Relaminarization of turbulent flow in the entrance region of a rapidly rotating channel

Second-moment closure predictions of developing turbulent flow in a plane c hannel subjected to rapid spanwise rotation are compared with experimental results. Near-wall effects are modelled by elliptic relaxation. Rapid press ure-strain interactions are accounted for by a non-linear. cubic model whic h employs variable coefficients and is consistent with the principle of mat erial frame indifference (MFI) in the limit of two-dimensional turbulence. It is shown that the rotational-induced effect of the Coriolis force on the developing mean flow held and the turbulence quantities is well reproduced by the present approach: It is particularly encouraging that the experimen tally observed relaminarization on the stabilized suction side of the chann el could be predicted well. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reser ved.