Nonlinear turbulence models for predicting strong curvature effects

Prediction of the characteristics of turbulent flows with strong streamline curvature, such as flows in turbomachines, curved channel flows, flows around airfoils and buildings, is of great importance in engineering applications and poses a very practical challenge for turbulence modeling. In this paper, we analyze qualitatively the curvature effects on the structure of turbulence and conduct numerical simulations of a turbulent Uduct flow with a number of turbulence models in order to assess their overall performance. The models evaluated in this work are some typical linear eddy viscosity turbulence models, nonlinear eddy viscosity turbulence models （NLEVM） （quadratic and cubic）, a quadratic explicit algebraic stress model （EASM） and a Reynolds stress model （RSM） developed based on the second-moment closure. Our numerical results show that a cubic NLEVM that performs considerably well in other benchmark turbulent flows, such as the Craft, Launder and Suga model and the Huang and Ma model, is able to capture the major features of the highly curved turbulent U-duct flow, including the damping of turbulence near the convex wall, the enhancement of turbulence near the concave wall, and the subsequent turbulent flow separation. The predictions of the cubic models are quite close to that of the RSM, in relatively good agreement with the experimental data, which suggests that these models may be employed to simulate the turbulent curved flows in engineering applications.     

Applications of URANS on predicting unsteady turbulent separated flows

Accurate prediction of unsteady separated turbulent flows remains one of the toughest tasks and a practi cal challenge for turbulence modeling. In this paper, a 2D flow past a circular cylinder at Reynolds number 3,900 is numerically investigated by using the technique of unsteady RANS （URANS）. Some typical linear and nonlinear eddy viscosity turbulence models （LEVM and NLEVM） and a quadratic explicit algebraic stress model （EASM） are evaluated. Numerical results have shown that a high-performance cubic NLEVM, such as CLS, are superior to the others in simulating turbulent separated flows with unsteady vortex shedding.     

A low Reynolds number variant of partially-averaged Navier-Stokes model for turbulence

A low Reynolds number (LRN) formulation based on the Partially Averaged Navier-Stokes (PANS) modelling method is presented, which incorporates improved asymptotic representation in near-wall turbulence modelling. The effect of near-wall viscous damping can thus be better accounted for in simulations of wall-bounded turbulent flows. The proposed LRN PANS model uses an LRN k-ε model as the base model and introduces directly its model functions into the PANS formulation. As a result, the inappropriate wall-limiting behavior inherent in the original PANS model is corrected. An interesting feature of the PANS model is that the turbulent Prandtl numbers in the k and ε equations are modified compared to the base model. It is found that this modification has a significant effect on the modelled turbulence. The proposed LRN PANS model is scrutinized in computations of decaying grid turbulence, turbulent channel flow and periodic hill flow, of which the latter has been computed at two different Reynolds numbers of Re = 10,600 and 37,000. In comparison with available DNS, LES or experimental data, the LRN PANS model produces improved predictions over the standard PANS model, particularly in the near-wall region and for resolved turbulence statistics. Furthermore, the LRN PANS model gives similar or better results - at a reduced CPU time - as compared to the Dynamic Smagorinsky model.     

Towards a Unified Turbulence Simulation Approach for Wall-Bounded Flows

A hybrid Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes/Large-Eddy Simulation (RANS/LES) methodology has received considerable attention in recent years, especially in its application to wall-bounded flows at high-Reynolds numbers. In the conventional zonal hybrid approach, eddy-viscosity-type RANS and subgrid scale models are applied in the RANS and LES zones, respectively. In contrast, the non-zonal hybrid approach uses only a generalized turbulence model, which provides a unified simulation approach that spans the continuous spectrum of modeling/simulation schemes from RANS to LES. A particular realization of the non-zonal approach, known as partially resolved numerical simulation (PRNS), uses a generalized turbulence model obtained from a rescaling of a conventional RANS model through the introduction of a resolution control function F _R , where F _R is used to characterize the degree of modeling required to represent the unresolved scales of turbulent motion. A new generalized functional form for F _R in PRNS is proposed in this study, and its performance is compared with unsteady RANS (URANS) and LES computations for attached and separated wall-bounded turbulent flows. It is demonstrated that PRNS behaves similarly to LES, but outperforms URANS in general.     

