CEEM Seminar | Myoungkyu Lee | University of Houston
Inverse Energy Transfer in Wall-Bounded Turbulence: Insights from Direct Numerical Simulations
Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) provides detailed insights into turbulence but is computationally prohibitive for many applications. As an alternative, Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) with subgrid-scale (SGS) models offers a more feasible approach, though accurately modeling energy transfer from small to large scales remains challenging. Inverse energy cascades, where energy flows from smaller to larger scales, often occur in strongly anisotropic flows. For example, in turbulent channel flows, significant inverse energy transfer is observed in the near-wall region, yet the mechanisms driving this phenomenon remain poorly understood. In this talk, we will explore inverse energy transfer by focusing on DNS studies of turbulent channel flows across a range of Reynolds numbers. Our investigation aims to illuminate the complex interactions between different scales in wall-bounded turbulence and advance the development of more accurate SGS models for LES.
Myoungkyu Lee
Dr. Myoungkyu Lee is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Houston, previously serving in the same role at the University of Alabama. He earned his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 2015 and completed a postdoctoral position at the Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences (ICES) there. In 2018, he joined the Combustion Research Facility at Sandia National Laboratories, focusing on combustion processes with strong thermal nonequilibrium. Most recently, he was selected as Lead PI for a project under the U.S. Department of Energy's Genesis Mission. He was also honored as an Early Career Presenter Fellow by the U.S. National Committee for Theoretical and Applied Mechanics in 2021 and was a Best Student Paper Finalist at SuperComputing 2013. His research interests include high-performance computing, magnetohydrodynamics, forced and natural convection, flows with thermal and chemical nonequilibrium, and direct numerical simulations of wall-bounded turbulent and reactive flows.