Simulations of Turbulent Flow Over Complex Terrain Using an Immersed-Boundary Method
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
6-2018
DOI
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10546-018-0336-8
Abstract
We present an immersed-boundary method to simulate high-Reynolds-number turbulent flow over the complex terrain of Askervein and Bolund Hills under neutrally-stratified conditions. We reconstruct both the velocity and the eddy-viscosity fields in the terrain-normal direction to produce turbulent stresses as would be expected from the application of a surface-parametrization scheme based on Monin–Obukhov similarity theory. We find that it is essential to be consistent in the underlying assumptions for the velocity reconstruction and the eddy-viscosity relation to produce good results. To this end, we reconstruct the tangential component of the velocity field using a logarithmic velocity profile and adopt the mixing-length model in the near-surface turbulence model. We use a linear interpolation to reconstruct the normal component of the velocity to enforce the impermeability condition. Our approach works well for both the Askervein and Bolund Hills when the flow is attached to the surface, but shows slight disagreement in regions of flow recirculation, despite capturing the flow reversal.
Publication Information
DeLeon, Rey; Sundusky, Micah; and Senocak, Inanc. (2018). "Simulations of Turbulent Flow Over Complex Terrain Using an Immersed-Boundary Method". Boundary-Layer Meteorology, 167(3), 399-420.