Near-wall scaling for turbulent boundary layers with adverse pressure gradient

A new extended inner scaling is proposed for the wall layer of wall-bounded flows under the influence of both wall shear stress and streamwise pressure gradient. This scaling avoids problems of the classical wall coordinates close to flow separation and reattachment. Based on the proposed extended velocity and length scales a universal nondimensional family of velocity profiles is derived for the viscous region in the vicinity of a wall that depend on wall distance and a parameter α quantifying the importance of the streamwise pressure gradient with respect to the wall shear stress in the momentum balance. The performance of the proposed extended scaling is investigated in two different flow fields, a separating and reattaching turbulent boundary layer and a turbulent flow over a periodic arrangement of smoothly contoured hills. Both flows are results of highly resolved direct numerical simulation (DNS). The results show that the viscous assumptions are valid up to about two extended wall units. If the profiles are scaled by the extended inner coordinates, they seem to behave in a universal way. This gives rise to the hope that a universal behavior of velocity profiles can be found in the proposed extended inner coordinates even beyond the validity of the extended viscous law of the wall.      

Turbulence Plus

This paper attempts to give a concise overview of the turbulence research performed at the Laboratory for Aero and Hydrodynamics of the Delft University of Technology under the guidance of Frans Nieuwstadt. Frans Nieuwstadt was appointed in 1986 as director of the laboratory, and he held this position until his sudden death in 2005. Frans’ principal interest was to investigate turbulence at a fundamental level, but also to consider turbulence and its role in other processes. He coined a name for this research: turbulence plus.     

Recent progress in the development of the Elliptic Blending Reynolds-stress model

The Elliptic Blending Reynolds Stress Model (EB-RSM), originally proposed by Manceau and Hanjalić (2002) to extend standard, weakly inhomogeneous Reynolds stress models to the near-wall region, has been subject to various modifications by several authors during the last decade, mainly for numerical robustness reasons. The present work revisits all these modifications from the theoretical standpoint and investigates in detail their influence on the reproduction of the physical mechanisms at the origin of the influence of the wall on turbulence. The analysis exploits recent DNS databases for high-Reynolds number channel flows, spanwise rotating channel flows with strong rotation rates, up to complete laminarization, and the separated flow after a sudden expansion without and with system rotation. Theoretical arguments and comparison with DNS results lead to the selection of a recommended formulation for the EB-RSM model. This formulation shows satisfactory predictions for the configurations described above, in particular as regards the modification of the mean flow and turbulent anisotropy on the anticyclonic or pressure side.     

Revisiting URANS Computations of the Backward-facing Step Flow Using Second Moment Closures. Influence of the Numerics

Previous studies have shown that Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS) computations are able to reproduce the vortex shedding behind a backward-facing step. The aim of the present work is to investigate not only the quantitative predictions of the URANS methodology concerning the characteristic frequencies, but also the amplitude of the energy of the resolved eddies, by using the Elliptic Blending Reynolds Stress Model. This innovative low-Reynolds number second moment closure reproduces the non-viscous, non-local blocking effect of the wall on the Reynolds stresses, and it is compared to the standard k − ε and LRR models using wall-functions. Consistent with previous studies, in the 2D computations shown in the present article, the vortex shedding is captured with the correct Strouhal number, when second moment closures are used. To complete these previous analyses, we particularly focus here on the energy contained in the unsteady, resolved part and its dependency on the numerical method. This energy is less than 5% of the total energy and is strongly dependent on the mesh. Using a refined mesh, surprisingly, a steady solution is obtained. It is shown that this behaviour can be linked to the very small spatial oscillations at the step corner, produced by numerical dispersion, which act as perturbations that are sufficient to excite the natural mode of the shear layer, when the local Peclet number, comparing convection and diffusion effects, is high enough. This result suggests that URANS is not appropriate to quantitatively predict the amplitude of the large-scale structures developing in separated shear-layers, and that URANS results must be interpreted with care in terms of temporal variations of forces, temperatures, etc., in industrial applications using marginally fine meshes.     

Wall-Distance-Free Turbulence Models Applied to Incompressible Flows

Abstract

A comparative study of low-Re wall-distance-free (WDF) turbulence models in incompressible flows is presented. The study includes the WDF k-? and the three-equation WDF k-?-γ as well as two k-? models which invoke the distance from the wall. The models are implemented in conjunction with a characteristics-based method and an implicit unfactored scheme. Comparison with direct-numerical-simulation data reveals that the WDF models provide much more accurate results for the dissipation rate, especially in the near wall region. A grid refinement study further reveals that the models which explicitly involve the distance from the wall cannot capture the correct turbulence dissipation rate behaviour in the near-wall region even on the finest grid, where grid-independent solution is achieved. However, the low-Re WDF models require slightly more iterations than the other k - ? models to converge. Results are presented for channel, flat plate and backward-facing step flows.     

