent structures and turbulent Gaussian fluctuations

The Proper Orthogonal Decomposition is used to decompose fluctuating turbulent flows into a coherent non-Gaussian component and background fluctuations. An application is performed from 2D experimental data of a turbulent plane mixing layer flow. The analyses of the energy spectra and the Probability Density Function of the velocity field show that POD extracts an incoherent part approaching the quasi-Gaussian distribution properties. The background fluctuations are homogeneous with small amplitude. New future applications are then conceivable like the modeling of the incoherent part for particular inflow condition generation methodology and the analysis of the cyclic velocity field variabilities in Internal Combustion engine flow. To cite this article: Ph. Druault et al., C. R. Mecanique 333 (2005).     

From single-scale turbulence models to multiple-scale and subgrid-scale models by Fourier transform

A theoretical method based on mathematical physics formalism that allows transposition of turbulence modeling methods from URANS (unsteady Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes) models, to multiple-scale models and large eddy simulations (LES) is presented. The method is based on the spectral Fourier transform of the dynamic equation of the two-point fluctuating velocity correlations with an extension to the case of non-homogenous turbulence. The resulting equation describes the evolution of the spectral velocity correlation tensor in wave vector space. Then, we show that the full wave number integration of the spectral equation allows one to recover usual one-point statistical closure whereas the partial integration based on spectrum splitting gives rise to partial integrated transport models (PITM). This latter approach, depending on the type of spectral partitioning used, can yield either a statistical multiple-scale model or subfilter transport models used in LES or hybrid methods, providing some appropriate approximations are made. Closure hypotheses underlying these models are then discussed by reference to physical considerations with emphasis on identification of tensorial fluxes that represent turbulent energy transfer or dissipation. Some experiments such as the homogeneous axisymmetric contraction, the decay of isotropic turbulence, the pulsed turbulent channel flow and a wall injection induced flow are then considered as typical possible applications for illustrating the potentials of these models.      

Conditional correlation between a passive scalar and its dissipation in a turbulent boundary layer

 A study of the conditional correlation between a passive scalar and its dissipation offers an interesting strategy for understanding turbulence properties associated with both large and small scales. This correlation is investigated with particular emphasis on the dominant coherent motions in turbulent boundary layers; namely, sweeps and ejections, using a local cross-correlation analysis based on the wavelet transform. Contributions to the three temperature derivatives show different features, reflecting clear “local” departures from isotropy. This property of coherent motions is investigated through the conditional cross-spectra inferred from the wavelet analysis, which provides localized scale decomposition of the quantity under consideration, and is translated in the spectral domain. These decompositions indicate the particular coherent motions of the flow which most contribute to the conditional correlation between temperature and its dissipation. Received: 27 November 1997/Accepted: 20 July 1998     

Large Eddy Simulations Using an Unstructured Grid Compressible Navier - Stokes Algorithm

Large Eddy Simulation (LES) of the decay of isotropic turbulence and of channel flow has been performed using an explicit second-order unstructured grid algorithm for tetrahedral cells. The algorithm solves for cell-averaged values using the finite volume form of the unsteady compressible Jittered Navier-Stokes equations. The inviscid fluxes are obtained from Godunov's exact Riemann solver. Reconstruction of the flow variables to the left and right sides of each face is performed using least squares or Frink's method. The viscous fluxes and heat transfer are obtained by application of Gauss' theorem. LES of the decay of nearly incompressible isotropic turbulence has been performed using two models for the SGS stresses: the Monotone Integrated Large Eddy Simulation (MILES) approach, wherein the inherent numerical dissipation models the sub-grid scale (SGS) dissipation, and the Smagorinsky SGS model. The results using the MILES approach with least squares reconstruction show good agreement with incompressible experimental data. The contribution of the Smagorinsky SGS model is negligible. LES of turbulent channel flow was performed at a Reynolds number (based on channel height and bulk velocity) of 5600 and Mach number of 0.5 (at which compressibility effects are minimal) using Smagorinsky's SGS model with van Driest damping. The results show good agreement with experimental data and direct numerical simulations for incompressible channel flow. The SGS eddy viscosity is less than 10% of the molecular viscosity, and therefore the LES is effectively MILES with molecular viscosity.     

