Passive Scalar Transport in a Turbulent Mixing Layer

This paper describes a combined experimental and numerical study of scalar transport in spatially developing, two-stream, turbulent mixing layers with velocity ratios of approximately 2:1. The experimental mixing layer was created by an S-shaped splitter plate mounted in a wind tunnel, and the concentration field was realized by releasing incense smoke into the high-speed side boundary layer above the splitter plate. Simultaneous measurements of the velocity and concentration fields were performed. A 12-sensor hot-wire probe was used to measure the velocity field and its gradients, while the concentration field was recorded with digital photographs of the laser-illuminated smoke. In parallel, a large-eddy simulation (LES) of the spatially developing mixing layer was carried out. Auxiliary turbulent boundary layer LES were used to provide high quality inflow boundary conditions for the velocity and concentration fields. By synchronizing the velocity and concentration measurements, concentration fluxes were also determined. Octant analysis based on the sign combinations of the velocity and concentration fuctuations was performed on the flux data to investigate the scalar transport processes. It was found that octants compatible with mean gradient transport of the scalar contribute most to the scalar fluxes. Conditional planar averages of scalar and momentum fluxes were obtained to determine their spatial distribution with respect to the organized roller and rib vortices of the mixing layer, and distinct patterns were observed. The simulation provided additional insight about the flow and scalar flux distribution topology. This topology was found to be partially compatible with simple models of roller and rib vortices that transport the scalar in a mean gradient sense.     

Symmetries, Invariance and Scaling-Laws in Inhomogeneous Turbulent Shear Flows

An approach to derive turbulent scaling laws based on symmetry analysis is presented. It unifies a large set of scaling laws for the mean velocity of stationary parallel turbulent shear flows. The approach is derived from the Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes equations, the fluctuation equations, and the velocity product equations, which are the dyad product of the velocity fluctuations with the equations for the velocity fluctuations. For the plane case the results include the logarithmic law of the wall, an algebraic law, the viscous sublayer, the linear region in the centre of a Couette flow and in the centre of a rotating channel flow, and a new exponential mean velocity profile that is found in the mid-wake region of high Reynolds number flat-plate boundary layers. The algebraic scaling law is confirmed in both the centre and the near wall regions in both experimental and DNS data of turbulent channel flows. For a non-rotating and a moderately rotating pipe about its axis an algebraic law was found for the axial and the azimuthal velocity near the pipe-axis with both laws having equal scaling exponents. In case of a rapidly rotating pipe, a new logarithmic scaling law for the axial velocity is developed. The key elements of the entire analysis are two scaling symmetries and Galilean invariance. Combining the scaling symmetries leads to the variety of different scaling laws. Galilean invariance is crucial for all of them. It has been demonstrated that two-equation models such as the k– model are not consistent with most of the new turbulent scaling laws.     

Passive Scalar in a Turbulent Channel Flow with Wall Velocity Disturbances

Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) of a passive scalar in a turbulent channel flow with a normal velocity disturbance on the lower wall are presented for high and low Reynolds numbers. The aim is to reproduce the complex physics of turbulent rough flows without dealing with the geometric complexity. In addition, isothermal walls that cannot be easily assigned in an experiment, are considered. The paper explains the increase of heat transfer through the changes of the velocity and thermal structures. As in real rough flows, the transpiration produces an isotropization of the turbulence near the wall.     

DNS and Modelling of Passive Scalar Transport in Turbulent Channel Flow with a Focus on Scalar Dissipation Rate Modelling

A direct numerical simulation of turbulent channel flow with an imposed mean scalar gradient is analyzed with a focus on passive scalar flux modelling and in particular the treatment of the passive scalar dissipation equation. The Prandtl number is 0.71 and the Reynolds number based on the wall friction velocity and the channel half width is 265. Budgets are presented for the passive scalar variance and its dissipation rate, as well as for the individual scalar flux components. These form a basis for a discussion of modelling issues related to explicit algebraic scalar flux modelling. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

基于红外热像的自由剪切湍流被动标量高阶谱分析

利用红外热像仪对高压水射流进行了连续探测.对红外热像序列表征的标量脉动场进行双谱分析,检测湍射流的相干结构、射流不同截面内相干结构的尺度关联性以及射流不同发展阶段的特征尺度.研究表明,以红外热像为样本的全局自双谱表征了射流不同波段能分量对相干的贡献;按三列对图像采样的横断面局部互双谱给出了沿流向的大涡区、小涡区、以及各向同性湍流区的频率耦合特征;按三行对图像采样的纵向局部互双谱给出了射流的轴心线区、剪切层、空气湍流区大涡层和各向同性湍流层等各纵向断面的相干特征;通过红外热像序列的双谱分析,由流场相干结构的尺度关联性,得到了射流诱导的空气湍流场在不同发展阶段的特征尺度.     

