Partially-Averaged Navier-Stokes Model for Turbulence: A Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes to Direct Numerical Simulation Bridging Method

A turbulence bridging method purported for any filter-width or scale resolution—fully averaged to completely resolved—is developed. The method is given the name partially averaged Navier-Stokes (PANS) method. In PANS, the model filter width (extent of partial averaging) is controlled through two parameters: the unresolved-to-total ratios of kinetic energy (fk) and dissipation (fε). The PANS closure model is derived formally from the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) model equations by addressing the following question: if RANS represents the closure for fully averaged statistics, what is the corresponding closure for partially averaged statistics? The PANS equations vary smoothly from RANS equations to Navier-Stokes (direct numerical simulation) equations, depending on the values of the filter-width control parameters. Preliminary results are very encouraging.