Modelling of near-wall turbulence for high Reynolds number flows – INFERENCE

Turbulent flows dictate the performance characteristics of numerous industrial equipment and environmental applications. Wall-bounded flows have been extensively investigated for over two centuries, however our knowledge still pitiful modest, and this is even more true for practical flows. At low Reynolds number, turbulent boundary layers are populated by near-wall small-scales structure, by increasing the mixing momentum they increase the drag. Their effect on the drag has been well-documented and efficient control strategies designed. One key objective is to investigate their effect on heat transfer and if the similar control strategies could be applied for enhancing heat transfer. It is now well known that as the Reynolds number increases, larger structures appear in the outer flow and alter the structures near the wall, causing control to become rapidly ineffective. The ultimate goal of this research programme is to introduce a low-order dynamical model for predicting the effects of Reynolds number on canonical and actuated flow, in the aim to design the most effective strategies for drag reduction and heat transfer.