A Reynolds stress model for turbulent flows of viscoelastic fluids

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2013

Authors

P. R. Resende (Author) Other; F. T. Pinho (Author) FEUP; D. O. A. Cruz (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Journal of Turbulence

Vol. 14 No. 12

Pages: 1-36

ISSN: 1468-5248

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 6 Citations

ISI Web of Science

Scopus - 9 Citations

INSPEC

Scientific classification

FOS: Engineering and technology > Mechanical engineering

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-006-J96

DOI: 10.1080/14685248.2013.851385

Abstract (EN): A second-order closure is developed for predicting turbulent flows of viscoelastic fluids described by a modified generalised Newtonian fluid model incorporating a nonlinear viscosity that depends on a strain-hardening Trouton ratio as a means to handle some of the effects of viscoelasticity upon turbulent flows. Its performance is assessed by comparing its predictions for fully developed turbulent pipe flow with experimental data for four different dilute polymeric solutions and also with two sets of direct numerical simulation data for fluids theoretically described by the finitely extensible nonlinear elastic – Peterlin model. The model is based on a Newtonian Reynolds stress closure to predict Newtonian fluid flows, which incorporates low Reynolds number damping functions to properly deal with wall effects and to provide the capability to handle fluid viscoelasticity more effectively. This new turbulence model was able to capture well the drag reduction of various viscoelastic fluids over a wide range of Reynolds numbers and performed better than previously developed models for the same type of constitutive equation, even if the streamwise and wall-normal turbulence intensities were underpredicted.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 36