scholarly journals The role of big eddies in homogeneous turbulence

Recent experimental work on the decay of isotropic turbulence has shown that big eddies play an important part in the motion. There is a range of eddy sizes which, during the initial period of decay, contains a negligible proportion of the total energy and is excluded from the similarity possessed by the smaller eddies. This paper examines the motion associated with this small range of large wave-lengths in the more general case of homogeneous turbulence. For this purpose it is convenient to introduce a spectrum tensor, defined as the three-dimensional Fourier transform of the double-velocity correlation tensor. This spectrum function is also suitable for the application of similarity hypotheses, unlike the conventional one-dimensional spectrum function. The properties of the spectrum as a function of the wave-number vector k, are discussed with particular reference to small values of the magnitude k . When k is small the energy per unit interval of wave-number magnitude varies as k 4 . The rate of change of the spectrum function is obtained from the Navier-Stokes equations in terms of Fourier transforms of the triple-velocity and pressure-velocity mean values. After taking into account the continuity condition it is found that the terms of the first and second degree in the expansion of the spectrum function in powers of components of k are constant throughout the decay. The biggest eddies of the turbulence are therefore permanent, being determined wholly by the initial conditions, and are dominant in the final period when the smaller eddies have decayed. The action of smaller eddies on the invariant big eddies is equivalent to that of a turbulent viscosity, the value of which may vary with direction. The implications of the analysis for similarity hypotheses are discussed briefly.

1967 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 581-593 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. G. Saffman

A field of homogeneous turbulence generated at an initial instant by a distribution of random impulsive forces is considered. The statistical properties of the forces are assumed to be such that the integral moments of the cumulants of the force system all exist. The motion generated has the property that at the initial instant\[ E(\kappa) = C\kappa^2 + o(\kappa^2), \]whereE(k) is the energy spectrum function,kis the wave-number magnitude, andCis a positive number which is not in general zero. The corresponding forms of the velocity covariance spectral tensor and correlation tensor are determined. It is found that the terms in the velocity covarianceRij(r) areO(r−3) for large values of the separation magnituder.An argument based on the conservation of momentum is used to show thatCis a dynamical invariant and that the forms of the velocity covariance at large separation and the spectral tensor at small wave number are likewise invariant. For isotropic turbulence, the Loitsianski integral diverges but the integral\[ \int_0^{\infty} r^2R(r)dr = \frac{1}{2}\pi C \]exists and is invariant.


Measurements of the double and triple velocity correlation functions and of the energy spectrum function have been made in the uniform mean flow behind turbulence-producing grids of several shapes at mesh Reynolds numbers between 2000 and 100000. These results have been used to assess the validity of the various theories which postulate greater or less degrees of similarity or self-preservation between decaying fields of isotropic turbulence. It is shown that the conditions for the existence of the local similarity considered by Kolmogoroff and others are only fulfilled for extremely small eddies at ordinary Reynolds numbers, and that the inertial subrange in which the spectrum function varies as k -35 ( k is the wave-number) is non-existent under laboratory conditions. Within the range of local similarity, the spectrum function is best represented by an empirical function such as k -a log k , and it is concluded that all suggested forms for the inertial transfer term in the spectrum equation are in error. Similarity of the large scale structure of flows of differing Reynolds numbers at corresponding times of decay has been confirmed, and approximate measurements of the Loitsianski invariant in the initial period have been made. Its value, expressed non-dimensionally, decreases slowly with grid Reynolds number within the range of observation. Turbulence-producing grids of widely different shapes are found to produce flows identical in energy decay and in structure of the smaller eddies. The largest eddies depend markedly on the grid shape and are, in general, significantly anisotropic. Within the initial period of decay, the greater part of the energy spectrum function is self-preserving, and this part has a shape independent of the shape of the turbulence-producing grid. The part that is not self-preserving contains at least one-third of the total energy, and it is concluded that theories postulating quasi-equilibrium during decay must be considered with great caution.


