Integral scale

The integral-scale turbulence frequency is the inverse of the turbulence integral time scale. The turbulence time and length scales are defined in Chapter 2. 

The auto-correlation functions can be used to define two characteristic length scales of an isotropic turbulent flow. The longitudinal integral scale is defined by... 

The turbulence integral scales L and L22 are proportional to a turbulence integral scale Lu defined in terms of k and e ... 

Likewise, the ratio of the transverse Taylor microscale and the turbulence integral scale can be expressed as... 

Quantity Integral scale Taylor scale Kolmogorov scale... 

Two important length scales for describing turbulent mixing of an inert scalar are the scalar integral scale L, and the Batchelor scale A.B. The latter is defined in terms of the Kolmogorov scale r] and the Schmidt number by... 

The scalar integral scale characterizes the largest structures in the scalar field, and is primarily determined by two processes (1) initial conditions - the scalar field can be initialized with a characteristic that is completely independent of the turbulence field, and (2) turbulent mixing - the energy-containing range of a turbulent flow will create scalar eddies with a characteristic length scale I.,p that is approximately equal to Lu. 

Because the integral scale is defined in terms of the energy spectrum, an appropriate starting point would be the scalar spectral transport equation given in Section 3.2. 

In a fully developed turbulent flow, the rate at which the size of a scalar eddy of length l,P decreases depends on its size relative to the turbulence integral scale L and the Kolmogorov scale ij. For scalar eddies in the inertial sub-range (ij < Ip, < Lu), the scalar mixing rate can be approximated by the inverse of the spectral transfer time scale defined in (2.68), p. 42 8... 

Using the relationship between Lu and r) given in Table 2.2, p. 36, the mixing rate at the velocity integral scale Lu found from (3.5) is approximately... 

Like the velocity spatial correlation function discussed in Section 2.1, the scalar spatial correlation function provides length-scale information about the underlying scalar field. For a homogeneous, isotropic scalar field, the spatial correlation function will depend only on r = r, i.e., R,p(r, t). The scalar integral scale L and the scalar Taylor microscale >-,p can then be computed based on the normalized scalar spatial correlation function fp, defined by... 

In terms of this function, the scalar integral scale is defined by... 

Figure 3.12. Model scalar energy spectra at Rk = 500 normalized by the integral scales. The velocity energy spectrum is shown as a dotted line for comparison. The Schmidt numbers range from Sc = 10 4 to Sc = 104 in powers of 102.

In Fig. 3.14, the mechanical-to-scalar time-scale ratio computed from the model scalar energy spectrum is plotted as a function of the Schmidt number at various Reynolds numbers. Consistent with (3.15), p. 61, for 1 Sc the mechanical-to-scalar time-scale ratio decreases with increasing Schmidt number as ln(Sc). Likewise, the scalar integral scale can be computed from the model spectrum. The ratio L Lu is plotted in Fig. 3.15, where it can be seen that it approaches unity at high Reynolds numbers. 

The last term on the right-hand side is unclosed and represents scalar transport due to velocity fluctuations. The turbulent scalar flux ( , varies on length scales on the order of the turbulence integral scales Lu, and hence is independent of molecular properties (i.e., v and T).17 In a CFD calculation, this implies that the grid size needed to resolve (4.70) must be proportional to the integral scale, and not the Batchelor scale as required in DNS. In this section, we look at two types of models for the scalar flux. The first is an extension of turbulent-viscosity-based models to describe the scalar field, while the second is a second-order model that is used in conjunction with Reynolds-stress models. 

In many reacting flows, the reactants are introduced into the reactor with an integral scale L that is significantly different from the turbulence integral scale Lu. For example, in a CSTR, Lu is determined primarily by the actions of the impeller. However, is fixed by the feed tube diameter and feed flow rate. Thus, near the feed point the scalar energy spectrum will not be in equilibrium with the velocity spectrum. A relaxation period of duration on the order of xu is required before equilibrium is attained. In a reacting flow, because the relaxation period is relatively long, most of the fast chemical reactions can occur before the equilibrium model, (4.93), is applicable. 

Cs = Cb - Co, Cb = 1, and Cd = 3 (Fox 1995).36 Note that at spectral equilibrium, Vp = p, % = To = p( I - i/i)), and (with Sc = 1) R = Rq. The right-hand side of (4.117) then yields (4.114). Also, it is important to recall that unlike (4.94), which models the flux of scalar energy into the dissipation range, (4.117) is a true small-scale model for p. For this reason, integral-scale terms involving the mean scalar gradients and the mean shear rate do not appear in (4.117). Instead, these effects must be accounted for in the model for the spectral transfer rates. 

Earlier it was stated that the structure of a turbulent velocity field may be presented in terms of two parameters—the scale and the intensity of turbulence. The intensity was defined as the square root of the turbulent kinetic energy, which essentially gives a root-mean-square velocity fluctuation U. Three length scales were defined the integral scale l0, which characterizes... 

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