scholarly journals Direct Numerical Simulation of a Warm Cloud Top Model Interface: Impact of the Transient Mixing on Different Droplet Population

Fluids ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taraprasad Bhowmick ◽  
Michele Iovieno
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulation ◽  
Direct Numerical Simulation ◽  
Water Vapour ◽  
Cloud Droplet ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Large Size ◽  
Air Interface ◽  
Scale Turbulence ◽  
Transient Mixing ◽  
Density Of Water

Turbulent mixing through atmospheric cloud and clear air interface plays an important role in the life of a cloud. Entrainment and detrainment of clear air and cloudy volume result in mixing across the interface, which broadens the cloud droplet spectrum. In this study, we simulate the transient evolution of a turbulent cloud top interface with three initial mono-disperse cloud droplet population, using a pseudo-spectral Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) along with Lagrangian droplet equations, including collision and coalescence. Transient evolution of in-cloud turbulent kinetic energy (TKE), density of water vapour and temperature is carried out as an initial value problem exhibiting transient decay. Mixing in between the clear air and cloudy volume produced turbulent fluctuations in the density of water vapour and temperature, resulting in supersaturation fluctuations. Small scale turbulence, local supersaturation conditions and gravitational forces have different weights on the droplet population depending on their sizes. Larger droplet populations, with initial 25 and 18 μ m radii, show significant growth by droplet-droplet collision and a higher rate of gravitational sedimentation. However, the smaller droplets, with an initial 6 μ m radius, did not show any collision but a large size distribution broadening due to differential condensation/evaporation induced by the mixing, without being influenced by gravity significantly.

scholarly journals Bridging the condensation–collision size gap: a direct numerical simulation of continuous droplet growth in turbulent clouds

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 7251-7262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sisi Chen ◽  
Man-Kong Yau ◽  
Peter Bartello ◽  
Lulin Xue
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulation ◽  
Direct Numerical Simulation ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Cloud Droplet ◽  
Droplet Growth ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Combined Processes ◽  
Condensational Growth ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Rain Formation

Abstract. In most previous direct numerical simulation (DNS) studies on droplet growth in turbulence, condensational growth and collisional growth were treated separately. Studies in recent decades have postulated that small-scale turbulence may accelerate droplet collisions when droplets are still small when condensational growth is effective. This implies that both processes should be considered simultaneously to unveil the full history of droplet growth and rain formation. This paper introduces the first direct numerical simulation approach to explicitly study the continuous droplet growth by condensation and collisions inside an adiabatic ascending cloud parcel. Results from the condensation-only, collision-only, and condensation–collision experiments are compared to examine the contribution to the broadening of droplet size distribution (DSD) by the individual process and by the combined processes. Simulations of different turbulent intensities are conducted to investigate the impact of turbulence on each process and on the condensation-induced collisions. The results show that the condensational process promotes the collisions in a turbulent environment and reduces the collisions when in still air, indicating a positive impact of condensation on turbulent collisions. This work suggests the necessity of including both processes simultaneously when studying droplet–turbulence interaction to quantify the turbulence effect on the evolution of cloud droplet spectrum and rain formation.

Direct numerical simulation of a turbulent jet impinging on a heated wall

2015 ◽  
Vol 764 ◽  
pp. 362-394 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Dairay ◽  
V. Fortuné ◽  
E. Lamballais ◽  
L.-E. Brizzi
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Numerical Simulation ◽  
Nusselt Number ◽  
Direct Numerical Simulation ◽  
Temperature Fields ◽  
Heated Wall ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Turbulent Regime ◽  
High Heat Transfer ◽  
Radial Evolution

