The role of boundary conditions in the simulation of rotating,stratified turbulence

Abstract

In this paper we use the CASL method to explore the role of boundary conditions in determining the long-time behaviour of rotating, stratified, quasi-geostrophic turbulence. We find that initially two-dimensional (sufficiently tall) columns of potential vorticity (PV) break down through three-dimensional instability to give a fully three-dimensional flow consisting of ellipsoidal structures. This is the case both for rigid-lid (isothermal) vertical boundary conditions and for vertically periodic boundaries. However, the rigid boundary case gives rise to semi-ellipsoids at both the top and bottom boundaries, and, for sufficient domain depths, preferred depths for the formation of ellipsoids in the interior. By contrast, in the vertically periodic case, the distribution of ellipsoids is homogeneous in depth.

The role of the horizontal boundaries is indirect, but still significant. In all cases doubly periodic horizontal boundary conditions are imposed. We consider a range of initial conditions where in each case equal numbers of two-dimensional columns of positive and negative vorticity are used, taking up a fixed, but relatively small fraction of the domain (approximately 5%). Thus when there is only a small number of vortices, they have larger radius. When the initial number of vortices is small enough (i.e., when the radius is not small compared with the horizontal domain width), at long time there is a two-dimensionalisation giving rise to a single column of positive PV and a single column of negative PV, as has been observed in some previous simulations. We find the same phenomenon for both vertically periodic and rigid lid boundary conditions, but it occurs over a broader range of initial conditions in the vertically periodic case. However, in all cases fully three-dimensional final states are regained when the number of vortices is increased while keeping the fraction of the domain occupied by vortices fixed, i.e., when the vortex radius/domain width ratio is sufficiently small.     

利用不同外尺度模型估算戈壁地区光学湍流廓线的对比研究

采用新疆戈壁地区3次对比试验数据,分析了Coulman、Dewan、Fried和Lukin 4种外尺度模型对Tatarskii公式估算折射率结构常数(Cn2)的影响。结果表明:温度脉动探空仪实测Cn2数据较Coulman和Dewan模型得到的结果大2个量级,比Fried模型得到的结果小1个量级,在10 km以上的范围,偏差尤为明显。只有Lukin模型得到的结果与实测值最为接近。利用实测Cn2值反算得到了外尺度廓线,整层平均值在38 m左右,比Dewan和Coulman模型得到的外尺度均值大1个量级。     

The influence of advection schemes and turbulence closure models on drag coefficient calculation around a circular cylinder at high Reynolds number

Different advection schemes and two-equation turbulence closure models based on eddy viscosity concept are used to compute the drag coefficient around a circular cylinder at high Reynolds number (106).The numerical results from these simulations are compared with each other and with experimental data in order to evaluate the performance of different combinations of advection scheme and two-equation turbulence model.The separate contributions from form drag and friction drag are also ana-lyzed.The computatio...     

各向异性正则化的多帧遥感图像盲复原算法

在大气湍流较强时,一般的遥感图像复原算法难以取得较好的复原效果。针对这种情况,提出了一种基于各向异性约束的多帧遥感图像盲复原算法。该算法不需要成像过程的先验信息,仅根据图像及点扩散函数的非负约束和支持域约束,即可得到较好的复原结果;同时该算法能够自适应地调整正则化参数,在实现图像复原的同时,保持边缘并抑制噪声。试验结果验证了该算法的良好性能,复原后图像的质量得到较大提高。     

