Graduate Student, Civil & Environmental Engineering
Thesis Title: Subgrid-scale turbulence modeling for improved large-eddy simulation of flow in the planetary boundary layer
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Robert L. Street
Francis L. Ludwig |
About
Currently, I am working on improving the turbulence modeling of large-eddy simulations of the atmospheric boundary layer (the part of the atmosphere in which we live and breathe). Large-eddy simulation (LES), a numerical tool developed by atmospheric scientists, is used to describe the development and movement of thunderstorms, mountain winds, plumes of polluted air, and other atmospheric disturbances. As the name describes, LES accurately simulates the large eddies, or swirls and whirls, in the flow while modeling the effects of the smaller motions. These smaller swirls and whirls are collectively called turbulence. My research focuses on appropriately modeling atmospheric turbulence.
I have implemented a linear algebraic subgrid-scale stress (LASS) model in the Advanced Regional Prediction System (ARPS), which complements the subfilter-scale turbulence reconstruction studies of Tina Chow. I have verified some model results with Horizontal Array Turbulence Study (HATS) experimental data, which I learned about at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) as a graduate student fellow under Peter Sullivan.
As faster computers are manufactured, LES is being more widely used, and the demand for the development of more accurate turbulence models increases. This research impacts a multitude of disciplines: meteorology, climate, computational fluid dynamics, wind energy production, atmospheric dispersion of pollutants, forest fire propagation, wind erosion, etc.
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