A promising and cost-effective method for numerical simulation of high Re wall-bounded flows is wall-modeled large-eddy simulation. Most wall models are formulated from the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations (RANS). These RANS-based wall models are calibrated using mean turbulence data and make no use of the current vast knowledge on turbulent flow structure. Moreover, RANS-based models are limited to predicting the mean velocity profile, and the mean wall shear stress. Using the knowledge of the wall-normal self-similarity of high-$Re_τ$ wall-bounded turbulent flows, we present a coupling between a near-wall patch of DNS resolution fixed in inner-units and an outer LES flow field. The near-wall patch captures the near-wall self-sustaining cycle as well as the lower portion of the self-similar hierarchy of eddies. Given that both the near-wall patch and the LES capture separate portions of the self-similar hierarchy of eddies an instantaneous top boundary condition for the patch is formulated. The near-wall model is capable of predicting subgrid-scale quantities such as the wall stress, velocity fluctuations, kinetic energy spectra, and flow structure across the entire near-wall layer.
In this work, we propose a single formula for the law of the wall, which is dubbed as the logarithmic-exponential (LOG-EXP) formula, for predicting the mean velocity profile in different regions near the wall. And then a feedforward neural network (FNN), whose inputs and training data are based on this new formula, is trained for the wall-modelled large-eddy simulation (WMLES) of turbulent channel flows. The direct numerical simulation (DNS) data of turbulent channel flows is used to evaluate the performance of both the formula and the FNN. Compared with the Werner-Wengle (WW) model for the WM…
The inner-outer interaction model (Marusic, Mathis & Hutchins, Science, vol. 329, 2010, 193-196) and the attached-eddy model (Townsend, Cambridge University Press, 1976) are two fundamental models describing the multi-scale turbulence interactions and the organization of energy-containing motions in the logarithmic region of high-Reynolds number wall-bounded turbulence, respectively. In this paper, by coupling the additive description with the attached-eddy model, the generation process of streamwise wall-shear fluctuations, resulting from wall-attached eddies, is portrayed. Then, by resorting…
Wall-models are essential for enabling large-eddy simulations (LESs) of realistic problems at high Reynolds numbers. The present study is focused on approaches that directly model the wall shear stress, specifically on filling the gap between models based on wall-normal ordinary differential equations (ODEs) that assume equilibrium and models based on full partial differential equations (PDEs) that do not. We develop ideas for how to incorporate non-equilibrium effects (most importantly, strong pressure-gradient effects) in the wall-model while still solving only wall-normal ODEs. We test thes…
For the constant-stress layer of wall turbulence, two-point correlations of velocity fluctuations are studied theoretically by using the attached-eddy hypothesis, i.e., a phenomenological model of a random superposition of energy-containing eddies that are attached to the wall. While the previous studies had invoked additional assumptions, we focus on the minimum assumptions of the hypothesis to derive its most general forms of the correlation functions. They would allow us to use or assess the hypothesis without any effect of those additional assumptions. We also study the energy spectra and …
The predictions of resolvent analysis for turbulent channel flow are evaluated for a friction Reynolds number of Retau = 550. In addition to the standard resolvent operator with kinematic viscosity, a resolvent operator augmented with the Cess eddy viscosity is considered. Adding eddy viscosity significantly alters the low-rank behavior of the resolvent. Regardless of the wave speed selected, the eddy resolvent is low-rank for spanwise wavelengths of ly+ = 80 and ly/h = 3.5 in comparison to the standard resolvent whose low-rank behavior depends on the wave speed. The leading eddy modes have hi…
We investigate the role of the bulk eddy-viscosity variation on the well-known log-layer mismatch problem. An analysis of the mean momentum-balance shows that the modeled stress term close to the wall can dominate because of the bulk eddy-viscosity. Consequently, the momentum-balance equation lacks a degree-of-freedom and the mean velocity conforms to an incorrect profile to satisfy the momentum-balance. We show that zonal enforcement of the target mass flow-rate can be an effective strategy to introduce an additional degree of freedom to the mean momentum-balance, which led to a significant r…
