course-details-portlet

TEP4112

Turbulent Flows

Choose study year
Credits 7.5
Level Second degree level
Course start Spring 2025
Duration 1 semester
Language of instruction English
Location Trondheim
Examination arrangement Aggregate score

About

About the course

Course content

Phenomenological and theoretical introduction to turbulence and the scales found within it. Reynolds' decomposition and Reynolds' averaging. Homogeneous turbulence. Turbulent shear flows: boundary layers, jets and wakes. Introduction to turbulence modelling: algebraic and transport models. Practice examples with turbulent flow data.

Learning outcome

Knowledge:

After completion of this course, the student will have knowledge on:

  • Basic laws in fluid mechanics.
  • Cartesian tensor notation.
  • Dimensionless equations, Reynolds and Strouhal number, scales for length and time.
  • Vorticity and elements of vortex dynamics.
  • Characteristics of turbulence including the scales within it.
  • Reynolds’ decomposition, Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations (RANS).
  • Balance equations for the mean flow and the turbulent kinetic energy.
  • Turbulence near solid surfaces. The mean velocity profile. Boundary layer equations.
  • Free turbulent shear flows. Simplified momentum equations. Self-preservation.
  • Turbulence modelling. Eddy viscosity, mixing-length, Reynolds stress models.
  • Statistical description of turbulence: moments, correlations, spectra.
  • The concepts of direct numerical simulation (DNS) and large-eddy simulation (LES).

Skills:

After completion of this course, the student will have skills on:

  • Evaluation of turbulent flow situations.
  • Use of self-preservation solutions for free shear flows (jets, wakes, etc).
  • Choose a turbulence model for computational flow analysis (CFD).
  • Evaluate and interpret experimental measurements.

General competence:

After completion of this course, the student will have general competence on:

  • The theory of turbulence and the turbulent flow of liquids and gases (fluids).
  • An understanding of turbulent flow cases.

Learning methods and activities

Lectures, written exercises, a CFD project and a laboratory exercise. The lectures and course activities are in English. The exam will be given in English only. Students are free to choose Norwegian or English for written assessments.

Further on evaluation

The portfolio evaluation will consist of a lab report, a CFD project report, and problem exercises. For a re-take of an examination, the portfolio may be omitted if previously completed.

If there is a re-sit examination, the examination form may be changed from written to oral.

Required previous knowledge

TEP4135 Fluid Mechanics 2

Course materials

Lecture notes. S.B. Pope’s "Turbulent Flows" (Cambridge University Press) is recommended as a resource but is not required for the course.

Subject areas

  • Fluids Engineering
  • Energy and Process Engineering
  • Fluid Mechanics
  • Marine Hydrodynamics

Contact information

Course coordinator

Lecturers

Department with academic responsibility

Department of Energy and Process Engineering