The coherent structure of the energy cascade in isotropic turbulence.

The energy cascade, i.e. the transfer of kinetic energy from large-scale to small-scale flow motions, has been the cornerstone of turbulence theories and models since the 1940s.

Decomposing causality into its synergistic, unique, and redundant components.

Causality lies at the heart of scientific inquiry, serving as the fundamental basis for understanding interactions among variables in physical systems. Despite its central role, current methods for causal inference face significant challenges due to nonlinear dependencies, stochastic interactions, self-causation, collider effects, and influences from exogenous factors, among others. While existing methods can effectively address some of these challenges, no single approach has successfully integrated all these aspects.

Building-block-flow computational model for large-eddy simulation of external aerodynamic applications.

Computational fluid dynamics is an essential tool for accelerating the discovery and adoption of transformative designs across multiple engineering disciplines. Despite its many successes, no single approach consistently achieves high accuracy for all flow phenomena of interest, primarily due to limitations in the modeling assumptions. Here, we introduce a closure model for wall-modeled large-eddy simulation to address this challenge.

Identity of attached eddies in turbulent channel flows with bidimensional empirical mode decomposition.

Bidimensional empirical mode decomposition (BEMD) is used to identify attached eddies in turbulent channel flows and quantify their relationship with the mean skin-friction drag generation. BEMD is an adaptive, non-intrusive, data-driven method for mode decomposition of multiscale signals especially suitable for non-stationary and nonlinear processes such as those encountered in turbulent flows. In the present study, we decompose the velocity fluctuations obtained by direct numerical simulation of channel flows into BEMD modes characterized by specific length scales.

Characteristic scales of Townsend's wall-attached eddies.

Townsend , 1976, Cambridge University Press) proposed a structural model for the logarithmic layer (log layer) of wall turbulence at high Reynolds numbers, where the dominant momentum-carrying motions are organised into a multiscale population of eddies attached to the wall. In the attached-eddy framework, the relevant length and velocity scales of the wall-attached eddies are the friction velocity and the distance to the wall. In the present work, we hypothesise that the momentum-carrying eddies are controlled by the mean momentum flux and mean shear with no explicit reference to the distance to the wall and propose new characteristic velocity, length and time scales consistent with this argument.

Dynamic slip wall model for large-eddy simulation.

Wall modelling in large-eddy simulation (LES) is necessary to overcome the prohibitive near-wall resolution requirements in high-Reynolds-number turbulent flows. Most existing wall models rely on assumptions about the state of the boundary layer and require prescription of tunable coefficients. They also impose the predicted wall stress by replacing the no-slip boundary condition at the wall with a Neumann boundary condition in the wall-parallel directions while maintaining the no-transpiration condition in the wall-normal direction.

Error scaling of large-eddy simulation in the outer region of wall-bounded turbulence.

We study the error scaling properties of large-eddy simulation (LES) in the outer region of wall-bounded turbulence at moderately high Reynolds numbers. In order to avoid the additional complexity of wall-modeling, we perform LES of turbulent channel flows in which the no-slip condition at the wall is replaced by a Neumann condition supplying the exact mean wall-stress. The statistics investigated are the mean velocity profile, turbulence intensities, and kinetic energy spectra.

Transitional-turbulent spots and turbulent-turbulent spots in boundary layers.

Two observations drawn from a thoroughly validated direct numerical simulation of the canonical spatially developing, zero-pressure gradient, smooth, flat-plate boundary layer are presented here. The first is that, for bypass transition in the narrow sense defined herein, we found that the transitional-turbulent spot inception mechanism is analogous to the secondary instability of boundary-layer natural transition, namely a spanwise vortex filament becomes a [Formula: see text] vortex and then, a hairpin packet. Long streak meandering does occur but usually when a streak is infected by a nearby existing transitional-turbulent spot.