The aim of this study is to improve the prediction of near-wall mean streamwise velocity profile $U^+$ by using a simple method. The $U^+$ profile is obtained by solving the momentum equation which is written as an ordinary differential equation. An eddy viscosity formulation based on a near-wall turbulent kinetic energy $k^+$ function (R. Absi, Analytical solutions for the modeled $k$-equation, ASME J. Appl. Mech. \textbf{75}, 044501, 2008) and the van Driest mixing length equation (E.R. van Driest, On turbulent flow near a wall, J. Aero. Sci. \textbf{23}, 1007, 1956) is used. The parameters …
Motivated by the need to characterize the spatio-temporal structure of turbulence in wall-bounded flows, we study wavenumber-frequency spectra of the streamwise velocity component based on large-eddy simulation (LES) data. The LES data are used to measure spectra as a function of the two wall-parallel wavenumbers and the frequency in the equilibrium (logarithmic) layer. We then reformulate one of the simplest models that is able to reproduce the observations: the random sweeping model with a Gaussian large-scale fluctuating velocity and with additional mean flow. Comparison with LES data shows…
Motivated by the needs of wall modeled Large Eddy Simulation (LES), we introduce fits to numerical solutions of the Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes equations in their simplest near-wall, boundary layer approximation including a mixing-length model. We formulate the problem such that independent dimensionless variables are those directly available in LES. We provide practical fits for the dependent variable, fits that encompass a smooth transition between the viscous sublayer and inertial logarithmic layer, and then progress first considering moderate pressure gradients as well as roughness eff…
A practical application of universal wall scalings is near-wall turbulence modeling. In this paper, we exploit temperature's semi-local scaling [Patel, Boersma, and Pecnik, {Scalar statistics in variable property turbulent channel flows}, Phys. Rev. Fluids, 2017, 2(8), 084604] and derive an eddy conductivity closure for wall-modeled large-eddy simulation of high-speed flows. We show that while the semi-local scaling does not collapse high-speed direct numerical simulation (DNS) data, the resulting eddy conductivity and the wall model work fairly well. The paper attempts to answer the following…
We conducted WMLES to examine the performance of a simple and widely used ODE-based equilibrium wall model in a spatially-developing 3D TBL inside a bent square duct (Schwarz and Bradshaw 1994) and 3D separated flows behind a skewed bump (Ching et al. 2018a,b; Ching and Eaton 2019). From the square duct simulation, the mean velocity profiles and crossflow angles in the outer region were predicted with high accuracy for all the considered mesh resolutions. Some disagreement was observed in the crossflow angles in the bend region where the non-equilibrium effect is most significant. Also, the si…
We propose a supervised-machine-learning-based wall model for coarse-grid wall-resolved large-eddy simulation (LES). Our consideration is made on LES of turbulent channel flows with a first grid point set relatively far from the wall ($\sim$ 10 wall units), while still resolving the near-wall region, to present a new path to save the computational cost. Convolutional neural network (CNN) is utilized to estimate a virtual wall-surface velocity from $x-z$ sectional fields near the wall, whose training data are generated by a direct numerical simulation (DNS) at ${\rm Re}_τ=180$. The virtual wall…
Two-dimensional (2-D) spectra of the streamwise velocity component, measured at friction Reynolds numbers ranging from 2400 to 26000, are used to refine a model for the logarithmic region of turbulent boundary layers. Here, we focus on the attached eddy model (AEM). The conventional AEM assumes the boundary layer to be populated with hierarchies of self-similar wall-attached ($Type\,A$) eddies alone. While $Type\,A$ eddies represent the dominant energetic large-scale motions at high Reynolds numbers, the scales that are not represented by such eddies are observed to carry a significant proport…
We present first results of an implicit large eddy simulation of the MTU T161 low pressure turbine at a Reynolds number of 90,000 and Mach number of 0.6, both based on isentropic exit conditions, using a high order discontinuous Galerkin method. The aim is to validate the numerical setup with respect to available experimental data. We discuss the steps taken to create realistic inflow boundary conditions in terms of end wall boundary layer thickness and free stream turbulence intensity. This is achieved by tailoring the input distribution of Reynolds stresses and turbulent length scale to a Fo…