1960 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 321-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Riley

The interaction of a simple wave, in steady supersonic flow, with a two-dimension mixing region is treated by applying Fourier analysis to the linearized equations of motion. From asymptotic forms for the Fourier transforms of physical quantities, for large wave-number, the dominant features of the resulting flow pattern are predicted; in particular it is found that a shock wave, incident on the mixing region, is reflected as a logarithmically infinite ridge of pressure. For two particular Mach-number distributions in the undisturbed flow, numerical solutions are obtained, showing greater detail than the results predicted by the asymptotic approach. A method is given whereby the linear theory may be improved to take into account some non-linear effects; and the reflected wave, for an incident shock wave, is then seen to consist of a shock wave, gradually diminishing in strength, followed by the main expansion wave.


1968 ◽  
Vol 46 (19) ◽  
pp. 2133-2153 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. P. Shkarofsky

A new generalized pair of space-correlation and wave-number spectrum functions, which has properties indicated by fluid dynamics and by intuition, is proposed. In contrast with previously used combinations, both are analytic functions and smooth and cover the complete range of their arguments. For example, the spectrum form can apply to all wave numbers rather than to any limited portion, such as the inertial range. Whenever convolution is necessary, it becomes a routine computer calculation. Furthermore, the correlation function has a zero first derivative and a negative second derivative at the origin, giving both an integral scale and a microscale for the turbulence. The spectrum function can have an inertial region with some power-law decay for intermediate wave numbers and has an exponential decay for very large wave numbers. There are three adjustable parameters, determined by experiment, namely, the spectral power-law decay index, the turnover point where this power law starts, and the turnover point where the power dependence changes to an exponential decay. A library of such spectrum functions is not required, since the single proposed function, with its adjustable parameters, can be made to fit most data. One can also allow any even power of wave number for the spectral dependence in the limit of zero wave number. Simple anisotropic functional forms can readily be incorporated. It is indicated that two inertial falloffs with different power laws can be provided and the resultant correlation function is derivable by convolution. The results are applied to simplified versions of plasma electron density fluctuations and to velocity fluctuations of the background fluid. Various scales of turbulence and the related pressure-correlation function are derived. Expressions of correlation functions of amplitude and phase over parallel-line-of-sight propagation paths are also deduced.The proposed pair of functions should only be considered as a generalized model of Tatarski's form, which allows easy conversion from the correlation to the spectrum function and vice versa. Perhaps even more realistic forms can be invented.


1971 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 353-379 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. J. Zabusky ◽  
G. S. Deem

A direct numerical integration of the time-dependent, incompressible Navier-Stokes equations is used to treat the nonlinear evolution of perturbed, linearly unstable, nearly parallel shear flow profiles in two dimensions. Calculations have been made for infinite (inviscid) and finite Reynolds numbers. The latter results are compared with laboratory measurements of Sato & Kuriki for wakes behind thin flat plates, and many of the detailed features are in excellent agreement, including mean flow profiles with ‘overshoot’ development, first harmonic energy profiles with off-axis nulls, and first harmonic phase profiles. The linear instability saturates by forming a vortex street consisting of elliptical vortex pairs. The solutions are followed for times up to eleven linear exponentiation times of the unstable disturbance. A new low-frequency non-linear oscillation is found, which explains the features of the above experiment, including the nearly periodic phase inversions in the first harmonic component of the longitudinal velocity. It results from a nutation of the elliptical vortices with respect to the mean flow direction. Inertial range spectral energy properties are also examined. Inviscid solutions have large wave-number spectral energies obeying the approximate power law, Ek ∼ k−μ, where μ lies between 3 and 4.


