Direct numerical simulations have been carried out for a fully developed turbulent channel flow with a smooth upper wall and a lower wall consisting of square bars separated by a rectangular cavity. A wide range of w/k, the cavity width to roughness height ratio, was considered. For w/k > 7, recirculation zones occur immediately upstream and downstream of each element while mean streamlines and spatial distributions of the skin frictional drag indicate that each element is virtually isolated. The maximum form drag occurs at w/k = 7 and coincides with the minimum skin frictional drag. The dependence on w/k of the Clauser roughness function reflects that of the form drag.

The effects of initial conditions on grid turbulence are investigated for low to moderate Reynolds numbers. Four grid geometries are used to yield variations in initial conditions and a secondary contraction is introduced to improve the isotropy of the turbulence. The hot-wire measurements, believed to be the most detailed to date for this flow, indicate that initial conditions have a persistent impact on the large-scale organization of the flow over the length of the tunnel. The power-law coefficients, determined via an improved method, also depend on the initial conditions. For example, the power-law exponent m is affected by the various levels of large-scale organization and anisotropy generated by the different grids and the shape of the energy spectrum at low wavenumbers. However, the results show that these effects are primarily related to deviations between the turbulence produced in the wind tunnel and true decaying homogenous isotropic turbulence (HIT). Indeed, when isotropy is improved and the intensity of the large-scale periodicity, which is primarily associated with round-rod grids, is decreased, the importance of initial conditions on both the character of the turbulence and m is diminished. However, even in the case where the turbulence is nearly perfectly isotropic, m is not equal to −1, nor does it show an asymptotic trend in x towards this value, as suggested by recent analysis. Furthermore, the evolution of the second-and third-order velocity structure functions satisfies equilibrium similarity only approximately.

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Laser-induced uorescence (LIF) and laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV) are used to explore the structure of a turbulent boundary layer over a wall made up of two-dimensional square cavities placed transversely to the flow direction. There is strong evidence of occurrence of outflows of fluid from the cavities as well as inflows into the cavities. These events occur in a pseudo-random manner and are closely associated with the passage of near-wall quasi-streamwise vortices. These vortices and the associated low-speed streaks are similar to those found in a turbulent boundary layer over a smooth wall. It is conjectured that outflows play an important role in maintaining the level of turbulent energy in the layer and enhancing the approach towards self-preservation. Relative to a smooth wall layer, there is a discernible increase in the magnitudes of all the Reynolds stresses and a smaller streamwise variation of the local skin friction coefficient. A local maximum in the Reynolds shear stress is observed in the shear layers over the cavities.

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Direct numerical simulations (DNS) are carried out to study the passive heat transport in a turbulent channel flow with either square bars or circular rods on one wall. Several values of the pitch (λ) to height (k) ratio and two Reynolds numbers are considered. The roughness increases the heat transfer by inducing ejections at the leading edge of the roughness elements. The amounts of heat transfer and mixing depend on the separation between the roughness elements, an increase in heat transfer accompanying an increase in drag. The ratio of non-dimensional heat flux to the non-dimensional wall shear stress is higher for circular rods than square bars irrespectively of the pitch to height ratio. The turbulent heat flux varies within the cavities and is larger near the roughness elements. Both momentum and thermal eddy diffusivities increase relative to the smooth wall. For square cavities (λ/k = 2) the turbulent Prandtl number is smaller than for a smooth channel near the wall. As λ/k increases, the turbulent Prandtl number increases up to a maximum of 2.5 at the crests plane of the square bars (λ/k = 7.5). With increasing distance from the wall, the differences with respect to the smooth wall vanish and at three roughness heights above the crests plane, the turbulent Prandtl number is essentially the same for smooth and rough walls.

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