Wave-Particle Turbulence Simulation of Spatially Developing Round Jets: Turbulent Flow Modeling and Method Validation

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that the wave-particle turbulence simulation (WPTS) method accurately models spatially developing round jets at Reynolds number 5000, using significantly fewer computational resources than DNS, and aligns well with experimental data.

Contribution

The study validates WPTS as an efficient and accurate multiscale turbulence modeling approach for shear-driven flows, with potential for complex engineering applications.

Findings

WPTS predicts flow features with high accuracy using only 2% of DNS grid cells.

The method captures turbulence statistics and flow decay consistent with DNS and experiments.

WPTS offers a computationally efficient alternative for turbulence simulation in engineering.

Abstract

Spatially developing round jet flows are fundamental to numerous engineering applications. This letter applies the wave-particle turbulence simulation (WPTS) method, a recently developed multiscale approach, to simulate a spatially developing circular jet at Reynolds number 5000, a canonical configuration for validating turbulence models. The study aims to further establish the effectiveness and accuracy of WPTS for shear-driven turbulent flows. WPTS employs a multiscale framework that couples wave and particle components, where the wave component captures cell-resolved flow structures while the particle component models sub-grid flow information through non-equilibrium transport. Using a computational grid containing only 2% of the cells required for direct numerical simulation (DNS), WPTS successfully predicts both qualitative flow features and quantitative turbulence statistics, including: the characteristic linear decay of centerline velocity, radial profiles of mean velocity, and anisotropic Reynolds stress components. The results demonstrate excellent agreement with DNS data and experimental measurements. These findings establish WPTS as an effective computational tool for turbulence simulation, capable of maintaining high fidelity in capturing essential turbulence characteristics while utilizing significantly coarser grids than traditional methods. The successful application to turbulent jet flow demonstrates the method's potential for extension to more complex engineering flow configurations, offering a computationally efficient alternative for industrial applications.