2010年7—8月东北地区强降雨过程分析和预报技术探讨

2010年7月19日至8月底,我国东北地区的吉林省和辽宁省先后共出现10次强降雨过程,造成严重洪涝灾害,降雨具有过程频繁、降水量大、落区重复的特点。利用地面、高空、卫星、雷达等常规观测资料和地面区域站资料及T639、NCEPFNL业务全球分析资料针对上述特点进行了分析。结果表明：稳定而异常的环流形势导致了较强偏南暖湿气流与冷空气在吉林中东部和辽宁中东部交汇,形成持续不断的降雨过程。造成强降雨的主要高空系统有低涡（切变）北上类和冷涡（低槽）东移类,两类的环流形势特点、水汽来源、冷空气作用不尽相同。两类系统的个例分析表明,降雨云团反复生成并经过同一地区是造成较大累积降雨量的主要原因。两个个例的对流云团生成机制不同,7月20日过程对流云团发生于沿低空急流带上超地转偏差风辐合区、高空冷锋前部的上升运动区和位势不稳定区,7月27日夜间过程的上升运动主要是近地层锋面抬升即冷暖空气辐合的结果;生成后对流系统的移动方向可用Corfidi向量法判断。上述分析结果对东北暴雨预报具有参考价值,分析方法同样也适用于我国其他各地的暴雨分析和预报。     

Wind Gust and Turbulence Statistics of Typhoons in South China

The wind data of four typhoons were obtained and analyzed. The wind speeds were measured by sonic anemometers at four observation sites in Guangdong and Hainan provinces. Detailed analysis of the wind data was conducted to investigate the turbulence characteristics of the typhoons. Characteristics of the gust factor and the turbulence integral scale of the typhoons were concluded with high confidence. The relationships among the gust factor, gust duration time, mean wind speed, roughness length, and turbulence intensity were described. The turbulence integral scale was found to be closely related to the segment length and turbulence intensity.     

Bridging the gap between turbulence and larger scales of flow motions in rivers

Although flow turbulence in rivers is of critical importance to earth scientists, ecologists and engineers, its relations with larger flow scales are not well understood, thus leaving a fundamental gap in our knowledge. From an analysis of a long time series of the streamwise and vertical flow velocity fluctuations measured in a gravel‐bed river, we show that the signature of the fundamental turbulent flow structures (e.g. ejections and sweeps) is embedded within increasingly larger flow scales in a self‐similar manner. The imbrication of turbulent structures into large flow pulsations of flow acceleration and deceleration covers more than two‐orders of magnitude from a few seconds to nearly 10 minutes. This property is explained by the clustering of turbulent events creating an emergent pattern at larger scales. The size of the larger flow pulsations scales with the spacing of the pools and riffles in the river. This implies a mutual adjustment between turbulence generation mechanisms and long pulsations of flow acceleration and deceleration controlled by the bed morphology. These results bridge a gap in our understanding of flows in rivers and offer a new perspective on the interactions between the turbulent flow with larger scales of flow motion that are critical for sediment transport, habitat selection and fish behaviour. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Depositional processes,bedform development and hybrid bed formation in rapidly decelerated cohesive (mud–sand) sediment flows

