Hybrid LES-RANS: back scatter from a scale-similarity model used as forcing

Journal article, 2009

A dissipative scale-similarity subgrid model was recently proposed in which only the dissipative part of the subgrid stresses was added to the momentum equations. This was achieved by adding the gradient of a subgrid stress only when its sign agreed with that of the corresponding viscous term. In the present work, this idea is used the other way around as forcing in hybrid large eddy simulation-Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes: only the part of a subgrid stress term that corresponds to back scatter is added to the momentum equations. The forcing triggers resolved turbulence in the transition region between the unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes and large eddy simulation regions. The new approach is evaluated for fully developed channel flow at Re(tau) = 4000. It is found that the forcing indeed does increase the resolved turbulence in the transition region. The magnitude of the production (i.e. back scatter) due to forcing in the equation for resolved kinetic energy is of the order of that due to the usual strain-rate production term. The present approach of using back scatter from a scale-similarity model can also probably be useful for triggering transition.