Turbulent Flows

Turbulent structures and transport

We study turbulent structures, transition, and momentum and heat transport in channels, pipes, boundary layers, and jets. By examining flow organization across scales, we seek physical explanations for complex flow behavior.

• Large- and very-large-scale motions and inner–outer interactions in wall turbulence
• Laminar-to-turbulent transition and turbulent/non-turbulent interfaces
• Effects of roughness, wavy walls, and superhydrophobic surfaces
• Temperature-dependent viscosity, heat transfer, and scalar transport
• Turbulence in viscoelastic fluids, free-surface flows, and complex geometries

Flow control and drag reduction

We investigate how surface conditions and fluid properties alter turbulent structures and momentum transport. Our 2025 paper on drag reduction in turbulent Couette flow over superhydrophobic textures connects recent findings with earlier work on surface control and large-scale motions.

Evidence for physical understanding

We combine direct numerical simulation (DNS), turbulence statistics, and structural analysis. See CFD & Flow Analysis Methods for the methods, and the public record and publications for the supporting research.