An algebraic variational multiscale–multigrid method for large‐eddy simulation of turbulent pulsatile flows in complex geometries with detailed insight into pulmonary airway flow

The algebraic variational multiscale–multigrid method, an advanced computational approach recently proposed for large‐eddy simulation of turbulent flow, is further developed in this study for turbulent flow simulations in complex geometries. In particular, it is applied to the complex case of pulsatile turbulent flow dynamics of the upper and lower pulmonary airways up to generation 7 and carefully investigated for this important application. Among other things, the results obtained with the proposed method are compared with the results obtained with a rather traditional stabilized finite element method. As opposed to previous large‐eddy simulations of pulmonary airways, we consider a pulsatile inflow condition, allowing the development of turbulence over a pulse cycle to be investigated, which obviously makes these results more physiologically realistic. Our results suggest that turbulent effects in the bronchial airways are rather weak and can completely decay as early as the third generation, depending on geometry and flow distribution. Both methods utilized in this study are able to adequately capture all flow stages from laminar via transitional to turbulent regimes without any modifications. However, the algebraic variational multiscale–multigrid method provides superior results as soon as the flow enters the most challenging, turbulent flow regime. Furthermore, the robustness of the scale‐separation approach based on plain aggregation algebraic multigrid inherent to the algebraic variational multiscale–multigrid method is demonstrated for the present complex geometry. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Large eddy simulations of wall‐bounded flows using a simplified immersed boundary method and high‐order compact schemes

This paper presents a solution algorithm based on an immersed boundary (IB) method that can be easily implemented in high‐order codes for incompressible flows. The time integration is performed using a predictor‐corrector approach, and the projection method is used for pressure‐velocity coupling. Spatial discretization is based on compact difference schemes and is performed on half‐staggered meshes. A basic algorithm for body‐fitted meshes using the aforementioned solution method was developed by A. Tyliszczak (see article “A high‐order compact difference algorithm for half‐staggered grids for laminar and turbulent incompressible flows” in Journal of Computational Physics) and proved to be very accurate. In this paper, the formulated algorithm is adapted for use with the IB method in the framework of large eddy simulations. The IB method is implemented using its simplified variant without the interpolation (stepwise approach). The computations are performed for a laminar flow around a 2D cylinder, a turbulent flow in a channel with a wavy wall, and around a sphere. Comparisons with literature data confirm that the proposed method can be successfully applied for complex flow problems. The results are verified using the classical approach with body‐fitted meshes and show very good agreement both in laminar and turbulent regimes. The mean (velocity and turbulent kinetic energy profiles and drag coefficients) and time‐dependent (Strouhal number based on the drag coefficient) quantities are analyzed, and they agree well with reference solutions. Two subfilter models are compared, ie, the model of Vreman (see article “An eddy‐viscosity subgrid‐scale model for turbulent shear flow: algebraic theory and applications” in Physics and Fluids) and σ model (Nicoud et al, see article “Using singular values to build a subgrid‐scale model for large eddy simulations” in Physics and Fluids). The tests did not reveal evident advantages of any of these models, and from the point of view of solution accuracy, the quality of the computational meshes turned out to be much more important than the subfilter modeling.     

Numerical simulation of particle‐laden flows by the residual‐based variational multiscale method

We present a finite element residual‐based variational multiscale formulation applied to the numerical simulation of particle‐laden flows. We employ a Eulerian–Eulerian framework to describe the flows in which the mathematical model results from the incompressible Navier–Stokes equation combined with an advection–diffusion transport equation. Special boundary conditions at the bottom are introduced to take into account sediments deposition. Computational experiments are organized in two examples. The first example deals with the well‐known gravity current benchmark, the lock‐exchange configuration. The second also employs for the current initiation the lock configuration, but the sediment particles are endowed with a deposition velocity and are allowed to leave the domain in the moment they reach the bottom. This is intended to mimic, partially, as the bed morphology is not allowed to change, the deposition process, in which sediment deposits are no longer carried by the flow. The spatial pattern of the deposition and its correlation with flow structures are the main focus of this analysis. Numerical experiments have shown that the present formulation captures most of the relevant turbulent flow features with reasonable accuracy, when compared with highly resolved numerical simulations and experimental data. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaluation of Smagorinsky‐based subgrid‐scale models in a finite‐volume computation

