Turbulent Flows

Stephen B. Pope
Cambridge University Press (2000)

Solution to Exercise 5.41

Prepared by: Zhuyin Ren Date: 05/07/03

a) The Reynolds equations (Eq.(4.12)) are

D̄hUj i ∂hui uj i 1 ∂hpi

= ν∇2 hUj i − − . (1)
D̄t ∂xi ρ ∂xj

By differentiating Eq. 1 with respect to xk , in homogeneous turbulence,

we obtain
! ! !
∂ D̄hUj i ∂ ∂hui uj i ∂ 1 ∂hpi
= ν∇2 hUj i − − , (2)
∂xk D̄t ∂xk ∂xi ∂xk ρ ∂xj

i.e.,
! !
∂ ∂hUj i ∂hUj i ∂  2  ∂ ∂hui uj i
+ hUi i = ν∇ hUj i −
∂xk ∂t ∂xi ∂xk ∂xk ∂xi
!
∂ 1 ∂hpi
− . (3)
∂xk ρ ∂xj
∂
In Eq. 3, ∂xk
(ν∇2 hUj i) is zero because the mean velocity gradient is
 
∂ ∂hui uj i
uniform for homogeneous turbulence and ∂xk ∂xi
is zero because
of homogeneity. So Eq. 3 reduces to

∂ ∂hUj i ∂hUi i ∂hUj i ∂ 2 hUj i 1 ∂ 2 hpi

+ + hUi i =− . (4)
∂t ∂xk ∂xk ∂xi ∂xk ∂xk ρ ∂xk ∂xj
∂ hUj i 2
Following the same argument, hUi i ∂xk ∂xk
is zero, so Eq. 4 reduces to

d ∂hUj i ∂hUi i ∂hUj i 1 ∂ 2 hpi

+ =− . (5)
dt ∂xk ∂xk ∂xi ρ ∂xj ∂xk

1
b) According to the definition of the mean rate of strain, we get
!
1 ∂hUj i ∂hUk i
S̄jk ≡ + . (6)
2 ∂xk ∂xj

According to Eq. 5, we get

d ∂hUj i ∂hUi i ∂hUj i 1 ∂ 2 hpi
+ =− , (7)
dt ∂xk ∂xk ∂xi ρ ∂xj ∂xk
and
d ∂hUk i ∂hUi i ∂hUk i 1 ∂ 2 hpi
+ =− . (8)
dt ∂xj ∂xj ∂xi ρ ∂xj ∂xk
Adding Eq. 7 to Eq. 8, we get
2 ∂ 2 hpi
!
d ∂hUj i ∂hUk i ∂hUi i ∂hUj i ∂hUi i ∂hUk i
+ + + =− , (9)
dt ∂xk ∂xj ∂xk ∂xi ∂xj ∂xi ρ ∂xj ∂xk
i.e.,
dS̄jk 1 ∂hUi i ∂hUj i 1 ∂hUi i ∂hUk i 1 ∂ 2 hpi
+ + =− . (10)
dt 2 ∂xk ∂xi 2 ∂xj ∂xi ρ ∂xj ∂xk
From Eq. 10, we get
! !
dS̄jk 1 ∂hUi i ∂hUk i ∂hUj i ∂hUi i
+ + +
dt 4 ∂xk ∂xi ∂xi ∂xj
1 ∂ 2 hpi
! !
1 ∂hUi i ∂hUk i ∂hUj i ∂hUi i
+ − − =− , (11)
4 ∂xk ∂xi ∂xi ∂xj ρ ∂xj ∂xk
i.e.,
dS̄jk 1 ∂ 2 hpi
+ S̄ik S̄ji + Ω̄ik Ω̄ji = − , (12)
dt ρ ∂xj ∂xk
c) According to the definition of the mean rate of rotation, we get
!
1 ∂hUj i ∂hUk i
Ω̄jk ≡ − . (13)
2 ∂xk ∂xj
Subtracting Eq. 8 from Eq. 7, we get
!
d ∂hUj i ∂hUk i ∂hUi i ∂hUj i ∂hUi i ∂hUk i
− + − = 0, (14)
dt ∂xk ∂xj ∂xk ∂xi ∂xj ∂xi

2
 i.e.,
dΩ̄jk 1 ∂hUi i ∂hUj i 1 ∂hUi i ∂hUk i
+ − = 0. (15)
dt 2 ∂xk ∂xi 2 ∂xj ∂xi
From Eq. 15, we get
! !
dΩ̄jk 1 ∂hUi i ∂hUk i ∂hUj i ∂hUi i
+ + −
dt 4 ∂xk ∂xi ∂xi ∂xj
! !
1 ∂hUi i ∂hUk i ∂hUj i ∂hUi i
+ − + = 0, (16)
4 ∂xk ∂xi ∂xi ∂xj

i.e.,
dΩ̄jk
+ S̄ik Ω̄ji + Ω̄ik S̄ji = 0. (17)
dt
[Note that the mean pressure field is of the form hp(x, t)i = A(t) + Bi (t)xi +
Cij (t)xi xj , and that Cij (t) can be chosen to produce any desired evolution
dS̄jk /dt. On the other hand, the evolution of the mean rotation rate is
entirely determined by S̄ij and Ω̄ij .]

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