Studying turbulence using direct numerical simulation: 1987 Center for Turbulence Research NASA Ames/Stanford Summer Programme

1988 ◽  
Vol 190 ◽  
pp. 375-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. R. Hunt

This paper is an account of a summer programme for the study of the ideas and models of turbulent flows, using the results of direct numerical stimulations of the Navier-Stokes equations. These results had been obtained on the computers and stored as accessible databases at the Center for Turbulence Research (CTR) of NASA Ames Research Center and Stanford University. At this first summer programme, some 32 visiting researchers joined those at the CTR to test hypotheses and models in five aspects of turbulence research: turbulence decomposition, bifurcation and chaos; two-point closure (or k-space) modelling; structure of turbulent boundary layers; Reynolds-stress modelling; scalar transport and reacting flows.A number of new results emerged including: computation of space and space-time correlations in isotropic turbulence can be related to each other and modelled in terms of the advection of small scales by large-scale motion; the wall layer in turbulent boundary layers is dominated by shear layers which protrude into the outer layers, and have long lifetimes; some aspects of the ejection mechanism for these layers can be described in terms of the two-dimensional finite-amplitude Navier-Stokes solutions; a self-similar form of the two-point, cross-correlation data of the turbulence in boundary layers (when normalized by the r.m.s. value at the furthest point from the wall) shows how both the blocking of eddies by the wall and straining by the mean shear control the lengthscales; the intercomponent transfer (pressure-strain) is highly localized in space, usually in regions of concentrated vorticity; conditioned pressure gradients are linear in the conditioning of velocity and independent of vorticity in homogeneous shear flow; some features of coherent structures in the boundary layer are similar to experimental measurements of structures in mixing-layers, jets and wakes.The availability of comprehensive velocity and pressure data certainly helps the investigation of concepts and models. But a striking feature of the summer programme was the diversity of interpretation of the same computed velocity fields. There are few signs of any convergence in turbulence research! But with new computational facilities the divergent approaches can at least be related to each other.

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 1402-1419 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nejmeddine Chorfi ◽  
Mohamed Abdelwahed ◽  
Luigi C. Berselli

Abstract In this paper we propose some new non-uniformly-elliptic/damping regularizations of the Navier-Stokes equations, with particular emphasis on the behavior of the vorticity. We consider regularized systems which are inspired by the Baldwin-Lomax and by the selective Smagorinsky model based on vorticity angles, and which can be interpreted as Large Scale methods for turbulent flows. We consider damping terms which are active at the level of the vorticity. We prove the main a priori estimates and compactness results which are needed to show existence of weak and/or strong solutions, both in velocity/pressure and velocity/vorticity formulation for various systems. We start with variants of the known ones, going later on to analyze the new proposed models.


2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Farouk ◽  
K. B. McGrattan ◽  
R. G. Rehm

Abstract Naturally occurring fire whirls are rare but highly destructive phenomena. These are mostly generated by the interaction between a buoyant fire plume and its surroundings. The whirling motion generated can enhance the plume length and sustain burning. In this paper, we report the results of a numerical investigation of whirling fires generated in vertical square channels with symmetric corner gaps. The numerical investigations of swirling fire plumes are used to analyze how the corner gaps alters the plume dynamics and combustion. An approximate (low Mach number) form of the Navier-Stokes equations is solved to calculate the mixing and transport of combustion products. Large scale eddies are directly simulated and sub-grid scale motion is represented with a Smagorinsky model. The current approach is based on a fixed heat release rate, regardless of the strength of the whirl generated by the corner slots. The effect of corner slot widths and their configuration on the swirling motion are studied systematically for a given channel geometry and fixed fuel-loss rate.


1974 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 145-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
U. Frisch ◽  
M. Lesieur ◽  
A. Brissaud

The Markovian random coupling (MRC) model is a modified form of the stochastic model of the Navier-Stokes equations introduced by Kraichnan (1958, 1961). Instead of constant random coupling coefficients, white-noise time dependence is assumed for the MRC model. Like the Kraichnan model, the MRC model preserves many structural properties of the original Navier-Stokes equations and should be useful for investigating qualitative features of turbulent flows, in particular in the limit of vanishing viscosity. The closure problem is solved exactly for the MRC model by a technique which, contrary to the original Kraichnan derivation, is not based on diagrammatic expansions. A closed equation is obtained for the functional probability distribution of the velocity field which is a special case of Edwards’ (1964) Fokker-Planck equation; this equation is an exact consequence of the stochastic model whereas Edwards’ equation constitutes only the first step in a formal expansion based directly on the Navier-Stokes equations. From the functional equation an exact master equation is derived for simultaneous second-order moments which happens to be essentially a Markovianized version of the single-time quasi-normal approximation characterized by a constant triad-interaction time.The explicit form of the MRC master equation is given for the Burgers equation and for two- and three-dimensional homogeneous isotropic turbulence.


2016 ◽  
Vol 799 ◽  
pp. 246-264 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Seshasayanan ◽  
A. Alexakis

We study the linear stage of the dynamo instability of a turbulent two-dimensional flow with three components $(u(x,y,t),v(x,y,t),w(x,y,t))$ that is sometimes referred to as a 2.5-dimensional (2.5-D) flow. The flow evolves based on the two-dimensional Navier–Stokes equations in the presence of a large-scale drag force that leads to the steady state of a turbulent inverse cascade. These flows provide an approximation to very fast rotating flows often observed in nature. The low dimensionality of the system allows for the realization of a large number of numerical simulations and thus the investigation of a wide range of fluid Reynolds numbers $Re$, magnetic Reynolds numbers $Rm$ and forcing length scales. This allows for the examination of dynamo properties at different limits that cannot be achieved with three-dimensional simulations. We examine dynamos for both large and small magnetic Prandtl-number turbulent flows $Pm=Rm/Re$, close to and away from the dynamo onset, as well as dynamos in the presence of scale separation. In particular, we determine the properties of the dynamo onset as a function of $Re$ and the asymptotic behaviour in the large $Rm$ limit. We are thus able to give a complete description of the dynamo properties of these turbulent 2.5-D flows.