Smagorinsky‐based models are assessed in a turbulent channel flow simulation at Re_b=2800 and Re_b=12500. The Navier–Stokes equations are solved with three different grid resolutions by using a co‐located finite‐volume method. Computations are repeated with Smagorinsky‐based subgrid‐scale models. A traditional Smagorinsky model is implemented with a van Driest damping function. A dynamic model assumes a similarity of the subgrid and the subtest Reynolds stresses and an explicit filtering operation is required. A top‐hat test filter is implemented with a trapezoidal and a Simpson rule. At the low Reynolds number computation none of the tested models improves the results at any grid level compared to the calculations with no model. The effect of the subgrid‐scale model is reduced as the grid is refined. The numerical implementation of the test filter influences on the result. At the higher Reynolds number the subgrid‐scale models stabilize the computation. An analysis of an accurately resolved flow field reveals that the discretization error overwhelms the subgrid term at Re_b=2800 in the most part of the computational domain. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Shear‐improved Smagorinsky modeling of turbulent channel flow using generalized Lattice Boltzmann equation

Generalized Lattice Boltzmann equation (GLBE) was used for computation of turbulent channel flow for which large eddy simulation (LES) was employed as a turbulence model. The subgrid‐scale turbulence effects were simulated through a shear‐improved Smagorinsky model (SISM), which is capable of predicting turbulent near wall region accurately without any wall function. Computations were done for a relatively coarse grid with shear Reynolds number of 180 in a parallelized code. Good numerical stability was observed for this computational framework. The results of mean velocity distribution across the channel showed good correspondence with direct numerical simulation (DNS) data. Negligible discrepancies were observed between the present computations and those reported from DNS for the computed turbulent statistics. Three‐dimensional instantaneous vorticity contours showed complex vortical structures that appeared in such flow geometries. It was concluded that such a framework is capable of predicting accurate results for turbulent channel flow without adding significant complications and the computational cost to the standard Smagorinsky model. As this modeling was entirely local in space it was therefore adapted for parallelization. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Residual‐based turbulence models for moving boundary flows: hierarchical application of variational multiscale method and three‐level scale separation

This paper presents residual‐based turbulence models for problems with moving boundaries and interfaces. The method is developed via a hierarchical application of variational multiscale ideas and the models are cast in an arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) frame to accommodate the deformation of domain boundaries. An overlapping additive decomposition of velocity and pressure fields into coarse and fine scale components leads to coarse and fine scale mixed‐field problems. The problem governing fine scales is subjected to a further decomposition of the fine scale velocity into overlapping components termed as fine scales level I and level II. In turn, in the bottom‐up integration of scales, the model for level II fine scales serves to stabilize the problem governing level I fine scales, and model for level I fields yields the turbulence models. From the computational perspective, the coarse scales are represented in terms of the standard Lagrange shape functions, whereas level I and level II scales are represented via quadratic and fourth order polynomial bubbles, respectively. Because of the bubble functions approach employed in the consistently derived fine scale models, the resulting method is free of any embedded or tunable parameters. The proposed turbulence models share a common feature with the LES models in that the largest scales in the flow are numerically resolved, whereas the subgrid scales are modeled. The method is applied to flow around a plunging airfoil at Re = 40,000, and results are compared with experimental and numerical data published in the literature. Also presented are the results for the plunging airfoil at Re = 60,000 to show the robustness and range of applicability of the method. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Multi-scale analysis of subgrid stress and energy dissipation in turbulent channel flow

In present study, the subgrid scale （SGS） stress and dissipation for multiscale formulation of large eddy simulation are analyzed using the data of turbulent channel flow at Ret = 180 obtained by direct numerical simulation. It is found that the small scale SGS stress is much smaller than the large scale SGS stress for all the stress components. The dominant contributor to large scale SGS stress is the cross stress between small scale and subgrid scale motions, while the cross stress between large scale and subgrid scale motions make major contributions to small scale SGS stress. The energy transfer from resolved large scales to subgrid scales is mainly caused by SGS Reynolds stress, while that between resolved small scales and subgrid scales are mainly due to the cross stress. The multiscale formulation of SGS models are evaluated a priori, and it is found that the small- small model is superior to other variants in terms of SGS dissipation.     

Large eddy simulation of turbulent incompressible flows by a three‐level finite element method

The variational multiscale method provides a methodical framework for large eddy simulation of turbulent flows. In this work, a particular implementation in the form of a three‐level finite element method separating large resolved, small resolved, and unresolved scales is proposed. Residual‐free bubbles are used for the numerical approximation of the small‐scale momentum equation. A stabilizing term is added, in order to take into account the effect of the small‐scale continuity equation. This implementation guarantees the stability of the method without further provisions and offers substantial computational savings on the small‐scale level. Furthermore, it is accounted for the unresolved scales by a specific dynamic modelling procedure. The method is tested for two different turbulent flow situations. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Large eddy simulation using a dynamic mixing length subgrid‐scale model

