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At least 73 records · Page 4
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Exploring regular and turbulent flow states in active nematic channel flow via Exact Coherent Structures and their invariant manifolds

This work is a unified study of stable and unstable steady states of 2D active nematic channel flow using the framework of Exact Coherent Structures (ECS). ECS are stationary, periodic, quasiperiodic, or traveling wave solutions of the governing equations that, together with their invariant manifolds, organize the dynamics of nonlinear continuum systems. We extend our earlier work on ECS in the preturbulent regime by performing a comprehensive study of stable and unstable ECS for a wide range of activity values spanning the preturbulent and turbulent regimes. In the weakly turbulent regime, we compute more than 200 unstable ECS that co-exist at a single set of parameters, and uncover the role of symmetries in organizing the phase space geometry. We provide conclusive numerical evidence that in the preturbulent regime, generic trajectories shadow a series of unstable ECS before settling onto an attractor. Lastly, our studies hint at shadowing of quasiperiodic type ECS in the turbulent regime.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
NASA NTRS1985

Experimental study of disturbances produced in a pre-transitional laminar boundary layer by weak freestream turbulence

The high-amplitude, low-frequency, disturbances generated in a Blasius boundary layer by grid-produced freestream turbulence were studied by means of hot-wire anemometry and by flow visualization. Emphasis was placed on determining the cause and nature of these, and on their effect upon the mean flow profile. It was found that the motion in the layer was intrinsically three-dimensional, according to which the fronts, of Tollmien-Schlichting waves became warped. Evidence of streamwise vorticity was noted. At Reynolds numbers near 1.6 million, the maximum attained, sharp velocity gradients appeared locally. With increase of grid size, there appeared turbulent spots which were wider than the coherence scale of the background motion.

Kendall, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Transport Coefficients in Rotating Weakly Compressible Turbulence

Analytical studies of compressible turbulence have found that compressible velocity fluctuations create both effective fluid transport properties and an effective equation of state. This paper investigates the effects of rotation on compressible turbulence. It is shown that rotation modifies the transport properties of compressible turbulence by replacing the turbulence time scale by a rotational time scale, much as rotation modifies the transport properties of incompressible turbulence. But thermal equilibrium properties are modified in a more complex manner. Two regimes are possible: one dominated by incompressible fluctuations, in which the sound speed is modified as it is in non-rotating turbulence, and a rotation dominated regime in which the sound speed enhancement is rotation dependent. The dimensionless parameter which discriminates between regimes is identified. In general, rotation is found to suppress the effects of compressibility. A novel feature of the present analysis is the use of a non-Kolmogorov steady state as the reference state of turbulence. introduction of such steady states expands the power and utility of analytical turbulence closures to a wider range of problems.

Rubinstein, Robert↗
NASA NTRS2007

Boundary Layer Receptivity to Weak Freestream Turbulence

The experimental configuration is shown. The tunnel is about 8 ft. long by 2 ft. square. In most cases the wind speed is set to 11.6 m/s. Three different plates are used. Each is a quarter-inch thick, extends wall-to-wall, and has a semi-elliptical leading edge. The two extremes in bluntness are shown, being half a 14:1 ellipse and half a 5:1 ellipse. The plate surface pressure is uniform to better than 0.01 q, except near the leading edge, or whenever a condition of lift is intentionally applied to the plate. Turbulence is created in the setting chamber by means of eight 1/16-inch hypodermic tubes stretched normal to the flow and pressurized at any controlled value up to 6 psi. Each has twenty-one 0.006-inch holes spaced at 1-inch intervals along its mid-section of length, and directed upwind. The tubes are spaced vertically at 1.25-inch intervals. The turbulence so created is carried to the test section, where it is found to be spatially uniform over a suitably large cross-sectional area and axial length. Fig. 2 presents spectra of the steam turbulence in the empty tunnel for jet-array pressures of 1 psi to 6 psi. The T-S range extends between 80 and 150 Hz, approximately, for the present conditions. The primary method of fluctuation measurement is by use of microphones installed on the reverse side of the plate. A description of the method and its advantages has been given in AIAA 90-1504. Mean and fluctuating flow measurements are also made by means of various hot-wire probes and rakes carried on a computer-controlled x-y-z traverse mechanism. Fig. 3 shows the layout of a four-foot plate carrying 64 microphoned, the outputs of which are digitized simultaneously. The location of a single driver used for creating controlled T-S packets is also indicated.

