Vincent E. Terrapon

On the coherent drag-reducing and turbulence-enhancing behaviour of polymers in wall flows

Numerical simulations of turbulent polymer solutions using the FENE-P model are used to characterize the action of polymers on turbulence in drag-reduced flows. The energetics of turbulence is investigated by correlating the work done by polymers on the flow with turbulent structures. Polymers are found to store and to release energy to the flow in a well-organized manner. The storage of energy occurs around near-wall vortices as has been anticipated for a long time. Quite unexpectedly, coherent release of energy is observed in the very near-wall region. Large fluctuations of polymer work are shown to re-energize decaying streamwise velocity fluctuations in high-speed streaks just above the viscous sublayer. These distinct behaviours are used to propose an autonomous regeneration cycle of polymer wall turbulence, in the spirit of Jimenez & Pinelli (1999).

Simulated polymer stretch in a turbulent flow using Brownian dynamics

We examine the phenomenon of polymer drag reduction in a turbulent flow through Brownian dynamics simulations. The dynamics of a large number of single polymer chains along their trajectories is investigated in a Newtonian turbulent channel flow. In particular, the FENE, FENE-P and multimode FENE models with realistic parameters are used to investigate the mechanisms of polymer stretching. A topological methodology is applied to characterize the ability of the flow to stretch the polymers. It is found using conditional statistics that at moderate Weissenberg number Wi the polymers, that are stretched to a large fraction of their maximum extensibility, have experienced a strong biaxial extensional flow. When Wi is increased other flow types can stretch the polymers but the few highly extended molecules again have, on average, experienced a biaxial extensional flow. Moreover, highly extended polymers are found in the near-wall regions around the quasi-streamwise vortices, essentially in regions of strong biaxial extensional flow.

Brownian dynamics simulation in a turbulent channel flow

The dynamics of different bead-spring models is investigated in a turbulent channel flow. In particular, the FENE, the FENE-P and the FENE multichain models are compared. In the case of the FENE-P model, both the Brownian Dynamics and the constitutive equations are used. It is shown that the different models produce qualitatively similar results for the mean extension and the mean stresses. This qualitative behaviour is also reproduced for different extensibility parameters. It is also found that the action of polymers is confined in the near wall region where the polymers are mainly oriented in the streamwise direction.Copyright

Numerical Simulation of High Drag Reduction Regime in Polymer Solutions

The simulation of drag reduced channel flows has to rely on consitituve models such as FENE-P. Their implementation is not straightforward to achieve convergence and stability of the solution. This paper discusses the problem of advection embedded in the FENE-P equation and the issue of the domain size. Finally we present results of simulations for High Drag Reduction regime, and show the subsequent modification of the vortical structures.Copyright