Effects of forcing in three-dimensional turbulent flows

We present the results of a numerical investigation of three-dimensional homogeneous and isotropic turbulence, stirred by a random forcing with a power-law spectrum, E(f)(k) approximately k(3-y). Numerical simulations are performed at different resolutions up to 512(3). We show that at varying the spectrum slope y, small-scale turbulent fluctuations change from a forcing independent to a forcing dominated statistics. We argue that the critical value separating the two behaviors, in three dimensions, is y(c)=4. When the statistics is forcing dominated, for yy(c), we find the same anomalous scaling measured in flows forced only at large scales. We connect these results with the issue of universality in turbulent flows.     

Small-scale-velocity-induced linear instability of large-scale turbulent flows

Analysis of a simplified equation derived previously for small-scale velocity components shows that any turbulent flow of an incompressible liquid becomes unstable against infinitesimal perturbations of small-scale velocity components if the strain rate tensor for the large-scale velocity is high. Such a statement comes into conflict with the classical stability theory, which specifically asserts that the Poiseuille flow in a circular tube is linearly stable against infinitesimal perturbations.     

Visualization of the large-scale vortex structures in excited turbulent jets

The present work is a part of the more common research aimed at establishing the role of large-scale vortex structures in the mechanism of noise generation by subsonic turbulent jet. The work presents the results of photography and videography of fast non-stationary processes in a circular subsonic jet under lateral acoustic excitation by harmonical source located upstream in a stilling chamber. Jet velocity varied in the range of 40–200 m/s (M=0.12–0.6).     

Visualisation and analysis of large-scale vortex structures in three-dimensional turbulent lid-driven cavity flow

In this paper, large eddy simulation (LES) of a three-dimensional turbulent lid-driven cavity (LDC) flow at Re = 10,000 has been performed using the multiple relaxation time lattice Boltzmann method. A Smagorinsky eddy viscosity model was used to represent the sub-grid scale stresses with appropriate wall damping. The prediction for the flow field was first validated by comparing the velocity profiles with previous experimental and LES studies, and then subsequently used to investigate the large-scale three-dimensional vortical structures in the LDC flow. The instantaneous three-dimensional coherent structures inside the cavity were visualised using the second invariant (Q), Δ criterion, λ₂ criterion, swirling strength (λ_ci) and streamwise vorticity. The vortex structures obtained using the different criteria in general agree well with each other. However, a cleaner visualisation of the large vortex structures was achieved with the λ_ci criterion and also when the visualisation is based on the vortex identification criteria expressed in terms of the swirling strength parameters. A major objective of the study was to perform a three-dimensional proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) on the fluctuating velocity fields. The higher energy POD modes efficiently extracted the large-scale vortical structures within the flow which were then visualised with the swirling strength criterion. Reconstruction of the instantaneous fluctuating velocity field using a finite number of POD modes indicated that the large-scale vortex structures did effectively approximate the large-scale motion. However, such a reduced order reconstruction of the flow based on the large-scale vortical structures was clearly not as effective in predicting the small-scale details of the fluctuating velocity field which relate to the turbulent transport.     

Instantaneous three-dimensional visualization of concentration distributions in turbulent flows with crossed-plane laser-induced fluorescence imaging

A laser-based technique for measuring instantaneous three-dimensional species concentration distributions in turbulent flows is presented. The laser beam from a single laser is formed into two crossed light sheets that illuminate the area of interest. The laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) signal emitted from excited species within both planes is detected with a single camera via a mirror arrangement. Image processing enables the reconstruction of the three-dimensional data set in close proximity to the cutting line of the two light sheets. Three-dimensional intensity gradients are computed and compared to the two-dimensional projections obtained from the two directly observed planes. Volume visualization by digital image processing gives unique insight into the three-dimensional structures within the turbulent processes. We apply this technique to measurements of toluene-LIF in a turbulent, non-reactive mixing process of toluene and air and to hydroxyl (OH) LIF in a turbulent methane-air flame upon excitation at 248 nm with a tunable KrF excimer laser. PACS 42.30.Va; 32.50.+d; 42.62.Cf     

Numerical model of round turbulent jets

Using a second-order semi-empirical turbulence model that includes the differential equations for the normal Reynolds stresses transport, numerical simulation of the flow in round turbulent jets is performed. The calculation results are in good satisfactory accordance with the experimental data. The results of numerical analysis of the self-similar degeneration are presented.     

