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Modeling and simulation of transitional Rayleigh–Taylor flow with partially averaged Navier–Stokes equations

Journal Article · · Physics of Fluids
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0067552· OSTI ID:1844161

In this work, the partially averaged Navier–Stokes (PANS) equations are used to predict the variable-density Rayleigh–Taylor (RT) flow at Atwood number 0.5 and maximum Reynolds number 500. This is a prototypical problem of material mixing, featuring laminar, transitional, and turbulent flow, instabilities and coherent structures, density fluctuations, and production of turbulence kinetic energy by both shear and buoyancy mechanisms. These features pose numerous challenges to modeling and simulation, making the RT flow ideal to develop the validation space of the recently proposed PANS Besnard–Harlow–Rauenzahn-linear eddy viscosity model closure. The numerical simulations are conducted at different levels of physical resolution and test three approaches to set the parameters $$f_\phi$$ defining the range of physically resolved scales. The computations demonstrate the efficiency (accuracy vs cost) of the PANS model predicting the spatiotemporal development of the RT flow. Results comparable to large-eddy simulations and direct numerical simulations are obtained at significantly lower physical resolution without the limitations of the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations in these transitional flows. The data also illustrate the importance of appropriate selection of the physical resolution and the resolved fraction of each dependent quantity $$\phi$$ of the turbulent closure, $$f_\phi$$. These two aspects determine the ability of the model to resolve the flow phenomena not amenable to modeling by the closure and, as such, the computations’ fidelity.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
Grant/Contract Number:
89233218CNA000001
OSTI ID:
1844161
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-21-28227
Journal Information:
Physics of Fluids, Journal Name: Physics of Fluids Journal Issue: 11 Vol. 33; ISSN 1070-6631
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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