An investigation of strong backflow events at the interface of air–water systems using large-eddy simulation

A large-eddy simulation of a counter-current gas–liquid flow is performed. At the flat interface where the different fluids meet, continuity of momentum and momentum fluxes are enforced following the work of Lombardi et al. [Direct numerical simulation of near-interface turbulence in coupled gas-liquid flow. Phys Fluids. 1996;8(6):1643–1665]. The increase in vertical vorticity fluctuations near the interface increases mixing, reducing the thickness of the inner region of the boundary layer. Such increase reduces shear while allowing for more frequent backflow motions in the inner region, being this phenomenon stronger on water. Due to the higher inertia of water these backflow motions are ultimately responsible for the streaky structure of shear stresses seen along the interface. The present study shows that such bimodality in the streamwise velocities is also seen in the angle distribution of vorticity relative to the interface, where such angles are linked to the presence of interface-connected and quasi-streamwise vortex cores. Finally, it is shown that backflow events on the interface shear stresses correlate with coupled ‘strong’ ejections in the near interface region despite the disparagingly different near-interface streamwise velocity distributions on the near interface boundary layers.