Computational and experimental analysis of supersonic air ejector: Turbulence modeling and assessment of 3D effects

Numerical and experimental analyses are performed on a supersonic air ejector to evaluate the effectiveness of commonly-used computational techniques when predicting ejector flow characteristics. Three series of experimental curves at different operating conditions are compared with 2D and 3D simulations using RANS, steady, wall-resolved models. Four different turbulence models are tested: k–ε, k–ε realizable, k–ω SST, and the stress–ω Reynolds Stress Model. An extensive analysis is performed to interpret the differences between numerical and experimental results. The results show that while differences between turbulence models are typically small with respect to the prediction of global parameters such as ejector inlet mass flow rates and Mass Entrainment Ratio (MER), the k–ω SST model generally performs best whereas ε-based models are more accurate at low motive pressures. Good agreement is found across all 2D and 3D models at on-design conditions. However, prediction at off-design conditions is only acceptable with 3D models, making 3D simulations mandatory to correctly predict the critical pressure and achieve reasonable results at off-design conditions. This may partly depend on the specific geometry under consideration, which in the present study has a rectangular cross section with low aspect ratio.     

Theoretical investigation of some thermal effects in turbulence modeling

Fluid compressibility effects arising from thermal rather than dynamical aspects are theoretically investigated in the framework of turbulent flows. The Mach number is considered low and not to induce significant compressibility effects which here occur due to a very high thermal gradient within the flowfield. With the use of the Two-Scale Direct Interaction Approximation approach, essential turbulent correlations are derived in a one-point one-time framework. In the low velocity gradient limit, they are shown to directly depend on the temperature gradient, assumed large. The impact of thermal effects onto the transport equations of the turbulent kinetic energy and dissipation rate is also investigated, together with the transport equation for both the density and the internal energy variance.      

Turbulence in multiphase flow

We establish in this paper the foundations of a two-field turbulent flow model that includes two turbulent fields. The case of dispersed particles in an incompressible carrier fluid is treated here, but the very presence of these two fields allows for the generalization of the model to the instability-induced turbulent mixing of two materials. This model describes both cases of turbulent mass diffusion and small drag regime, “wave-like” interpenetration of the two components. It also includes the damping of the turbulence due to the presence of the particles. In addition, a theoretical derivation of the drag-induced decay of the large-scale turbulence kinetic energy is proposed as another mechanism specific to turbulent multiphase flow.     

Towards a Nonlinear Eddy-Viscosity Model Based on Elliptic Relaxation

A phenomenological method has been used to derive a nonlinear constitutive relationship that can be used in conjunction with any eddy-viscosity model utilizing the elliptic relaxation method. While retaining the merits of the elliptic relaxation to model near-wall turbulence, the new model also enables the turbulence anisotropy to be faithfully predicted in wall-bounded flows.     

Turbulence in plane Couette flow

Experimental results for fully developed turbulent plane Couette flow are reported and compared to earlier experimental and numerical results. In addition some turbulent statistics not previously reported are shown.     

Comparison of near-wall treatment methods for high Reynolds number backward-facing step flow

A comparison of near-wall treatment methods using different turbulence models for flow over a backward-facing step is presented. A Reynolds number (Re) of about 38,000 (U _∞ = 44.2 m/s), based on the step height and the mean stream velocity, was considered. An appropriate near-wall treatment method is critical to the choice of turbulence model used to predict wall-bounded flow. Predictions were obtained by applying standard wall functions, non-equilibrium wall functions and a two-layer model with six different turbulence models. These results were compared with data by Driver and Seegmiller (“Backward-facing step with inclined opposite wall—experiments by driver and seegmiller”, 1985a, http://cfd.me.umist.ac.uk/ercoftac [2003, Jan 31]). Non-equilibrium wall functions with modified k ? ? models predicted the closest reattachment length. However, the two-layer model gave results more representative of the entire flow pattern. The predictions show that a proper combination of turbulence models and near-wall treatment methods give reliable results.     

Near-wall turbulent characteristics along very long thin circular cylinders

Understanding the salient physics within the turbulent boundary layer of towed thin cylinders is paramount to the Navy sonar array communities. However, the required long array length to achieve wide acoustic aperture creates unique and consistent flow characteristics that suggest simplified tangential forcing expressions suitable for design purposes. One well-known fact is that the majority of the array surface experiences very thick turbulent boundary layers (TBL) and large Reynolds numbers. The resultant statistics are most commonly dependent on the inner and outer length scales. Herein, we resolve the near-wall TBL structure under those flow conditions by large-eddy simulation. The turbulent mean-flow statistics showed near-wall consistency using only inner scaling. But both inner and outer variables were found necessary to properly scale the turbulent fluctuations. An expression for the tangential wall-friction coefficient (C_t) indicates two distinct flow regimes as characterized by the near-wall turbulent flow structure. The respective parameters appear independent of the outer length scale. Thickening (or thinning) the cylinder near their common threshold (defined by a radius-based Reynolds number) transitioned the turbulent character between the two regimes.     

