The integral scale in homogeneous isotropic turbulence

Physics of Fluids, 2006

The double scalar mixing layer (DSML) is a canonical problem for studying the mixing of multiple streams and, with reaction, combustion of the partially premixed type. In a DSML, a third stream consisting of a premixture of the reactants is introduced in between the pure fuel and air streams of the classic twin-feed or binary mixing problem. The well-known presumed probability density function (PDF), such as the β-PDF, can adequately model passive scalar mixing for the binary mixing problem on which state-of-the-art turbulent combustion models such as conditional moment closure and flamelet approaches rely. However, the β-PDF model, now a standard in CFD simulation, cannot describe turbulent mixing involving multiple streams; e.g., the asymmetric three-stream mixing characterizing the DSML. In this paper, direct numerical simulations of the DSML are performed to make available a high-fidelity database for developing more general, fine-scale mixing models required to compute turbulent combustion problems of practical engineering interest, which usually involve mixing between multiple streams. In this first part of two investigations, nonreacting numerical experiments are presented with emphasis on the nontrivial distributions of the passive scalar and its dissipation rate. Mapping closure modeling is applied to describe the PDFs and conditional dissipation rates of a single mixture fraction.

Journal of Turbulence, 2013

In a recent study, Isaza and Collins [J. Fluid Mech., 637 (2009), pp. 213-239] found the asymptotic state of homogeneous turbulent shear flows (HTSFs) to be sensitively dependent on the initial shear parameter (S * ≡ Sq 2 / ), and yet be almost independent of the initial Reynolds number (R λ ≡ qλ/ν). The stringent resolution criteria they employed, however, restricted their studies to relatively low Reynolds numbers. In this paper, we present higher resolution direct numerical simulations of HTSFs over a wider range of Reynolds numbers, aided in part by an improved parallelisation scheme that utilises two-dimensional domain decomposition. We maximise the time-window for our simulations by determining appropriate settings for the initial energy spectrum, viscosity and domain configuration, thereby ensuring that we attain the highest possible asymptotic Reynolds number at the chosen grid resolution. In the course of our study, we find that the pseudo-spectral method suffers from Gibbs oscillations while resolving the thin vortical structures that tend to form in HTSFs. The nonlinear growth of these oscillations leads to spurious energy buildup in the high-wavenumber region of the spectrum, and contaminates the flow field. Consequently, the growth of the integral length scale is found to be numerically stunted, well before the intended final Reynolds number is attained. The issue is rectified by the application of exponential-type spectral filters, which stabilise the simulations and extend the runtime window, permitting attainment of larger asymptotic Reynolds numbers. Various large-scale flow statistics are then studied, and their dependence on the initial value of the shear parameter and Reynolds number corroborates the findings of Isaza and Collins.

Physics of Fluids, 2011

We present a parametric space study of the decay of turbulence in rotating flows combining direct numerical simulations, large eddy simulations, and phenomenological theory. Several cases are considered: (1) the effect of varying the characteristic scale of the initial conditions when compared with the size of the box, to mimic "bounded" and "unbounded" flows; (2) the effect of helicity (correlation between the velocity and vorticity); (3) the effect of Rossby and Reynolds numbers; and (4) the effect of anisotropy in the initial conditions. Initial conditions include the Taylor-Green vortex, the Arn'old-Beltrami-Childress flow, and random flows with large-scale energy spectrum proportional to k 4 . The decay laws obtained in the simulations for the energy, helicity, and enstrophy in each case can be explained with phenomenological arguments that consider separate decays for two-dimensional and three-dimensional modes, and that take into account the role of helicity and rotation in slowing down the energy decay. The time evolution of the energy spectrum and development of anisotropies in the simulations are also discussed. Finally, the effect of rotation and helicity in the skewness and kurtosis of the flow is considered.

Applied Sciences

The verification of a space launcher at the design level is a complex issue because of (i) the lack of a detailed modeling capability of the acoustic pressure produced by the rocket; and (ii) the difficulties in applying deterministic methods to the large-scale metallic structures. In this paper, an innovative integrated design verification process is described, based on the bridging between a new semiempirical jet noise model and a hybrid finite-element method/statistical energy analysis (FEM/SEA) approach for calculating the acceleration produced at the payload and equipment level within the structure, vibrating under the external acoustic forcing field. The result is a verification method allowing for accurate prediction of the vibroacoustics in the launcher interior, using limited computational resources and without resorting to computational fluid dynamics (CFD) data. Some examples concerning the Vega-C launcher design are shown.

AIAA Journal, 2004

The role of the details of initial (or upstream) conditions in establishing asymptotic behavior is reviewed. The traditional view that at least simple shear flows reach universal asymptotic states is shown to be inconsistent with the abundant experimental and direct-numerical-simulation data. Even though scaled mean velocity profiles collapse, the streamwise (or temporal) variation of the scaling parameters and spreading rates can vary widely for different upstream (or initial) conditions. Equilibrium similarity theory shows why the traditional view has arisen: normalized mean velocity profiles can be universal, even though the other moment profiles and scaling parameters are not. Decaying isotropic turbulence and applications of the proper orthogonal decomposition to free shear flows are used to show what parameters might control the downstream development. It is argued that Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes cannot account for these dependencies, but large-eddy simulation can.