Turbulent pipe flow at Reτ ≈ 1000 : A comparison of wall-resolved large-eddy simulation, direct numerical simulation and hot-wire experiment

Results are reported for wall-resolved large-eddy simulation of fully developed turbulent pipe flow with computational domain length 8πδ, performed using a spectral vanishing viscosity approach. Turbulence statistics are compared with direct numerical simulation and hot-wire experimental data at matched friction Reynolds number Reτ=1002. Turbulence statistics of streamwise velocity show good agreement up to the fourth order. Analysis of the results from the transverse velocities and pressure components are also performed and found to compare well with direct numerical simulation data. The results highlight the feasibility of using wall-resolved large-eddy simulation to accurately investigate turbulent pipe flow at Reynolds numbers not currently feasible for direct numerical simulation.