A novel dynamic mixing length (DML) subgrid‐scale model for large eddy simulations is proposed in this work to improve the cutoff length of the Smagorinsky model. The characteristic mixing length (or the characteristic wave number) is dynamically estimated for the subgrid‐scale fluctuation of turbulence by the cutoff wave‐number, k_c, and the dissipation wave‐number, k_d. The dissipation wave number is derived from the kinetic energy spectrum equation and the dissipation spectrum equation. To prove the promise of the DML model, this model is used to simulate the lid‐driven cubical cavity with max‐velocity‐based Reynolds numbers 8850 and 12,000, the channel flows with friction‐velocity‐based Reynolds numbers 180, 395, 590, and 950, and the turbulent flow past a square cylinder at the higher Reynolds number 21,400, respectively, compared with the Smagorinsky model and Germano et al.'s dynamic Smagorinsky model. Different numerical experiments with different Reynolds numbers show that the DML model can be used in simulations of flows with a wide range of Reynolds numbers without the occurrence of singular values. The DML model can alleviate the dissipation of the Smagorinsky model without the loss of its robustness. The DML model shows some advantages over Germano et al.'s dynamic Smagorinsky model in its high stability and simplicity of calculation because the coefficient of the DML model always stays positive. The characteristic mixing length in the DML model reflects the subgrid‐scale fluctuation of turbulence in nature and thus the characteristic mixing length has a spatial and temporal distribution in turbulent flow. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

亚临界雷诺数下圆柱绕流的大涡模拟

本文应用Smagorinsky涡粘性模式和二阶精度的有限体积法对圆柱绕流的流场进行大涡模拟．求解了非正交曲线坐标系下的N-S方程,对雷诺数为100和20000的工况进行了计算．计算结果与实验及动力涡粘性模式的结果进行了比较,表明计算对于层流及高亚临界雷诺数的湍流流动是合理的     

An improved near‐wall modeling for large‐eddy simulation using immersed boundary methods

An improved near‐wall modeling for large‐eddy simulation using the immersed boundary method is proposed. It is shown in this study that the existing near‐wall modeling for the immersed boundary (IB) methods that imposes the velocity boundary condition at the IB node is not sufficient to enforce a correct wall shear stress at the IB node. A new method that imposes a shear stress condition through the modification of the subgrid scale‐eddy viscosity at the IB node is proposed. In this method, the subgrid eddy viscosity at the IB node is modified such that the viscous flux at the face adjacent to the IB node correctly approximates the total shear stress. The method is applied to simulate the fully developed turbulent flows in a plane channel and a circular pipe. It is demonstrated that the new method improves the prediction of the mean velocity and turbulence stresses in comparison with the existing wall modeling based solely on the velocity boundary condition. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A second‐order time accurate finite element method for quasi‐incompressible viscous flows

A finite element method for quasi‐incompressible viscous flows is presented. An equation for pressure is derived from a second‐order time accurate Taylor–Galerkin procedure that combines the mass and the momentum conservation laws. At each time step, once the pressure has been determined, the velocity field is computed solving discretized equations obtained from another second‐order time accurate scheme and a least‐squares minimization of spatial momentum residuals. The terms that stabilize the finite element method (controlling wiggles and circumventing the Babuska–Brezzi condition) arise naturally from the process, rather than being introduced a priori in the variational formulation. A comparison between the present second‐order accurate method and our previous first‐order accurate formulation is shown. The method is also demonstrated in the computation of the leaky‐lid driven cavity flow and in the simulation of a crossflow past a circular cylinder. In both cases, good agreement with previously published experimental and computational results has been obtained. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Large eddy simulation (2D) of spatially developing mixing layer using vortex‐in‐cell for flow field and filtered probability density function for scalar field

A large eddy simulation based on filtered vorticity transport equation has been coupled with filtered probability density function transport equation for scalar field, to predict the velocity and passive scalar fields. The filtered vorticity transport has been formulated using diffusion‐velocity method and then solved using the vortex method. The methodology has been tested on a spatially growing mixing layer using the two‐dimensional vortex‐in‐cell method in conjunction with both Smagorinsky and dynamic eddy viscosity subgrid scale models for an anisotropic flow. The transport equation for filtered probability density function is solved using the Lagrangian Monte‐Carlo method. The unresolved subgrid scale convective term in filtered density function transport is modelled using the gradient diffusion model. The unresolved subgrid scale mixing term is modelled using the modified Curl model. The effects of subgrid scale models on the vorticity contours, mean streamwise velocity profiles, root‐mean‐square velocity and vorticity fluctuations profiles and negative cross‐stream correlations are discussed. Also the characteristics of the passive scalar, i.e. mean concentration profiles, root‐mean‐square concentration fluctuations profiles and filtered probability density function are presented and compared with previous experimental and numerical works. The sensitivity of the results to the Schmidt number, constant in mixing frequency and inflow boundary conditions are discussed. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Large eddy simulation (2D) using diffusion–velocity method and vortex‐in‐cell

