Quantifying Uncertainty
Lucor, D., Meyers, J., and Sagaut, P.. "Sensitivity analysis of large-eddy simulations to subgrid-scale-model parametric uncertainty using polynomial chaos" Journal of Fluid Mechanics.
vol. 585.
AUG 25 2007.
pp. 255--279.
We address the sensitivity of large-eddy simulations (LES) to parametric uncertainty in the subgrid-scale model. More specifically, we investigate the sensitivity of the LES statistical moments of decaying homogeneous isotropic turbulence to the uncertainty in the Smagorinsky model free parameter C-s (i.e. the Smagorinsky constant). Our sensitivity methodology relies on the non-intrusive approach of the generalized Polynomial Chaos (gPC) method; the gPC is a spectral non-statistical numerical method well-suited to representing random processes not restricted to Gaussian fields. The analysis is carried out at Re-lambda=100 and for different grid resolutions and C-s distributions. Numerical predictions are also compared to direct numerical simulation evidence. We have shown that the different turbulent scales of the LES solution respond differently to the variability in C-s. In particular, the study of the relative turbulent kinetic energy distributions for different C-s distributions indicates that small scales are mainly affected by changes in the subgrid-model parametric uncertainty.