Turbulence, pseudo-turbulence, and local flow topology in dispersed bubbly flow

Xu Chu*, Yanchao Liu, Wenkang Wang, Guang Yang, Bernhard Weigand, H. Nemati

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

15 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Bubbly turbulent flow in a channel is investigated using interface-resolved direct numerical simulation. An efficient coupled level-set volume-of-fluid solver based on a fast Fourier transform algorithm is implemented to enable a high resolution and fast computation at the same time. Up to 384 bubbles are seeded in the turbulent channel flow corresponding to 5.4% gas volume fraction. Bubbles are clustered in the channel center due to the downward flow direction. The bubbles induce additional pseudo-turbulence in the channel center and are also able to attenuate the energy in the boundary layer by reducing the shear production. Turbulent kinetic energy budget indicates a significant buoyancy production in the channel center. A local equilibrium between buoyancy production and dissipation is observed here besides the shear production peak in the boundary layer. Comparing the local production and dissipation indicates a coexistence of boundary layer turbulence near the wall and bubble-induced pseudo-turbulence in the channel center. The liquid phase and gas phase are coupled through the complex liquid-gas interface. Local flow topology analysis is depicted in the liquid phase around the bubbles as well as in the gas phase. The flow topology of the liquid phase and the gas phase differs from each other significantly. Local dissipation is more dominant in the liquid phase near the bubble interface, whereas local enstrophy is preferred in the gas phase. In the liquid phase, a high dissipation event is preferred close to the interface, whereas a high enstrophy event is dominant away from the interface.

Original languageEnglish
Article number083310
Number of pages15
JournalPhysics of Fluids
Volume32
Issue number8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2020

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