Direct numerical simulation of spanwise rotating turbulent channel flow with heat transfer

Direct numerical simulation of spanwise rotating turbulent channel flow with heat transfer has been performed. The objective of this study is to reveal the effect of system rotation on the characteristics of turbulent flow, heat transfer, and large-scale motions in rotating turbulence. The Reynolds number is 194, the Prandtl number is 0.71, and the rotation number varies from 0 to 7.5, based on the global friction velocity, the channel half-height, and the angular speed of the spanwise rotating channel. To elucidate the effect of rotation on turbulent flow and heat transfer behaviours, some typical statistical quantities, including the mean velocity, temperature and their fluctuations, turbulent heat fluxes, and the structures of the velocity and temperature fluctuations, are analysed. The budget terms in the transport equation of turbulent heat flux are examined to deal with the effect of Coriolis force on turbulent heat transfer. Since rotational-induced Taylor-Gortler-like large-scale counter-rotating streamwise vortices (i.e. the roll cells) occur, the decomposition of the instantaneous temperature variance and turbulent heat flux is used to reveal the role of the rotational-induced structures on the thermal statistics. Copyright (c) 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.