Aerothermal characteristics of bleed slot in hypersonic flows

Two types of flow configurations with bleed in two-dimensional hypersonic flows are numerically examined to investigate their aerodynamic thermal loads and related flow structures at choked conditions. One is a turbulent boundary layer flow without shock impingement where the effects of the slot angle are discussed, and the other is shock wave boundary layer interactions where the effects of slot angle and slot location relative to shock impingement point are surveyed. A key separation is induced by bleed barrier shock on the upstream slot wall, resulting in a localized maximum heat flux at the reattachment point. For slanted slots, the dominating flow patterns are not much affected by the change in slot angle, but vary dramatically with slot location relative to the shock impingement point. Different flow structures are found in the case of normal slot, such as a flow pattern similar to typical Laval nozzle flow, the largest separation bubble which is almost independent of the shock position. Its larger detached distance results in 20% lower stagnation heat flux on the downstream slot corner, but with much wider area suffering from severe thermal loads. In spite of the complexity of the flow patterns, it is clearly revealed that the heat flux generally rises with the slot location moving downstream, and an increase in slot angle from 20° to 40° reduces 50% the heat flux peak at the reattachment point in the slot passage. The results further indicate that the bleed does not raise the heat flux around the slot for all cases except for the area around the downstream slot corner. Among all bleed configurations, the slot angle of 40° located slightly upstream of the incident shock is regarded as the best.     

Large-eddy simulations and vortex structures of turbulent jets in crossflow

Using the method of large-eddy simulation, the 3-dimensional turbulent jets in crossflow with stream-wise and transverse arrangements of nozzle are simulated, emphasizing on the dynamical process of generation and evolution of vortex structures in these flows. The results show that the basic vortex structures in literatures, such as the counter-rotating vortex pair, leading-edge vortices, lee-side vortices, hanging vortices, kidney vortices and anti-kidney vortices, are not independent physical substances, but local structures of the basic vortex structure of turbulent jets in crossflow-the 3-D stretching vortex rings originating from the orifice of the nozzle, which is discovered in this study. Therefore, the most important large-scale structures of turbulent jets in crossflow are unified to the 3-D vortex rings which stretch and twist in stream-wise and swing in transverse directions. We also found that the shedding frequencies of vortex rings are much lower than the one corresponding to the appearance of leading-edge and lee-side vortices in the turbulent jets.     

Mixing by turbulent buoyant jets in slender containers

A turbulent buoyant jet injected vertically into a slender cylinder containing a stratified fluid is investigated experimentally. The working fluid is water, and salt is used to change its density to obtain either a positively or negatively buoyant jet. The interest is the vertical density distribution in container and its dependence on time and other parameters. For each case (lighter or heavier jet) the experimental data could be collapsed into a ‘universal’ time dependent behavior, when properly non-dimensionalized. A theoretical model is advanced to explain the results. Possible applications include refilling of crude oil into U.S. strategic petroleum reserves caverns.     

Longitudinal broadening of quenched jets in turbulent color fields

The nearside distribution of particles at intermediate transverse momentum, associated with a high momentum trigger hadron produced in a high energy heavy-ion collision, is broadened in rapidity compared with the jet cone. This broadened distribution is thought to contain the energy lost by the progenitor parton of the trigger hadron. We show that the broadening can be explained as the final-state deflection of the gluons radiated from the hard parton inside the medium by soft, transversely oriented, turbulent color fields that arise in the presence of plasma instabilities. The magnitude of the effect is found to grow with medium size and density and diminish with increasing energy of the associated hadron.     

Helicity generation in turbulent MHD flows

We study turbulent flow of a conducting liquid in a uniform external magnetic field. It is shown that intense helicity generation is possible in the presence of a mean shear flow. It is noted that even though the mean helicity of the initial flow can be zero, the presence of internal topological structure of the flow, for example the presence of helicity of different signs at different scales, is nevertheless necessary for helicity generation. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 114, 946–955 (September 1998)     

Evaporating droplets in turbulent reacting flows

Three-dimensional direct numerical simulations are carried out to determine the effects of turbulence on the preferential segregation of an evaporating spray and then to study the evolution of the resulting mixture fraction topology and propagating flame. First, the mixing between an initially randomly dispersed phase and the turbulent gaseous carrier phase is studied with non-evaporating particles. According to their inertia and the turbulence properties, the formation of clusters of particles is analyzed (formation delay, cluster characteristic size and density). Once the particles are in dynamical equilibrium with the surrounding turbulent flow, evaporation is considered through the analysis of the mixture fraction evolution. Finally, to mimic ignition, a kernel of burnt gases is generated at the center of the domain and the turbulent flame evolution is described.     

Statistics of Lagrangian velocities in turbulent flows

We present a generalized Fokker-Planck equation for the joint position-velocity probability distribution of a single fluid particle in a turbulent flow. Based on a simple estimate, the diffusion term is related to the two-point two-time Eulerian acceleration-acceleration correlation. Dimensional analysis yields a velocity increment probability distribution with normal scaling v approximately t(1/2). However, the statistics need not be Gaussian.     

