Lagrangian network analysis of turbulent mixing

Abstract

A temporal complex network-based approach is proposed as a novel formulation to investigate turbulent mixing from a Lagrangian viewpoint. By exploiting a spatial proximity criterion, the dynamics of a set of fluid particles is geometrized into a time-varying weighted network. Specifically, a numerically solved turbulent channel flow is employed as an exemplifying case. We show that the time-varying network is able to clearly describe the particle swarm dynamics, in a parametrically robust and computationally inexpensive way. The network formalism enables to straightforwardly identify transient and long-term flow regimes, the interplay between turbulent mixing and mean flow advection, and the occurrence of proximity events among particles. Thanks to their versatility and ability to highlight significant flow features, complex networks represent a suitable tool for Lagrangian investigations of turbulence mixing. The present application of complex networks offers a powerful resource for Lagrangian analysis of turbulent flows, thus providing a further step in building bridges between turbulence research and network science.

References in corpus (4)

• Network Structure of Two-Dimensional Decaying Isotropic Turbulence
• Flow networks: A characterization of geophysical fluid transport
• Coherent structure coloring: identification of coherent structures from sparse data using graph theory
• Complex Networks Unveiling Spatial Patterns in Turbulence

Cited by in corpus (10)

• A review on turbulent and vortical flow analyses via complex networks
• Large-to-small scale frequency modulation analysis in wall-bounded turbulence via visibility networks
• Experimental investigation of vertical turbulent transport of a passive scalar in a boundary layer: statistics and visibility graph analysis
• Load estimation in unsteady flows from sparse pressure measurements: Application of transition networks to experimental data
• Wall-induced anisotropy effects on turbulent mixing in channel flow: A network-based analysis
• Network analysis of Reynolds number scaling in wall-bounded Lagrangian mixing
• Investigating the magnitude and temporal localization of inertial particle mixing in turbulent channel flows
• Evolution of clusters of turbulent reattachment due to shear layer instability in flow past a circular cylinder
• Vortical interactions in turbulent thermoacoustic systems
• Discrete vortex-based broadcast mode analysis for mitigation of dynamic stall