A CONSISTENCY CONDITION FOR NONLINEAR ALGEBRAIC REYNOLDS STRESS MODELS IN TURBULENCE

An important consistency condition for non-linear algebraic Reynolds s tress models involving their dependence on rotational strains is discu ssed from a basic theoretical standpoint. A variety of recently propos ed models are demonstrated to violate this condition which leads to ph ysically inconsistent results and unrealizable solutions in rotating f lows - an undesirable state of affairs that was avoided in the majorit y of earlier models. It is shown that when non-linear algebraic models are systematically derived from the Reynolds stress transport equatio n, such inconsistencies are automatically avoided. The implications of these results for turbulence modeling are demonstrated quantitatively by the illustrative example of isotropic turbulence in a rotating fra me. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.