Anisotropy Invariant Reynolds Stress Model of Turbulence (AIRSM) and its Application to Attached and Separated Wall-Bounded Flows

Numerical predictions with a differential Reynolds stress closure, which in its original formulation explicitly takes into account possible states of turbulence on the anisotropy-invariant map, are presented. Thus the influence of anisotropy of turbulence on the modeled terms in the governing equations for the Reynolds stresses is accounted for directly. The anisotropy invariant Reynolds stress model (AIRSM) is implemented and validated in different finite-volume codes. The standard wall-function approach is employed as initial step in order to predict simple and complex wall-bounded flows undergoing large separation. Despite the use of simple wall functions, the model performed satisfactory in predicting these flows. The predictions of the AIRSM were also compared with existing Reynolds stress models and it was found that the present model results in improved convergence compared with other models. Numerical issues involved in the implementation and application of the model are also addressed.     

Assessment of Subgrid-Scale Models for Decaying Compressible MHD Turbulence

Large eddy simulation method is formulated for study of compressible magnetohydrodynamic turbulence and assessment of different subgrid-scale models as applied for decaying case is performed. The filtered equations of compressible magnetopause using the mass-weighted filtering operation are obtained. Mass-weighted filtered equations for large-scale turbulent component comprise subgrid-scale terms and five models for closure of the subgrid-scale terms are suggested. In present paper the obtained results of numerical computations for large eddy simulation are compared with the results of direct numerical simulation of three-dimensional compressible magnetohydrodynamic turbulence. Assessment of five subgrid-scale models of large eddy simulation for MHD flows is fulfilled. The comparisons between large eddy simulation and direct numerical simulation are carried out regarding the temporal evolution of the global quantities kinetic and magnetic energy, cross helicity and the spectra of kinetic and magnetic energy.     

Particles-induced turbulence: A critical review of physical concepts,numerical modelings and experimental investigations

The presence of solid particles or water droplets in continuous fluid flow can either induce turbulence attenuation or amplification. The modification of the state of the turbulence depends on the characteristics of the particles, such as volume fraction, mean diameter, mass density, or carrier phase flow properties. In this brief review, the main physical concepts related to the most important physical aspects of turbulence modulation are summarized. Different criteria used to distinguish the enhancement or the attenuation effects of the particles on the carrier phase flows are recalled. For the interest of large-scale industrial applications, several theoretical,experimental and empirical approaches are discussed, which provides an interesting framework for the study of the effect of particles on turbulence behavior modification.     

A Century of Turbulence

A brief, superficial survey of some very personal nominations for highpoints of the last hundred years in turbulence. Some conclusions can be dimly seen. This field does not appear to have a pyramidal structure, like the best of physics. We have very few great hypotheses. Most of our experiments are exploratory experiments. What does this mean? We believe it means that, even after 100 years, turbulence studies are still in their infancy. We are naturalists, observing butterflies in the wild. We are still discovering how turbulence behaves, in many respects. We do have a crude, practical, working understanding of many turbulence phenomena but certainly nothing approaching a comprehensive theory, and nothing that will provide predictions of an accuracy demanded by designers. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Low-Dimensional Modelling of Turbulence Using the Proper Orthogonal Decomposition: A Tutorial

The proper orthogonal decomposition identifies basis functions or modes which optimally capture the average energy content from numerical or experimental data. By projecting the Navier–Stokes equations onto these modes and truncating, one can obtain low-dimensional ordinary differential equation models for fluid flows. In this paper we present a tutorial on the construction of such models. In addition to providing a general overview of the procedure, we describe two different ways to numerically calculate the modes, show how symmetry considerations can be exploited to simplify and understand them, comment on how parameter variations are captured naturally in such models, and describe a generalization of the procedure involving projection onto uncoupled modes that allow streamwise and cross-stream components to evolve independently. We illustrate for the example of plane Couette flow in a minimal flow unit – a domain whose spanwise and streamwise extent is just sufficient to maintain turbulence.     

Computation of Compressible Flows using a Two-equation Turbulence Model on Unstructured Grids

This paper presents a numerical method for solving compressible turbulent flows using a k - l turbulence model on unstructured meshes. The flow equations and turbulence equations are solved in a loosely coupled manner. The flow equations are advanced in time using a multi-stage Runge-Kutta time stepping scheme, while the turbulence equations are advanced using a multi-stage point-implicit scheme. The positivity of turbulence variables is achieved using a simple change of dependent variables. The developed method is used to compute a variety of turbulent flow problems. The results obtained are in good agreement with theoretical and experimental data, indicating that the present method provides a viable and robust algorithm for computing turbulent flows on unstructured meshes.