Taraneh Sayadi

Large eddy simulation of controlled transition to turbulence

Large eddy simulation of H- and K-type transitions in a spatially developing zero-pressure-gradient boundary layer at Ma∞ = 0.2 is investigated using several subgrid scale (SGS) models including constant coefficient Smagorinsky and Vreman models and their dynamic extensions, dynamic mixed scale-similarity, dynamic one-equation kinetic energy model, and global coefficient Vreman models. A key objective of this study is to assess the capability of SGS models to predict the location of transition and the skin friction throughout the transition process. The constant coefficient models fail to detect transition, but the dynamic procedure allows for a negligible turbulent viscosity in the early transition region. As a result, the “point” of transition is estimated correctly. However, after secondary instabilities set in and result in the overshoot in the skin friction profile, all models fail to produce sufficient subgrid scale shear stress required for the correct prediction of skin friction and the mean veloc...

Application of vortex identification schemes to direct numerical simulation data of a transitional boundary layer

We have demonstrated how various vortex identification and visualization criteria perform using direct numerical simulation data from a transitional and turbulent boundary layer by Sayadi, Hamman, and Moin [“Direct numerical simulation of complete transition to turbulence via h-type and k-type secondary instabilities,” Technical Report, Stanford University, CTR Annual Research Briefs, 2011]. The presence of well-known Λ vortices in the transitional region provides a well defined and yet realistic benchmark for evaluation of various criteria. We investigate the impact of changing the threshold used for iso-surface plotting.

Analysis of pressure perturbation sources on a generic space launcher after-body in supersonic flow using zonal turbulence modeling and dynamic mode decomposition

A sparsity promoting dynamic mode decomposition (DMD) combined with a classical data-based statistical analysis is applied to the turbulent wake of a generic axisymmetric configuration of an Ariane 5-like launcher at Ma∞ = 6.0 computed via a zonal Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes/large-eddy simulation (RANS/LES) method. The objective of this work is to gain a better understanding of the wake flow dynamics of the generic launcher by clarification and visualization of initially unknown pressure perturbation sources on its after-body in coherent flow patterns. The investigated wake topology is characterized by a subsonic cavity region around the cylindrical nozzle extension which is formed due to the displacement effect of the afterexpanding jet plume emanating from the rocket nozzle (Mae = 2.52, pe/p∞ = 100) and the shear layer shedding from the main body. The cavity region contains two toroidal counter-rotating large-scale vortices which extensively interact with the turbulent shear layer, jet plume, and ro...

Parametrized data-driven decomposition for bifurcation analysis, with application to thermo-acoustically unstable systems

Dynamic mode decomposition (DMD) belongs to a class of data-driven decomposition techniques, which extracts spatial modes of a constant frequency from a given set of numerical or experimental data. Although the modal shapes and frequencies are a direct product of the decomposition technique, the determination of the respective modal amplitudes is non-unique. In this study, we introduce a new algorithm for defining these amplitudes, which is capable of capturing physical growth/decay rates of the modes within a transient signal and is otherwise not straightforward using the standard DMD algorithm. In addition, a parametric DMD algorithm is introduced for studying dynamical systems going through a bifurcation. The parametric DMD alleviates multiple applications of the DMD decomposition to the system with fixed parametric values by including the bifurcation parameter in the decomposition process. The parametric DMD with amplitude correction is applied to a numerical and experimental data sequence taken from thermo-acoustically unstable systems. Using DMD with amplitude correction, we are able to identify the dominant modes of the transient regime and their respective growth/decay rates leading to the final limit-cycle. In addition, by applying parametrized DMD to images of an oscillating flame, we are able to identify the dominant modes of the bifurcation diagram.