Hybrid URANS/LES Turbulence Simulation of Vortex Shedding Behind a Triangular Flameholder

In this study a detached eddy simulation (DES) model, which belongs to the group of hybrid URANS/LES turbulence models, is used for the simulation of vortex shedding behind a triangular obstacle. In the near wall region or in regions where the grid resolution is not sufficiently fine to resolve smaller structures, the two-equation RANS shear-stress transport (SST) model is used. In the other regions with higher grid resolution a LES model, which uses a transport equation for the turbulent subgrid energy, is applied. The DES model is first investigated for two standard test cases, namely decaying homogeneous isotropic turbulence and the backward facing step, respectively. For the decaying homogeneous isotropic turbulence test case the evolution of the energy spectra in wavenumber space for different times are studied for both the DES and a Smagorinsky type LES model. Different grid resolutions are analyzed with a special emphasis on the modeling constant connecting the filter length scale to the grid size. The results are compared to experimental data. The backward facing step test case is used to study the model behavior for a case with a transition region between a RANS modeling approach close to the wall and LES based modeling in the intense shear flow region. The final application is the simulation of the vortex shedding behind a triangular obstacle. First, the influence of the inlet condition formulation is studied in detail as they can have a significant influence especially for LES based models. Detailed comparisons between simulation and experiment for the flow structure past the obstacle and statistical quantities such as the shedding frequency are shown. Finally the additional temporal and spatial information provided by the DES model is used to show the predicted anisotropy of turbulence.     

Progress in subgrid-scale transport modelling for continuous hybrid non-zonal RANS/LES simulations

The partially integrated transport modelling (PITM) method can be viewed as a continuous approach for hybrid RANS/LES modelling allowing seamless coupling between the RANS and the LES regions. The subgrid turbulence quantities are thus calculated from spectral equations depending on the varying spectral cutoff location [Schiestel, R., Dejoan, A., 2005. Towards a new partially integrated transport model for coarse grid and unsteady turbulent flow simulations. Theoretical and Computational Fluid Dynamics 18, 443–468; Chaouat, B., Schiestel, R., 2005. A new partially integrated transport model for subgrid-scale stresses and dissipation rate for turbulent developing flows. Physics of Fluids, 17 (6)] The PITM method can be applied to almost all statistical models to derive its hybrid LES counterpart. In the present work, the PITM version based on the transport equations for the turbulent Reynolds stresses together with the dissipation transport rate equation is now developed in a general formulation based on a new accurate energy spectrum function E(κ) valid in both large and small eddy ranges that allows to calibrate more precisely the c_sgs2 function involved in the subgrid dissipation rate _sgs transport equation. The model is also proposed here in an extended form which remains valid in low Reynolds number turbulent flows. This is achieved by considering a characteristic turbulence length-scale based on the total turbulent energy and the total dissipation rate taking into account the subgrid and resolved parts of the dissipation rate. These improvements allow to consider a large range of flows including various free flows as well as bounded flows. The present model is first tested on the decay of homogeneous isotropic turbulence by referring to the well known experiment of Comte-Bellot and Corrsin. Then, initial perturbed spectra E(κ) with a peak or a defect of energy are considered for analysing the model capabilities in strong non-equilibrium flow situations. The second test case is the classical fully turbulent channel flow that allows to assess the performance of the model in non-homogeneous flows characterised by important anisotropy effects. Different simulations are performed on coarse and refined meshes for checking the grid independence of solutions as well as the consistency of the subgrid-scale model when the filter width is changed. A special attention is devoted to the sharing out of the energy between the subgrid-scales and the resolved scales. Both the mean velocity and the turbulent stress computations are compared with data from direct numerical simulations.     

Turbulent cascade modeling of single and bubbly two-phase turbulent flows

The analysis of turbulent two-phase flows requires closure models in order to perform reliable computational multiphase fluid dynamics (CMFD) analyses. A spectral turbulence cascade-transport model, which tracks the evolution of the turbulent kinetic energy from large to small liquid eddies, has been developed for the analysis of the homogeneous decay of isotropic single and bubbly two-phase turbulence. This model has been validated for the decay of homogeneous, isotropic single and two-phase bubbly flow turbulence for data having a 5 mm mean bubble diameter. The Reynolds number of the data based on bubble diameter and relative velocity is approximately 1400.     

A Length-Scale Equation

We derive an equation for the average length-scale in a turbulent flow from a simple physical model. This is a tensorial length-scale. We use as a model the evolution of a blob of turbulent kinetic energy under the influence of production, dissipation, and transport, as well as distortion by the mean motion. A single length-scale is defined which is biased toward the smallest of the scales in the various directions. Constants are estimated by consideration of homogeneous decay. Preliminary computations are carried out in a mixing layer and a two-dimensional jet, using the new length-scale equation and the equation for the turbulent kinetic energy. The results are compared with data and with the predictions of the classical k-epsilon equations; the new results are quite satisfactory. In particular, the plane jet/round jet anomaly is approximately resolved. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

On the correlation between enstrophy and energy dissipation rate in a turbulent wake

All three components of the vorticity fluctuation have been measured simultaneously in a turbulent wake using a new eight-sensor vorticity probe. The vorticity fluctuation spectra agree reasonably well with those from a direct numerical simulation of a turbulent channel flow at high wavenumbers. The similarity between the instantaneous energy dissipation rate ε and the instantaneous enstrophy ω² is examined using spectra and probability density functions. The correlation between ω² and ε is evaluated in some detail. The homogeneous value of ε is strongly correlated with ω². The full value of ε and, more especially its isotropic value, are less well correlated with the enstrophy. Conditional averaging indicates that high enstrophy regions are associated with high energy dissipation rate regions.     