A segregated explicit algebraic structure-based model for wall-bounded turbulent flows

The Algebraic Structure-based Model (ASBM) is an engineering model of turbulence that incorporates information about the morphology of turbulent structures, and thus characterizes additional turbulence information beyond what is provided solely by the Reynolds stresses. In this work, a new formulation of the ASBM is developed that exhibits three defining characteristics. The first is a near-wall correction segregated from the homogeneous component of the model, which allows for a new paradigm for model development and comparison. The second characteristic is a set of fully-explicit equations that replace the original implicit formulation and make evident the highly nonlinear nature of the model. Finally, the last defining characteristic is based on the coupling of the ASBM with turbulent transport equations that provide the required turbulent scales. Using arguments of consistency, stability, and accuracy we arrive at a model that uses transport equations for k and ϵ. The resulting model is simpler to implement, more robust, and amenable to further development. The analysis of the new ASBM formulation is carried out by computing fully-developed channel, pipe and squared duct flows.     

Correcting Anisotropic Gradient Transport of k

The gradient transport model for k is extended to classes of turbulent flows for which the gradient transport hypothesis is relevant but the anisotropy of the Reynolds stress, to which the eddy diffusivity is proportional, is large and variable. In highly anisotropic turbulence the standard isotropic model used in engineering practice is fundamentally wrong and the conventional anisotropic approximation inadequate. The work is motivated by the important observations that the eddy diffusivity coefficient for a standard gradient transport model for various transported quantities is a factor of 3–10 times larger in highly anisotropic turbulence than that used in standard engineering models. While the conventional anisotropic eddy diffusivity approximation appears adequate for material conserved scalars it is inadequate for k. The problem is solved by addressing the anisotropy of the turbulent transport of k at the level of the underlying third order tensor. It is shown that, unlike the traditional transport models for k, the orientation of the anisotropy with respect to the direction of the gradient plays a crucial role not accounted for in conventional models used in engineering calculations. The new anisotropic eddy diffusivity tensor is quadratic in the anisotropy (the traditional model is linear in the anisotropy). It is shown that the new more rigorous anisotropic eddy diffusivity varies 300% more than the standard model comparing the isotropic limit to the value for the two-dimensional limit. The two-dimensional limit is important in strongly stably stratified flows, in pressure gradient or shock driven flows and in rotating flows. Using the simple shear and the homogeneous non-equilibrium Rayleigh Taylor turbulence the new anisotropic diffusivity tensor is validated in inhomogeneous Rayleigh Taylor turbulence at early and late times.     

Time‐dependent turbulent cavitating flow computations with interfacial transport and filter‐based models

Turbulent cavitating flow computations need to address both cavitation and turbulence modelling issues. A recently developed interfacial dynamics‐based cavitation model (IDCM) incorporates the interfacial transport into the computational modelling of cavitation dynamics. For time‐dependent flows, it is known that the engineering turbulence closure such as the original k–ε model often over‐predicts the eddy viscosity values reducing the unsteadiness. A recently proposed filter‐based modification has shown that it can effectively modulate the eddy viscosity, rendering better simulation capabilities for time‐dependent flow computations in term of the unsteady characteristics. In the present study, the IDCM along with the filter‐based k–ε turbulence model is adopted to simulate 2‐D cavitating flows over the Clark‐Y airfoil. The chord Reynolds number is Re=7.0 × 10⁵. Two angles‐of‐attack of 5 and 8° associated with several cavitation numbers covering different flow regimes are conducted. The simulation results are assessed with the experimental data including lift, drag and velocity profiles. The interplay between cavitation and turbulence models reveals substantial differences in time‐dependent flow results even though the time‐averaged characteristics are similar. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Upstream monotonic interpolation for scalar transport with application to complex turbulent flows

A new monotonic scheme for the approximation of steady scalar transport is formulated and implemented within a collocated finite-volume/pressure-correction algorithm for general turbulent flows in complex geometries. The scheme is essentially a monotonic implementation of the quadratic QUICK interpolation and uses a continuous and compact limiter to secure monotonicity. The principal purpose is to allow an accurate and fully bounded, hence stable, approximation of turbulence convection in the context of two-equation eddy viscosity and Reynolds stress transport modelling of two- and three-dimensional flows, both subsonic and transonic. Among other benefits, this capability permits an assessment to be made of the adequacy of approximating turbulence convection with first-order upwind schemes in conjunction with higher-order formulations for mean-flow properties—a widespread practice. The performance characteristics of the bounded scheme are illustrated by reference to computations for scalar transport, for a transonic flow in a Laval nozzle, for one separated laminar flow and for two separated turbulent flows computed with a non-linear RNG model and full Reynolds stress closure.     

