Scale interactions in a mixing layer – the role of the large-scale gradients

2016 ◽  
Vol 791 ◽  
pp. 154-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Fiscaletti ◽  
A. Attili ◽  
F. Bisetti ◽  
G. E. Elsinga
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Mixing Layer ◽  
Physical Space ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Velocity Fluctuations ◽  
Small Scales ◽  
Low Pass ◽  
Scale Characteristics

The interaction between the large and the small scales of turbulence is investigated in a mixing layer, at a Reynolds number based on the Taylor microscale ($Re_{{\it\lambda}}$) of $250$, via direct numerical simulations. The analysis is performed in physical space, and the local vorticity root-mean-square (r.m.s.) is taken as a measure of the small-scale activity. It is found that positive large-scale velocity fluctuations correspond to large vorticity r.m.s. on the low-speed side of the mixing layer, whereas, they correspond to low vorticity r.m.s. on the high-speed side. The relationship between large and small scales thus depends on position if the vorticity r.m.s. is correlated with the large-scale velocity fluctuations. On the contrary, the correlation coefficient is nearly constant throughout the mixing layer and close to unity if the vorticity r.m.s. is correlated with the large-scale velocity gradients. Therefore, the small-scale activity appears closely related to large-scale gradients, while the correlation between the small-scale activity and the large-scale velocity fluctuations is shown to reflect a property of the large scales. Furthermore, the vorticity from unfiltered (small scales) and from low pass filtered (large scales) velocity fields tend to be aligned when examined within vortical tubes. These results provide evidence for the so-called ‘scale invariance’ (Meneveau & Katz, Annu. Rev. Fluid Mech., vol. 32, 2000, pp. 1–32), and suggest that some of the large-scale characteristics are not lost at the small scales, at least at the Reynolds number achieved in the present simulation.

scholarly journals Modulation of the velocity gradient tensor by concurrent large-scale velocity fluctuations in a turbulent mixing layer

2015 ◽  
Vol 777 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. R. H. Buxton
Keyword(s):  
Velocity Gradient ◽  
Turbulent Mixing ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Mixing Layer ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Velocity Fluctuations ◽  
Turbulent Mixing Layer ◽  
Local Maxima ◽  
Leibler Divergence ◽  
Small Scales

The modulation of small-scale velocity and velocity gradient quantities by concurrent large-scale velocity fluctuations is observed by consideration of the Kullback–Leibler divergence. This is a measure that quantifies the loss of information in modelling a statistical distribution of small-scale quantities conditioned on concurrent positive large-scale fluctuations by that conditioned on negative large-scale fluctuations. It is observed that the small-scale turbulence is appreciably ‘rougher’ when the concurrent large-scale fluctuation is positive in the low-speed side of a fully developed turbulent mixing layer, which gives further evidence to the convective scale modulation argument of Buxton & Ganapathisubramani (Phys. Fluids, vol. 26, 2014, 125106, 1–19). The definition of the small scales is varied, and regardless of whether the small-scale fluctuations are dominated by dissipation or have the characteristic features of inertial range turbulence they are shown to be modulated by the concurrent large-scale fluctuations. The modulation is observed to persist even when there is a large gap in wavenumber space between the small and large scales, although local maxima are observed at intermediate length scales that are significantly larger than the predefined small scales. Finally, it is observed that the modulation of small-scale dissipation is greater than that for enstrophy with the modulation of the vortex stretching term, indicative of the interaction between strain rate and rotation, being intermediate between the two.

scholarly journals Reynolds number trend of hierarchies and scale interactions in turbulent boundary layers

2017 ◽  
Vol 375 (2089) ◽  
pp. 20160077 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. J. Baars ◽  
N. Hutchins ◽  
I. Marusic
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Shear Layers ◽  
Wall Turbulence ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Velocity Fluctuations ◽  
Scale Interaction ◽  
High Reynolds ◽  
Near Wall

