| 1. |
- Hedvall, Lisa
(författare)
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Reducing and absorbing variations in a manufacturing context : A capacity management perspective
- 2019
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Variations can have substantially negative effects on performance and it is therefore important to investigate how the variations can be reduced or absorbed in an appropriate way for competitiveness. Manufacturing companies are daily exposed to variations and operations managers need to take capacity management decisions with this in mind to secure the delivery capability. The current body of knowledge mainly focus on techniques for root cause analysis for reducing variations, especially in the manufacturing processes, neglecting the fact that both internally and externally generated variations are more or less possible to affect. Buffers are traditionally associated with waste and unfavourable performance, while the right buffers can be of strategic importance. The purpose of this research is therefore to increase the understanding of causes for variations, actions to reduce variations and how buffers can be used to mitigate negative effects of variations related to capacity management in a manufacturing context.Three research studies have been conducted, including four appended papers, to fulfil the purpose. These studies encompassed different combinations of traditional literature reviews, conceptual research with logical reasoning and case study research. The findings demonstrate that working on mitigating negative effects of variations is a complex challenge and not just about choosing to reduce or absorb the variations. In general, it is concluded that the variation management and buffer management include several aspects to consider with implications for the capacity management. In addition, the results indicate that the decisions in manufacturing companies tend to be based on intuition and previous experience due to a lack of decision support. Furthermore, the participating companies perceive that several of their internal routines contribute to their prevailing variations. This research contributes to an awareness of causes for variations that are possible to affect, possible actions to reduce the variations and the purposes of different buffers to absorb variations. This is sought to facilitate a systematic way of working with reducing and absorbing variations, creating support in the variation management and the buffer management from a capacity management perspective.
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| 2. |
- Johansson, Kristina, 1986-
(författare)
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Biomarkers and risk of intracerebral hemorrhage : population-based studies in northern Sweden
- 2021
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- BackgroundIntracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a disease associated with a high morbidity and mortality and treatment options for the condition are limited. Even though an ICH event usually comes as a surprise to the affected individual, pathogenetic processes often have occurred before the sudden ICH event and may have preceded disease onset by years. It is possible that individuals at increased risk of ICH could be identified using biomarkers, for example markers of hemostasis and fibrinolysis. Even if these biomarkers are not part of the causal chain, they could be used as risk indicators to better define high-risk groups. Another approach could be to measure already established risk markers for ICH, such as self-reported alcohol consumption, using a blood biomarker. That could increase measurement reliability and consequently the accuracy of the estimates of ICH risk.AimsThe aim of this thesis was to investigate potential biomarkers and risk of ICH. Specific aims were to evaluate the associations between factor XII, D-dimer, von Willebrand factor (VWF), ABO blood groups with focus on blood group O, phosphatidylethanol (PEth), and risk of ICH.MethodsIn our first study, aiming to investigate the association between factor XII and risk of hemorrhagic stroke, we followed participants of the health examination northern Sweden MONItoring trends and determinants in CArdiovascular disease (MONICA) performed in 1994 as a cohort until 2011. Factor XII concentrations were measured in blood samples drawn at the baseline health examination where the participants also answered a questionnaire regarding lifestyle factors and medical history. Diagnosis codes from the National Patient Register and the Swedish Cause of Death Register were used to find cases of hemorrhagic stroke, defined as ICH or subarachnoid hemorrhage. In the subsequent studies, the associations between biomarkers (factor XII, D-dimer, VWF, ABO blood groups, and PEth) and risk of ICH were investigated using a matched, nested case-referent design including individuals that had participated in the Västerbotten Intervention Programme, the MONICA and the Mammography Screening Project in 1985–2007. The participants donated blood samples at baseline for future research which were stored at -80 degrees C until biomarker analyses. The majority of the participants also underwent a baseline health examination including a questionnaire. First-ever ICH diagnoses during the study period 1985–2007 were validated using medical records and autopsy reports. To each case, two referents were matched for age, sex, geographical region, health examination date and health examination setting. ResultsIn the cohort study of the association between factor XII concentrations and risk of hemorrhagic stroke, 1,852 participants were included among which 30 experienced a hemorrhagic stroke event. There was an association between high factor XII and risk of hemorrhagic stroke in a multivariable model (hazard ratio 1.51; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03–2.21 per standard deviation [SD] of factor XII). In the case-referent study of the association between factor XII and risk of ICH, 70 cases with ICH and 137 matched referents were included. We found no association