Reynolds number effects on turbulent flow in curved channels

We investigate fully developed turbulent flow in curved channels to explore the interaction between turbulence and curvature-driven coherent structures. By focusing on two cases of mild and strong curvature, we examine systematically the effects of the Reynolds number through a campaign of direct numerical simulations, spanning flow regimes from laminar up to the moderately high Reynolds number – based on bulk velocity and channel height – of $87\,000$ . Our analysis highlights the influence of curvature on the friction coefficient, showing that flow transition is anticipated by concave curvature and delayed by convex curvature. In the case of mild curvature, a frictional drag reduction compared with plane channel flow is found in the transitional regime. Spectral analysis reveals that the near-wall turbulence regeneration cycle is maintained in mildly curved channels, while it is absent or severely inhibited on the convex wall of strongly curved channels. Streamwise large-scale structures resembling Dean vortices are found to be weakly dependent on the Reynolds number and strongly affected by curvature: increasing curvature shifts these vortices towards the outer wall and reduces their size and coherence, limiting their contribution to streamwise velocity fluctuations and momentum transport. In the case of strong curvature, spanwise large-scale structures are also detected. These structures are associated with large pressure fluctuations and the suppression of turbulent stresses near the convex wall, where a region with negative turbulence production is observed and characterised via quadrant analysis.