A robust numerical scheme for highly compressible magnetohydrodynamics: Nonlinear stability,implementation and tests

The ideal MHD equations are a central model in astrophysics, and their solution relies upon stable numerical schemes. We present an implementation of a new method, which possesses excellent stability properties. Numerical tests demonstrate that the theoretical stability properties are valid in practice with negligible compromises to accuracy. The result is a highly robust scheme with state-of-the-art efficiency. The scheme’s robustness is due to entropy stability, positivity and properly discretised Powell terms. The implementation takes the form of a modification of the MHD module in the FLASH code, an adaptive mesh refinement code. We compare the new scheme with the standard FLASH implementation for MHD. Results show comparable accuracy to standard FLASH with the Roe solver, but highly improved efficiency and stability, particularly for high Mach number flows and low plasma β. The tests include 1D shock tubes, 2D instabilities and highly supersonic, 3D turbulence. We consider turbulent flows with RMS sonic Mach numbers up to 10, typical of gas flows in the interstellar medium. We investigate both strong initial magnetic fields and magnetic field amplification by the turbulent dynamo from extremely high plasma β. The energy spectra show a reasonable decrease in dissipation with grid refinement, and at a resolution of 512³ grid cells we identify a narrow inertial range with the expected power law scaling. The turbulent dynamo exhibits exponential growth of magnetic pressure, with the growth rate higher from solenoidal forcing than from compressive forcing. Two versions of the new scheme are presented, using relaxation-based 3-wave and 5-wave approximate Riemann solvers, respectively. The 5-wave solver is more accurate in some cases, and its computational cost is close to the 3-wave solver.     

Compressible turbulent flame speeds of highly turbulent standing flames

In this paper we present the first measurement of turbulent burning velocities of a highly turbulent compressible standing flame induced by shock-driven turbulence in a Turbulent Shock Tube. High-speed schlieren, chemiluminescence, PIV, and dynamic pressure measurements are made to quantify flame–turbulence interaction for high levels of turbulence at elevated temperatures and pressure. Distributions of turbulent velocities, vorticity and turbulent strain are provided for regions ahead and behind the standing flame. The turbulent flame speed is directly measured for the high-Mach standing turbulent flame. From measurements of the flame turbulent speed and turbulent Mach number, transition into a non-linear compressibility regime at turbulent Mach numbers above 0.4 is confirmed, and a possible mechanism for flame generated turbulence and deflagration-to-detonation transition is established.     

Comparison of methods for calculating turbulent diffusion coefficients

Different methods for calculating the turbulent diffusion coefficient D _T of a passive scalar impurity in an infinite homogeneous isotropic stationary turbulent medium are examined. The values of D _T calculated by these methods are compared for two limiting types of turbulence, viz., turbulence with a δ-function spectrum and turbulence with a Kolmogorov-type spectrum. The temporal dependence of the velocity correlators is assumed to be exponential. It is shown that the most accurate method is based on the use of the solution of the nonlinear equation for the averaged Green’s function with consideration of the contribution from the four-point turbulent velocity correlators. A comparison with the results of other methods that are simpler from the mathematical standpoint shows that some of them also permit the calculation of D _T with relatively good accuracy. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 111, 871–881 (March 1997)     

Turbulent diffusion in a compressible medium

This paper examines the diffusion of impurity particles in a compressible turbulent medium and compares it to diffusion in an incompressible medium. The turbulent diffusion coefficients are calculated using exact formulas expressed in terms of the Green’s function describing impurity transport in an infinite homogeneous, isotropic, stationary turbulent medium. To obtain an approximate expression for the Green’s function, numerical solutions of the nonlinear DIA (direct interaction approximation) equation (which in this paper are obtained for the first time for the case of compressible turbulence) are employed. Two types of turbulence are examined, acoustic and a mixture of shock waves. These are described by different generalized spectra. Finally, it is shown that compressibility significantly enhances the diffusion coefficient in the case of acoustic turbulence and reduces it in the second case. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 114, 930–945 (September 1998)     

Investigation of temperature fields in supersonic flow behind a backward-facing step

The results of numerical modelling and experimental investigations of high-enthalpy turbulent flows in the neighborhood of 90-degree backward-facing steps at the Mach numbers M_∞ = 2–4 are presented. The experiments were conducted in the hot-shot wind tunnel IT-302M of ITAM SB RAS. The computations were carried out on the basis of the full Favres-averaged Navier — Stokes equations augmented by the Wilcox turbulence model. The temperature factor influence on the flow structure in the separated zone and temperature distributions was investigated numerically for different Mach numbers. The wall temperature is shown to affect significantly the quantity and sizes of recirculation vortices as well as the temperature distribution in the zone of flow separation and reattachment. The computational results are compared with experimental data on the pressure distribution on the model surface and the wave structure of the flow.     

