Turbulence modulation by suspended finite-sized particles -- Towards physics-based multiphase subgrid modeling

Abstract

The presence of a dispersed phase substantially modifies small-scale turbulence. However, there has not been a comprehensive mechanistically-based understanding to predict turbulence modulation. Based on the energy flux balance, we propose a theoretical model to predict the turbulent kinetic energy modulation in isotropic turbulence due to the dispersed phase. The comparison between model predictions and results from particle-resolved simulations and high-fidelity experiments validates the performance of the model over a wide range of turbulence and particle parameters.