between factor XII and risk of ICH in a multivariable model (odds ratio [OR] 1.06; 95% CI 0.57–1.97 per SD of factor XII). The study of the association between D-dimer and risk of ICH included 141 cases and 255 matched referents. We found an association between D-dimer and risk of ICH in a multivariable model (OR 1.36; 95% CI 1.05–1.77 per SD of D-dimer). When stratifying the analysis for time between blood sampling and ICH event in tertiles, the association remained significant in the cases with the shortest time between blood sampling and ICH event in a multivariable model (OR 1.78; 95% CI 1.05–3.05 per SD of D-dimer). The study investigating the association between VWF and risk of ICH included 139 cases and 276 referents. We found no association between VWF and risk of ICH in a multivariable model (OR 0.85; 95% CI 0.54–1.34 per SD of VWF). In the analysis investigating the associations between ABO blood groups and risk of ICH, 162 cases and 317 referents were included. We found no association between blood group O compared to non-O blood groups and risk of ICH (OR 0.96; 95% CI 0.65–1.42). In the study of the association between PEth concentrations and risk of ICH, 97 cases and 180 referents were included. There was an association between PEth concentrations > 0.30 µmol/L compared to < 0.01 µmol/L and risk of ICH in a multivariable model (OR 4.64; 95% CI 1.49–14.40).ConclusionsHigh concentrations of D-dimer and PEth are associated with an increased risk of ICH. Our conclusion of the two studies investigating the association between factor XII and risk of hemorrhagic stroke and ICH respectively is that there is no association between factor XII and risk of ICH. We found no association between VWF or blood group O and risk of ICH.
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| 3. |
- Strömgren, Tobias, 1978-
(författare)
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Model predictions of turbulent gas-particle shear flows
- 2010
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- A turbulent two-phase flow model using kinetic theory of granularflows for the particle phase is developed and implmented in afinite element code. The model can be used for engineeringapplications. However, in this thesis it is used to investigateturbulent gas-particle flows through numerical simulations. The feedback from the particles on the turbulence and the meanflow of the gas in a vertical channel flow is studied. In particular,the influence of the particle response time, particle volumefraction and particle diameter on the preferential concentration ofthe particles near the walls, caused by the turbophoretic effect isexplored. The study shows that when particle feedback is includedthe accumulation of particles near the walls decreases. It is also foundthat even at low volume fractions particles can have a significant impacton the turbulence and the mean flow of the gas. The effect of particles on a developing turbulent vertical upward pipeflow is also studied. The development length is found to substantiallyincrease compared to an unladen flow. To understand what governs thedevelopment length a simple estimation was derived, showing that itincreases with decreasing particle diameters in accordance with themodel simulations. A model for the fluctuating particle velocity in turbulentgas-particle flow is derived using a set of stochastic differentialequations taking into account particle-particle collisions. Themodel shows that the particle fluctuating velocity increases whenparticle-particle collisions become more important and that increasingparticle response times reduces the fluctuating velocity. The modelcan also be used for an expansion of the deterministic model for theparticle kinetic energy.
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| 4. |
- Grigoriev, Igor, 1984-
(författare)
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Turbulence modeling of compressible flows with large density variation
- 2016
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In this study we highlight the influence of mean dilatation and mean density gradient on the Reynolds stress modeling of compressible, heat-releasing and supercritical turbulent flows.Firstly, the modeling of the rapid pressure-strain correlation has been extended to self-consistently account for the influence of mean dilatation.Secondly, an algebraic model for the turbulent density flux has been developed and coupled to the tensor equationfor Reynolds stress anisotropy via a 'local mean acceleration',a generalization of the buoyancy force.We applied the resulting differential Reynolds stress model (DRSM) and the corresponding explicit algebraic Reynolds stress model (EARSM) to homogeneously sheared and compressed or expanded two-dimensional mean flows. Both formulations have shown that our model preserves the realizability of the turbulence, meaning that the Reynolds stresses do not attain unphysical values, unlike earlier approaches. Comparison with rapid distortion theory (RDT) demonstrated that the DRSM captures the essentials of the transient behaviour of the diagonal anisotropies and gives good predictions of the turbulence kinetic energy.A general three-dimensional solution to the coupled EARSM has been formulated. In the case of turbulent flow in de Laval nozzle we investigated the influence of compressibility effects and demonstrated that the different calibrations lead to different turbulence regimes but with retained realizability. We calibrated our EARSM against a DNS of combustion in a wall-jet flow. Correct predictions of turbulent density fluxes have been achieved and essential features of the anisotropy behaviour have been captured.The proposed calibration keeps the model free of singularities for the cases studied. In addition, we have applied the EARSM to the investigation of supercritical carbon dioxide flow in an annulus. The model correctly captured mean enthalpy, temperature and density as well as the turbulence shear stress. Hence, we consider the model as a useful tool for the analysis of a wide range of compressible flows with large density variation.
