Investigation of turbulent mixing of scalars with arbitrary Schmidt numbers using the stochastic Hierarchical Parcel Swapping Model

Hierarchical Parcel Swapping (HiPS) is a stochastic model of turbulent mixing. HiPS is based on a binary tree structure consisting of nodes emanating from the top of the tree and terminating in parcels at the base of the tree containing fluid properties. Length scales decrease geometrically with increasing tree level, and corresponding time scales follow inertial range scaling. Turbulent mixing is modeled by swapping subtrees at different tree levels. Swaps involving single parcels result in micromixing that changes scalar states. Swaps are implemented as a Poisson process at rates corresponding to level time scales. HiPS is extended to simulation of multiple scalars with arbitrary diffusivities, considering transport in the inertial, viscous-advective, and inertial-diffusive ranges. Fundamental analysis of particle dispersion is presented with comparisons to theoretical results and DNS data in the inertial and viscous ranges. Scalar energy spectra are analysed in the three ranges and reproduce known scaling exponents. Scalar dissipation statistics are analysed and reproduce the experimental and theoretical lognormal distribution with negative skewness represented by a stretched-exponential function. DNS data are used to evaluate empirical coefficients, facilitating quantitative applications. The physical fidelity demonstrated with HiPS suggests its use as a low-cost subgrid model for coarse-grained flow simulation, for which parcel-pair mixing is a common treatment.