LARGE EDDY SIMULATION OF THE NEAR WAKE OF A HEATED SPHERE AT RE=10,000

Abstract

Large eddy simulation is used to numerically simulate flow past a heated sphere at Re=10,000. A second order accurate in space and time, semi-implicit finite difference code is used with the immersed boundary to represent the sphere in a Cartesian domain. Visualizations of the vorticity field and temperature field are provided together with profiles of the temperature and velocity fields at various locations in the wake. The laminar separated shear layer was found to efficiently transport temperature from the hot sphere surface to the cold fluid in the wake. Pronounced Kelvin-Helmholtz induced rollers are formed which destabilize the separated shear layer and promote mixing. Calculations of the wake dimensions showed that the wake dimensions of the velocity field and the temperature field differ by 10% in the developed region behind the re-circulating region.