Hybrid LES-RANS using synthesized turbulent fluctuations for forcing in the interface region

The main bottleneck in using Large Eddy Simulations at high Reynolds number is the requirement of very fine meshes near walls. One of the main reasons why hybrid LES-RANS was invented was to eliminate this limitation. In this method unsteady RANS (URANS) is used near walls and LES is used away from walls. The present paper evaluates a method for improving standard LES-RANS. The improvement consists of adding instantaneous turbulent fluctuations (forcing conditions) at the matching plane between the LES and URANS regions in order to trigger the equations to resolve turbulence. The turbulent fluctuations are taken from synthesized homogeneous turbulence assuming a modified von Kármán spectrum. Both isotropic and non-isotropic fluctuations are evaluated. The new approach is applied to fully developed channel flow and it is shown that the imposed fluctuations considerably improve the predictions. It is found that increasing the prescribed turbulent length scale of the synthesized turbulence provides excellent agreement with the classical log-law.     

Generation of inflow data for inhomogeneous turbulence

Inflow boundary conditions for turbulent plane channel flow are generated by solving evolution equations only for the most energetic eddies. The dynamical systems are derived by Galerkin projecting the Navier-Stokes equations onto the subspaces spanned by various sets of the most energetic modes from a proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) of the same flow. Low-energy small-scale POD-modes are added randomly in order to impose some energy in the high wave number range. This is found to be crucial in order to more rapidly establish the correct level of dissipation and achieve a more realistic distribution of energy between the velocity components. The method is tested on a DNS of R_*=180 and a LES of R_*=400. Statistics such as mean velocity, rms-profiles, turbulent shear-stress and energy spectra become close to the fully developed state within 1500 wall units downstream the inlet. PACS 47.27.Eq     

Coherent structures in trailing-edge cooling and the challenge for turbulent heat transfer modelling

The present paper tests the capability of a standard Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) turbulence model for predicting the turbulent heat transfer in a generic trailing-edge situation with a cutback on the pressure side of the blade. The model investigated uses a gradient-diffusion assumption with a scalar turbulent-diffusivity and constant turbulent Prandtl number. High-fidelity Large-Eddy Simulations (LES) were performed for three blowing ratios to provide reliable target data and the mean velocity and eddy viscosity as input for the heat transfer model testing. Reasonably good agreement between the LES and recent experiments was achieved for mean flow and turbulence statistics. The LES yielded coherent structures which were analysed, in particular with respect to their effect on the turbulent heat transfer. For increasing blowing ratio, the LES replicated an also experimentally observed counter-intuitive decrease of the cooling effectiveness caused by the coherent structures becoming stronger. In contrast, the RANS turbulent heat transfer model failed in predicting this behaviour and yielded significantly too high cooling effectiveness. It is shown that the model cannot predict the strong upstream and wall-directed turbulent heat fluxes caused by large coherent structures, which were found to be responsible for the counter-intuitive decrease of the cooling effectiveness.     

Subgrid-modelling in LES of compressible flow

Subgrid-models for Large Eddy Simulation (LES) of compressible turbulent flow are tested for the three-dimensional mixing layer. For the turbulent stress tensor the recently developed dynamic mixed model yields reasonable results.A priori estimates of the subgrid-terms in the filtered energy equation show that the usually neglected pressure-dilatation and turbulent dissipation rate are as large as the commonly retained pressure-velocity subgrid-term. Models for all these terms are proposed: a similarity model for the pressure-dilatation, similarity andk-dependent models for the turbulent dissipation rate and a dynamic mixed model for the pressure-velocity subgrid-term. Actual LES demonstrates that for a low Mach number all subgrid-terms in the energy equation can be neglected, while for a moderate Mach number the effect of the modelled turbulent dissipation rate is larger than the combined effect of the other modelled subgrid-terms in the filtered energy equation.     

Direct Numerical Simulation of Statistically Stationary One- and Two-Phase Turbulent Combustion: A Turbulent Injection Procedure

A new turbulent injection procedure dedicated to fully compressible direct numerical simulation (DNS) or large eddy simulation (LES) solvers is proposed. To avoid the appearance of spurious acoustic waves, this method is based on an accurate tracking of the turbulent structures crossing the boundary at the inlet of the domain. A finite difference DNS solver has been coupled with a spectral simulation in which a statistically stationary homogeneous turbulence evolves to provide fluctuating boundary conditions.A new turbulence forcing method, dedicated to spectral solvers, has been developed as well to control the major properties of the injected flow (turbulent kinetic energy, dissipation rate and integral length scale). One-dimensional Navier–Stokes characteristic boundary conditions extended to non-stationary flows are coupled with the injection procedure to evaluate is potential in four various configurations: spatially decaying turbulence, dispersion of vaporizing sprays, propagation of one- and two-phase V-shape turbulent flames.     