Flows with high suspended sediment concentrations are common in many sedimentary environments, and their flow properties may show a transitional behaviour between fully turbulent and quasi‐laminar plug flows. The characteristics of these transitional flows are known to be a function of both clay concentration and type, as well as the applied fluid stress, but so far the interaction of these transitional flows with a loose sediment bed has received little attention. Information on this type of interaction is essential for the recognition and prediction of sedimentary structures formed by cohesive transitional flows in, for example, fluvial, estuarine and deep‐marine deposits. This paper investigates the behaviour of rapidly decelerated to steady flows that contain a mixture of sand, silt and clay, and explores the effect of different clay (kaolin) concentrations on the dynamics of flow over a mobile bed, and the bedforms and stratification produced. Experiments were conducted in a recirculating slurry flume capable of transporting high clay concentrations. Ultrasonic Doppler velocity profiling was used to measure the flow velocity within these concentrated suspension flows. The development of current ripples under decelerated flows of differing kaolin concentration was documented and evolution of their height, wavelength and migration rate quantified. This work confirms past work over smooth, fixed beds which showed that, as clay concentration rises, a distinct sequence of flow types is generated: turbulent flow, turbulence‐enhanced transitional flow, lower transitional plug flow, upper transitional plug flow and a quasi‐laminar plug flow. Each of these flow types produces an initial flat bed upon rapid flow deceleration, followed by reworking of these deposits through the development of current ripples during the subsequent steady flow in turbulent flow, turbulence‐enhanced transitional flow and lower transitional plug flow. The initial flat beds are structureless, but have diagnostic textural properties, caused by differential settling of sand, silt and cohesive mud, which forms characteristic bipartite beds that initially consist of sand overlain by silt or clay. As clay concentration in the formative flow increases, ripples first increase in mean height and wavelength under turbulence‐enhanced transitional flow and lower transitional plug‐flow regimes, which is attributed to the additional turbulence generated under these flows that subsequently causes greater lee side erosion. As clay concentration increases further from a lower transitional plug flow, ripples cease to exist under the upper transitional plug flow and quasi‐laminar plug flow conditions investigated herein. This disappearance of ripples appears due to both turbulence suppression at higher clay concentrations, as well as the increasing shear strength of the bed sediment that becomes more difficult to erode as clay concentration increases. The stratification within the ripples formed after rapid deceleration of the transitional flows reflects the availability of sediment from the bipartite bed. The exact nature of the ripple cross‐stratification in these flows is a direct function of the duration of the formative flow and the texture of the initial flat bed, and ripples do not form in cohesive flows with a Reynolds number smaller than ca 12 000. Examples are given of how the unique properties of the current ripples and plane beds, developing below decelerated transitional flows, could aid in the interpretation of depositional processes in modern and ancient sediments. This interpretation includes a new model for hybrid beds that explains their formation in terms of a combination of vertical grain‐size segregation and longitudinal flow transformation.     

Suspended sediment dynamics on a seasonal scale in the Mandovi and Zuari estuaries,central west coast of India

Suspended particulate matter (SPM) collected at regular stations from the Mandovi and Zuari estuaries indicates that the peaks of high SPM coincide with peaks of high rainfall and low salinity and also with peaks of moderate/low rainfall coupled with high salinity during the monsoon. The estuarine turbidity maximum (ETM) is a characteristic feature, it occurs in the channel accompanying spring tide during the monsoon and pre-monsoon, and shifts to the bay on neap tide during post-monsoon. ETM remains at the same position in the Mandovi River, both during the monsoon and pre-monsoon, whereas in Zuari it stretched upstream during monsoon and migrates seaward of the channel during pre-monsoon. The ETM coincides with the freshwater–seawater interface during the monsoon and is formed by the interaction between tidal currents and river flows. The ETM during pre-monsoon is associated with high salinities and is generated by tidal and wind-induced currents. The turbidity maximum on neap tide during post-monsoon may be due to the erosion and resuspension of sediments from the emergent tidal flats and transport of these turbid waters into the bay. Funneling effect of the narrowing bay in the Zuari estuary and associated physical processes effectively enhance the magnitude of the currents and transports sediments to the channel. SPM retention percentage indicates that the estuarine channel is prone to siltation.     

Comparison of turbulence schemes for prediction of wave-induced near-bed sediment suspension above a plane bed

Based on a wave bottom boundary layer model and a sediment advection-diffusion model, seven turbulence schemes are compared regarding their performances in prediction of near-bed sediment suspension beneath waves above a plane bed. These turbulence algorithms include six empirical eddy viscosity schemes and one standard two-equation k-ε model. In particular, different combinations of typical empirical formulas for the eddy viscosity profile and for the wave friction factor are examined. Numerical results are compared with four laboratory data sets, consisting of one wave boundary layer hydrodynamics experiment and three sediment suspension experiments under linear waves and the Stokes second-order waves. It is shown that predictions of near-bed sediment suspension are very sensitive to the choices of the empirical formulas in turbulence schemes. Simple empirical turbulence schemes are possible to perform equally well as the two-equation k-ε model. Among the empirical schemes, the turbulence scheme, combining the exponential formula for eddy viscosity and Swart formula for wave friction factor, is the most accurate. It maintains the simplicity and yields identically good predictions as the k-ε model does in terms of the wave-averaged sediment concentration.