The renormalization group in the problem of turbulent convection of a passive scalar impurity with nonlinear diffusion

The problem of turbulent mixing of a passive scalar impurity is studied within the renormalization-group approach to the stochastic theory of developed turbulence for the case where the diffusion coefficient is an arbitrary function of the impurity concentration. Such a problem incorporates an infinite number of coupling constants (“charges”). A one-loop calculation shows that in the infinite-dimensional space of the charges there is a two-dimensional surface of fixed points of the renormalization-group equations. When the surface has an IR-stability region, the problem has scaling with universal critical dimensionalities, corresponding to the phenomenological laws of Kolmogorov and Richardson, but with nonuniversal (i.e., depending on the Prandtl number and the explicit form of the nonlinearity in the diffusion equation) scaling functions, amplitude factors in the power laws, and value of the “effective Prandtl turbulence number.” Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 112, 1649–1663 (November 1997)     

Mixing of a passive scalar across a thin shearless layer: concentration of intermittency on the sides of the turbulent interface

The advection of a passive scalar through an initial flat interface separating two different isotropic decaying turbulent fields is investigated in two and three dimensions. Simulations have been performed for a range of Taylor’s microscale Reynolds numbers from 45 to 250 and for a Schmidt number equal to 1. Different to the case where the transport involves the momentum and kinetic energy only and one intermittency layer is formed in the low-turbulent energy side of the system, in the passive scalar concentration field two intermittent layers are observed to develop at the sides of the interface. The layers move normally to the interface in opposite directions. The dimensionality produces different time scaling of the passive scalar diffusion, which is much faster in the two-dimensional case. In two dimensions, the propagation of the intermittent layers exhibits a significant asymmetry with respect to the initial position of the interface and is deeper for the layer which moves towards the high kinetic energy side of the system. In three dimensions, the two intermittent layers propagate nearly symmetrically with respect the centre of the mixing region. During the temporal decay, inside the mixing, which is both inhomogeneous and anisotropic but devoid of a mean velocity shear, the passive scalar spectra are computed. In three dimensions, the exponent in the scaling range gets in time a value close to that of the kinetic energy spectrum of isotropic turbulence (?5/3). In two dimensions, instead the exponent settles down to a value that is about one-half of the corresponding isotropic case. By means of an analysis based on simple wavy perturbations of the interface we show that the formation of the double layer of intermittency is a dynamic general feature not specific to the turbulent transport. These results of our numerical study are discussed in the context of experimental results and numerical simulations.     

Numerical and experimental investigations on the mach 2 pseudo-shock wave in a square duct

This paper describes numerical and experimental investigations for the multiple shock wave/turbulent boundary layer interaction in a Mach 2 supersonic square duct. The numerical simulation is carried out with the Harten-Yee second-order accuracy TVD scheme and the Baldwin-Lomax turbulence model. The flow conditions are a free-stream Mach number ofM _∞≈=2.0 and a Reynolds number ofRe _∞;=2.5×10⁷ and the flow confinements are δ_∞/h=0.15 (case A) and δ_∞/h=0.25 (case B), respectively. The computational results for both cases show good agreement with the experimental results. Based on these agreements, the flow quantities, which are very difficult to obtain experimentally, are analyzed by numerical simulation. Moreover, the effect of flow confinement on the pseudo-shock wave characteristics is also presented.     

Structure function scaling in compressible super-Alfvénic MHD turbulence

Supersonic turbulent flows of magnetized gas are believed to play an important role in the dynamics of star-forming clouds in galaxies. Understanding statistical properties of such flows is crucial for developing a theory of star formation. In this Letter we propose a unified approach for obtaining the velocity scaling in compressible and super-Alfvénic turbulence, valid for the arbitrary sonic Mach number, M(S). We demonstrate with numerical simulations that the scaling can be described with the She-Lévêque formalism, where only one parameter, interpreted as the Hausdorff dimension of the most intense dissipative structures, needs to be varied as a function of M(S). Our results thus provide a method for obtaining the velocity scaling in interstellar clouds once their Mach numbers have been inferred from observations.     

Transition of the boundary layer on a flat plate at supersonic and hypersonic velocities

The transition of the boundary layer from the laminar to the turbulent state on a smooth flat plate at a zero angle of attack is studied in the range of Mach numbers M_∞ = 2–6. It is demonstrated that the results measured at the end of the transition region can be approximated by a simple dependence suitable for applications, which does not require additional measurements, is valid in the range of Mach numbers M_∞ = 2–10, and, with an error lower than 20 %, can be used to estimate the location of the transition region on a flat plate in geometrically similar wind tunnels.     

