Stably Stratified Wall-Bounded Turbulence

Abstract

Stably stratified wall-bounded turbulence is commonly encountered in many industrial and environmental processes. The interaction between turbulence and stratification induces remarkable modifications on the entire flow field, which in turn influence the overall transfer rates of mass, momentum, and heat. Although a vast proportion of the parameter range of wall-bounded stably stratified turbulence is still unexplored (in particular when stratification is strong), numerical simulations and experiments have recently developed a fairly robust picture of the flow structure, also providing essential ground for addressing more complex problems of paramount technological, environmental and geophysical importance. In this paper, we review models used to describe the influence of stratification on turbulence, as well as numerical and experimental methods and flow configurations for studying the resulting dynamics. Conclusions with a view on current open issues will be also provided.