Quantifying small-scale anisotropy in turbulent flows

Abstract

The verification of small-scale isotropy requires three-dimensional information of the flow field, a condition rarely satisfied in experiments. To examine this we develop a framework that considers how the presence of bursts at smaller flow scales generates turbulent kinetic energy differently between the horizontal and vertical directions. This framework can be applied both to flow fields obtained via numerical simulations, and to data from field and laboratory measurements. Moreover, a universal relationship emerges to predict small-scale anisotropy from large-scale flow conditions, thus contributing towards the development of next-generation closure models of wall turbulence.

Topics & Concepts