Highly Resolved LES and URANS of Turbulent Buoyancy-Driven Flow Within Inclined Differentially-Heated Enclosures

In the present study, both LES and unsteady RANS computations are presented, for turbulent natural convection of air inside differentially-heated rectangular tilted cavities using a finite volume code (Code_Saturne), for an aspect ratio of H/L?=?28.6 and Rayleigh number of 0.86×10⁶. Attention is focused on two angles of inclination: 15° to the horizontal with hot lower and cold upper wall, the 15° unstable case, and the mirror image of this case where the angle is the same but with a hot upper and cold lower wall, the 15° stable case. In accordance with recent experimental data, the LES computations for both the stable and unstable tilted cavities returned three-dimensional time-averaged flow fields. In the case of the unstably stratified enclosure, the flow is highly unsteady with coherent turbulent structures in the core of the enclosure. Time-averaged temperature, velocity and resolved turbulence intensities resulting from LES computations show close agreement to measured data. Subsequent comparisons of different URANS schemes with LES are used in order to explore to what extent these models are able to reproduce the large-scale unsteady flow structures. All URANS schemes have been found to be able to reproduce the 3-D unsteady flow features present in the 15° unstable cavity. However, the low-Reynolds-number model tested, as well as requiring a high resolution near-wall grid, also needed a finer grid in the core region than the high-Reynolds-number models, thus making it computationally very expensive. Flow within the 15° stable cavity also shows some 3-D features, although it is significantly less unsteady, and the URANS models tested here have been less successful in reproducing this flow pattern. The overall heat transfer is presented here for both differentially heated enclosures.     

Modeling the Interaction of a Vortex Pair with the Ground

The results of a numerical investigation of the interaction between an aircraft vortex wake (vortex pair) and the ground during the takeoff and landing phases are presented. The calculations were performed within the framework of the time-dependent two-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations using the Spalart-Shur turbulence model generalizing the turbulent viscosity transport model of Spalart and Allmaras to the case of the flows with curved streamlines and rotation. Similar calculations were carried out on the basis of the original Spalart-Allmaras model and the k- model of Menter. Some new qualitative and quantitative data on the distinctive features of the phenomenon under consideration are obtained.     

Application of a differential equation for turbulent viscosity to the analysis of plane non-self-similar flows

A differential equation of the kinetic-energy balance of turbulence is used in a number of papers to close the equations describing average motion in turbulent flows. On the basis of this relation, a differential equation for turbulent viscosity is obtained herein. Numerical computations are carried out for incompressible non-self-similar turbulent and transition flows in awake, a jet, and a boundary layer; universal constants in the equation for the viscosity are refined. The flow in a wake and boundary layer with high longitudinal pressure gradients is investigated by analytical and numerical methods. Dimensionless criteria determining the nature of the effect of the pressure gradient on the average flow and turbulent viscosity are obtained.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 5, pp. 114–127, September–October, 1971.The author is greateful to I. P. Smirnov, S. Yu. Krasheninnikov, and V. B. Kuz'mich for aid in compiling the program for the numerical computations and to L. L. Bychkov for processing the computational results and plotting the graphs.     

Effect of the turbulent viscosity relaxation time on the modeling of nozzle and jet flows

Certain modifications of three-equation turbulence models are proposed. They are intended for increasing the accuracy of the calculations of turbulent flows in nozzles with boundary layer separation and in supersonic jets with complicated shock wave structures. Basing on the idea of the inclusion of flow prehistory in terms of an additional relaxation equation for nonequilibrium turbulent viscosity we propose three modifications of the k-ω-µ _t model based on the k-ω model and a version of the k- ?-µ _t turbulence model. In these modifications we introduce an additional dependence of the nonequilibrium turbulent viscosity relaxation time on different physical parameters which can be important near the point of boundary layer separation from the nozzle wall, such as viscous effects and effects of large gradients of the mean velocity and the kinetic energy of turbulence (turbulent pressure). The comparison of the results of the calculations with the experimental data shows that all the proposed versions of the three-equation models make it possible to improve the accuracy of the calculations of turbulent flows in nozzles and jets.     

