Subgrid length-scales for large-eddy simulation of stratified turbulence

The influence of buoyancy on the length-scales for the dissipation rate of kinetic energy, and for momentum, heat, and other scalar transport has to be known for subgrid-scale (SGS) models in a large-eddy simulation (LES). For the inertial subrange, Lilly (1967) has shown that grid spacing is the relevant length-scale for SGS effects. Deardorff (1980) proposed to reduce all the length-scales for stable stratification. Numerical and experimental data show, however, that the dissipation length-scale may strongly increase in stable layers with little shear. Lumley's (1964) theory for the energy spectrum in a stratified fluid also suggests such an increase. In this paper we apply the analysis of previous algebraic second-order closure SGS models, parameter studies with different length-scale models in LES, and the analysis of direct simulations of sheared and unsheared stably stratified homogeneous turbulence. These analyses show advantages of first-order closures for LES and suggest that the limiting effect of stratification should only be applied to the length-scales of vertical eddy-diffusivities of heat and scalars but not to those of momentum and dissipation.Dedicated to Professor J.L. Lumley on the occasion of his 60th birthday.This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.