Influence of Surface Anisotropy on Turbulent Flow Over Irregular Roughness

The influence of surface anisotropy upon the near-wall region of a rough-wall turbulent channel flow is investigated using direct numerical simulation (DNS). A set of nine irregular rough surfaces with fixed mean peak-to-valley height, near-Gaussian height distributions and specified streamwise and spanwise correlation lengths were synthesised using a surface generation algorithm. By defining the surface anisotropy ratio (SAR) as the ratio of the streamwise and spanwise correlation lengths of the surface, we demonstrate that surfaces with a strong spanwise anisotropy (SAR < 1) can induce an over 200% increase in the roughness function ΔU+, compared to their streamwise anisotropic (SAR > 1) equivalent. Furthermore, we find that the relationship between the roughness function ΔU+ and the SAR parameter approximately follows an exponentially decaying function. The statistical response of the near-wall flow is studied using a “double-averaging” methodology in order to distinguish form-induced “dispersive” stresses from their turbulent counterparts. Outer-layer similarity is recovered for the mean velocity defect profile as well as the Reynolds stresses. The dispersive stresses all attain their maxima within the roughness canopy. Only the streamwise dispersive stress reaches levels that are comparable to the equivalent Reynolds stress, with surfaces of high SAR attaining the highest levels of streamwise dispersive stress. The Reynolds stress anisotropy also shows distinct differences between cases with strong streamwise anisotropy that stay close to an axisymmetric, rod-like state for all wall-normal locations, compared to cases with spanwise anisotropy where an axisymmetric, disk-like state of the Reynolds stress anisotropy tensor is observed around the roughness mean plane. Overall, the results from this study underline that the drag penalty incurred by a rough surface is strongly influenced by the surface topography and highlight its impact upon the mean momentum deficit in the outer flow as well as the Reynolds and dispersive stresses within the roughness layer.

INTERACTIONS OF WAVES WITH IDEALIZED HIGH-RELIEF BOTTOM ROUGHNESS

Interactions between waves and high-relief bottom roughness were investigated using Large Eddy Simulations of oscillatory flow over an infinite array of regularly spaced hemispheres. Simulation results were analyzed using a spatially- and phase-averaged momentum balance to provide insight into how flow-topography interactions affect wave-driven oscillating flows. Phase-averaging was applied first, and then spatial averaging was applied over volumes with horizontal length scales greater than the size of a single solid obstacle but fine enough in the vertical direction that the vertical structure of the dynamics was resolved. Spatial averaging of the momentum equation results in terms that represent drag and inertial forces, and a dispersive stress term that represents a vertical momentum flux induced by the spatial heterogeneity of the phase-averaged flow. These new terms require parameterization in coastal ocean wave and circulation models.

A fragmentation-spreading model for long-runout rock avalanches

Based on the observation that deposits of large rock avalanches consist predominantly of intensely fragmented rock debris, it is proposed that the processes of rock fragmentation are significant causes of the peculiar distribution of mass in these deposits, and of the correspondingly long runout. Rock fragmentation produces high-velocity fragments moving in all directions, resulting in an isotropic dispersive stress within the translating rock mass. A longitudinal dispersive force consequently acts in the direction of reducing mass depth and tends to cause the rear part of the avalanche to decelerate and halt and the front part to accelerate. The result is greater longitudinal spreading of the travelling mass compared with nonfragmenting granular avalanches. The longer runout results from this additional fragmentation-induced spreading.