A priori and a posteriori analysis of the hybrid two-level large-eddy simulation method for high Reynolds number complex flows

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We present a priori and a posteriori analysis of the assumptions and predictions of the hybrid two-level large-eddy simulation (TLS-LES) method for high Reynolds number complex flows. The TLS-LES methodology is a multi-scale framework for simulation of turbulent flows in complex configurations at practically relevant Reynolds number. It additively combines the two-level simulation (TLS) model with a conventional large-eddy simulation (LES) approach by employing a static or dynamic blending function. In the present study, first we analyze the model assumptions employed by the TLS model to obtain the small-scale solution necessary for closure of the large-scale equations. Afterward, we analyze the large-scale and small-scale solutions to assess the predictive ability of the multi-scale framework for specific turbulence physics such as role of forward and backscatter of energy and presence of co- and counter-gradient diffusion. To perform these investigations, we consider cases with increasing degree of geometrical complexity, namely, flow in a periodic channel, flow past a bump placed on the lower surface of the channel and flow past a finite-span NACA0015 airfoil.