Numerical Simulation of Rotating Turbulent Channel Flow by the Vortex in Cell Method

Direct numerical simulation (DNS) of a fully-developed turbulent flow in a channel rotating around the span- wise axis is performed. A vortex in cell (VIC) method, of which numerical accuracy was successfully improved by the authors in their prior study, is applied to the DNS. The Reynolds number based on the friction velocity and the channel half width is 171, and the nondimensional rotation number defined with the channel angular velocity and width is 2.1. The simulated turbulence statistics, such as the mean velocity and the Reynolds shear stress, are favorably compared with the existing DNS results. The simulation can analyze the disappearance of the streak structures near the suction-wall due to the channel rotation. It also captures the secondary flow of the Taylor-Gortler vortex pattern near the pressure-wall. These simulation results demonstrate that the VIC method improved by the authors is indeed applicable to the DNS of turbulent flows in rotating channel.