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Experimental study on space–time correlations of velocity and passive scalar fields in turbulent pipe flows

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 October 2025

Huixin Li Open the ORCID record for Huixin Li [Opens in a new window] ,
Duo Xu Open the ORCID record for Duo Xu [Opens in a new window]  and
Guowei He Open the ORCID record for Guowei He [Opens in a new window]
Huixin Li
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory of Nonlinear Mechanics, Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Beisihuanxi Road, Beijing 100190, PR China School of Engineering Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Yanqihu East Road, Beijing 101408, PR China
Duo Xu*
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory of Nonlinear Mechanics, Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Beisihuanxi Road, Beijing 100190, PR China School of Engineering Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Yanqihu East Road, Beijing 101408, PR China
Guowei He
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory of Nonlinear Mechanics, Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Beisihuanxi Road, Beijing 100190, PR China School of Engineering Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Yanqihu East Road, Beijing 101408, PR China
*
Corresponding author: Duo Xu, duo.xu@imech.ac.cn
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Abstract

Space–time correlations of velocity and high-Schmidt-number ($Sc \approx 2000$) passive scalar fields are investigated in turbulent pipe flow using particle image velocimetry and planar laser-induced fluorescence, respectively. Both the velocity and scalar fields exhibit characteristic elliptical patterns in their respective space–time correlations. The elliptic approximation model, originally developed for the velocity field, is applied to estimate convection and sweeping velocities for both fields. In both fields, the convection velocity decreases, while the sweeping velocity increases, along the pipe radius. The convection velocity ratio between the scalar and velocity fields shows that high-Schmidt-number scalar fluctuations are advected faster than the velocity fluctuations. Similarly, the sweeping velocity of the scalar fluctuations is found to be larger than that of the velocity fluctuations. Furthermore, the high-Schmidt-number scalar is found to decorrelate more rapidly than the corresponding velocity, with the scalar Taylor microscale distinctly smaller than the velocity Taylor microscale.

JFM classification

Mixing: Turbulent mixing Turbulent Flows: Pipe flow

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Type
JFM Papers
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Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 1021 , 25 October 2025 , A23
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© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press

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