Small-scale velocity fluctuations in turbulent boundary layers are often coupled with the larger-scale motions. Studying the nature and extent of this scale interaction allows for a statistically representative description of the small scales over a time scale of the larger, coherent scales. In this study, we consider temporal data from hot-wire anemometry at Reynolds numbers ranging from Re τ ≈2800 to 22 800, in order to reveal how the scale interaction varies with Reynolds number. Large-scale conditional views of the representative amplitude and frequency of the small-scale turbulence, relative to the large-scale features, complement the existing consensus on large-scale modulation of the small-scale dynamics in the near-wall region. Modulation is a type of scale interaction, where the amplitude of the small-scale fluctuations is continuously proportional to the near-wall footprint of the large-scale velocity fluctuations. Aside from this amplitude modulation phenomenon, we reveal the influence of the large-scale motions on the characteristic frequency of the small scales, known as frequency modulation. From the wall-normal trends in the conditional averages of the small-scale properties, it is revealed how the near-wall modulation transitions to an intermittent-type scale arrangement in the log-region. On average, the amplitude of the small-scale velocity fluctuations only deviates from its mean value in a confined temporal domain, the duration of which is fixed in terms of the local Taylor time scale. These concentrated temporal regions are centred on the internal shear layers of the large-scale uniform momentum zones, which exhibit regions of positive and negative streamwise velocity fluctuations. With an increasing scale separation at high Reynolds numbers, this interaction pattern encompasses the features found in studies on internal shear layers and concentrated vorticity fluctuations in high-Reynolds-number wall turbulence. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Toward the development of high-fidelity models of wall turbulence at large Reynolds number’.

Vorticity and mixing in Rayleigh–Taylor Boussinesq turbulence

2016 ◽  
Vol 802 ◽  
pp. 395-436 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolas Schneider ◽  
Serge Gauthier
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Mixing Layer ◽  
Boussinesq Approximation ◽  
The Self ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Nonlinear Growth ◽  
Small Scales ◽  
Self Similar ◽  
Order Quantities ◽  
Non Gaussian

The Rayleigh–Taylor instability induced turbulence is studied under the Boussinesq approximation focusing on vorticity and mixing. A direct numerical simulation has been carried out with an auto-adaptive multidomain Chebyshev–Fourier–Fourier numerical method. The spatial resolution is increased up to $(24\times 40)\times 940^{2}=848\,M$ collocation points. The Taylor Reynolds number is $\mathit{Re}_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}_{zz}}\approx 142$ and a short inertial range is observed. The nonlinear growth rate of the turbulent mixing layer is found to be close to $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}_{b}=0.021$. Our conclusions may be summarized as follows.(i) The simulation data are in agreement with the scalings for the pressure ($k^{-7/3}$) and the vertical mass flux ($k^{-7/3}$).(ii) Mean quantities have a self-similar behaviour, but some inhomogeneity is still present. For higher-order quantities the self-similar regime is not fully achieved.(iii) In the self-similar regime, the mean dissipation rate and the enstrophy behave as $\langle \overline{\unicode[STIX]{x1D700}}\rangle \propto t$ and $\langle \overline{\unicode[STIX]{x1D714}_{i}\,\unicode[STIX]{x1D714}_{i}}^{1/2}\rangle \propto t^{1/2}$, respectively.(iv) The large-scale velocity fluctuation probability density function (PDF) is Gaussian, while vorticity and dissipation PDFs show large departures from Gaussianity.(v) The pressure PDF exhibits strong departures from Gaussianity and is skewed. This is related to vortex coherent structures.(vi) The intermediate scales of the mixing are isotropic, while small scales remain anisotropic. This leaves open the possibility of a small-scale buoyancy. Velocity intermediate scales are also isotropic, while small scales remain anisotropic. Mixing and dynamics are therefore consistent.(vii) Properties and behaviours of vorticity and enstrophy are detailed. In particular, equations for these quantities are written down under the Boussinesq approximation.(viii) The concentration PDF is quasi-Gaussian. The vertical concentration gradient is both non-Gaussian and strongly skewed.

Amplitude and frequency modulation of the small scales in a jet

2015 ◽  
Vol 772 ◽  
pp. 756-783 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Fiscaletti ◽  
B. Ganapathisubramani ◽  
G. E. Elsinga
Keyword(s):  
Amplitude Modulation ◽  
Frequency Modulation ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Spectral Band ◽  
Physical Space ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Length Scale ◽  
Air Jet ◽  
Amplitude And Frequency Modulation

