Accurate models for the mixing of fuel and oxidizer at small, unresolved flow length scales are critical to the predictive skill of large eddy simulation (LES) of turbulent combustion. Subfilter scalar variance and subfilter scalar dissipation rate are important parameters in combustion modeling approaches based on a conserved scalar, but are prone to numerical and modeling errors due to the nature of practical LES computations. This work examines the errors incurred in these models using a novel method that couples LES scalar modeling with direct numerical simulation (DNS) of homogeneous isotropic turbulence and offers modeling and numerical techniques to address these errors. In the coupled DNS-LES method, DNS velocity fields are evolved simultaneously with LES scalar fields. The filtered DNS velocities are supplied to the LES scalar equations, instead of solving the LES momentum equations. This removes the effect of errors in the filtered scalar evolution from the scalar modeling analysis. Results obtained using the coupled DNS-LES approach, which permits detailed study of physics-related and numerical errors in scalar modeling, show that widely used algebraic dynamic models for subfilter scalar variance lack accuracy due to faulty equilibrium modeling assumptions and sensitivity to numerical error. Transport equation models for variance show superior performance, provided that the scalar dissipation rate model coefficient is set appropriately. For this purpose, a new dynamic approach for nonequilibrium modeling of subfilter scalar dissipation rate is developed and validated through a priori tests in an inhomogeneous jet flow and using the coupled DNS-LES method for assessment of numerical error effects. Explicit filtering is assessed as means to control numerical error in LES scalar modeling and the scalar equations are reformulated to account for the explicit filtering technique. Numerical convergence of the mean subfilter scalar variance prediction with increasing grid resolution is demonstrated. / text

In this thesis, large-eddy simulation (LES) is used to simulate both Newtonian and non-Newtonian physiological pulsatile flows in constricted channels to gain insights into the physical phenomenon of laminar-turbulent flow transition due to the presence of an artificial arterial stenosis. The advanced dynamic nonlinear subgrid-scale stress (SGS) model of Wang and Bergstrom (DNM) was utilized to conduct numerical simulations and its predictive performance was examined in comparison with that of the conventional dynamic model (DM) of Lilly. An in-house LES code has been modified to conduct the unsteady numerical simulations, and the results obtained have been validated against available experimental and direct numerical simulation (DNS) results. The physical characteristics of the flow field have been thoroughly studied in terms of the resolved mean velocity, turbulence kinetic energy, viscous wall shear stress, and turbulence energy spectra along the central streamline of the domain.

In this thesis, large-eddy simulation (LES) is used to simulate both Newtonian and non-Newtonian physiological pulsatile flows in constricted channels to gain insights into the physical phenomenon of laminar-turbulent flow transition due to the presence of an artificial arterial stenosis. The advanced dynamic nonlinear subgrid-scale stress (SGS) model of Wang and Bergstrom (DNM) was utilized to conduct numerical simulations and its predictive performance was examined in comparison with that of the conventional dynamic model (DM) of Lilly. An in-house LES code has been modified to conduct the unsteady numerical simulations, and the results obtained have been validated against available experimental and direct numerical simulation (DNS) results. The physical characteristics of the flow field have been thoroughly studied in terms of the resolved mean velocity, turbulence kinetic energy, viscous wall shear stress, and turbulence energy spectra along the central streamline of the domain.

Large Eddy Simulation is a method of obtaining high accuracy computational results for modelling fluid flow. Unfortunately it is computationally expensive limiting it to users of large parallel machines. However, it may be that the use of LES leads to an over-resolution of the problem because the bulk of the computational domain could be adequately modelled using the Reynolds averaged approach. A study has been undertaken to assess the feasibility, both in accuracy and computational efficiency of using a parallel computer to solve both LES and RANS type turbulence models on the same domain for the problem flow over a circular cylinder at Reynolds number 3 900 To do this the domain has been created and then divided into two sub-domains, one for the LES model and one for the kappa-epsilon turbulence model. The hybrid model has been developed specifically for a parallel computing environment and the user is able to allocate modelling techniques to processors in a way which enables expansion of the model to any number of processors. Computational experimentation has shown that the combination of the Smagorinsky model can be used to capture the vortex shedding from the cylinder and the information successfully passed to the kappa - epsilon model for the dissipation of the vortices further downstream. The results have been compared to high accuracy LES results and with both kappa - epsilon and Smagorinsky LES computations on the same domain. The hybrid models developed compare well with the Smagorinsky model capturing the vortex shedding with the correct periodicity. Suggestions for future work have been made to develop this idea further, and to investigate the possibility of using the technology for the modelling of mixing and fast chemical reactions based on the more accurate prediction of the turbulence levels in the LES sub-domain.

