Results from a direct numerical simulation of a shear-free turbulent mixing layer are presented. The mixing mechanisms associated with the turbulence are isolated. In the first set of simulations, the turbulent mixing layer decays as energy is exchanged between the layers. Energy spectra with E(k) ∼ k2 and E(k) ∼ k4 dependence at low wavenumber are used to initialize the flow to investigate the effect of initial conditions. The intermittency of the mixing layer is quantified by the skewness and kurtosis of the velocity fields: results compare well with the shearless mixing layer experiments of Veeravalli & Warhaft (1989). Eddies of size of the integral scale (k3/2/∈) penetrate the mixing layer intermittently, transporting energy and causing the layer to grow. The turbulence in the mixing layer can be characterized by eddies with relatively large vertical kinetic energy and vertical length scale. In the second set of simulations, a forced mixing layer is created by continuously supplying energy in a local region to maintain a stationary kinetic energy profile. Assuming the spatial decay of r.m.s. velocity is of the form u &∞ yn, predictions of common two-equation turbulence models yield values of n ranging from -1.25 to -2.5. An exponent of -1.35 is calculated from the forced mixing layer simulation. In comparison, oscillating grid experiments yield decay exponents between n = -1 (Hannoun et al. 1989) and n = -1.5 (Nokes 1988). Reynolds numbers of 40 and 58, based on Taylor microscale, are obtained in the decaying and forced simulations, respectively. Components of the turbulence models proposed by Mellor & Yamada (1986) and Hanjalić & Launder (1972) are analysed. Although the isotropic models underpredict the turbulence transport, more complicated anisotropic models do not represent a significant improvement. Models for the pressure-strain tensor, based on the anisotropy tensor, performed adequately.
Numerical investigation of algebraic oceanic turbulent mixing-layer models