AbstractDirect numerical simulation (DNS) of an impinging jet flow with a nozzle-to-plate distance of two jet diameters and a Reynolds number of 10 000 is carried out at high spatial resolution using high-order numerical methods. The flow configuration is designed to enable the development of a fully turbulent regime with the appearance of a well-marked secondary maximum in the radial distribution of the mean heat transfer. The velocity and temperature statistics are validated with documented experiments. The DNS database is then analysed focusing on the role of unsteady processes to explain the spatial distribution of the heat transfer coefficient at the wall. A phenomenological scenario is proposed on the basis of instantaneous flow visualisations in order to explain the non-monotonic radial evolution of the Nusselt number in the stagnation region. This scenario is then assessed by analysing the wall temperature and the wall shear stress distributions and also through the use of conditional averaging of velocity and temperature fields. On one hand, the heat transfer is primarily driven by the large-scale toroidal primary and secondary vortices emitted periodically. On the other hand, these vortices are subjected to azimuthal distortions associated with the production of radially elongated structures at small scale. These distortions are responsible for the appearance of very high heat transfer zones organised as cold fluid spots on the heated wall. These cold spots are shaped by the radial structures through a filament propagation of the heat transfer. The analysis of probability density functions shows that these strong events are highly intermittent in time and space while contributing essentially to the secondary peak observed in the radial evolution of the Nusselt number.

scholarly journals Flow topologies in bubble-induced turbulence: a direct numerical simulation analysis

2018 ◽  
Vol 857 ◽  
pp. 270-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josef Hasslberger ◽  
Markus Klein ◽  
Nilanjan Chakraborty
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulation ◽  
Direct Numerical Simulation ◽  
Turbulent Flows ◽  
Volume Fraction ◽  
Fluid Velocity ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Flow Topology ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Local Flow ◽  
Interface Curvature

This paper presents a detailed investigation of flow topologies in bubble-induced two-phase turbulence. Two freely moving and deforming air bubbles that have been suspended in liquid water under counterflow conditions have been considered for this analysis. The direct numerical simulation data considered here are based on the one-fluid formulation of the two-phase flow governing equations. To study the development of coherent structures, a local flow topology analysis is performed. Using the invariants of the velocity gradient tensor, all possible small-scale flow structures can be categorized into two nodal and two focal topologies for incompressible turbulent flows. The volume fraction of focal topologies in the gaseous phase is consistently higher than in the surrounding liquid phase. This observation has been argued to be linked to a strong vorticity production at the regions of simultaneous high fluid velocity and high interface curvature. Depending on the regime (steady/laminar or unsteady/turbulent), additional effects related to the density and viscosity jump at the interface influence the behaviour. The analysis also points to a specific term of the vorticity transport equation as being responsible for the induction of vortical motion at the interface. Besides the known mechanisms, this term, related to surface tension and gradients of interface curvature, represents another potential source of turbulence production that lends itself to further investigation.

scholarly journals Flow topologies in primary atomization of liquid jets: a direct numerical simulation analysis

2018 ◽  
Vol 859 ◽  
pp. 819-838 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josef Hasslberger ◽  
Sebastian Ketterl ◽  
Markus Klein ◽  
Nilanjan Chakraborty
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulation ◽  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Direct Numerical Simulation ◽  
Incompressible Flows ◽  
Flow Structures ◽  
Liquid Jets ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Flow Topology ◽  
Local Flow ◽  
Turbulent Length Scale

The local flow topology analysis of the primary atomization of liquid jets has been conducted using the invariants of the velocity-gradient tensor. All possible small-scale flow structures are categorized into two focal and two nodal topologies for incompressible flows in both liquid and gaseous phases. The underlying direct numerical simulation database was generated by the one-fluid formulation of the two-phase flow governing equations including a high-fidelity volume-of-fluid method for accurate interface propagation. The ratio of liquid-to-gas fluid properties corresponds to a diesel jet exhausting into air. Variation of the inflow-based Reynolds number as well as Weber number showed that both these non-dimensional numbers play a pivotal role in determining the nature of the jet break-up, but the flow topology behaviour appears to be dominated by the Reynolds number. Furthermore, the flow dynamics in the gaseous phase is generally less homogeneous than in the liquid phase because some flow regions resemble a laminar-to-turbulent transition state rather than fully developed turbulence. Two theoretical models are proposed to estimate the topology volume fractions and to describe the size distribution of the flow structures, respectively. In the latter case, a simple power law seems to be a reasonable approximation of the measured topology spectrum. According to that observation, only the integral turbulent length scale would be required as an input for the a priori prediction of the topology size spectrum.

