Large eddy simulation of turbulent statistical and transport properties in stably stratified flows

Three dimensional large eddy simulation (LES) is performed in the inves-tigation of stably stratified turbulence with a sharp thermal interface. Main results are focused on the turbulent characteristic scale, statistical properties, transport properties,and temporal and spatial evolution of the scalar field. Results show that the buoyancy scale increases first, and then goes to a certain constant value. The stronger the mean shear, the larger the buoyancy scale. The overturning scale increases with the flow, and the mean shear improves the overturning scale. The flatness factor of temperature de-parts from the Ganssian distribution in a fairly large region, and its statistical properties are clearly different from those of the velocity fluctuations in strong stratified cases. Tur-bulent mixing starts from small scale motions, and then extends to large scale motions.