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How large-scale flow structures affect particle transport in wall turbulence

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 July 2025

Jianda Huang Open the ORCID record for Jianda Huang [Opens in a new window] ,
Yucheng Jie ,
Zhiwen Cui Open the ORCID record for Zhiwen Cui [Opens in a new window] ,
Chunxiao Xu ,
Helge I. Andersson  and
Lihao Zhao Open the ORCID record for Lihao Zhao [Opens in a new window]
Jianda Huang
Affiliation:
AML, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China
Yucheng Jie
Affiliation:
AML, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China
Zhiwen Cui
Affiliation:
AML, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China College of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR China
Chunxiao Xu
Affiliation:
AML, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China
Helge I. Andersson
Affiliation:
Department of Marine Technology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim 7491, Norway
Lihao Zhao*
Affiliation:
AML, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China State Key Laboratory of Advanced Space Propulsion, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China
*
Corresponding author: Lihao Zhao, zhaolihao@tsinghua.edu.cn
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Abstract

This study investigates the transport of particles in turbulent channel flow with friction Reynolds number $Re_\tau = 1000$ by direct numerical simulation. We focus on how large-scale flow structures, namely the $Qs$ structures (Lozano-Durán et al. 2012, J. Fluid Mech., vol. 694, pp. 100–130), affect the wall-normal transport of particles. Despite occupying less than $10\,\%$ of the physical domain, our results highlight the critical role played by $Qs$ structures in the particle transport, namely that the particle number and momentum flux inside the $Qs$ structures are substantially higher than outside. The fraction of particle wall-normal momentum flux inside $Qs$ structures is considerably larger than their volume fraction, suggesting highly efficient transport inside the $Qs$ structures. This prominent role played by $Qs$ structures in the transport of inertial particles is more effective by diminishing the inertia of particles. Notably, the long-distance transport of particles in the wall-normal direction is driven primarily by the continuous effect of $Qs$ structures. In summary, our findings advance the understanding of the effects of $Qs$ structures on particle transport, and demonstrate their significant role in the process.

JFM classification

Multiphase and Particle-laden Flows: Particle/fluid flow

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JFM Papers
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Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 1015 , 25 July 2025 , A23
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press

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Footnotes

†

Jianda Huang and Yucheng Jie contributed equally to this work.

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