Author(s):  
S. Goldstein

AbstractThe requirements of Kolmogoroff's theory of the equilibrium spectrum are satisfied only at very high Reynolds numbers, higher than any at which experiments have yet been done. In particular, when the theory holds, the rate of decay of the mean-square vorticity ω must be negligible compared with either its rate of increase due to the stretching of the vortex filaments or the rate of dissipation due to viscosity.An extended version of Kolmogoroff's hypothesis may be proposed, in which the statistical properties of the turbulence in a range of wave-numbers (range of eddy sizes) depend not only on the rate of dissipation ∈ per unit volume and the viscosity ν, but also on the time rate of change d∈/dt of ∈. The result is to introduce a dependence on the Reynolds number R of the turbulence into quantities and constants which, on Kolmogoroff's original hypothesis, were independent of R. The Reynolds number R is defined from the decay law; u2t, with an origin of time suitably chosen, is a function of t, finite when t = 0, and R is defined as (u2t)t=0/ν. Lin's decay law follows logically from the extended hypothesis, according to which the rates of change of ω−1, due to the causes mentioned above, are constant during the decay; Lin's decay law would also follow if this less general part only of the extended hypothesis be assumed. The same decay law is also obtained if the similarity spectrum of Heisenberg is taken to apply not to the whole of the energy-bearing eddies, but only to the energy-dissipating eddies. But it is suggested that further generalization of the theory of the similarity spectrum, and of the decay law, is necessary; that the similarity spectrum is probably only asymptotically correct for a range of large wave-numbers, the range depending on the initial conditions and decreasing as the decay proceeds; that the general decay law is u2t = μRd(t), where d(t) is an integral function of t, such that d(0) = 1, and with an asymptotic value for large t to give correctly the law of decay in the final period; and that d(t), and the number of constants needed to specify it approximately, depend on the initial conditions. An experiment is suggested to test the dependence of the law of decay on the initial conditions. It is also suggested that the recently observed constancy of u2t in the initial period in the turbulence behind a single grid is only approximate, and this approximate constancy still needs explanation. Remarks are also included on the range of application of the equilibrium spectrum, for which some formulae are given when there is a definite cut-off in the spectrum.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Farid Taghinavaz

Abstract In this paper, I study the conditions imposed on a normal charged fluid so that the causality and stability criteria hold for this fluid. I adopt the newly developed General Frame (GF) notion in the relativistic hydrodynamics framework which states that hydrodynamic frames have to be fixed after applying the stability and causality conditions. To do this, I take a charged conformal matter in the flat and 3 + 1 dimension to analyze better these conditions. The causality condition is applied by looking to the asymptotic velocity of sound hydro modes at the large wave number limit and stability conditions are imposed by looking to the imaginary parts of hydro modes as well as the Routh-Hurwitz criteria. By fixing some of the transports, the suitable spaces for other ones are derived. I observe that in a dense medium having a finite U(1) charge with chemical potential μ0, negative values for transports appear and the second law of thermodynamics has not ruled out the existence of such values. Sign of scalar transports are not limited by any constraints and just a combination of vector transports is limited by the second law of thermodynamic. Also numerically it is proved that the most favorable region for transports $$ {\tilde{\upgamma}}_{1,2}, $$ γ ˜ 1 , 2 , coefficients of the dissipative terms of the current, is of negative values.


2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 133-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Du ◽  
Zhimin Zhang

AbstractWe study the error analysis of the weak Galerkin finite element method in [24, 38] (WG-FEM) for the Helmholtz problem with large wave number in two and three dimensions. Using a modified duality argument proposed by Zhu and Wu, we obtain the pre-asymptotic error estimates of the WG-FEM. In particular, the error estimates with explicit dependence on the wave numberkare derived. This shows that the pollution error in the brokenH1-norm is bounded byunder mesh conditionk7/2h2≤C0or (kh)2+k(kh)p+1≤C0, which coincides with the phase error of the finite element method obtained by existent dispersion analyses. Herehis the mesh size,pis the order of the approximation space andC0is a constant independent ofkandh. Furthermore, numerical tests are provided to verify the theoretical findings and to illustrate the great capability of the WG-FEM in reducing the pollution effect.


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