Kendall, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS2012

The Effects of Wave Escape on Fast Magnetosonic Wave Turbulence in Solar Flares

One of the leading models for electron acceleration in solar flares is stochastic acceleration by weakly turbulent fast magnetosonic waves ("fast waves"). In this model, large-scale flows triggered by magnetic reconnection excite large-wavelength fast waves, and fast-wave energy then cascades from large wavelengths to small wavelengths. Electron acceleration by large-wavelength fast-waves is weak, and so the model relies on the small-wavelength waves produced by the turbulent cascade. In order for the model to work, the energy cascade time for large-wavelength fast waves must be shorter than the time required for the waves to propagate out of the solar-flare acceleration region. To investigate the effects of wave escape, we solve the wave kinetic equation for fast waves in weak turbulence theory, supplemented with a homogeneous wave-loss term.We find that the amplitude of large-wavelength fast waves must exceed a minimum threshold in order for a significant fraction of the wave energy to cascade to small wavelengths before the waves leave the acceleration region.We evaluate this threshold as a function of the dominant wavelength of the fast waves that are initially excited by reconnection outflows.

Pongkitiwanichakul, Peera↗
NASA NTRS1969

Van Allen belt plasma physics

Plasma turbulence in Van Allen belts, examining weak turbulent electromagnetic wave properties, with emphasis on trapped energetic particles radiation

Kennel, C. F.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Size-Selective Concentration of Chondrules and Other Small Particles in Protoplanetary Nebula Turbulence

Size-selective concentration of particles in a weakly turbulent protoplanetary nebula may be responsible for the initial collection of chondrules and other constituents into primitive bodY precursors. This paper presents the main elements of this process of turbulent concentration. In the terrestrial planet region. both the characteristic size and size distribution of chondrules are explained. "Fluffier" particles would be concentrated in nebula regions which were at a lower density and/or more intensely turbulent. The spatial distribution of concentrated particle density obeys multifractal scaling, suggesting a close tie to the turbulent cascade process. This scaling behavior allows predictions of the probability distributions for concentration in the protoplanetary nebula to be made. Large concentration factors (less than 10(exp 5)) are readily obtained, implying that numerous zones of particle density significantly exceeding the gas density could exist. If most of the available solids were actually in chondrule sized particles, the ensuing particle mass density would become so large that the feedback effects on gas turbulence due to mass loading could no longer be neglected. This paper describes the process, presenting its basic elements and some implications, without including the effects of mass loading.

Cuzzi, Jeffrey N.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Large Eddy Simulation of Aircraft Wake Vortices in a Homogeneous Atmospheric Turbulence: Vortex Decay and Descent

The effects of ambient turbulence on decay and descent of aircraft wake vortices are studied using a validated, three-dimensional: large-eddy simulation model. Numerical simulations are performed in order to isolate the effect of ambient turbulence on the wake vortex decay rate within a neutrally-stratified atmosphere. Simulations are conducted for a range of turbulence intensities, by injecting wake vortex pairs into an approximately homogeneous and isotropic turbulence field. The decay rate of the vortex circulation increases clearly with increasing ambient turbulence level, which is consistent with field observations. Based on the results from the numerical simulations, simple decay models are proposed as functions of dimensionless ambient turbulence intensity (eta) and dimensionless time (T) for the circulation averaged over a range of radial distances. With good agreement with the numerical results, a Gaussian type of vortex decay model is proposed for weak turbulence: while an exponential type of Tortex decay model can be applied for strong turbulence. A relationship for the vortex descent based on above vortex decay model is also proposed. Although the proposed models are based on simulations assuming neutral stratification, the model predictions are compared to Lidar vortex measurements observed during stable, neutral, and unstable atmospheric conditions. In the neutral and unstable atmosphere, the model predictions appear to be in reasonable agreement with the observational data, while in the stably-stratified atmosphere, they largely underestimate the observed circulation decay with consistent overestimation of the observed vortex descent. The underestimation of vortex decay during stably-stratified conditions suggests that stratification has an important influence on vortex decay when ambient levels of turbulence are weak.

