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Direct numerical simulation of a 30R long turbulent pipe flow at R+ = 685: large- and very large-scale motions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 April 2012

Xiaohua Wu ,
J. R. Baltzer  and
R. J. Adrian
Xiaohua Wu
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, Ontario, K7K 7B4, Canada
J. R. Baltzer
Affiliation:
School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, PO Box 876106, Tempe, AZ 85287-6106, USA
R. J. Adrian*
Affiliation:
School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, PO Box 876106, Tempe, AZ 85287-6106, USA
*
†Email address for correspondence: rjadrian@asu.edu
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Abstract

Fully developed incompressible turbulent pipe flow at Reynolds number (based on bulk velocity) and Kármán number is simulated in a periodic domain with a length of pipe radii . While single-point statistics match closely with experimental measurements, questions have been raised of whether streamwise energy spectra calculated from spatial data agree with the well-known bimodal spectrum shape in premultiplied spectra produced by experiments using Taylor’s hypothesis. The simulation supports the importance of large- and very large-scale motions (VLSMs, with streamwise wavelengths exceeding ). Wavenumber spectral analysis shows evidence of a weak peak or flat region associated with VLSMs, independent of Taylor’s hypothesis, and comparisons with experimental spectra are consistent with recent findings (del Álamo & Jiménez, J. Fluid Mech., vol. 640, 2009, pp. 5–26) that the long-wavelength streamwise velocity energy peak is overestimated when Taylor’s hypothesis is used. Yet, the spectrum behaviour retains otherwise similar properties to those documented based on experiment. The spectra also reveal the importance of motions of long streamwise length to the energy and Reynolds stress and support the general conclusions regarding these quantities formed using experimental measurements. Space–time correlations demonstrate that low-level correlations involving very large scales persist over in time and indicate that these motions convect at approximately the bulk velocity, including within the region approaching the wall. These very large streamwise motions are also observed to accelerate the flow near the wall based on force spectra, whereas smaller scales tend to decelerate the mean streamwise flow profile, in accordance with the behaviour observed in net force spectra of prior experiments. Net force spectra are resolved for the first time in the buffer layer and reveal an unexpectedly complex structure.

JFM classification

Boundary Layers: Pipe flow boundary layer Turbulent Flows: Turbulent boundary layers
Type
Papers
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 698 , 10 May 2012 , pp. 235 - 281
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

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