A numerical study of the effects of spanwise rotation on turbulent channel flow

The effects of spanwise rotation on the large-scale structures in a turbulent channel flow are numerically simulated by integrating the filtered Navier-Stokes equations. A finite-difference technique is used to retain the generality for complex geometries and developing flows to be considered in the future. The computed results are consistent with previous flow visualization data and measurements. It is seen that for the presently considered low Reynolds number, the flow significantly laminarizes on the stable side even for low rotation rates. Cellular spanwise structures are observed to develop as a result of the unstable interaction between mean shear and Coriolis forces. The statistics of these roll cells and the underlying turbulence are analyzed and presented in this paper. It is observed that the roll cells make a significant contribution to total turbulent quantities and also aid in the transport of underlying turbulence.