The present study is an experimental investigation of the relationship between the large- and small-scale motions in the far field of an air jet at high Reynolds number. In the first part of our investigation, the analysis is based on time series of hot-wire anemometry (HWA), which are converted into space series after applying the Taylor hypothesis. By using a spectral filter, two signals are constructed, one representative of the large-scale motions ($2{\it\lambda}_{T}-L$, where ${\it\lambda}_{T}$ is the Taylor length scale, and $L$ is the integral length scale) and the other representative of the small-scale motions ($1.5{-}5{\it\eta}$, where ${\it\eta}$ is the Kolmogorov length scale). The small-scale signal is found to be modulated both in amplitude and in frequency by the energy-containing scales in an analogous way, both at the centreline and around the centreline. In particular, for positive fluctuations of the large-scale signal, the small-scale signal is locally stronger in amplitude (amplitude modulation), and it locally exhibits a higher number of local maxima and minima (frequency modulation). The extent of this modulation is quantified based on the strength of the large-scale fluctuations. The response of the small-scale motions to amplitude modulation can be considered instantaneous, being on the order of one Kolmogorov time scale. In the second part of our investigation we use long-range ${\it\mu}$PIV to study the behaviour of the small-scale motions in relation to their position in either high-speed or low-speed regions of the flow. The spatially resolved velocity vector fields allow us to quantify amplitude modulation directly in physical space. From this direct estimation in physical space, amplitude modulation is only 25 % of the value measured from HWA. The remaining 75 % comes from the fixed spectral band filter used to obtain the large- and small-scale signals, which does not consider the local convection velocity. A very similar overestimation of amplitude modulation when quantified in the time-frame is also obtained analytically. Furthermore, the size of the structures of intense vorticity does not change significantly in relation to the large-scale velocity fluctuation, meaning that there is no significant spatial frequency modulation. The remaining amplitude modulation in space can be explained as a statistical coupling between the strength of the structures of vorticity and their preferential location inside large-scale high-velocity regions. Finally, the implications that the present findings have on amplitude and frequency modulation in turbulent boundary layers (TBLs) are discussed.

Dynamics of direct large-small scale couplings in coherently forced turbulence: concurrent physical- and Fourier-space views

1995 ◽  
Vol 283 ◽  
pp. 43-95 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. K. Yeung ◽  
James G. Brasseur ◽  
Qunzhen Wang
Keyword(s):  
Long Range ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Physical Space ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Fourier Space ◽  
Distant Interactions ◽  
Long Range Interactions ◽  
Small Scales ◽  
Non Local

As discussed in a recent paper by Brasseur & Wei (1994), scale interactions in fully developed turbulence are of two basic types in the Fourier-spectral view. The cascade of energy from large to small scales is embedded within ‘local-to-non-local’ triadic interactions separated in scale by a decade or less. ‘Distant’ triadic interactions between widely disparate scales transfer negligible energy between the largest and smallest scales, but directly modify the structure of the smallest scales in relationship to the structure of the energy-dominated large scales. Whereas cascading interactions tend to isotropize the small scales as energy moves through spectral shells from low to high wavenumbers, distant interactions redistribute energy within spectral shells in a manner that leads to anisotropic redistributions of small-scale energy and phase in response to anisotropic structure in the large scales. To study the role of long-range interactions in small-scale dynamics, Yeung & Brasseur (1991) carried out a numerical experiment in which the marginally distant triads were purposely stimulated through a coherent narrow-band anisotropic forcing at the large scales readily interpretable in both the Fourier- and physical-space views. It was found that, after one eddy turnover time, the smallest scales rapidly became anisotropic as a direct consequence of the marginally distant triadic group in a manner consistent with the distant triadic equations. Because these asymptotic equations apply in the infinite Reynolds number limit, Yeung & Brasseur argued that the observed long-range effects should be applicable also at high Reynolds numbers.We continue the analysis of forced simulations in this study, focusing (i) on the detailed three-dimensional restructuring of the small scales as predicted by the asymptotic triadic equations, and (ii) on the relationship between Fourier- and physical-space evolution during forcing. We show that the three-dimensional restructuring of small-scale energy and vorticity in Fourier space from large-scale forcing is predicted in some detail by the distant triadic equations. We find that during forcing the distant interactions alter small-scale structure in two ways: energy is redistributed anisotropically within high-wavenumber spectral shells, and phase correlations are established at the small scales by the distant interactions. In the numerical experiments, the long-range interactions create two pairs of localized volumes of concentrated energy in three-dimensional Fourier space at high wavenumbers in which the Fourier modes are phase coupled. Each pair of locally phase-correlated volumes of Fourier modes separately corresponds to aligned vortex tubes in physical space in two orthogonal directions. We show that the dynamics of distant interactions in creating small-scale anisotropy may be described in physical space by differential advection and distortion of small-scale vorticity by the coherent large-scale energy-containing eddies, producing anisotropic alignment of small-scale vortex tubes.Scaling arguments indicate a disparity in timescale between distant triadic interactions and energy-cascading local-to-non-local interactions which increases with scale separation. Consequently, the small scales respond to forcing initially through the distant interactions. However, as energy cascades from the large-scale to the small-scale Fourier modes, the stimulated distant interactions become embedded within a sea of local-to-non-local energy cascading interactions which reduce (but do not eliminate) small-scale anisotropy at later times. We find that whereas the small-scale structure is still anisotropic at these later times, the second-order velocity moment tensor is insensitive to this anisotropy. Third-order moments, on the other hand, do detect the anisotropy. We conclude that whereas a single statistical measure of anisotropy can be used to indicate the presence of anisotropy, a null result in that measure does not necessarily imply that the signal is isotropic. The results indicate that non-equilibrium non-stationary turbulence is particularly sensitive to long-range interactions and deviations from local isotropy.