Direct Numerical Simulation and Large Eddy Simulation of Laminar Separation Bubbles at Moderate Reynolds Numbers

Flows over airfoils and blades in rotating machinery for unmanned and microaerial vehicles, wind turbines, and propellers consist of different flow regimes. A laminar boundary layer near the leading edge is often followed by a laminar separation bubble with a shear layer on top of it that experiences transition to turbulence. The separated turbulent flow then reattaches and evolves downstream from a nonequilibrium turbulent boundary layer to an equilibrium one. Typical Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) turbulence modeling methods were shown to be inadequate for such laminar separation bubble flows (Spalart and Strelets, 2000, “Mechanisms of Transition and Heat Transfer in a Separation Bubble,” J. Fluid Mech., 403, pp. 329–349). Direct numerical simulation (DNS) is the most reliable but is also the most computationally expensive alternative. This work assesses the capability of large eddy simulations (LES) to reduce the resolution requirements for such flows. Flow over a flat plate with suitable velocity boundary conditions away from the plate to produce a separation bubble is considered. Benchmark DNS data for this configuration are generated with the resolution of 59 × 106 mesh points; also used is a different DNS database with 15 × 106 points (Spalart and Strelets, 2000, “Mechanisms of Transition and Heat Transfer in a Separation Bubble,” J. Fluid Mech., 403, pp. 329–349). Results confirm that accurate LES are possible using O(1%) of the DNS resolution.

Thermoacoustic instability { a dynamical system and time domain analysis

This study focuses on the Rijke tube problem, which includes features relevant to the modeling of thermoacoustic coupling in reactive flows: a compact acoustic source, an empirical model for the heat source, and nonlinearities. This thermo-acoustic system features a complex dynamical behavior. In order to synthesize accurate time-series, we tackle this problem from a numerical point-of-view, and start by proposing a dedicated solver designed for dealing with the underlying stiffness, in particular, the retarded time and the discontinuity at the location of the heat source. Stability analysis is performed on the limit of low-amplitude disturbances by means of the projection method proposed by Jarlebring (2008), which alleviates the linearization with respect to the retarded time. The results are then compared to the analytical solution of the undamped system, and to Galerkin projection methods commonly used in this setting. This analysis provides insight into the consequences of the various assumptions and simplifications that justify the use of Galerkin expansions based on the eigenmodes of the unheated resonator. We illustrate that due to the presence of a discontinuity in the spatial domain, the eigenmodes in the heated case, predicted by using Galerkin expansion, show spurious oscillations resulting from the Gibbs phenomenon. By comparing the modes of the linear to that of the nonlinear regime, we are able to illustrate the mean-flow modulation and frequency switching. Finally, time-series in the fully nonlinear regime, where a limit cycle is established, are analyzed and dominant modes are extracted. The analysis of the saturated limit cycles shows the presence of higher frequency modes, which are linearly stable but become significant through nonlinear growth of the signal. This bimodal effect is not captured when the coupling between different frequencies is not accounted for.

Low-dimensional representation of near-wall dynamics in shear flows, with implications to wall-models

The dynamics of coherent structures near the wall of a turbulent boundary layer is investigated with the aim of a low-dimensional representation of its essential features. Based on a triple decomposition into mean, coherent and incoherent motion and a dynamic mode decomposition to recover statistical information about the incoherent part of the flow field, a driven linear system coupling first- and second-order moments of the coherent structures is derived and analysed. The transfer function for this system, evaluated for a wall-parallel plane, confirms a strong bias towards streamwise elongated structures, and is proposed as an ‘impedance’ boundary condition which replaces the bulk of the transport between the coherent velocity field and the coherent Reynolds stresses, thus acting as a wall model for large-eddy simulations (LES). It is interesting to note that the boundary condition is non-local in space and time. The extracted model is capable of reproducing the principal Reynolds stress components for the pretransitional, transitional and fully turbulent boundary layer. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Toward the development of high-fidelity models of wall turbulence at large Reynolds number’.

Fundamental and subharmonic transition to turbulence in zero-pressure-gradient flat-plate boundary layers

In this fluid dynamics video, recent simulations of transition to turbulence in compressible (M1 = 0.2), zero-pressure-gradient flatplate boundary layers triggered by fundamental (Klebanoff K-type) and subharmonic (Herbert H-type) secondary instabilities of TollmienSchlichting waves are highlighted.