Passive Scalar Transport in a Turbulent Cylinder Wake in the Presence of a Downstream Cylinder

This work aims to investigate how the presence of a downstream cylinder affects the passive scalar transport in a cylinder wake. The wake was generated by two tandem brass circular cylinders of the same diameter (d). The cylinder centre-to-centre spacing L/d was 1.3, 2.5 and 4.0, respectively, covering the three typical flow regimes of this flow. The upstream cylinder was slightly heated. Measurements were conducted at x/d= 10 and Re (≡ dU _∞/ν, where U _∞ is the free-stream velocity and ν is the kinematic viscosity of fluid) = 7000. A three-wire probe consisting of an X-wire and a cold wire was used to measure the velocity and temperature fluctuations, while an X-wire provided a phase reference. The phase-averaged velocity vectors and vorticity display single vortex street behind the downstream cylinder, irrespective of the flow regimes. However, the detailed flow structure exhibits strong dependence on L/d in terms of the Strouhal number, the vortex strength and its downstream evolution. This naturally affects passive scalar transport. The coherent and incoherent heat flux vectors show significant variation for different L/d.     

Singularity of Inertial Particle Concentration in the Viscous Sublayer of Wall-bounded Turbulent Flows

The exact kinetic equation for probability density function (PDF) of the velocity and the position of inertial particle transported by turbulent non-Gaussian fluid velocity fields in the viscous sublayer of wall-bounded turbulent flow is analyzed by the method of matched asymptotic expansions. It is shown that the particle concentration near the wall exhibits a power-law singularity giving rise to the phenomenon of particle accumulation. It is shown how the corresponding exponent depends upon the particle Stokes number. The result is in good agreement with previously published results of numerical simulations. A corresponding singularity is found for the standardized higher-order moments of particle velocity.     

Experimental and Numerical Study of the Scalar Turbulent/Non-Turbulent Interface Layer in a Jet Flow

Based on two large-eddy simulations (LES) of a non-reacting turbulent round jet with a nozzle based Reynolds number of 8,610 with the same configuration as the one that has recently been investigated experimentally (Gampert et al., 2012; J Fluid Mech, 2012; J Fluid Mech 724:337, 2013), we examine the scalar turbulent/non-turbulent (T/NT) interface layer in the mixture fraction field of the jet flow between ten and thirty nozzle diameters downstream. To this end, the LES—one with a coarse grid and one with a fine grid—are in a first step validated against the experimental data using the axial decay of the mean velocity and the mean mixture fraction as well as based on radial self-similar profiles of mean and root mean square values of these two quantities. Then, probability density functions (pdf) of the mixture fraction at various axial and radial positions are compared and the quality of the LES is discussed. In general, the LES results are consistent with the experimental data. However, in the flow region where the imprint of the T/NT interface layer is dominant in the mixture fraction pdf, discrepancies are observed. In a next step, statistics of the T/NT interface layer are studied, where a satisfactory agreement for the pdf of the location of the interface layer from the higher resolved LES with the experimental data is observed, while the one with the coarse grid exhibits considerable deviations. Finally, the mixture fraction profile across the interface is investigated where the same trend as for the pdf of the location is present. In particular, it is found that the sharp interface that is present in experimental studies (Gampert et al., J Fluid Mech, 2013; Westerweel et al., J Fluid Mech 631:199, 2009) is less distinct in the LES results and rather diffused in radial direction outside of the T/NT interface layer.     

The Effect of Reynolds Number on the Passive Scalar Field in the Turbulent Wake of a Circular Cylinder

In this paper we investigate by experiments the effect of Reynolds number on a passive scalar (temperature) field in the turbulent wake of a slightly heated circular cylinder. The Reynolds number defined by Re≡U _∞ d/ν (see Nomenclature) is varied from Re= 1200 to Re= 8600. Temperature differential above ambient is chosen to be the passive scalar quantity. Present measurements are conducted using a cold wire (0.63 μm) probe. Results obtained suggest that Reynolds number in general has significant influence on the scalar mixing characteristics in the entire wake flow. Specifically, as Re increases, the mean scalar spreads out more rapidly, the scalar fluctuation intensity increases; however, its variance decays at a lower rate with downstream distance. It is also found that an increase of Re accelerates the streamwise evolution of the scalar probability density function from highly non-Gaussianity to near Gaussianity along the wake centreline. This reflects the reduction in length of the Karman-vortex street caused by an increase of Re.     

