scholarly journals Numerical simulations of aggregate breakup in bounded and unbounded turbulent flows

2015 ◽  
Vol 766 ◽  
pp. 104-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthaus U. Babler ◽  
Luca Biferale ◽  
Luca Brandt ◽  
Ulrike Feudel ◽  
Ksenia Guseva ◽  
...  

AbstractBreakup of small aggregates in fully developed turbulence is studied by means of direct numerical simulations in a series of typical bounded and unbounded flow configurations, such as a turbulent channel flow, a developing boundary layer and homogeneous isotropic turbulence. The simplest criterion for breakup is adopted, whereby aggregate breakup occurs when the local hydrodynamic stress ${\it\sigma}\sim {\it\varepsilon}^{1/2}$, with ${\it\varepsilon}$ being the energy dissipation at the position of the aggregate, overcomes a given threshold ${\it\sigma}_{cr}$, which is characteristic for a given type of aggregate. Results show that the breakup rate decreases with increasing threshold. For small thresholds, it develops a scaling behaviour among the different flows. For high thresholds, the breakup rates show strong differences between the different flow configurations, highlighting the importance of non-universal mean-flow properties. To further assess the effects of flow inhomogeneity and turbulent fluctuations, the results are compared with those obtained in a smooth stochastic flow. Furthermore, we discuss the limitations and applicability of a set of independent proxies.

1994 ◽  
Vol 47 (6S) ◽  
pp. S70-S74 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. R. Maxey ◽  
E. J. Chang ◽  
L. -P. Wang

Microbubbles formed by small air bubbles in water are characterized as spherical inclusions that are essentially rigid due to the effects of surfactants, and respond to the action of drag forces and added-mass effects from the motion relative to the surrounding fluid. Direct numerical simulations of homogeneous, isotropic turbulence are used to study the effects of the small-scale, dissipation range turbulence on microbubble transport and in particular the average rise velocity of microbubbles. It is found that microbubbles rise significantly more slowly than in still fluid even in the absence of a mean flow, due to a strong interaction with the small-scale vorticity. The way in which microbubbles might modify the underlying turbulence by the variations in their local distribution is discussed for dilute, dispersed systems and some estimates for the enhanced viscous dissipation given.


2012 ◽  
Vol 707 ◽  
pp. 74-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krishnendu Sinha

AbstractInteraction of turbulent fluctuations with a shock wave plays an important role in many high-speed flow applications. This paper studies the amplification of enstrophy, defined as mean-square fluctuating vorticity, in homogeneous isotropic turbulence passing through a normal shock. Linearized Navier–Stokes equations written in a frame of reference attached to the unsteady shock wave are used to derive transport equations for the vorticity components. These are combined to obtain an equation that describes the evolution of enstrophy across a time-averaged shock wave. A budget of the enstrophy equation computed using results from linear interaction analysis and data from direct numerical simulations identifies the dominant physical mechanisms in the flow. Production due to mean flow compression and baroclinic torques are found to be the major contributors to the enstrophy amplification. Closure approximations are proposed for the unclosed correlations in the production and baroclinic source terms. The resulting model equation is integrated to obtain the enstrophy jump across a shock for a range of upstream Mach numbers. The model predictions are compared with linear theory results for varying levels of vortical and entropic fluctuations in the upstream flow. The enstrophy model is then cast in the form of$k$–$\epsilon $equations and used to compute the interaction of homogeneous isotropic turbulence with normal shocks. The results are compared with available data from direct numerical simulations. The equations are further used to propose a model for the amplification of turbulent viscosity across a shock, which is then applied to a canonical shock–boundary layer interaction. It is shown that the current model is a significant improvement over existing models, both for homogeneous isotropic turbulence and in the case of complex high-speed flows with shock waves.


1996 ◽  
Vol 10 (18n19) ◽  
pp. 2325-2392 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. LEVICH

In this paper we review certain classical and modern concepts pertinent for the theory of developed turbulent flows. We begin by introducing basic facts concerning the properties of the Navier-Stokes equation with the emphasis on invariant properties of the vorticity field. Then we discuss classical semiempirical approaches to developed turbulence which for a long time have constituted a basis for engineering solutions of turbulent flows problems. We do it for two examples, homogeneous isotropic turbulence and flat channel turbulent flow. Next we discuss the insufficiency of classical semi-empirical approaches. We show that intermittency is an intrinsic feature of all turbulent flows and hence it should be accounted for in any reasonable theoretical approach to turbulence. We argue that intermittency in physical space is in one to one correspondence with certain phase coherence of turbulence in an appropriate dual space, e.g. Fourier space for the case of homogeneous isotropic turbulence. In the same time the phase coherence has its origin in invariant topological properties of vortex lines in inviscid flows, modified by the presence of small molecular viscosity. This viewpoint is expounded again using the examples of homogeneous isotropic turbulence and channel flow turbulence. Finally we briefly discuss the significance of phase coherence and intermittency in turbulence for the fundamental engineering challenge of turbulence control.


