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TURBULENCE IN FLUIDS
MSc in Mechanical/Aerospace/… Engineering

Novembro 2021

Prof. Carlos Bettencourt da Silva

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NUMERICAL METHODS x/d

March 2023
Prof. Carlos Bettencourt da Silva
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SUMMARY

• Computational fluid dynamics

• Direct numerical simulations
• Advantages and limitations
• Estimation of the computational cost, domain size, etc.
• Exercises

Prof. Carlos Bettencourt da Silva

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Computational fluid dynamics (CFD)
x/d

• Since advent of computers (1970-80s) has become essential

tool for engineering and research work in turbulence
(www.top500.org)
1) Cray 1 (1975) – 100MFlops (1Flop = 1 floating
operation/sec)
2) Fugaku (2021) 7,630,848 cores – 442 Pflops) 1PF = 10!" FL

Prof. Carlos Bettencourt da Silva

y/d

0 20 40 60 80 100 120
Computational fluid dynamics (CFD)
x/d

• Since advent of computers (1970-80s) has become essential

tool for engineering and research work in turbulence
(www.top500.org)
1) Cray 1 (1975) – 100MFlops (1Flop = 1 floating
operation/sec)
2) Fugaku (2021) 7,630,848 cores – 442 Pflops) 1PF = 10!" FL

Prof. Carlos Bettencourt da Silva

y/d

0 20 40 60 80 100 120
Computational fluid dynamics (CFD)
x/d

• Since advent of computers (1970-80s) has become essential

tool for engineering and research work in turbulence
(www.top500.org)
1) Cray 1 (1975) – 100MFlops (1Flop = 1 floating
operation/sec)
2) Fugaku (2021) 7,630,848 cores – 442 Pflops) 1PF = 10!" FL

https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=2TLoTcWigBf

Prof. Carlos Bettencourt da Silva

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Computational fluid dynamics (CFD)
212 x/d and Large Eddy Simulation of Turbulent Flows
8 Direct

18
10
Tianhe−2 (MilkyWay−2)
Titan − Cray XK7
15 IBM BlueGene/L Fujitsu − K computer
10 IBM Roadrunner SX−9
Earth Simulator SX−8
SX−6 Sony PS4
12 T3D
10
Paragon XP/S
SX−5 Sony PS3
SX−3 Dell Latitude E6400
Macbook (2.4GHzCore2Duo)
FLOPs

9
SX−2 Y−MP8
10 Cray 2 Dell Optiplex GX400 (P4)
Illiac IV X−MP4
Cray 1 Dell OptiPlex GXI (PII)
6 CDC 6600 Compacq Deskpro 386
10
VAX 11/780
IBM 3090
Apple IIe
3 IBM 704 Commodore 64
10
UNIVAC I
0 ENIAC
10
1950 1970 1990 2010 2030
Year
Prof. Carlos Bettencourt da Silva
Fig. 8.1 Progress in computing power measured in FLOPs (floating point operations per second).
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Computational fluid dynamics (CFD)
x/d

• Numerical solution procedure

1) Governing equations
2) Discretization of the governing equations
3) Computational domain and boundary conditions
4) Numerical solution

Prof. Carlos Bettencourt da Silva

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Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) x/d

• Discretization of the governing equations:

- Finite differences (example):

æ ¶q ö q i +1 - q i
ç ÷ »
è ¶x øi Dx
æ ¶q ö q i - q i -1
ç ÷ »
è ¶x øi Dx
æ ¶q ö q i +1 - q i -1
ç ÷ »
è ¶x øi (Dx ) 2

Prof. Carlos Bettencourt da Silva

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Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) x/d

• Governing equation (example): æ ¶q ö q i +1 - q i

- Diffusion equation ç ÷ »
è ¶x øi Dx
¶ (ru jq ) ¶ æ ¶q ö
= çg ÷
¶x j ¶x j ç ¶x ÷
è j ø
- Discretization
æ ¶q ö æ ¶q ö
çg ÷ - çg ÷
ç ¶x ÷ ç ¶x ÷
(ruq )i +1 - (ruq )i »
è j ø i +1 è j øi