应用GAO-YONG可压缩湍流模式数值模拟RAE2822翼型绕流

应用Gao-Yong可压缩湍流模式,数值模拟RAE2822二维翼型在两种不同来流情况下的跨音速粘性绕流问题.湍流模式的对流项用ROE格式离散,扩散项用中心差分格式离散,空间离散后的控制方程用多步Runge-Kutta显式时间推进格式求解.计算结果预测了翼型表面的压力系数的分布、平均速度剖面、激波的位置、马赫数等值线等情况.同时,对翼型表面激波与边界层相互干扰以及转捩问题进行分析计算,结果表明,Gao-Yong可压缩湍流模式结合适当的数值方法能够成功地模拟翼型跨音速粘性流动.最后,基于Gao-Yong可压缩湍流模式各项异性湍流粘性的机理,初步提出一种预测转捩起始位置的方法.     

Spectral compact difference hybrid computation of passive scalar in isotropic turbulence

An accurate and efficient hybrid numerical method is developed for direct numerical simulation of passive scalar in homogeneous turbulence for the Schmidt number 1 and 50. The hybrid method uses the standard Fourier spectral method for the incompressible Navier–Stokes equation and the combined compact difference scheme for the passive scalar transport equation. Accuracy of the method is carefully examined by comparing with the full spectral method regarding the spectra, probability density function, field structure of the passive scalar, and is found to be very satisfactory. The computational time for the hybrid method is decreased by 26% for the Schmidt number 1 when compared to the full spectral method, and by 77% for the Schmidt number 50 when the number of grid points for the velocity field is reduced under the scale separation.     

A hybrid numerical simulation of isotropic compressible turbulence

A novel hybrid numerical scheme with built-in hyperviscosity has been developed to address the accuracy and numerical instability in numerical simulation of isotropic compressible turbulence in a periodic domain at high turbulent Mach number. The hybrid scheme utilizes a 7th-order WENO (Weighted Essentially Non-Oscillatory) scheme for highly compressive regions (i.e., shocklet regions) and an 8th-order compact central finite difference scheme for smooth regions outside shocklets. A flux-based conservative and formally consistent formulation is developed to optimize the connection between the two schemes at the interface and to achieve a higher computational efficiency. In addition, a novel numerical hyperviscosity formulation is proposed within the context of compact finite difference scheme for the smooth regions to improve numerical stability of the hybrid method. A thorough and insightful analysis of the hyperviscosity formulation in both Fourier space and physical space is presented to show the effectiveness of the formulation in improving numerical stability, without compromising the accuracy of the hybrid method. A conservative implementation of the hyperviscosity formulation is also developed. Combining the analysis and test simulations, we have also developed a criterion to guide the specification of a numerical hyperviscosity coefficient (the only adjustable coefficient in the formulation). A series of test simulations are used to demonstrate the accuracy and numerical stability of the scheme for both decaying and forced compressible turbulence. Preliminary results for a high-resolution simulation at turbulent Mach number of 1.08 are shown. The sensitivity of the simulated flow to the detail of thermal forcing method is also briefly discussed.     

Direct numerical simulation of a fully developed compressible wall turbulence over a wavy wall

Compressible turbulent channel flow over a wavy surface is investigated by direct numerical simulations using high-resolution finite difference schemes. The Reynolds number considered in the present paper is 3380 based on the bulk velocity, the channel half-width and the kinetic viscosity at the wall. Four test cases are simulated and analysed at Ma_m = 0.33, 0.8, 1.2, 1.5 based on the bulk velocity and the speed of sound at the wall. We mainly focus on the curvature and the Mach number effects on the compressible turbulent flows. Numerical results show that although the wavy wall has effects on the mean and fluctuation quantities, log law still exists in the distribution of the wave-averaged streamwise velocity if the roughness effects are taken into consideration in the scaling of it. Near-wall streaks are broken by the wavy surface and near-wall quasi-streamwise vortices mostly begin at the upslope of the wave and pass over the crest of it. The wavy wall makes the turbulence more active and the flow easier to be blended. From the viewpoint of turbulent kinetic budgets, curvature effects strengthen both the diffusion terms and the dissipation terms. At the same time, they change the properties of the compressibility-related terms and promote more inner energy transferring into turbulent kinetic energy. As the Mach number increases, the reattachment of the mean flow is delayed, which indicates the mean separation bubble becomes larger. Concerning the near-wall coherent structures, the vortices are more sparsely distributed with the increasing of the Mach number. For the supersonic cases, shock waves appear. Though they have little effects on the mean turbulent quantities, they change the structures of the flow fields and induce local separations at the upper wall of the channel.     

