Turbulent-viscosity-based models

As shown in Chapter 2, the transport equation for the Reynolds-averaged velocity is given by 

In order to use this equation for CFD simulations, the unclosed term involving the Reynolds stresses (u, /,)) must be modeled. Turbulent-viscosity-based models rely on the following 

For example, boundary conditions, Reynolds and Schmidt number effects, applicability of a model to a particular flow, etc. 

The next level of turbulence models introduces a transport equation to describe the variation of the turbulent viscosity throughout the flow domain. The simplest models in this category are the so-called one-equation models wherein the turbulent viscosity is modeled by 

At the next level of complexity, a second transport equation is introduced, which effectively removes the need to fix the mixing length. The most widely used two-equation model is the k-e model wherein a transport equation for the turbulent dissipation rate is 

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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 the RANS-approach, turbulence or turbulent momentum transport models are required to calculate the Reynolds-stresses. This can be done starting from additional transport equations, the so-called Reynolds-stress models. Alternatively, the Reynolds-stresses can be modeled in terms of the mean values of the variables and the turbulent kinetic energy, the so-called turbulent viscosity based models. In either way, the turbulence dissipation rate has to be calculated also, as it contains essential information on the overall decay time of the velocity fluctuations. In what follows, the more popular models based on the turbulent viscosity are focused on. A detailed description of the Reynolds-stress models is given in Annex 12.5.l.A which can be downloaded from the Wiley web-page. 

Turbulent viscosity based models start from the Boussinesq hypothesis [1877] relating the Reynolds stresses to the mean velocity gradients, the turbulent kinetic energy and the turbulent viscosity ix. ... 

The turbulent diffusivity defined by (4.74) is proportional to the turbulent viscosity defined by (4.46). Turbulent-diffusivity-based models for the scalar flux extend this idea to arbitrary mean scalar gradients. The standard gradient-diffusion model has the form... 

The calculation of the six components of the Reynolds stress tensor, that is, six second-order moments of the micro-PDF, f v,yf), is reduced to the calculation of k and the modeling of the turbulent viscosity pf As seen from (12.5.1-2), is a function of a limited number of second-order moments of the micro-PDF. Turbulent viscosity based closure models for the Reynolds-stresses can be used at relatively low computational effort. In the two-equation model approach, the turbulent viscosity is expressed in terms of the turbulent kinetic energy, k, and the turbulence dissipation rate, s, according to ... 

The RNG model provides its own energy balance, which is based on the energy balance of the standard k-e model with similar changes as for the k and e balances. The RNG k-e model energy balance is defined as a transport equation for enthalpy. There are four contributions to the total change in enthalpy the temperature gradient, the total pressure differential, the internal stress, and the source term, including contributions from reaction, etc. In the traditional turbulent heat transfer model, the Prandtl number is fixed and user-defined the RNG model treats it as a variable dependent on the turbulent viscosity. It was found experimentally that the turbulent Prandtl number is indeed a function of the molecular Prandtl number and the viscosity (Kays, 1994). 

RANS turbulence models are the workhorse of CFD applications for complex flow geometries. Moreover, due to the relatively high cost of LES, this situation is not expected to change in the near future. For turbulent reacting flows, the additional cost of dealing with complex chemistry will extend the life of RANS models even further. For this reason, the chemical-source-term closures discussed in Chapter 5 have all been formulated with RANS turbulence models in mind. The focus of this section will thus be on RANS turbulence models based on the turbulent viscosity hypothesis and on second-order models for the Reynolds stresses. 

Based on the model of Lee and Wiesler [90] and the measurements of Lee and Borner [88] Lee [87] formulated a set of governing equations for the mean motion of particles in a suspension turbulent flow. The model contained both pseudo Stokes drag and pseudo Saffman forces which were expressed in terms of a modified viscosity, and supposedly valid for larger particle Reynolds numbers. 

However, to solve the heat and mass transfer equations an additional modeling problem has to be overcome. While there are sufficient measurements of the turbulent velocity field available to validate the different i>t modeling concepts proposed in the literature, experimental difficulties have prevented the development of any direct modeling concepts for determining the turbulent conductivity at, and the turbulent diffusivity Dt parameters. Nevertheless, alternative semi-empirical modeling approaches emerged based on the hypothesis that it might be possible to calculate the turbulent conductivity and diffusivity coefficients from the turbulent viscosity provided that sufficient parameterizations were derived for Prj and Scj. 

Two traditional approaches to the closure of the Reynolds equation are outlined below. These approaches are based on Boussinesq s model of turbulent viscosity completed by Prandtl s or von Karman s hypotheses [276, 427]. For simplicity, we confine our consideration to the case of simple shear flow, where the transverse coordinate Y = Xi is measured from the wall (the results are also applicable to turbulent boundary layers). According to Boussinesq s model, the only nonzero component of the Reynolds turbulent shear stress tensor and the divergence of this tensor are defined as... 

The theoretical description of the turbulent mixing of reactants in tubular devices is based on the following model assumptions the medium is a Newtonian incompressible medium, and the flow is axis-symmetrical and nontwisted turbulent flow can be described by the standard model [16], with such parameters as specific kinetic energy of turbulence K and the velocity of its dissipation e and the coefficient of turbulent diffusion is equal to the kinematic coefficient of turbulent viscosity D, = Vj- =... 

In the present work a turbulence model for turbulent viscosity is used which is based on the mi-Hrig length... 

In order to close the additional Reynolds (turbulent) stresses, several different eddy viscosity-based turbulence models, in which the additional turbulent stresses are related to the mean velocity gradient as shown in Table 6.11, are used to account for the turbulence in three-phase systems. Generally, the standard k-e turbulence model is solved only for the continuous phase or for mixture phase or for each phase. In the literature reports. 

A more rigorous viscous turbulent model of single-phase flow, based on a Prandtl mixing length theory was published by Bloor and Ingham. Like Rietema, these authors obtained theoretical velocity profiles, but they used variable radial velocity profiles calculated from a simple mathematical theory. The turbulent viscosity was then related to the rate of strain in the main flow and the distribution of eddy viscosity with radial distance at various levels in the cyclone was derived. 

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