A large eddy Simulation based on the diffusion‐velocity method and the discrete vortex method is presented. The vorticity‐based and eddy viscosity type subgrid scale model simulating the enstrophy transfer between the large and small scale appears as a convective term in the diffusion‐velocity formulation. The methodology has been tested on a spatially growing mixing layer using the two‐dimensional vortex‐in‐cell method and the Smagorinsky subgrid scale model. The effects on the vorticity contours, momemtum thickness, mean streamwise velocity profiles, root‐mean‐square velocity and vorticity fluctuations and negative cross‐stream correlation are discussed. Comparison is made with experiment and numerical work where diffusion is simulated using random walk. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A stress‐based least‐squares finite‐element model for incompressible Navier–Stokes equations

In this paper we present a stress‐based least‐squares finite‐element formulation for the solution of the Navier–Stokes equations governing flows of viscous incompressible fluids. Stress components are introduced as independent variables to make the system first order. Continuity equation becomes an algebraic equation and is eliminated from the system with suitable modifications. The h and p convergence are verified using the exact solution of Kovasznay flow. Steady flow past a large circular cylinder in a channel is solved to test mass conservation. Transient flow over a backward‐facing step problem is solved on several meshes. Results are compared with that obtained using vorticity‐based first‐order formulation for both benchmark problems. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Filtered particle tracking in isotropic turbulence and stochastic modeling of subgrid-scale dispersion

A numerical study based on the Eulerian–Lagrangian formulation is performed for dispersed phase motion in a turbulent flow. The effect of spatial filtering, commonly employed in large-eddy simulations, and the role of the subgrid scale turbulence on the statistics of heavy particles, including preferential concentration, are studied through a priori analysis of DNS of particle-laden forced isotropic turbulence. In simulations where the subgrid scale kinetic energy attains 30–35% of the total we observe the impact of residual fluid motions on particles of a smaller inertia. It is shown that neglecting the influence of subgrid scale fluctuations has a significant effect on the preferential concentration of those particles. A stochastic Langevin model is proposed to reconstruct the residual (or subgrid scale) fluid velocity along particle trajectories. The computation results for a selection of particle inertia parameters are performed to appraise the model through comparisons of particle turbulent kinetic energy and the statistics of preferential concentrations.     

High‐order filtering for control volume flow simulation

A general methodology is presented in order to obtain a hierarchy of high‐order filter functions, starting from the standard top‐hat filter, naturally linked to control volumes flow simulations. The goal is to have a new filtered variable better represented in its high resolved wavenumber components by using a suitable deconvolution. The proposed formulation is applied to the integral momentum equation, that is the evolution equation for the top‐hat filtered variable, by performing a spatial reconstruction based on the approximate inversion of the averaging operator. A theoretical analysis for the Burgers' model equation is presented, demonstrating that the local de‐averaging is an effective tool to obtain a higher‐order accuracy. It is also shown that the subgrid‐scale term, to be modeled in the deconvolved balance equation, has a smaller absolute importance in the resolved wavenumber range for increasing deconvolution order. A numerical analysis of the procedure is presented, based on high‐order upwind and central fluxes reconstruction, leading to congruent control volume schemes. Finally, the features of the present high‐order conservative formulation are tested in the numerical simulation of a sample turbulent flow: the flow behind a backward‐facing step. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Usability of explicit filtering in large eddy simulation with a low‐order numerical scheme and different subgrid‐scale models

Based on a priori tests, in large eddy simulation (LES) of turbulent fluid flow, the numerical error related to low‐order finite‐difference‐type methods can be large in comparison with the effect of subgrid‐scale (SGS) model. Explicit filtering has been suggested to reduce the error, and it has shown promising results in a priori studies and in some simulations with fourth‐order method. In this paper, the effect of explicit filtering on the total simulation error is studied together with a second‐order scheme, where the numerical error should be even larger. The fully developed turbulent channel flow between two parallel walls is used as a test case. Rather simple SGS models are applied, because these models are most likely used in practical applications of LES. Explicit filtering is here applied to the non‐linear convection term of the Navier–Stokes equations, four three‐dimensional filter functions are applied, and the effect of filtering is separated from the effect of SGS modelling. It is shown that the effect of filtering is rather large and smooth filters introduce an additional error component that increases the total simulation error. Finally, filtering via subfilter‐scale modelling is applied, and it is shown that this approach performs better. However, the large‐frequency components of the resolved flow field are not as effectively damped as when the non‐linear convection term is filtered. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.