scholarly journals Anisotropic Characteristics of Turbulence Dissipation in Swirling Flow: A Direct Numerical Simulation Study

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xingtuan Yang ◽  
Nan Gui ◽  
Gongnan Xie ◽  
Jie Yan ◽  
Jiyuan Tu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulation ◽  
Energy Dissipation ◽  
Direct Numerical Simulation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Isotropic Turbulence ◽  
Vortex Breakdown ◽  
Swirling Flow ◽  
Turbulent Energy ◽  
Swirling Flows ◽  
Small Scale

This study investigates the anisotropic characteristics of turbulent energy dissipation rate in a rotating jet flow via direct numerical simulation. The turbulent energy dissipation tensor, including its eigenvalues in the swirling flows with different rotating velocities, is analyzed to investigate the anisotropic characteristics of turbulence and dissipation. In addition, the probability density function of the eigenvalues of turbulence dissipation tensor is presented. The isotropic subrange of PDF always exists in swirling flows relevant to small-scale vortex structure. Thus, with remarkable large-scale vortex breakdown, the isotropic subrange of PDF is reduced in strongly swirling flows, and anisotropic energy dissipation is proven to exist in the core region of the vortex breakdown. More specifically, strong anisotropic turbulence dissipation occurs concentratively in the vortex breakdown region, whereas nearly isotropic turbulence dissipation occurs dispersively in the peripheral region of the strong swirling flows.

scholarly journals Direct numerical simulation and large-eddy simulation of stationary buoyancy-driven turbulence

2009 ◽  
Vol 643 ◽  
pp. 279-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. CHUNG ◽  
D. I. PULLIN
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulation ◽  
Large Eddy Simulation ◽  
Direct Numerical Simulation ◽  
Density Ratio ◽  
Stationary Flow ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Scalar Flux ◽  
Eddy Simulation ◽  
Large Eddy ◽  
Active Scalar

We report direct numerical simulation (DNS) and large-eddy simulation (LES) of statistically stationary buoyancy-driven turbulent mixing of an active scalar. We use an adaptation of the fringe-region technique, which continually supplies the flow with unmixed fluids at two opposite faces of a triply periodic domain in the presence of gravity, effectively maintaining an unstably stratified, but statistically stationary flow. We also develop a new method to solve the governing equations, based on the Helmholtz–Hodge decomposition, that guarantees discrete mass conservation regardless of iteration errors. Whilst some statistics were found to be sensitive to the computational box size, we show, from inner-scaled planar spectra, that the small scales exhibit similarity independent of Reynolds number, density ratio and aspect ratio. We also perform LES of the present flow using the stretched-vortex subgrid-scale (SGS) model. The utility of an SGS scalar flux closure for passive scalars is demonstrated in the present active-scalar, stably stratified flow setting. The multi-scale character of the stretched-vortex SGS model is shown to enable extension of some second-order statistics to subgrid scales. Comparisons with DNS velocity spectra and velocity-density cospectra show that both the resolved-scale and SGS-extended components of the LES spectra accurately capture important features of the DNS spectra, including small-scale anisotropy and the shape of the viscous roll-off.

scholarly journals A study of the flow-field evolution and mixing in a planar turbulent jet using direct numerical simulation

2002 ◽  
Vol 450 ◽  
pp. 377-407 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. A. STANLEY ◽  
S. SARKAR ◽  
J. P. MELLADO
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulation ◽  
Flow Field ◽  
Direct Numerical Simulation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Computational Study ◽  
Practical Interest ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Mixing Process ◽  
Mean Velocity ◽  
Small Scales