This work presents a feature-rich open-source library for wall-modelled large-eddy simulation (WMLES), which is a turbulence modelling approach that reduces the computational cost of traditional (wall-resolved) LES by introducing special treatment of the inner region of turbulent boundary layers (TBLs). The library is based on OpenFOAM and enhances the general-purpose LES solvers provided by this software with state-of-the-art wall modelling capability. In particular, the included wall models belong to the class of wall-stress models that account for the under-resolved turbulent structures by …
A unified subgrid-scale (SGS) and wall model for large-eddy simulation (LES) is proposed by devising the flow as a collection of building blocks that enables the prediction of the eddy viscosity. The core assumption of the model is that simple canonical flows contain the essential physics to provide accurate predictions of the SGS tensor in more complex flows. The model is constructed to predict zero-pressure-gradient wall-bounded turbulence, adverse pressure gradient effects, separation and laminar flow. The approach is implemented using a Bayesian classifier, which identifies the contributio…
A large eddy simulation wall model is developed based on a formal interpretation of quasi-equilibrium that governs the momentum balance integrated in the wall-normal direction. The model substitutes the law-of-the-wall velocity profile for a smooth surface into the wall-normal integrated momentum balance, leading to a Lagrangian relaxation towards equilibrium (LaRTE) transport equation for the friction velocity vector $\mathbf{u}_τ(x,z,t)$. This partial differential equation includes a relaxation timescale governing the rate at which the wall stress can respond to imposed fluctuations due to t…
The predictive accuracy of wall-modeled large eddy simulation is studied by systematic simulation campaigns of turbulent channel flow. The effect of wall model, grid resolution and anisotropy, numerical convective scheme and subgrid-scale modeling is investigated. All of these factors affect the resulting accuracy, and their action is to a large extent intertwined. The wall model is of the wall-stress type, and its sensitivity to location of velocity sampling, as well as law of the wall's parameters is assessed. For efficient exploration of the model parameter space (anisotropic grid resolutio…
We present wall-resolved large-eddy simulations (LES) of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations together with empirical modeling for {turbulent} Taylor-Couette {(TC)} flow where the inner cylinder is rotating with angular velocity $Ω_i$ and the outer cylinder is stationary. A simple empirical model of the turbulent, TC flow is developed consisting of near-wall, log-like turbulent wall layers separated by an annulus of constant angular momentum. The model is closed by a proposed scaling relation concerning the thickness of the wall layer on the inner cylinder. Model results include the Nuss…
A shear-improved Smagorinsky model is introduced based on recent results concerning shear effects in wall-bounded turbulence by Toschi et al. (2000). The Smagorinsky eddy-viscosity is modified subtracting the magnitude of the mean shear from the magnitude of the instantaneous resolved strain-rate tensor. This subgrid-scale model is tested in large-eddy simulations of plane-channel flows at two different Reynolds numbers. First comparisons with the dynamic Smagorinsky model and direct numerical simulations, including mean velocity, turbulent kinetic energy and Reynolds stress profiles, are show…
The logarithmic law for the mean velocity in turbulent boundary layers has long provided a valuable and robust reference for comparison with theories, models, and large-eddy simulations (LES) of wall-bounded turbulence. More recently, analysis of high-Reynolds number experimental boundary layer data has shown that also the variance and higher-order moments of the streamwise velocity fluctuations $u'^{+}$ display logarithmic laws. Such experimental observations motivate the question whether LES can accurately reproduce the variance and the higher-order moments, in particular their logarithmic d…
The predictive accuracy of wall-modelled LES is influenced by a combination of the subgrid model, the wall model, the numerical dissipation induced primarily by the convective numerical scheme, and also by the density and topology of the computational grid. The latter factor is of particular importance for industrial flow problems, where unstructured grids are typically employed due to the necessity to handle complex geometries. Here, a systematic simulation-based study is presented, investigating the effect of grid-cell type on the predictive accuracy of wall-modelled LES in the framework of …