Transient Behavior of Turbulent Scalar Transport in Premixed Flames

Transition from gradient to countergradient scalar transport in a statistically planar, one-dimensional, developing, premixed turbulent flame is studied both theoretically and numerically. A simple criterion of the transition referred to is derived from the balance equation for the combustion progress variable, with the criterion highlighting an important role played by flame development. A balance equation for the difference in velocities $\bar{u}_b$ and $\bar{u}_u$ conditioned on burned and unburned mixture, respectively, is numerically integrated. Both analytical and computed results show that; (1) The flux $\overline{\rho u'' c''}$ is gradient during an early stage of flame development followed by transition to countergradient scalar transport at certain instant t _tr . (2) The transition time is increased when turbulence length scale L is increased or when the laminar flame speed S _L and/or the density ratio are decreased. (3) The transition time normalized using the turbulence time scale is increased by u??. Moreover, the numerical simulations have shown that the transition time is increased by u?? if a ratio of u??/S _L is not large. This dependence of t _tr on u?? is substantially affected by (i) the mean pressure gradient induced within the flame due to heat release and (ii) by the damping effect of combustion on the growth rate of mean flame brush thickness. The reasonable qualitative agreement between the computed trends and available experimental and DNS data, as well as the agreement between the computed trends and the present theoretical results, lends further support to the conditioned balance equation used in the present work.     

Laws of Incompressible-Fluid Turbulent Near-Wall Flows Following from the Limiting Asymptotic Properties

The averaged layered turbulent wall flows of an incompressible fluid are considered for an arbitrary wall roughness and a friction coefficient tending to zero. It is assumed that in the asymptotic limit the flow may be divided into two regions: an outer, only slightly disturbed region, and a thin wall region. A similarity law for the velocity disturbances in the outer region is established for cylindrical tubes with an arbitrary cross section. Using the asymptotically matched solutions in the inner and outer regions, the existence of a logarithmic velocity profile in the matching zone is proved. On the basis of a unique asymptotic approach, the existing semi-empirical solutions for tube flows are brought into consistency. A number of semi-empirical formulas for the velocity profiles, which refine and expand the range of applicability of existing relations, are proposed.     

DNS of Turbulent Flows in Ducts with Complex Shape

We carry out Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) of flows in closed straight ducts with complex peripheral shape. To perform the simulations the Navier-Stokes equations in cylindrical coordinates are discretized by a second-order finite difference scheme, and the immersed-boundary technique is used to resolve the flow close to walls of complex shape. The basic geometry is a circular pipe of radius R, with imposed sinusoidal perturbations of the type \(\eta R \sin (N_{w}\theta )\). Simulations by varying N _w at fixed η were performed to investigate the effect of the perturbation wavenumber. Additional simulations by fixing N _w and varying η also allow to investigate the influence of the amplitude of the wall corrugations. The modifications of the near-wall structures due to change in the shape of the walls are well depicted through contour plots of the radial component of the vorticity. The presence of geometrical disturbances anchors the structures at the locations where curvature changes, and the shape of the structures is strongly linked to the amplitude of the wall corrugation. Our interest is also in understanding the influence of the shape of the surface on wall friction. We were expecting some changes in the profile of the total stress with respect to that of the circular pipe, which instead were not found. This is a first indication that changes in the near-wall region do not affect the outer region, and that Townsend’s similarity hypothesis holds.     

Possible Effects of Small-Scale Intermittency in Turbulent Reacting Flows

It is now well established that quantities such as energy dissipation, scalar dissipation and enstrophy possess huge fluctuations in turbulent flows, and that the fluctuations become increasingly stronger with increasing Reynolds number of the flow. The effects of this small-scale “intermittenc” on various aspects of reacting flows have not been addressed fully. This paper draws brief attention to a few possible effects on reaction rates, flame extinction, flamelet approximation, conditional moment closure methods, and so forth, besides commenting on possible effects on the resolution requirements of direct numerical simulations of turbulence. We also discuss the likelihood that large-amplitude events in a given class of shear flows are characteristic of that class, and that, plausible estimates of such quantities cannot be made, in general, on the hypothesis that large and small scales are independent. Finally, we briefly describe some ideas from multifractals as a potentially useful tool for an economical handling of a few of the problems touched upon here.     