Turbulent plane jets are prototypical free shear flows of practical interest in propulsion, combustion and environmental flows. While considerable experimental research has been performed on planar jets, very few computational studies exist. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first computational study of spatially evolving three-dimensional planar turbulent jets utilizing direct numerical simulation. Jet growth rates as well as the mean velocity, mean scalar and Reynolds stress profiles compare well with experimental data. Coherency spectra, vorticity visualization and autospectra are obtained to identify inferred structures. The development of the initial shear layer instability, as well as the evolution into the jet column mode downstream is captured well.The large- and small-scale anisotropies in the jet are discussed in detail. It is shown that, while the large scales in the flow field adjust slowly to variations in the local mean velocity gradients, the small scales adjust rapidly. Near the centreline of the jet, the small scales of turbulence are more isotropic. The mixing process is studied through analysis of the probability density functions of a passive scalar. Immediately after the rollup of vortical structures in the shear layers, the mixing process is dominated by large-scale engulfing of fluid. However, small-scale mixing dominates further downstream in the turbulent core of the self-similar region of the jet and a change from non-marching to marching PDFs is observed. Near the jet edges, the effects of large-scale engulfing of coflow fluid continue to influence the PDFs and non-marching type behaviour is observed.

Small-scale structure of two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic turbulence

1979 ◽  
Vol 90 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven A. Orszag ◽  
Cha-Mei Tang
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulation ◽  
Direct Numerical Simulation ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Scale Structure ◽  
Magnetohydrodynamic Flow ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence ◽  
Hydrodynamic Turbulence ◽  
Small Scale Structure

The formation of singularities in two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic flow is investigated by direct numerical simulation. It is shown that two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic turbulence is not as singular as three-dimensional hydrodynamic turbulence (in the sense that it has a less highly excited small-scale structure) but that it is more singular than two-dimensional hydrodynamic turbulence.

scholarly journals An inverse modelling approach for frequency response correction of capacitive humidity sensors in ABL research with small unmanned aircraft

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 4407-4438 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Wildmann ◽  
F. Kaufmann ◽  
J. Bange
Keyword(s):  
Water Vapour ◽  
Fast Response ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft ◽  
Environmental Research ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Humidity Sensors ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Water Vapour Concentration ◽  
Remotely Piloted Aircraft ◽  
Scale Turbulence

Abstract. The measurement of water-vapour concentration in the atmosphere is an ongoing challenge in environmental research. Satisfactory solutions are present for ground-based meteorological stations and measurements of mean values. However, advanced research of thermodynamic processes also aloft, above the surface layer and especially in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL), requires the resolution of small-scale turbulence. Sophisticated optical instruments are used in airborne meteorology with manned aircraft to achieve the necessary fast response measurements in the order of 1 Hz (e.g. LiCor 7500). Since these instruments are too large and heavy for the application on the promising platforms of small remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), a method is presented in this study, that enhances small capacitive humidity sensors to be able to resolve turbulent eddies in the order of 10 m. For this purpose a physical and dynamical model of such a sensor is described and inverted in order to restore original water vapour fluctuations from sensor measurements. Examples of flight measurements show how the method can be used to correct vertical profiles and resolve turbulence spectra up to about 3 Hz.

scholarly journals The effect of coherent stirring on the advection–condensation of water vapour

2017 ◽  
Vol 473 (2202) ◽  
pp. 20170196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yue-Kin Tsang ◽  
Jacques Vanneste
Keyword(s):  
Water Vapour ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Passive Scalar ◽  
Hadley Cell ◽  
Moisture Distribution ◽  
Specific Humidity ◽  
Initial Time ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Kinematic Models ◽  
Scale Turbulence

Atmospheric water vapour is an essential ingredient of weather and climate. The key features of its distribution can be represented by kinematic models which treat it as a passive scalar advected by a prescribed flow and reacting through condensation. Condensation acts as a sink that maintains specific humidity below a prescribed, space-dependent saturation value. To investigate how the interplay between large-scale advection, small-scale turbulence and condensation controls moisture distribution, we develop simple kinematic models which combine a single circulating flow with a Brownian-motion representation of turbulence. We first study the drying mechanism of a water-vapour anomaly released inside a vortex at an initial time. Next, we consider a cellular flow with a moisture source at a boundary. The statistically steady state attained shows features reminiscent of the Hadley cell such as boundary layers, a region of intense precipitation and a relative humidity minimum. Explicit results provide a detailed characterization of these features in the limit of strong flow.

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