Cette thèse est dédiée à l'amélioration des modèles d'atomisation pour les injecteurs automobiles. Le but est de développer et d'évaluer des modèles numériques permettant de capturer le passage de structures liquides en cours d'atomisation depuis les grandes échelles vers les petites échelles de sous-maille dans des configurations complexes. Dans un premier temps, nous mettons en place une procédure de calcul permettant le passage d'une description Eulérienne d'un spray à une procédure Lagrangienne. Afin de ne pas perdre les plus petites structures liquides, celles-ci seront transformées en particules Lagrangienne. Une analyse sur différentes grandeurs physiques, telles que la masse, la quantité de mouvement ou l'énergie cinétique turbulente, lors de cette transformation a été réalisée. L'autre partie de ce travail est consacrée au développement d'un modèle de simulation aux grandes échelles des écoulements diphasiques. La simulation de l'atomisation requiert un traitement spécifique de l'interface. Deux cas limites sont traités dans la littérature : • L'interface peut bien être capturée par le maillage. A ces endroits, une méthode classique de type DNS (Direct Numerical Simulation), comme les méthodes VOF (Volume of Fluid), doit être utilisée. • Lors de la création de plissements inférieurs à la taille de la maille, le maillage ne permet plus de suivre fidèlement l'interface. Il faut alors que le calcul reproduise des résultats d'une méthode LES (Large Eddy Simulation) considérant des structures et des gouttes inférieures à la taille de la maille. Ainsi, la problématique principale consiste à déterminer la configuration dans laquelle se trouve l'interface. La mise en œuvre de ce modèle a permis d'obtenir des résultats dans une configuration proche de l'injection Diesel, qui sont alors comparés à une DNS de référence. / This thesis is dedicated to improve atomization models for automobile injectors. The aim is to develop and evaluate numerical models to capture the liquid structure while they are being atomized from large scales to small sub grid scales in complex configurations. Initially, a calculation procedure is introduced for the transition to an Eulerian description of a spray into a Lagrangian description. In order not to lose the smallest fluid structures, they will be transformed into Lagrangian particles. During this process, an analysis is been performed with various physical parameters such as mass, momentum, or turbulent kinetic energy. The other part of this work is dedicated to the development of a LES (Large Eddy Simulation) for multiphase flow. The simulation of the spray requires a specific treatment of the interface. Two limiting cases are treated in the literature: • The interface may be captured by the mesh. At these locations, a conventional method of DNS (Direct Numerical Simulation) should be used, like the VOF method (Volume of Fluid). • When creating pleating smaller than the size of the mesh, the mesh can no longer match the interface. Then, the calculation must reproduce results from a LES method that take into account structures and drops smaller than the mesh size. Thus, the main problem is to define the configuration of the interface. The development of this model allows to obtain results in a configuration close to the Diesel injection's, which are then compared to a reference DNS.

High speed trains have become an integral part of the transportation systems around the world. With increasing speed, very high velocities are generated in the region around the train known as slipstream. Experimental studies have been conducted over the last few decades to study the effect of these phenomena. Slipstream velocities have been measured using anemometers placed near real trains running on the tracks and model trains running on rigs like moving model rig and rotating rail rig. However, most of these studies are quite expensive to conduct. The purpose of this thesis is to find an alternative way to measure the slipstream. Detached Eddy Simulation is used to simulate the flow around a 1:15 scaled model of an ETR500 high speed train with different configurations similar to tests conducted on the track and in the wind tunnel. The results from the simulations are compared with the data obtained from experimental tests conducted on the Torino-Novara high speed line. A wind tunnel test is also carried out to validate the CFD data. It is concluded from the results that the wind tunnel setup with a slip floor in front of the train can be used to find out if the train produces slipstream velocities that are within the limits indicated by the TSI standards.

