Investigation of internal intermittency by way of higher-order spectral moments. (10th February 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lortie, S.; Mydlarski, L.
• Is Part Of: Journal of fluid mechanics. Volume 932(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-02-10
• Subjects: intermittency -- isotropic turbulence -- turbulent mixing; Fluid mechanics -- Periodicals; 532.005
• DOI: 10.1017/jfm.2021.951
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-1120

Abstract

Abstract: Abstract : The analysis of turbulence by way of higher-order spectral moments is uncommon, despite the relatively frequent use of such statistical analyses in other fields of physics and engineering. In this work, higher-order spectral moments are used to investigate the internal intermittency of the turbulent velocity and passive-scalar (temperature) fields. This study first introduces the theory behind higher-order spectral moments as they pertain to the field of turbulence. Then, a short-time Fourier-transform-based method is developed to estimate these higher-order spectral moments and provide a relative, scale-by-scale measure of intermittency. Experimental data are subsequently analysed and consist of measurements of homogeneous, isotropic, high-Reynolds-number, passive and active grid turbulence over the Reynolds-number range $35\leq R_{\lambda } \leq ~731$ . Emphasis is placed on third- and fourth-order spectral moments using the definitions formalised by Antoni ( Mech. Syst. Signal Pr., vol. 20 (2), 2006, pp. 282–307), as such statistics are sensitive to transients and provide insight into deviations from Gaussian behaviour in grid turbulence. The higher-order spectral moments are also used to investigate the Reynolds (Péclet) number dependence of the internal intermittency of velocity and passive-scalar fields. The results demonstrate that the evolution of higher-order spectral moments with Reynolds number is strongly dependent on wavenumber. Finally, the relative levels of internal intermittency of the velocity and passive-scalar fields are compared and a higher level of internal intermittency in the inertial subrange of the scalar field is consistently observed, whereas a similar level of internal intermittency is observed for the velocity and passive-scalar fields for the high-Reynolds-number cases as the Kolmogorov length scale is approached.