Han, Jongil↗
NASA NTRS2013

Temporal Fluctuations in a 100-A LaB6 Hollow Cathode

The temporal fluctuations in the near plume of a 100-Amperes LaB6 (Lanthanum hexaboride) hollow cathode are experimentally investigated. At high currents, turbulent oscillations may contribute to two of the anomalous processes of hollow cathode operation - anomalous resistivity and the production of energetic ions. A detailed study of the properties of the oscillations in a high current cathode is necessary to determine the impact of the fluctuation spectrum on these two effects. In this investigation, a probe array is employed to measure the amplitude and dispersion of axial modes in the plume while a retarding potential analyzer yields estimates of the radial ion energy distribution. The onset of the ion acoustic turbulence (IAT) is observed at high current values, and the character of the turbulent spectrum is shown to agree with weak turbulent theory: the amplitude of the spectrum decreases with flow rate but increases with discharge current. Estimates of the anomalous collision frequency based on experimental observations indicate that the IAT collision frequency can exceed the classical collision frequency at sufficiently high discharge current densities. Additionally, the onset of the IAT is shown to be correlated with the appearance of a high energy ion tail and that the energy in this tail is comparable to the energy in the experimentally-observed IAT.

production of ions↗
NASA NTRS1974

Mirroring within the Fokker-Planck formulation of cosmic ray pitch angle scattering in homogeneous magnetic turbulence

The Fokker-Planck coefficient for pitch angle scattering, appropriate for cosmic rays in homogeneous, stationary, magnetic turbulence, is computed from first principles. No assumptions are made concerning any special statistical symmetries the random field may have. This result can be used to compute the parallel diffusion coefficient for high energy cosmic rays moving in strong turbulence, or low energy cosmic rays moving in weak turbulence. Becuase of the generality of the magnetic turbulence which is allowed in this calculation, special interplanetary magnetic field features such as discontinuities, or particular wave modes, can be included rigorously. The reduction of this results to previously available expressions for the pitch angle scattering coefficient in random field models with special symmetries is discussed. The general existance of a Dirac delta function in the pitch angle scattering coefficient is demonstrated. It is proved that this delta function is the Fokker-Planck prediction for pitch angle scattering due to mirroring in the magnetic field.

Goldstein, M. L.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Idealized simulations of wind farm interactions with intermittent turbulence in stable boundary layer conditions

Stable atmospheric boundary layer conditions typically correspond to weak turbulence levels, but intermittent periods of elevated turbulence can occur during otherwise quiescent conditions. The interaction between intermittent turbulence and wind turbines is not well understood because of sparse observations, as well as the difficulty in realistically resolving small-scale turbulence during strongly stable conditions with numerical simulations. In this study, an explicit filtering and reconstruction approach for large-eddy simulation (LES) is used to simulate weakly and strongly stable conditions, with surface cooling rates of −0.2 and −2.0 K h −1 , respectively. This approach can sustain resolved background turbulence at relatively coarse grid spacing and stronger stratification compared to conventional closures, permitting more realistic intermittent stable boundary layer (SBL) turbulence. The idealized LES capability of the Weather Research and Forecasting model is employed with turbine rotors parameterized using generalized actuator disks to examine (1) how the presence of turbine wakes affects SBL evolution and (2) the effect of intermittent turbulence on power production and wake recovery. Wakes increase mixing and deepen the SBL, with a stronger effect under strongly stable conditions, primarily because the SBL is shallower and closer to the top of the wind turbine rotor layer. Intermittent turbulence does not have a significant impact on mean power generation and wake recovery because the relevant intermittent turbulent structures in this study only affect the bottom half of the rotor disk. Power production is, however, more variable during periods of elevated turbulence, demonstrating the impact of SBL intermittency. This study uses an idealized configuration, focusing on LES model performance and physical understanding, with the goal of informing future simulations of the conditions observed during the American Wake Experiment.

Energy - Wind↗
NASA NTRS2020

Direct Numerical Simulation of Fog Formation Within the Surface Layer

We investigate the effects of shear-driven turbulence on fog formation in the stably stratified surface layer, using recent direct numerical simulations (DNS) of dry and moist open-channel flows. A constant cooling rate applied at the ground mimics longwave radiative cooling, leading to either turbulent (weakly stable) or laminar (very stable) flows. The transition of the Obukhov, Ozmidov and buoyancy length scales are investigated for different cooling rates and Reynolds numbers. Compared to the dry case, the condensation of liquid water in the moist case supports slightly higher cooling rates before leading to turbulence collapse. In the very stable moist cases, runaway cooling leads to substantial condensation of liquid water close to the ground and fog (visibility less than 1 km) results over much of the domain. In the weakly stable cases, turbulent mixing narrowly yields visibilities of 1 km close to the ground over a similar time period. Despite the idealised nature of the system, the present results suggest that turbulence impedes, although will not necessarily inhibit, fog formation.

Teixeira, Joao↗