Large eddy simulation of turbulent horizontal buoyant jets

Large eddy simulations (LESs) of turbulent horizontal buoyant jets are carried out using a high-order numerical method and Sigma subgrid-scale (SGS) eddy-viscosity model, for a number of different Reynolds (Re) and Richardson (Ri) numbers. Simulations at previous experimental flow conditions (Re = 3200, 24, 000 and Ri = 0, 0.01) are carried out first, and the results are found to be qualitatively and quantitatively similar to the experimental results, thus validating the numerical methodology. The effect of varying Ri (values 2×10^?4, 0.001, 0.005, and 0.01) and Re (3200 and 24, 000) is studied next. The presence of stable stratification on one side and unstable stratification on the other side of the jet centreline leads to an asymmetric development of horizontal buoyant jets. It is found that this asymmetry, the total radial spread and the vertical deflection are significantly affected by Ri, while Re affects only the radial asymmetry. The need for developing improved integral models, accounting for this asymmetry, is pointed out. Turbulent production and dissipation rates are investigated, and are found to be symmetric in the horizontal plane, but asymmetric in the mid-vertical plane. A previously proposed model, for correlation between the vertical component of the fluctuating scalar flux vector and the vertical cross-correlation component of the Reynolds tensor, is modified based on the current LES results. Instantaneous scalar and velocity fields are analysed to reveal the structure of horizontal buoyant jets. Similar to the developed turbulent jet, the flow close to the nozzle too is found to be markedly different in the stable and unstable stratification regions. Persistent coherent vortex rings are found in the stable stratification region, while intermittent breakdown of vortex rings into small-scale structures is observed in the unstable stratification region. Similarities and differences between the flow structures in the horizontal buoyant jet configuration and those in the jet in crossflow configuration are discussed. Finally, a dynamic mode decomposition analysis is carried out, which indicates that the flow in the unstable stratification region is more energetic and prone to instabilities, as compared to the flow in the stable stratification region.     

Structure analysis of turbulent mixing patterns in inert and reactive turbulent liquid flows

The paper contains an extended summary of an invited plenary talk given at the Workshop on Active Chaos at the Los Alamos National Laboratory on 29-31 May 2001 by one of us (F.S.R.). (c) 2002 American Institute of Physics.     

Flow and mixing fields of turbulent bluff-body jets and flames

The mean structure of turbulent bluff-body jets and flames is presented. Measurements of the flow and mixing fields are compared with predictions made using standard turbulence models. It is found that two vortices exist in the recirculation zone; an outer vortex close to the air coflow and an inner vortex between the outer vortex and the jet. The inner vortex is found to shift downstream with increasing jet momentum flux relative to the coflow momentum flux and gradually loses its circulation pattern. The momentum flux ratio of the jet to the coflow in isothermal flows is found to be the only scaling parameter for the flow field structure. Three mixing layers are identified in the recirculation zone. Numerical simulations using the standard k-? and Reynolds stress turbulence models underpredict the length of the recirculation zone. A simple modification to the C₁ constant in the dissipation transport equation fixes this deficiency and gives better predictions of the flow and mixing fields. The mixed-is-burnt combustion model is found to be adequate for simulating the temperature and mixing field in the recirculation zone of the bluff-body flames.     

Disintegration of flows of superheated liquid films and jets

This paper represents results on investigating the dynamics of boiling and disintegration of superheated liquid films and jets. The first part deals with experimental study of boiling liquid outflow through short cylindrical and slit channels. Evolution of disintegration of a hot water jet flow is observed both at low and moderate superheating and at high and limit superheating, and also for vaporization mechanisms corresponding to these superheatings. Peculiarities of disintegration of jets through slit and cylindrical channels are noticed. Results on measuring the reactive thrust of the jet through a slit channel under different geometrical conditions behind the channel outlet are represented. The 1/f fluctuations in transient regimes of superheated liquid boiling and in transient regimes of behavior of the jet shape are found. The second part of this article represents results on experimental investigation of nonsteady heat transfer and dynamics of the development of crisis phenomena at boiling of a falling subcooled liquid film in the conditions of stepwise heat release. The experimental data were obtained using synchronized high-speed infrared thermography and video. It is shown that with growth and condensation of vapor bubbles, on the liquid film interface appear large-amplitude waves that lead to considerably increasing local intensity of heat transfer. New data on the boiling incipience temperature in a subcooled liquid film, depending on the heat flux density, are obtained. It is found that the development of boiling crisis is a result of appearance of local dry patches and their subsequent growth by the mechanism of longitudinal thermal conductivity in the heat transfer wall as the equilibrium heat flux density is exceeded.