Decomposition of Mixing Layer Turbulence into Coherent Structures and Background Fluctuations

The eduction of coherent structures from cross-wire rake data in a fully turbulent incompressible mixing layer confirms the feasibility of a decomposition of a turbulent flow field, first suggested by Farge, as non-periodic non-equilibrium coherent structures interacting with a ‘thermalized’ broad-band turbulence. A simple wavelet coefficient decimation algorithm and orthogonalization yields non-periodic dominant flow structures and a background field that has a Gaussian distribution of velocities at the centerline. The coherent structures are classified in terms of their topology. The non-coherent background field has flat energy spectra and normal distribution of velocity components. Most background field statistics depend only weakly on the type of structure on which they are superposed. It may be possible to adapt existing subgrid scale models to this decomposition. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Turbulent Flow and Dispersion of Inertial Particles in a Confined Jet Issued by a Long Cylindrical Pipe

In this work we examine first the flow field of a confined jet produced by a turbulent flow in a long cylindrical pipe issuing in an abrupt angle diffuser. Second, we examine the dispersion of inertial micro-particles entrained by the turbulent flow. Specifically, we examine how the particle dispersion field evolves in the multiscale flow generated by the interactions between the large-scale structures, which are geometry dependent, with the smaller turbulent scales issued by the pipe which are advected downstream. We use Large-Eddy-Simulation (LES) for the flow field and Lagrangian tracking for particle dispersion. The complex shape of the domain is modelled using the immersed-boundaries method. Fully developed turbulence inlet conditions are derived from an independent LES of a spatially periodic cylindrical pipe flow. The flow field is analyzed in terms of local velocity signals to determine spatial coherence and decay rate of the coherent K–H vortices and to make quantitative comparisons with experimental data on free jets. Particle dispersion is analyzed in terms of statistical quantities and also with reference to the dynamics of the coherent structures. Results show that the particle dynamics is initially dominated by the Kelvin–Helmholtz (K–H) rolls which form at the expansion and only eventually by the advected smaller turbulence scales.     

Statistical models for predicting the effect of bidisperse particle collisions on particle velocities and stresses in homogeneous anisotropic turbulent flows

The purpose of this paper is to present and compare two statistical models for predicting the effect of collisions on particle velocities and stresses in bidisperse turbulent flows. These models start from a kinetic equation for the probability density function (PDF) of the particle velocity distribution in a homogeneous anisotropic turbulent flow. The kinetic equation describes simultaneously particle–turbulence and particle–particle interactions. The paper is focused on deriving the collision terms in the governing equations of the PDF moments. One of the collision models is based on a Grad-like expansion for the PDF of the velocity distributions of two particles. The other model stems from a Grad-like expansion for the joint fluid–particle PDF. The validity of these models is explored by comparing with Lagrangian simulations of particle tracking in uniformly sheared and isotropic turbulent flows generated by LES. Notwithstanding the fact that the fluid turbulence may be isotropic, the particle velocity fluctuations are anisotropic due to the impact of gravitational settling. Comparisons of the model predictions and the numerical simulations show encouraging agreement.     

Direct simulation of compressible turbulence in a shear flow

The purpose of this study is to investigate compressibility effects on the turbulence in homogeneous shear flow. We find that the growth of the turbulent kinetic energy decreases with increasing Mach number—a phenomenon which is similar to the reduction of turbulent velocity intensities observed in experiments on supersonic free shear layers. An examination of the turbulent energy budget shows that both the compressible dissipation and the pressure-dilatation contribute to the decrease in the growth of kinetic energy. The pressure-dilatation is predominantly negative in homogeneous shear flow, in contrast to its predominantly positive behavior in isotropic turbulence. The different signs of the pressure-dilatation are explained by theoretical consideration of the equations for the pressure variance and density variance. We previously obtained the following results for isotropic turbulence: first, the normalized compressible dissipation is of O(M _t ² ), and, second, there is approximate equipartition between the kinetic and potential energies associated with the fluctuating compressible mode. Both these results have now been substantiated in the case of homogeneous shear. The dilatation field is significantly more skewed and intermittent than the vorticity field. Strong compressions seem to be more likely than strong expansions.Dedicated to Professor J.L. Lumley on the occasion of his 60th birthday.This research was supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under NASA Contract No. NAS1-18605 while the authors were in residence at the Institute for Computer Applications in Science and Engineering (ICASE), NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA 23665, U.S.A.