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The turbulent flow originating from the interaction between two parallel streams with different velocities is studied by means of direct numerical simulation. Rather than the more common temporal evolving layer, a spatially evolving configuration, with perturbed laminar inlet conditions is considered. The streamwise evolution and the self-similar state of turbulence statistics are reported and compared to results available in the literature. The characteristics of the transitional region agree with those observed in other simulations and experiments of mixing layers originating from laminar inlets. The present results indicate that the transitional region depends strongly on the inlet flow. Conversely, the self-similar state of turbulent kinetic energy and dissipation agrees quantitatively with those in a temporal mixing layer developing from turbulent initial conditions [M. M. Rogers and R. D. Moser, “Direct simulation of a self-similar turbulent mixing layer,” Phys. Fluids 6, 903 (1994)]. The statistical features of turbulence in the self-similar region have been analysed in terms of longitudinal velocity structure functions, and scaling exponents are estimated by applying the extended self-similarity concept. In the small scale range (60 < r/η < 250), the scaling exponents display the universal anomalous scaling observed in homogeneous isotropic turbulence. The hypothesis of isotropy recovery holds in the turbulent mixing layer despite the presence of strong shear and large-scale structures, independently of the means of turbulence generation. At larger scales (r/η > 400), the mean shear and large coherent structures result in a significant deviation from predictions based on homogeneous isotropic turbulence theory. In this second scaling range, the numerical values of the exponents agree quantitatively with those reported for a variety of other flows characterized by strong shear, such as boundary layers, as well as channel and wake flows.

Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) are conducted to study the statistics of flame surface stretch in turbulent jet premixed flames. Emphasis is placed on the rates of surface production and destruction and their scaling with the Reynolds number. Four lean methane/air turbulent slot jet flames are simulated at increasing Reynolds number and up to Re ≈ 22 × 10 3 , based on the bulk velocity, slot width, and the reactants' properties. The Karlovitz number is held approximately constant and the flames fall in the thin reaction zone regime. The simulations feature finite rate chemistry and mixture-average transport. Our data indicate that the area of the flame surface increases up to the streamwise position corresponding to 80% of the average flame length and decreases afterwards as surface destruction overtakes production. It is observed that the tangential rate of strain is responsible for the production of flame surface in the mean and surface destruction is due to the curvature term. In addition, it is found that these two terms are both significantly larger than their difference, i.e., the net surface stretch. The statistics of the tangential strain rate are in good agreement with those for infinitesimal material surfaces in homogeneous isotropic turbulence. Once scaled by the Kolmogorov time scale, the means of both contributions to stretch are largely independent of location and equal across flames with different values of the Reynolds number. Surface destruction is due mostly to propagation into the reactants where the surface is folded into a cylindrical shape with the center of curvature on the side of the reactants. The joint statistics of the displacement speed and curvature of the reactive surface are nuanced, with the most probable occurrence being that of a negative displacement speed of a flat surface, while the surface averaged displacement speed is positive as expected.

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