Computation of Conditional Average Scalar Dissipation in Turbulent Jet Diffusion Flames

The modelling of conditional scalar dissipation in locally self-similar turbulent reacting jets is considered. The streamwise dependence in the transport equation of the conserved scalar pdf is represented by a function solely dependent on centreline mixture fraction. This procedure provides a simple model suitable for non-homogeneous flows and ensures positive values for conditional scalar dissipation. It has been tested in pure hydrogen-air jet diffusion flames using a Conditional Moment Closure method with detailed 12species, 23 reactions chemistry. The calculations show good agreement of the averaged scalar dissipation with reference values and the model proves to be superior to previous models based on homogeneous flows if the distribution of the conditional scalar dissipation in mixture fraction space is compared with experimental results. A dependence of NO predictions on the model of conditional scalar dissipation can be observed. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Transport of a Passive Scalar in a Stratified Porous Medium

A uniform and horizontal head gradient J is applied to a stratified formation whose given random conductivity K is function of the vertical coordinate x ₃ only. K is assumed to be stationary and of finite integral scale I _v. By Darcy's law, the velocity field V ₁(x ₃)=JK depicts a fluctuating shear flow. A solute body is injected instantaneously in the formation. In a Lagrangean framework, the second spatial moment of the mean concentration C(x,t) can be related to the one-particle trajectories variance X ₁₁(t,Pe) where Pe = V₁I_v/D _dT and _dT is the transverse pore-scale dispersion coefficient. X ₁₁ was determined in the past by Matheron and de Marsily (1980). The present study is concerned with determining the local concentration variance _C ² , that depends on the two-particles trajectories covariance Z ₁₁(t). The latter is derived exactly and langle Crangle and _C ² are determined by assuming normal or lognormal probability distribution of trajectories. The results are illustrated for small and very large (ergodic) solute plumes. For large travel time the concentration coefficient of variation at the center of the plume tends asymptotically to a constant value, unlike formations with finite horizontal correlation length of the hydraulic conductivity. The results may serve for benchmarking of numerical codes and in applications for short travel distances in highly anisotropic formations.     

Towards Rapid Analysis of Turbulent Flows in Complex Internal Passages

A novel approach to investigate turbulent flows in complex configurations is presented. It is based on the combined use of computer simulations and experimental measurements, and has the ability to produce, in a short period of time, large datasets in three-dimensional volumes. The measurements are based on magnetic resonance velocimetry whereas the computations use the immersed boundary technique. Both methods enable detailed analysis of flow fields in realistic configurations and can be used in a complementary way to identify regions of interest and perform design decisions. Direct comparisons between the experimental and numerical datasets are presented for the flow in a pipe and in a three-leg rib-roughened serpentine as a first step towards a more complete validation; the current limitations of the present approach are also discussed.February 1, 2005.     

Transport, Mixing and Agglomeration of Particles in Turbulent Flows

This paper describes methods and approaches that have been used to simulate and model the transport, mixing and agglomeration of small particles in a flowing turbulent gas. The transported particles because of their inertia are assumed not to follow the motion of the large scales of the turbulence and or the motion of the small dissipating scales of the turbulence. We show how both these behaviours can be represented by a PDF approach analogous to that used in classical kinetic theory. For large scale dispersion the focus is on transport in simple generic flows like statistically stationary homogeneous and isotropic turbulence and simple shear flows. Special consideration is given to the transport and deposition of particles in turbulent boundary layers. For small scale transport the focus is on how the small scales of turbulence together with the particle inertial response enhance collision processes like particle agglomeration. In this case the importance of segregation and the formation of caustics, singularities and random uncorrelated motion is highlighted and discussed.     

模型燃烧室内瞬态紊流的大涡模拟

本文采用三种不同亚网格尺度模型对带有V型稳定器的模型燃烧室二维瞬态紊流流动进行了大涡模拟。并在交错网格系下用SIMPLE算法和混合差分格式求解离散方程。数值研究拟不同型式入口速度分布和不同亚网格尺度模型下模型燃烧室二维瞬态紊流流场。计算结果表明不同入口速度分布和不同亚网格尺度模型对瞬态流场和出口速度分布有一定的影响。本文通过数值模拟,揭示了V型稳定器后旋涡的产生和脱落过程。通过计算结果及实验数据的比较可知,本文采用的亚网格尺度模型可以用来模拟模型燃烧室紊流流场及稳定器后面回流区的流动情况。