2004 ◽  
Vol 126 (5) ◽  
pp. 827-834 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luciano Castillo ◽  
Xia Wang

In his now classical paper on pressure gradient turbulent boundary layers, Clauser concluded that equilibrium flows were very special flows difficult to achieve experimentally and that few flows were actually in equilibrium [1]. However, using similarity analysis of the Navier–Stokes equations, Castillo and George [2] defined an equilibrium flow as one where the pressure parameter, Λ=[δ/ρU∞2dδ/dx]dP∞/dx, was a constant. They further showed that most flows were in equilibrium and the exceptions were nonequilibrium flows where Λ≠constant. Using the equations of motion and similarity analysis, it will be shown that even nonequilibrium flows, as those over airfoils or with sudden changes on the external pressure gradient, are in equilibrium state, but only locally. Moreover, in the case of airfoils where the external pressure gradient changes from favorable to zero then to adverse, three distinctive regions are identified. Each region is given by a constant value of Λθ, and each region remains in equilibrium with Λθ=constant, respectively.


2015 ◽  
Vol 782 ◽  
pp. 515-540 ◽  
Author(s):  
Subhandu Rawat ◽  
Carlo Cossu ◽  
Yongyun Hwang ◽  
François Rincon

Large-scale motions in wall-bounded turbulent flows are frequently interpreted as resulting from an aggregation process of smaller-scale structures. Here, we explore the alternative possibility that such large-scale motions are themselves self-sustained and do not draw their energy from smaller-scale turbulent motions activated in buffer layers. To this end, it is first shown that large-scale motions in turbulent Couette flow at $Re=2150$ self-sustain, even when active processes at smaller scales are artificially quenched by increasing the Smagorinsky constant $C_{s}$ in large-eddy simulations (LES). These results are in agreement with earlier results on pressure-driven turbulent channel flows. We further investigate the nature of the large-scale coherent motions by computing upper- and lower-branch nonlinear steady solutions of the filtered (LES) equations with a Newton–Krylov solver, and find that they are connected by a saddle–node bifurcation at large values of $C_{s}$. Upper-branch solutions for the filtered large-scale motions are computed for Reynolds numbers up to $Re=2187$ using specific paths in the $Re{-}C_{s}$ parameter plane and compared to large-scale coherent motions. Continuation to $C_{s}=0$ reveals that these large-scale steady solutions of the filtered equations are connected to the Nagata–Clever–Busse–Waleffe branch of steady solutions of the Navier–Stokes equations. In contrast, we find it impossible to connect the latter to buffer-layer motions through a continuation to higher Reynolds numbers in minimal flow units.


1994 ◽  
Vol 277 ◽  
pp. 1-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
P.-Å. Krogstad ◽  
R. A. Antonia

The structure of turbulent boundary layers which develop with zero pressure gradient on a smooth wall and a k-type rough wall was examined using arrays of X-wires. Although the data were obtained only on two orthogonal planes, the technique provides some information on the three-dimensionality of the large-scale structures. The major effect of the roughness is to tilt the inclination of the structures towards the wall-normal direction. This is caused by the reduced damping of the wall-normal velocity fluctuations close to the rough surface and the break-up of structures whose scales are comparable to the size of the roughness elements. Both effects cause a reduction in the streamwise lengthscales, as suggested by all the measured two-point correlations. The correlations also show that the roughness tends to reduce the overall anisotropy of the large-scale motion. There is evidence to suggest that the magnitude of the vorticity field is larger over the rough wall.


2009 ◽  
Vol 625 ◽  
pp. 75-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. RUBIO ◽  
J. M. LOPEZ ◽  
F. MARQUES

Thermal convection in a rotating cylinder near onset is investigated using direct numerical simulations of the Navier–Stokes equations with the Boussinesq approximation in a regime dominated by the Coriolis force. For thermal driving too small to support convection throughout the entire cell, convection sets in as alternating pairs of hot and cold plumes in the sidewall boundary layer, the so-called wall modes of rotating convection. We subject the wall modes to small amplitude harmonic modulations of the rotation rate over a wide range of frequencies. The modulations produce harmonic Ekman boundary layers at the top and bottom lids as well as a Stokes boundary layer at the sidewall. These boundary layers drive a time-periodic large-scale circulation that interacts with the wall-localized thermal plumes in a non-trivial manner. The resultant phenomena include a substantial shift in the onset of wall-mode convection to higher temperature differences for a broad band of frequencies, as well as a significant alteration of the precession rate of the wall mode at very high modulation frequencies due to the mean azimuthal streaming flow resulting from the modulations.


Author(s):  
Michael Leschziner ◽  
Ning Li ◽  
Fabrizio Tessicini

This paper provides a discussion of several aspects of the construction of approaches that combine statistical (Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes, RANS) models with large eddy simulation (LES), with the objective of making LES an economically viable method for predicting complex, high Reynolds number turbulent flows. The first part provides a review of alternative approaches, highlighting their rationale and major elements. Next, two particular methods are introduced in greater detail: one based on coupling near-wall RANS models to the outer LES domain on a single contiguous mesh, and the other involving the application of the RANS and LES procedures on separate zones, the former confined to a thin near-wall layer. Examples for their performance are included for channel flow and, in the case of the zonal strategy, for three separated flows. Finally, a discussion of prospects is given, as viewed from the writer's perspective.


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