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| 5. |
- Johansson, Elias, 1984-
(författare)
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Carotid stenosis
- 2011
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Carotid stenosis is one of several causes of ischemic stroke and entails a high risk of ischemic stroke recurrence. Removal of a carotid stenosis by carotid endarterectomy results in a risk reduction for ischemic stroke, but the magnitude of risk reduction depends on several factors. If the delay between the last symptom and carotid endarterectomy is less than 2 weeks, the absolute risk reduction is >10%, regardless of age, sex, or if the degree of carotid stenosis is 50–69% or 70–99%. Thus, speed is the key. However, if many patients suffers an ischemic stroke recurrence within the first 2 weeks of the presenting event, an additional benefit is likely be obtained if carotid endarterectomy is performed even earlier than within 2 week after the presenting event. Carotid endarterectomy for asymptomatic carotid stenoses carries a small risk reduction for stroke. Screening for asymptomatic carotid stenosis requires a prevalence of >5% in the examined population, i.e., higher than in the general population; however, directed screening in groups with a prevalence of >5% is beneficial. The aims of this thesis were to investigate the length of the delay to carotid endarterectomy, determine the risk of recurrent stroke before carotid endarterectomy, and determine if a calcification in the area of the carotid arteries seen on dental panoramic radiographs is a valid selection method for directed ultrasound screening to detect asymptomatic carotid stenosis. Consecutive patients with a symptomatic carotid stenosis who underwent a preoperative evaluation aimed at carotid endarterectomy at Umeå Stroke Centre between January 1, 2004–March 31, 2006 (n=275) were collected retrospectively and between August 1, 2007–December 31, 2009 (n=230) prospectively. In addition, 117 consecutive persons, all preliminarily eligible for asymptomatic carotid endarterectomy and with a calcification in the area of the carotid arteries seen on panoramic radiographs, were prospectively examined with carotid ultrasound. The median delay between the presenting event and carotid endarterectomy was 11.7 weeks in the first half year of 2004, dropped to 6.9 weeks in the first quarter year of 2006, and had dropped to 3.6 weeks in the second half year of 2009. The risk of ipsilateral ischemic stroke recurrence was 4.8% within 2 days, 7.9% within 1 week, and 11.2% within 2 weeks of the presenting event. For patients with a stroke or transient ischemic attack as the presenting event, this risk was 6.0% within 2 days, 9.7% within 1 week, and 14.3% within 2 weeks of the presenting event. For the 10 patients with a near-occlusion, the risk of ipsilateral ischemic stroke recurrence was 50% at 4 weeks after the presenting event. Among the 117 persons with a calcification in the area of the carotid arteries seen on panoramic radiographs, eight had a 50–99% carotid stenosis, equalling a prevalence of 6.8% (not statistically significantly over the pre-specified 5% threshold). Among men, the prevalence of 50–99% carotid stenosis was 12.5%, which was statistically significantly over the pre-specified 5% threshold. In conclusion: The delay to carotid endarterectomy was longer than 2 weeks. Additional benefit is likely to be gained by performing carotid endarterectomy within a few days of the presenting event instead of at 2 weeks because many patients suffer a stroke recurrence within a few days; speed is indeed the key. The finding that near-occlusion entails an early high risk of stroke recurrence stands in sharp contrast to previous studies; one possible explaination is that this was a high-risk period missed in previous studies. The incidental finding of a calcification in the area of the carotid arteries on a panoramic radiograph is a valid indication for carotid ultrasound screening in men who are otherwise eligible for asymptomatic carotid endarterectomy.