An implicit mixed finite-volume–finite-element method for solving 3D turbulent compressible flows

The development of new aeronautic projects require accurate and efficient simulations of compressible flows in complex geometries. It is well known that most flows of interest are at least locally turbulent and that the modelling of this turbulence is critical for the reliability of the computations. A turbulence closure model which is both cheap and reasonably accurate is an essential part of a compressible code. An implicit algorithm to solve the 2D and 3D compressible Navier–Stokes equations on unstructured triangular/tetrahedral grids has been extended to turbulent flows. This numerical scheme is based on second-order finite element–finite volume discretization: the diffusive and source terms of the Navier–Stokes equations are computed using a finite element method, while the other terms are computed with a finite volume method. Finite volume cells are built around each node by means of the medians. The convective fluxes are evaluated with the approximate Riemann solver of Roe coupled with the van Albada limiter. The standard k–ϵ model has been introduced to take into account turbulence. Implicit integration schemes with efficient numerical methods (CGS, GMRES and various preconditioning techniques) have also been implemented. Our interest is to present the whole method and to demonstrate its limitations on some well-known test cases in three-dimensional geometries. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

High-order Large Eddy Simulations of Confined Rotor-Stator Flows

In many engineering and industrial applications, the investigation of rotating turbulent flow is of great interest. In rotor-stator cavities, the centrifugal and Coriolis forces have a strong influence on the turbulence by producing a secondary flow in the meridian plane composed of two thin boundary layers along the disks separated by a non-viscous geostrophic core. Most numerical simulations have been performed using RANS and URANS modelling, and very few investigations have been performed using LES. This paper reports on quantitative comparisons of two high-order LES methods to predict a turbulent rotor-stator flow at the rotational Reynolds number Re(=?Ωb ²/ν)?=4 × 10⁵. The classical dynamic Smagorinsky model for the subgrid-scale stress (Germano et al., Phys Fluids A 3(7):1760–1765, 1991) is compared to a spectral vanishing viscosity technique (Séverac & Serre, J Comp Phys 226(2):1234–1255, 2007). Numerical results include both instantaneous data and post-processed statistics. The results show that both LES methods are able to accurately describe the unsteady flow structures and to satisfactorily predict mean velocities as well as Reynolds stress tensor components. A slight advantage is given to the spectral SVV approach in terms of accuracy and CPU cost. The strong improvements obtained in the present results with respect to RANS results confirm that LES is the appropriate level of modelling for flows in which fully turbulent and transition regimes are involved.     

Theoretical Investigation of an Eddy-Viscosity-Type Expression of the Reynolds Stress with Low-Reynolds-Number Effect

In low-Reynolds-number turbulent flows, the influence of the molecular viscosity is important. The turbulence models which are applied to those flows should include the low-Reynolds-number effect. In this study, turbulent flow with the molecular viscosity effect is analyzed theoretically with the aid of a two-scale direct-interaction approximation (TSDIA) and the energy spectrum and a new low-Reynolds-number-type eddy-viscosity representation are derived. An priori test for the model expression on the basis of the result of direct numerical simulation (DNS) for turbulent Couette flows is performed. Received 5 July 2002 and accepted 8 January 2003 Published online 25 March 2003 Communicated by T.B. Gatski     

Modeling rotational effects in eddy-viscosity closures

A new approach to sensitize turbulence closures based on the linear eddy-viscosity hypothesis to rotational effects is proposed. The principal idea is to ‘mimic' the behavior of a second moment closure (SMC) in rotating homogeneous shear flow; depending on the ratio of the mean flow to the imposed rotational time scales, the model should be able to bifurcate between two stable equilibrium solutions. These solutions correspond to exponential or algebraic time dependent growth or decay of turbulent kinetic energy. This fundamental behavior of SMCs is believed to be of importance also in the prediction of non-equilibrium turbulence. A near-wall turbulence model which is based on the linear eddy-viscosity hypothesis is modified in the present study. Wall proximity effects are modeled by the elliptic relaxation approach. This closure has been successfully applied in the computation of complex, non-equilibrium flows in inertial frames of reference. The objective of the present study is to extend the predictive capability of the model to include flows dominated by rotational effects. The new model is calibrated in rotating homogeneous turbulent shear flow and subsequently tested in three different cases characterized by profound effects of system rotation or streamline curvature. It is able to capture many of the effects due to imposed body forces that the original closure is incapable of. Good agreement is obtained between the present predictions and available experimental and DNS data.     