In large eddy simulation of atmospheric boundary layer flows over wind farms, wall-layer models are generally imposed for the surface fluxes without considering the spatial variability of the surface roughness. In this study, we consider the near-surface model in conjunction with square of the velocity gradient tensor to model the adaptive dissipation of turbulence production. The surface roughness is incorporated through Monin-Obhukhov similarity theory for the computational cells immediately adjacent to the Earth's surface. The underlying proposed near-surface model captures the significant …
Predicting the behavior of turbulent flows using large-eddy simulation requires modeling of the subgrid-scale stress tensor. This tensor can be approximated using mixed models, which combine the dissipative nature of functional models with the capability of structural models to approximate out-of-equilibrium effects. We propose a mathematical basis to mix (functional) eddy-viscosity models with the (structural) Bardina model. By taking an anisotropic minimum-dissipation (AMD) model for the eddy viscosity, we obtain the (single-layer) AMD-Bardina model. In order to also obtain a physics-conform…
The development of a reliable subgrid-scale (SGS) model for large-eddy simulation (LES) is of great importance for many scientific and engineering applications. Recently, deep learning approaches have been tested for this purpose using high-fidelity data such as direct numerical simulation (DNS) in a supervised learning process. However, such data are generally not available in practice. Deep reinforcement learning (DRL) using only limited target statistics can be an alternative algorithm in which the training and testing of the model are conducted in the same LES environment. The DRL of turbu…
Large-eddy simulations (LES) are widely-used for computing high Reynolds number turbulent flows. Spatial filtering theory for LES is not without its shortcomings, including how to define filtering for wall-bounded flows, commutation errors for non-uniform filters, and extensibility to flows with additional complexity, such as multiphase flows. In this paper, the theory for LES is reimagined using a coarsening procedure that imitates nature. This physics-inspired approach is equivalent to Gaussian filtering for single-phase wall-free flows but opens up new insights for modeling even in that sim…
We investigate statistics of large-scale structures from large-eddy simulation (LES) of turbulent channel flow at friction Reynolds numbers $Re_τ= 2 {\rm k}$ and $200 {\rm k}$. To properly capture the behaviour of large-scale structures, the channel length is chosen to be 96 times the channel half-height. In agreement with experiments, these large-scale structures are found to give rise to an apparent amplitude modulation of the underlying small-scale fluctuations. This effect is explained in terms of the phase relationship between the large- and small-scale activity. The shape of the dominant…
The effect of grid resolution on large eddy simulation (LES) of wall-bounded turbulent flow is investigated. A channel flow simulation campaign involving systematic variation of the streamwise ($Δx$) and spanwise ($Δz$) grid resolution is used for this purpose. The main friction-velocity based Reynolds number investigated is 300. Near the walls, the grid cell size is determined by the frictional scaling, $Δx^+$ and $Δz^+$, and strongly anisotropic cells, with first $Δy^+ \sim 1$, thus aiming for wall-resolving LES. Results are compared to direct numerical simulations (DNS) and several quality …
We study the numerical errors of large-eddy simulation (LES) in isotropic and wall-bounded turbulence. A direct-numerical-simulation (DNS)-aided LES formulation, where the subgrid-scale (SGS) term of the LES is computed by using filtered DNS data is introduced. We first verify that this formulation has zero error in the absence of commutation error between the filter and the differentiation operator of the numerical algorithm. This method allows the evaluation of the time evolution of numerical errors for various numerical schemes at grid resolutions relevant to LES. The analysis shows that th…
Wall modelling in large-eddy simulation (LES) is necessary to overcome the prohibitive near-wall resolution requirements in high-Reynolds-number turbulent flows. Most existing wall models rely on assumptions about the state of the boundary layer and require a priori prescription of tunable coefficients. They also impose the predicted wall stress by replacing the no-slip boundary condition at the wall with a Neumann boundary condition in the wall-parallel directions while maintaining the no-transpiration condition in the wall-normal direction. In the present study, we first motivate and analyse…