On the noise sources of the unsuppressed high-speed jet

1971 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. A. Bishop ◽  
J. E. Ffowcs Williams ◽  
W. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Jet Noise ◽  
Jet Flow ◽  
Scale Model ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Noise Sources ◽  
Supersonic Transport ◽  
Scale Turbulence

The paper describes an interpretation of jet-noise theory and scale-model experiments to highlight physical properties of jet-noise sources at very high speed. The study is prompted by current efforts to suppress the noise of supersonic transport aircraft.The principal noise sources are shown to be very large-scale wave-like undulations of the jet flow that travel downstream at supersonic speed for a distance of several jet diameters. These motions are relatively well ordered and are probably more akin to recognizable instabilities of a laminar flow than the confused small-scale turbulence. Because of this we postulate a model of the noise generating motions as the instability products of a jet flow of low equivalent Reynolds number. This Reynolds number is based on an eddy viscosity and can be further reduced by artificially increasing the small-scale turbulence level. This step would tend to stabilize the flow and inhibit the formation of large-scale noise producing eddies.

scholarly journals Evidence of very long meandering features in the logarithmic region of turbulent boundary layers

2007 ◽  
Vol 579 ◽  
pp. 1-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. HUTCHINS ◽  
IVAN MARUSIC
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Boundary Layers ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Sonic Anemometer ◽  
Streamwise Velocity ◽  
Turbulent Boundary Layers ◽  
Wall Region ◽  
Velocity Fluctuations ◽  
Near Wall

A regime of very long meandering positive and negative streamwise velocity fluctuations, that we term ‘superstructures’, are found to exist in the log and lower wake regions of turbulent boundary layers. Measurements are made with a spanwise rake of 10 hot-wires in two separate facilities (spanning more than a decade of Reτ) and are compared with existing PIV and DNS results. In all cases, we note evidence of a large-scale stripiness in the streamwise velocity fluctuations. The length of these regions can commonly exceed 20δ. Similar length scales have been previously reported for pipes and DNS channel flows. It is suggested that the true length of these features is masked from single-point statistics (such as autocorrelations and spectra) by a spanwise meandering tendency. Support for this conjecture is offered through the study of a synthetic flow composed only of sinusoidally meandering elongated low- and high-speed regions. From detailed maps of one-dimensional spectra, it is found that the contribution to the streamwise turbulence intensities associated with the superstructures appears to be increasingly significant with Reynolds number, and scales with outer length variables (δ). Importantly, the superstructure maintains a presence or footprint in the near-wall region, seeming to modulate or influence the near-wall cycle. This input of low-wavenumber outer-scaled energy into the near-wall region is consistent with the rise in near-wall streamwise intensities, when scaled with inner variables, that has been noted to occur with increasing Reynolds number. In an attempt to investigate these structures at very high Reynolds numbers, we also report on recent large-scale sonic anemometer rake measurements, made in the neutrally stable atmospheric surface layer. Preliminary results indicate that the superstructure is present in the log region of this atmospheric flow at Reτ = 6.6×105, and has a size consistent with outer scaling.

A numerical study of the transition of jet diffusion flames

1990 ◽  
Vol 431 (1882) ◽  
pp. 301-314 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Diffusion Coefficient ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Surface Model ◽  
Flame Surface ◽  
Transition Mechanism ◽  
Air Stream ◽  
Scale Fluctuation