Author(s):  
Feng-Chen Li ◽  
Hong-Na Zhang ◽  
Wei-Hua Cai ◽  
Juan-Cheng Yang

Direct numerical simulations (DNS) have been performed for drag-reduced turbulent channel flow with surfactant additives and forced homogeneous isotropic turbulence with polymer additives. Giesekus constitutive equation and finite extensible nonlinear elastic model with Peterlin closure were used to describe the elastic stress tensor for both cases, respectively. For comparison, DNS of water flows for both cases were also performed. Based on the DNS data, the extended self-similarity (ESS) of turbulence scaling law is investigated for water and viscoelastic fluids in turbulent channel flow and forced homogeneous isotropic turbulence. It is obtained that ESS still holds for drag-reduced turbulent flows of viscoelastic fluids. In viscoelastic fluid flows, the regions at which δu(r)∝r and Sp(r)∝S3(r)ζ(p) with ζ(p) = p/3, where r is the scale length, δu(r) is the longitudinal velocity difference along r and Sp(r) is the pth-order moment of velocity increments, in the K41 (Kolmogorov theory)-fashioned plots and ESS-fashioned plots, respectively, are all broadened to larger scale for all the investigated cases.


2012 ◽  
Vol 712 ◽  
pp. 169-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Busse ◽  
N. D. Sandham

AbstractThe effects of rough surfaces on turbulent channel flow are modelled by an extra force term in the Navier–Stokes equations. This force term contains two parameters, related to the density and the height of the roughness elements, and a shape function, which regulates the influence of the force term with respect to the distance from the channel wall. This permits a more flexible specification of a rough surface than a single parameter such as the equivalent sand grain roughness. The effects of the roughness force term on turbulent channel flow have been investigated for a large number of parameter combinations and several shape functions by direct numerical simulations. It is possible to cover the full spectrum of rough flows ranging from hydraulically smooth through transitionally rough to fully rough cases. By using different parameter combinations and shape functions, it is possible to match the effects of different types of rough surfaces. Mean flow and standard turbulence statistics have been used to compare the results to recent experimental and numerical studies and a good qualitative agreement has been found. Outer scaling is preserved for the streamwise velocity for both the mean profile as well as its mean square fluctuations in all but extremely rough cases. The structure of the turbulent flow shows a trend towards more isotropic turbulent states within the roughness layer. In extremely rough cases, spanwise structures emerge near the wall and the turbulent state resembles a mixing layer. A direct comparison with the study of Ashrafian, Andersson & Manhart (Intl J. Heat Fluid Flow, vol. 25, 2004, pp. 373–383) shows a good quantitative agreement of the mean flow and Reynolds stresses everywhere except in the immediate vicinity of the rough wall. The proposed roughness force term may be of benefit as a wall model for direct and large-eddy numerical simulations in cases where the exact details of the flow over a rough wall can be neglected.


2003 ◽  
Vol 56 (6) ◽  
pp. 615-632 ◽  
Author(s):  
RA Antonia ◽  
P Orlandi

Previous reviews of the behavior of passive scalars which are convected and mixed by turbulent flows have focused primarily on the case when the Prandtl number Pr, or more generally, the Schmidt number Sc is around 1. The present review considers the extra effects which arise when Sc differs from 1. It focuses mainly on information obtained from direct numerical simulations of homogeneous isotropic turbulence which either decays or is maintained in steady state. The first case is of interest since it has attracted significant theoretical attention and can be related to decaying turbulence downstream of a grid. Topics covered in the review include spectra and structure functions of the scalar, the topology and isotropy of the small-scale scalar field, as well as the correlation between the fluctuating rate of strain and the scalar dissipation rate. In each case, the emphasis is on the dependence with respect to Sc. There are as yet unexplained differences between results on forced and unforced simulations of homogeneous isotropic turbulence. There are 144 references cited in this review article.


2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (33) ◽  
pp. 64
Author(s):  
Maria João Teles ◽  
António Pires-Silva ◽  
Michel Benoit

An advanced CFD solver based on the RANS (Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes) equations is used to evaluate wave-current interactions through numerical simulations of combined wave-current free surface turbulent flows. The repercussions of various schemes for modeling turbulence effects is addressed with a special attention to the exchanges and fluxes of momentum and energy between the mean flow components and the wave (oscillatory) component. Numerical simulations are compared with experimental data from Klopman (1994).


Author(s):  
Mustafa Usta ◽  
Ali Tosyali

This work determines the inaccuracy of using Reynolds averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) turbulence models in transition to turbulent flow regimes by predicting the model-based discrepancies between RANS and large eddy simulation (LES) models. Then, it incorporates the capabilities of machine learning algorithms to characterize the discrepancies which are defined as a function of mean flow properties of RANS simulations. First, three-dimensional CFD simulations using k-omega Shear Stress Transport (SST) and dynamic one-equation subgrid-scale models are conducted in a wall-bounded channel containing a cylinder for RANS and LES, respectively, to identify the turbulent kinetic energy discrepancy. Second, several flow features such as viscosity ratio, wall-distance based Reynolds number, and vortex stretching are calculated from the mean flow properties of RANS. Then the discrepancy is regressed on these flow features using the Random Forests regression algorithm. Finally, the discrepancy of the test flow is predicted using the trained algorithm. The results reveal that a significant discrepancy exists between RANS and LES simulations, and ML algorithm successfully predicts the increased model uncertainties caused by the employment of k-omega SST turbulence model for transitional fluid flows.


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