A turbulence model for buoyant flows based on vorticity generation.

Technical Report · Sat Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 2005

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/875637· OSTI ID:875637

Domino, Stefan Paul; Nicolette, Vernon F; O'Hern, Timothy John; Tieszen, Sheldon R; Black, Amalia Rebecca

A turbulence model for buoyant flows has been developed in the context of a k-{var_epsilon} turbulence modeling approach. A production term is added to the turbulent kinetic energy equation based on dimensional reasoning using an appropriate time scale for buoyancy-induced turbulence taken from the vorticity conservation equation. The resulting turbulence model is calibrated against far field helium-air spread rate data, and validated with near source, strongly buoyant helium plume data sets. This model is more numerically stable and gives better predictions over a much broader range of mesh densities than the standard k-{var_epsilon} model for these strongly buoyant flows.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-94AL85000
• OSTI ID: 875637
• Report Number(s): SAND2005-6273; TRN: US200603%%265
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
FLOW MODELS
TURBULENT FLOW
KINETIC EQUATIONS
AIR
HELIUM
KINETIC ENERGY
VORTICES
Turbulence-Mathematical models.
Kinetic theory of liquids-Mathematical models.