Asymptotic coefficients of the attached-eddy model derived from an adiabatic atmosphere
Date
2025
Authors
Version
Published version
OA Version
Citation
Qin Y, Katul GG, Liu H, Li D. Asymptotic coefficients of the attached-eddy model derived from an adiabatic atmosphere. Journal of Fluid Mechanics. 2025;1011:A29. doi:10.1017/jfm.2025.394
Abstract
The attached-eddy model (AEM) predicts that the mean streamwise velocity and streamwise velocity variance profiles follow a logarithmic shape, while the vertical velocity variance remains invariant with height in the overlap region of high Reynolds number wall-bounded turbulent flows. Moreover, the AEM coefficients are presumed to attain asymptotically constant values at very high Reynolds numbers. Here, the AEM predictions are examined using sonic anemometer measurements in the near-neutral atmospheric surface layer, with a focus on the logarithmic behaviour of the streamwise velocity variance. Utilizing an extensive 210-day dataset collected from a 62 m meteorological tower located in the Eastern Snake River Plain, Idaho, USA, the inertial sublayer is first identified by analysing the measured momentum flux and mean velocity profiles. The logarithmic behaviour of the streamwise velocity variance and the associated ‘ −1 ’ scaling of the streamwise velocity energy spectra are then investigated. The findings indicate that the Townsend–Perry coefficient ( 𝐴1 ) is influenced by mild non-stationarity that manifests itself as a Reynolds number dependence. After excluding non-stationary runs, and requiring the bulk Reynolds number defined using the atmospheric boundary layer height to be larger than 4×107 , the inferred 𝐴1 converges to values ranging between 1 and 1.25, consistent with laboratory experiments. Furthermore, nine benchmark cases selected through a restrictive quality control reveal a close relation between the ‘ −1 ’ scaling in the streamwise velocity energy spectrum and the logarithmic behaviour of streamwise velocity variance. However, additional data are required to determine whether the plateau value of the pre-multiplied streamwise velocity energy spectrum is identical to 𝐴1 .
Description
License
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press. This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution and reproduction, provided the original article is properly cited. This article has been published under a Read & Publish Transformative Open Access (OA) Agreement with CUP.