可压缩湍流研究进展

高马赫数可压缩湍流的运动是一个多尺度多过程的物理现象。采用了多过程分解的方法,将可压缩湍流分解为剪切和胀压过程,分析其统计行为和动力学行为。发展了一种新的紧致差分和WENO格式相结合的混合型数值格式,准确模拟了可压缩湍流场;研究了其多尺度多过程行为和对粒子的输运影响;研究了激波结构对湍流场的影响;在高雷诺数可压缩湍流中,证明存在惯性区,其中流运动和压力做功引起的动能流通量都是常数;证明可压缩湍流中存在从大尺度到小尺度的动能级串过程;证明动能流通量的剪切部分和胀压部分在惯性区都为常数;分析亚格子应力项和亚格子质量流动项对动能级串的影响。     

A minimal flow unit for the study of turbulence with passive scalars

The concept of a minimal flow unit (MFU) for the study of the basic physics of turbulent flows is introduced. The MFU is an initial vorticity configuration that consists of a few simple well-defined large-scale vortex structures. The form and position of these structures are chosen so that their interaction produces turbulence capturing many of the essential characteristics of isotropic homogeneous turbulence produced from random-phase initial conditions or that produced by continual random-phase forcing. The advantage of using the MFU is that the evolution of the vortex structures can be followed more clearly and the relationship between the evolving vortex structures and the various ranges in the energy spectrum can be more clearly defined. The addition of passive scalar fields to the MFU permits an investigation of passive scalar mixing that is relevant to the study of combustion. With a particular choice of the MFU, one that produces a trend to a finite-time singularity in the vorticity field, it is demonstrated that passive scalar distributed in the original large-scale vortices will develop intense gradients in the region where the vorticity is tending toward a singularity. In viscous flow, the evolution of the MFU clearly shows how the volume of the regions where originally well-separated passive scalars come into contact increases with increasing Reynolds number.     

二维可压缩流体Kelvin-Helmholtz不稳定性

利用高精度数值格式,研究了二维可压缩流体中的Kelvin-Helmholtz不稳定性,主要研究了可压缩性对Kelvin-Helmholtz稳定性增长率的影响.模拟定量的给出低Mach和高Mach数两种情况下,初始静压和对流Mach数以及Kelvin-Helmholtz不稳定性线性增长率的关系.模拟结果和自由剪切层以及混合层的实验结果以及理论分析一致.模拟表明,对流Mach数是描述流体可压缩性的合适参数,对流Mach数越小流体越不可压,Kelvin-Helmholtz不稳定性的线性增长率随对流Mach数的增加而减小. 关键词： Kelvin-Helmholtz不稳定性 可压缩流体 Mach数 超音速流体     

标量湍流的能量传输特性

应用直接数值模拟数据,从标量湍流传输的三波关系出发,进行湍流及标量湍流传输谱的多尺度分析,研究不同尺度间的能量传输性质,证实标量能量的传输与湍动能传输具有不同性质,大尺度速度脉动对标量传输有较大贡献,尤其是与标量小尺度脉动的相互作用,使标量模拟需要有比速度场更高的网格分辨率;并发现标量湍流的能量传输具有明显的非局部性;另外,定义了能量传输系数,发现在相同的Re数和Pe数条件下,标量湍流的对流惯性较速度脉动的惯性子区宽.     

Assessment of localized artificial diffusivity scheme for large-eddy simulation of compressible turbulent flows

The localized artificial diffusivity method is investigated in the context of large-eddy simulation of compressible turbulent flows. The performance of different artificial bulk viscosity models are evaluated through detailed results from the evolution of decaying compressible isotropic turbulence with eddy shocklets and supersonic turbulent boundary layer. Effects of subgrid-scale (SGS) models and implicit time-integration scheme/time-step size are also investigated within the framework of the numerical scheme used. The use of a shock sensor along with artificial bulk viscosity significantly improves the scheme for simulating turbulent flows involving shocks while retaining the shock-capturing capability. The proposed combination of Ducros-type sensor with a negative dilatation sensor removes unnecessary bulk viscosity within expansion and weakly compressible turbulence regions without shocks and allows it to localize near the shocks. It also eliminates the need for a wall-damping function for the bulk viscosity while simulating wall-bounded turbulent flows. For the numerical schemes used, better results are obtained without adding an explicit SGS model than with SGS model at moderate Reynolds number. Inclusion of a SGS model in addition to the low-pass filtering and artificial bulk viscosity results in additional damping of the resolved turbulence. However, investigations at higher Reynolds numbers suggest the need for an explicit SGS model. The flow statistics obtained using the second-order implicit time-integration scheme with three sub-iterations closely agrees with the explicit scheme if the maximum Courant–Friedrichs–Lewy is kept near unity.