Dx Dx
(q )i +1 - (q )i - (q )i - (q )i -1
(ruq )i +1 - (ruq )i »g Dx Dx
Dx Dx
Prof. Carlos Bettencourt da Silva
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Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) x/d

• Solution of the system:

Apq p + å Alq l = Q p
l

Prof. Carlos Bettencourt da Silva

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Computational fluid dynamics (CFD)x/d

• Domain discretization:
(computational domain)

Prof. Carlos Bettencourt da Silva

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Computational fluid dynamics (CFD)
da Silva and J. C. F. Pereira x/d Phys. Fluids 20, 055101 !20

8
• Spatial
Recently, vs Temporal
the invariants have beensimulation
used
t of subgrid-scale modeling.19,20
ork uses the invariants in the context of the
Boundary
ment that •exists vs Initial
in free shear conditions
flows such as
kes, and jets. In these flows, the flow field
to two regions. In one region, the flow is
• Size of the computational domain
its vorticity content is high, while in the
(Ly>>L
flow consists 11) irrotational #nontur-
of largely
21 (a)
The two flow regions are divided by the
ulent !T/NT" interface where the turbulent
anism takes• Realism
place, bynear
whichinlet/outflow
a given fluid boundaries
irrotational zone becomes turbulent. This
very sharp and is continually deformed
• Physical realism vs lower
e of scales. Its thickness is of the order of
cale.22
computational cost
m of turbulent entrainment is still involved
mystery, despite
(show23the greatfull
spjet number
movieof works
from start) (b)
e.g., Townsend for a review on the clas-
bulent entrainment". Understanding of Prof.
theCarlos Bettencourt da Silva
FIG. 1. !Color online" Sketch of !a" a spatially developing jet as produce
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Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) x/d

• Numerical simulation of the governing equations

without any modelling assumption.

“DNS is the reality”

14
Prof. Carlos Bettencourt da Silva
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Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) x/d

• Numerical simulation of the governing equations without any

modelling assumption. “DNS is the reality”

• Requires high-order/very accurate schemes

• Requires High Performance Computing (HPC)

• Equivalent to an experiment

• All details of the unsteady, multiscale, 3D fields are accessible

(everything can be computed!)

• If possible is unrivalled by any other approach

Prof. Carlos Bettencourt da Silva
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Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) x/d

• Examples: isotropic turbulence

tube-like structures, which are displayed in the figure bellow (figure 4.7).

Prof.
FIG. 1. !Color" Different zooms of isosurfaces of vorticity Carlos
for Re Bettencourt da 3 Silva
! = 732 at resolution N = 2048 !from Ref. 28". Isosurfaces of vorticity for #!# $ $%% + 4&%. !a"
The size of the display domain is !59842 ' 1496""3, periodic in the vertical and horizontal directions. !b" Close-up view of the central region of !a" bounded
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Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) x/d

115109-5 Coherent vortices in high resolution DNS Phys. Fluids 19, 115109 !2007"
• Examples: isotropic turbulence 𝑁! ×𝑁" ×𝑁# = 2048$
GHIRA, ELSINGA, AND DA SILVA

Prof. Carlos Bettencourt da Silva

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Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) x/d

• Examples: isotropic turbulence 𝑁! ×𝑁" ×𝑁# = 2048$

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INTENSE VORTICITY …

Prof.
FIG. 1. !Color" Different zooms of isosurfaces of vorticity Carlos
for Re Bettencourt da 3 Silva
! = 732 at resolution N = 2048 !from Ref. 28". Isosurfaces of vorticity for #!# $ $%% + 4&%. !a"
The size of the display domain is !59842 ' 1496""3, periodic in the vertical and horizontal directions. !b" Close-up view of the central region of !a" bounded
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Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) x/d

• Examples: airfoil

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hz7UjN_vYuw

Prof. Carlos Bettencourt da Silva

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Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) x/d

