Large Eddy Simulation of Turbulent Channel Flow with 3D Roughness Using a Roughness Element Model

Large eddy simulation of turbulent channel flow with dense and small 3D roughness elements is carried out using a roughness element model. Profiles of mean Reynolds stress, mean velocity and rms velocity as well as turbulent structures near the wall are obtained. The shear stress in the rough wall is larger than that in the smooth wall side and the rough wall has a larger influence on the channel flow. Profiles of mean streamwise velocity near the wall have logarithmic velocity distributions for both smooth and roughness walls, while there is a velocity decrease for the rough wall due to larger fractional drag. All the three components of rms velocities in the rough wall region are larger than that in the smooth wall region, and the roughness elements on the wall increase turbulent intensity in all directions. The streak
spacing and average diameter of near wall quasi-streamwise vortices increase with the presence of roughness elements on the wall and it is
shown that the rough wall induces complex and strong streamwise vortices. Results of dense and small 3D roughness elements in both turbulent statistics and structure, obtained with a relatively simple method, are found to be comparable to related experiments.