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Although spectral methods have been in use for decades, there is still room for innovation, refinement and improvement of the methods in terms of efficiency and accuracy, for generalized homogeneous turbulent flows, and especially for specialized applications like the computation of atmospheric flows and numerical weather prediction. In this thesis, two such innovations are presented. First, inspired by the adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) technique, which was developed for the computation of fluid flows in physical space, an algorithm is presented for accelerating direct numerical simulation (DNS) of isotropic homogeneous turbulence in spectral space. In the adaptive spectral resolution (ASR) technique developed here the spectral resolution in spectral space is dynamically refined based on refinement criteria suited to the special features of isotropic homogeneous turbulence in two, and three dimensions. Applying ASR to computations of two- and three-dimensional turbulence allows significant savings in the computational time with little to no compromise in the accuracy of the solutions. In the second part of this thesis the effect of explicit filtering on large eddy simulation (LES) of atmospheric flows in spectral space is studied. Apply an explicit filter in addition to the implicit filter due to the computational grid and discretization schemes in LES of turbulent flows allows for better control of the numerical error and improvement in the accuracy of the results. Explicit filtering has been extensively applied in LES of turbulent flows in physical space while few studies have been done on explicitly filtered LES of turbulent flows in spectral space because of perceived limitations of the approach, which are shown here to be incorrect. Here, explicit filtering in LES of the turbulent barotropic vorticity equation (BVE) as a first model of the Earth's atmosphere in spectral space is studied. It is shown that explicit filtering increases the accuracy of the results over implicit filtering, particularly where the location of coherent structures is concerned. / Ph. D.

Unsteady large-scale vortices, formed by the roll-up of free shear layers separating along sharp edges, are the dominant flow characteristics of the turbulent flow over buildings. These vortical structures interact with each other and with the building surface resulting in secondary separation and severe pressure fluctuations. Moreover, the interaction of the large-scale vortices with the multiplicity of turbulence scales in the incoming wind exacerbates their unsteady motion and hence significantly affects the pressure fluctuations spectra experienced by the building. Large-eddy simulations are conducted to study the interaction of homogeneous turbulence in the incident flow with a surface-mounted prism. A compact fifth-order upwind difference scheme is used to effectively and accurately perform the simulations. Three cases of incident flow are considered. In one case, the prism is placed in a smooth uniform flow. In the second case, homogeneous isotropic turbulence with von Karman spectrum is superimposed on the uniform flow at the inflow boundary. The integral length scale is one-half the prism height. In the third case, the integral length scale is equal to the prism height. The numerical results are compared with experimental measurements reported by Tieleman et al. (2002). The results show that the highest negative mean value of the pressure coefficient on the roof and the sides is about 30% larger in case two of turbulent inflow and takes place closer to the windward edge of the prism. Moreover, the pressure coefficients on the roof and sides of the prism in the case of turbulent inflow show a higher level of variations in comparison with the case of smooth inflow conditions. The predicted mean characteristics of the pressure coefficients in the turbulent case match the experimental values in terms of both magnitude and location on the roof of the prism reported in Tieleman et al. (1998) and Tieleman et al. (2002). As for the peak value, the peak value of -2 obtained in the turbulent inflow case two is about 20% smaller than the values measured experimentally by Tieleman et al. (2002). On the other hand, it is stressed that the peak value in the simulations would increase as the duration of the simulation is increased to match that of the experimental measurement. The results also show that the turbulent case yields a non-exceedence probability for the peak pressure coefficient that is closer to the one obtained from the measured data than the smooth case data. Also, spectral and cross-spectral analysis are carried out using complex Morlet wavelet transform to investigate pressure-velocity relation. The study shows that the nonlinearity in the relationship of velocity-pressure is detected using wavelet bicoherence. / Ph. D.