A numerical study on the transition from laminar to turbulent of two-dimensional fuel jet flames developed in a co-flowing air stream was made by adopting the flame surface model of infinite chemical reaction rate and unit Lewis number. The time dependent compressible Navier–Stokes equation was solved numerically with the equation for coupling function by using a finite difference method. The temperature-dependence of viscosity and diffusion coefficient were taken into account so as to study effects of increases of these coefficients on the transition. The numerical calculation was done for the case when methane is injected into a co-flowing air stream with variable injection Reynolds number up to 2500. When the Reynolds number was smaller than 1000 the flame, as well as the flow, remained laminar in the calculated domain. As the Reynolds number was increased above this value, a transition point appeared along the flame, downstream of which the flame and flow began to fluctuate. Two kinds of fluctuations were observed, a small scale fluctuation near the jet axis and a large scale fluctuation outside the flame surface, both of the same origin, due to the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability. The radial distributions of density and transport coefficients were found to play dominant roles in this instability, and hence in the transition mechanism. The decreased density in the flame accelerated the instability, while the increase in viscosity had a stabilizing effect. However, the most important effect was the increase in diffusion coefficient. The increase shifted the flame surface, where the large density decrease occurs, outside the shear layer of the jet and produced a thick viscous layer surrounding the jet which effectively suppressed the instability.

Large-scale structure and entrainment in the supersonic mixing layer

1995 ◽  
Vol 284 ◽  
pp. 171-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. T. Clemens ◽  
M. G. Mungal
Keyword(s):  
Mach Number ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Mixture Fraction ◽  
Mixing Layer ◽  
Mie Scattering ◽  
Planar Laser ◽  
The Cross ◽  
Convective Mach Number ◽  
Stream Direction

Experiments were conducted in a two-stream planar mixing layer at convective Mach numbers,Mc, of 0.28, 0.42, 0.50, 0.62 and 0.79. Planar laser Mie scattering (PLMS) from a condensed alcohol fog and planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) of nitric oxide were used for flow visualization in the side, plan and end views. The PLIF signals were also used to characterize the turbulent mixture fraction fluctuations.Visualizations using PLMS indicate a transition in the turbulent structure from quasi-two-dimensionality at low convective Mach number, to more random three-dimensionality for$M_c\geqslant 0.62$. A transition is also observed in the core and braid regions of the spanwise rollers as the convective Mach number increases from 0.28 to 0.62. A change in the entrainment mechanism with increasing compressibility is also indicated by signal intensity profiles and perspective views of the PLMS and PLIF images. These show that atMc= 0.28 the instantaneous mixture fraction field typically exhibits a gradient in the streamwise direction, but is more uniform in the cross-stream direction. AtMc= 0.62 and 0.79, however, the mixture fraction field is more streamwise uniform and with a gradient in the cross-stream direction. This change in the composition of the structures is indicative of different entrainment motions at the different compressibility conditions. The statistical results are consistent with the qualitative observations and suggest that compressibility acts to reduce the magnitude of the mixture fraction fluctuations, particularly on the high-speed edge of the layer.

Pressure gradient effects on the large-scale structure of turbulent boundary layers

2013 ◽  
Vol 715 ◽  
pp. 477-498 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zambri Harun ◽  
Jason P. Monty ◽  
Romain Mathis ◽  
Ivan Marusic
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Pressure Gradient ◽  
Boundary Layers ◽  
Amplitude Modulation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Outer Region ◽  
Adverse Pressure Gradient ◽  
Turbulent Boundary Layers ◽  
Small Scale

AbstractResearch into high-Reynolds-number turbulent boundary layers in recent years has brought about a renewed interest in the larger-scale structures. It is now known that these structures emerge more prominently in the outer region not only due to increased Reynolds number (Metzger & Klewicki, Phys. Fluids, vol. 13(3), 2001, pp. 692–701; Hutchins & Marusic, J. Fluid Mech., vol. 579, 2007, pp. 1–28), but also when a boundary layer is exposed to an adverse pressure gradient (Bradshaw, J. Fluid Mech., vol. 29, 1967, pp. 625–645; Lee & Sung, J. Fluid Mech., vol. 639, 2009, pp. 101–131). The latter case has not received as much attention in the literature. As such, this work investigates the modification of the large-scale features of boundary layers subjected to zero, adverse and favourable pressure gradients. It is first shown that the mean velocities, turbulence intensities and turbulence production are significantly different in the outer region across the three cases. Spectral and scale decomposition analyses confirm that the large scales are more energized throughout the entire adverse pressure gradient boundary layer, especially in the outer region. Although more energetic, there is a similar spectral distribution of energy in the wake region, implying the geometrical structure of the outer layer remains universal in all cases. Comparisons are also made of the amplitude modulation of small scales by the large-scale motions for the three pressure gradient cases. The wall-normal location of the zero-crossing of small-scale amplitude modulation is found to increase with increasing pressure gradient, yet this location continues to coincide with the large-scale energetic peak wall-normal location (as has been observed in zero pressure gradient boundary layers). The amplitude modulation effect is found to increase as pressure gradient is increased from favourable to adverse.

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