• Examples: airfoil

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hz7UjN_vYuw

Prof. Carlos Bettencourt da Silva

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x/d

High Reynolds vs Low Reynolds

𝜂 &$/(
∼ 𝑅𝑒%
𝐿
Prof. Carlos Bettencourt da Silva
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Pseudo-spectral (collocation method)
x/d

• Triple-periodic cubic domain

𝐿"
𝑁! =
Δ𝑥
𝐿$
𝑁# =
Δy
𝐿&
𝑁% =
Δz

Prof. Carlos Bettencourt da Silva

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Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) x/d

• How to define the computational domain size?

𝐿! , 𝐿" , 𝐿# ≫ 𝐿 ∼ 𝑙%
𝜂 &$/(
• How to define the grid spacing? ∼ 𝑅𝑒%
𝐿
Δ𝑥 ≈ 𝜂 𝑢% 𝑙%
𝑅𝑒% =
𝜈
• The number of grid points is then,
$ $ $ $
𝐿! 𝐿 -/(
𝑁)*+, ≈ 𝑁! ×𝑁" ×𝑁# ≈ ∼ ∼ 𝑅𝑒%( = 𝑅𝑒%
Δ𝑥 𝜂
∗ -/(
𝑁)*+, = 𝐶 𝑅𝑒%
Prof. Carlos Bettencourt da Silva
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0
Problem:
20
estimate
40
the
60
x/d
resolution
80
needed
100
to 120

carry out a DNS of a real flow

Prof. Carlos Bettencourt da Silva

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Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) x/d

• How to define the number of time steps?

𝐿!
𝑇,/0 ≫ 𝑇% =
𝑈!
• The time step is, for stability reasons,
𝑇,/0 𝑈! Δ𝑡
𝑁1 ≈ 𝐶! = ≤1
Δ𝑡 Δ𝑥
• The number of time steps is then,
𝑇% 𝐿!
𝑇,/0 𝑇% 𝑇% 𝑈! 𝑇% 𝑁!
𝑁1 ≈ ∼ ∼ ∼ ∼
Δ𝑡 𝐶! Δ𝑥 𝐿! 𝐿! 𝐶!
𝐶! 𝑁 𝐶! 𝑁
𝑈! ! !
𝑁!
∗∗
𝑁1 = 𝐶
Prof. Carlos Bettencourt da Silva 𝐶!
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0
Problem:
20
estimate
40
i) the x/d
number
60
of time
80
steps100 120

needed to carry out a given simulation,

ii) The wall clock time, iii) the computational cost

Prof. Carlos Bettencourt da Silva

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ANEXES: x/d

Exercício: Numa erupção vulcânica é criada uma pluma turbulenta na qual a

escala dos maiores turbilhões é l ~ 10 m e uma velocidade típica da turbulência
é de cerca de u=20 m/s. Tomando a viscosidade do gás igual a 105m2/s estime
(i) a taxa de dissipação no escoamento, (ii) o tamanho dos mais pequenos
turbilhões na pluma, e (iii) o número de pontos necessário para fazer uma DNS
numa caixa com L~l de largura

l ~ 10 m e ~ u / l » 20 / 10 » 800m / s
3 3 2 3

u ~ 20 m / s h = (n / e ) = (10
3 1/ 4
( ) / 800)
5 3
1/ 4
= 0.03mm
n ~ 10 m / s
5 2
N ~ (L / Dx ) ~ 10 / 0.03 ´10
3 3
( -3 3
) » 3.7 ´1016

Prof. Carlos Bettencourt da Silva

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IN TODAY’s LECTURE
20 40 60
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80 100 120

Direct numerical simulations

Estimation of the computational cost,
domain size, etc.
Pseudo-spectral schemes (collocation
method)
Problems

BIBLIOGRAPHY :
- F. Nieuwstadt, Turbulence: 4.3
- P. Davidson, Turbulence: 1.9;7.1.1

Prof. Carlos Bettencourt da Silva