Dissipation rate, turbulent flow turbulence model

As mentioned before in Eq. (3), the most common source of SGS phenomena is turbulence due to the Reynolds number of the flow. It is thus important to understand what the principal length and time scales in turbulent flow are, and how they depend on Reynolds number. In a CFD code, a turbulence model will provide the local values of the turbulent kinetic energy k and the turbulent dissipation rate s. These quantities, combined with the kinematic viscosity of the fluid v, define the length and time scales given in Table I. Moreover, they define the local turbulent Reynolds number ReL also given in the table. 

The Reynolds-averaged approach is widely used for engineering calculations, and typically includes models such as Spalart-Allmaras, k-e and its variants, k-co, and the Reynolds stress model (RSM). The Boussinesq hypothesis, which assumes pt to be an isotropic scalar quantity, is used in the Spalart-Allmaras model, the k-s models, and the k-co models. The advantage of this approach is the relatively low computational cost associated with the computation of the turbulent viscosity, fit. For the Spalart-Allmaras model, one additional transport equation representing turbulent viscosity is solved. In the case of the k-e and k-co models, two additional transport equations for the turbulence kinetic energy, k, and either the turbulence dissipation rate, s, or the specific dissipation rate, co, are solved, and pt is computed as a function of k and either e or co. Alternatively, in the RSM approach, transport equations can be solved for each of the terms in the Reynolds stress tensor. An additional scale-determining equation (usually for s) is also required. This means that seven additional transport equations must be solved in 3D flows. 

As discussed in Section 2.1, in high-Reynolds-number turbulent flows the scalar dissipation rate is equal to the rate of energy transfer through the inertial range of the turbulence energy spectrum. The usual modeling approach is thus to use a transport equation for the transfer rate instead of the detailed balance equation for the dissipation rate derived from (1.27). Nevertheless, in order to understand better the small-scale physical phenomena that determine e, we will derive its transport equation starting from (2.99). 

We are essentially assuming that the small scales are in dynamic equilibrium with the large scales. This may also hold in low-Reynolds-number turbulent flows. However, for low-Reynolds-number flows, one may need to account also for dissipation rate anisotropy by modeling all components in the dissipation-rate tensor s j. 

The first factor occurs even in homogeneous flows with two inert scalars, and is discussed in Section 3.4. The second factor is present in nearly all turbulent reacting flows with moderately fast chemistry. As discussed in Chapter 4, modeling the joint scalar dissipation rate is challenging due to the need to include all important physical processes. One starting point is its transport equation, which we derive below. 

One common difficulty when applying the E-model is the need to know the turbulent dissipation rate e for the flow. Moreover, because e will have an inhomogeneous distribution in most chemical reactors, the problem of finding e a priori is non-trivial. In most... 

As an example, for steady, incompressible, and isothermal turbulent flows using the k- model, the independent equations are (1) the continuity equation, Eq. (5.61) (2) the momentum equation, Eq. (5.65) (3) the definition of the effective viscosity, /xeff (combination of Eq. (5.64) and Eq. (5.72)) (4) the equation of turbulent kinetic energy, Eq. (5.75) and (5) the equation for the dissipation rate of turbulent kinetic energy, Eq. (5.80). Thus, for a three-dimensional model, the total number of independent equations is seven. The corresponding independent variables are (1) velocity (three components) (2) pressure (3) effective viscosity (4) turbulent kinetic energy and (5) dissipation rate of turbulent kinetic energy. Thus, the total number of independent variables is also seven, and the model becomes solvable. 

Studies on thermodynamic restrictions on turbulence modeling show that the kinetic energy equation in a turbulent flow is a direct consequence of the first law of thermodynamics, and the turbulent dissipation rate is a thermodynamic internal variable. The principle of entropy generation, expressed in terms of the Clausius-Duhem and the Clausius-Planck inequalities, imposes restrictions on turbulence modeling. On the other hand, the turbulent dissipation rate as a thermodynamic internal variable ensmes that the mean internal dissipation will be positive and the thermodynamic modeling will be meaningful. 

For multiphase flow processes, turbulent effects will be much larger. Even operability will be controlled by the generated turbulence in some cases. For dispersed fluid-fluid flows (as in gas-liquid or liquid-liquid reactors), the local sizes of dispersed phase particles and local transport rates will be controlled by the turbulence energy dissipation rates and turbulence kinetic energy. The modeling of turbulent multiphase flows is discussed in the next chapter. 

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