Modeling Rotating and Swirling Turbulent Flows: A Perpetual Challenge

Abstract

Severaltypesofrotatingandswirlinge owsfora rangeofReynoldsnumbersandrotationratesorswirlintensities have been studied computationally, aimed at identifying specie c features that require special consideration in turbulence modeling. The e ows considered include turbulent channel e ows subjected to streamwise and spanwise rotation,withstationaryandmovingboundaries;developingandfullydevelopede owsinaxiallyrotatingpipes;and swirling e owsin combustorgeometriesand long pipes.Computationsperformed with threeversionsof thesecondmoment closure and two eddy-viscosity models show that the second-moment models are superior, especially when the equations are integrated up to the wall. Such models reproduced the main e ow parameters for all e ows considered in acceptable agreement with the available experimental data and direct numerical simulations. However,challengesstillremaininpredictingaccuratelysomespecie ce owfeatures,suchascapturingthetransition from a freevortex to solid-body rotation in a long straight pipewith a weak swirl, or reproducing the normal stress components in the core region. Also, the so-called uw anomaly in fully developed e ows with streamwise rotation remains questionable. For rotating e ows, the low-Reynolds-number models yield a somewhat premature e ow relaminarization at high rotation speeds.