Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) of Fully Developed Turbulent Channel Flow with Heat Transfer for Moderately High Reynolds Numbers

Abstract

Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) is a very powerful tool to investigate turbulent flow; e.g. to scrutinize fundamental physical aspects, to validate turbulent models, etc. In the past, however, DNS had the limitation of low-Reynolds number effects, since almost all these simulations were done for relatively low Reynolds numbers. Owing to the rapid increase in the computer power, moderately high Reynolds number turbulent flows are now been investigated using DNS. In the present study, DNS of fully developed turbulent channel flow with heat transfer, at four Reynolds numbers based on friction velocity and channel half width (ReT = uT =) up to ReT = 930 and at molecular Prandtl number equal to 1 are reported. The objective of this study is to analyze the Reynolds number dependency of the flow and heat transfer turbulent quantities. The computed fields are also examined to investigate some aspects related with the similarity/dissimilarity of the fluctuations of the temperature and the streamwise velocity.