Computational study of unsteady turbulent flows around oscillating and ramping aerofoils

The aim of this work is to computationally investigate subsonic and transonic turbulent flows around oscillating and ramping aerofoils under dynamic‐stall conditions. The investigation is based on a high‐resolution Godunov‐type method and several turbulence closures. The Navier–Stokes and turbulence transport equations are solved in a strongly coupled fashion via an implicit‐unfactored scheme. We present results from several computations of flows around oscillating and ramping aerofoils at various conditions in order to (i) assess the accuracy of different turbulence models and (ii) contribute towards a better understanding of dynamic‐stall flows. The results show that the employed non‐linear eddy‐viscosity model generally improves the accuracy of the computations compared to linear models, but at low incidence angles the Spalart–Allmaras one‐equation model was found to provide adequate results. Further, the computations reveal strong similarities between laminar and high‐Reynolds number dynamic‐stall flows as well as between ramping and oscillating aerofoil cases. Investigation of the Mach number effects on dynamic‐stall reveals a delay of the stall angle within a range of Mach numbers. Investigation of the reduced frequency effects suggests the existence of an (almost) linear variation between pitch rate and stall angle, with higher slope at lower pitch rates. The pitch rate affects both the onset of dynamic‐stall as well as the evolution of the associated vortical structures. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Finite volume computation of the turbulent flow over a hill employing 2D or 3D non-orthogonal collocated grid systems

A general numerical method for the solution of the complete Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations for 2D or 3D flows is described. The method uses non-orthogonal co-ordinates, Cartesian velocity components and a pressure-velocity-coupling algorithm adequate for non-staggered grid systems. The capability of the method and the overall performance of the κ–? eddy viscosity model are demonstrated by calculations of 2D and 3D flow over a hill. Solution error estimations based on fine grids, e.g. 320 × 192 control volumes, together with comparisons with standard turbulence model modifications, low-Reynoldsnumber or streamline curvature effects, have allowed the investigation of model drawbacks in predicting turbulent flows over surface-mounted hills.     

粘土悬浮液明渠流的减阻现象

水和粘土悬浮液在水槽中的流动试验证明，在粗糙边界上的粘土悬浮液明渠流阻力明显小于清水流．在同样水力条件下粘土悬液的时均流速比清水流速大得多．当悬液浓度较高时，流动阻力系数比清水流阻力系数的一半还小．实验表明粘土悬液的高粘性和屈服应力抑制了紊动的发展，减小了紊动剪力，导致阻力降低．对于光滑边界湍流，粘土悬液的阻力系数与清水流的相近，不发生减阻现象     

A two‐scale low‐Reynolds number turbulence model

In this study, a two‐scale low‐Reynolds number turbulence model is proposed. The Kolmogorov turbulence time scale, based on fluid kinematic viscosity and the dissipation rate of turbulent kinetic energy (ν, ε), is adopted to address the viscous effects and the rapid increasing of dissipation rate in the near‐wall region. As a wall is approached, the turbulence time scale transits smoothly from a turbulent kinetic energy based (k, ε) scale to a (ν, ε) scale. The damping functions of the low‐Reynolds number models can thus be simplified and the near‐wall turbulence characteristics, such as the ε distribution, are correctly reproduced. The proposed two‐scale low‐Reynolds number turbulence model is first examined in detail by predicting a two‐dimensional channel flow, and then it is applied to predict a backward‐facing step flow. Numerical results are compared with the direct numerical simulation (DNS) budgets, experimental data and the model results of Chien, and Lam and Bremhorst respectively. It is proved that the proposed two‐scale model indeed improves the predictions of the turbulent flows considered. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.