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| 6. |
- Lazeroms, Werner
(författare)
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Turbulence modelling applied to the atmospheric boundary layer
- 2015
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Turbulent flows affected by buoyancy lie at the basis of many applications, both within engineering and the atmospheric sciences. A prominent example of such an application is the atmospheric boundary layer, the lowest layer of the atmosphere, in which many physical processes are heavily influenced by both stably stratified and convective turbulent transport. Modelling these turbulent flows correctly, especially in the presence of stable stratification, has proven to be a great challenge and forms an important problem in the context of climate models. In this thesis, we address this issue considering an advanced class of turbulence models, the so-called explicit algebraic models.In the presence of buoyancy forces, a mutual coupling between the Reynolds stresses and the turbulent heat flux exists, which makes it difficult to derive a fully explicit turbulence model. A method to overcome this problem is presented based on earlier studies for cases without buoyancy. Fully explicit and robust models are derived for turbulence in two-dimensional mean flows with buoyancy and shown to give good predictions compared with various data from direct numerical simulations (DNS), most notably in the case of stably stratified turbulent channel flow. Special attention is given to the problem of determining the production-to-dissipation ratio of turbulent kinetic energy, for which the exact equation cannot be solved analytically. A robust approximative method is presented to calculate this quantity, which is important for obtaining a consistent formulation of the model.The turbulence model derived in this way is applied to the atmospheric boundary layer in the form of two idealized test cases. First, we consider a purely stably stratified boundary layer in the context of the well-known GABLS1 study. The model is shown to give good predictions in this case compared to data from large-eddy simulation (LES). The second test case represents a full diurnal cycle containing both stable stratification and convective motions. In this case, the current model yields interesting dynamical features that cannot be captured by simpler models. These results are meant as a first step towards a more thorough investigation of the pros and cons of explicit algebraic models in the context of the atmospheric boundary layer, for which additional LES data are required.
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| 7. |
- Lenaers, Peter, 1980-
(författare)
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A new high-order method for direct numerical simulations of turbulent wall-bounded flows
- 2014
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- A new method to perform direct numerical simulations of wall-bounded flows has been developed and implemented. The method uses high-order compact finite differences in wall-normal (for channel flow) or radial direction (for pipe flow) on a collocated grid, which gives high-accuracy results without the effectfof filtering caused by frequent interpolation as required on a staggered grid. The use of compact finite differences means that extreme clustering near the wall leading to small time steps in high-Reynolds number simulations is avoided. The influence matrix method is used to ensure a completely divergence-freesolution and all systems of equations are solved in banded form, which ensures an effcient solution procedure with low requirements for data storage. The method is unique in the sense that exactly divergence-free solutions on collocated meshes are calculated using arbitrary dffierence matrices.The code is validated for two flow cases, i.e. turbulent channel and turbulent pipe flow at relatively low Reynolds number. All tests show excellent agreement with analytical and existing results, confirming the accuracy and robustness ofthe method. The next step is to eciently parallelise the code so that high-Reynolds number simulations at high resolution can be performed.We furthermore investigated rare events occurring in the near-wall region of turbulent wall-bounded flows. We find that negative streamwise velocities and extreme wall-normal velocity uctuations are found rarely (on the order of 0:01%), and that they occur more frequently at higher Reynolds number. These events are caused by strong vortices lying further away from the wall and it appears that these events are universal for wall-bounded flows.
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| 8. |
- Pouransari, Zeinab, 1982-
(författare)
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Numerical studies of turbulent flames in wall-jet flows
- 2015
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The present thesis deals with the fundamental aspects of turbulent mixing and non-premixed combustion in the wall-jet flow, which has a close resemblance to many industrial applications. Direct numerical simulations (DNS) of turbulent wall-jets with isothermal and exothermic reactions are performed. In the computational domain, fuel and oxidizer enter separately in a nonpremixed manner and the flow is compressible, fully turbulent and subsonic. The triple “turbulence-chemistry-wall” interactions in the wall-jet flow have been addressed first by focusing on turbulent flow effects on the isothermal reaction, and then, by concentrating on heat-release effects on both turbulence and flame characteristics in the exothermic reaction. In the former, the mixing characteristics of the flow, the key statistics for combustion and the near-wall effects in the absence of thermal effects are isolated and studied. In the latter, the main target was to identify the heat-release effects on the different mixing scales of turbulence. Key statistics such as the scalar dissipation rates, time scale ratios, two-point correlations, one and two-dimensional premultiplied spectra are used to illustrate the heat release induced modifications. Finer small mixing scales were observed in the isothermal simulations and larger vortical structures formed after adding significant amounts of heat-release. A deeper insight into the heat release effects on three-dimensional mixing and reaction characteristics of the turbulent wall-jet flow has been gained by digging in different scales of DNS datasets. In particular, attention has been paid to the anisotropy levels and intermittency of the flow by investigating the probability density functions, higher order moments of velocities and reacting scalars and anisotropy invariant maps for different reacting cases. To evaluate and isolate the Damkohler number effects on the reaction zone structure from those of the heat release a comparison between two DNS cases with different Damkohler numbers but a comparable temperature rise is performed. Furthermore, the wall effects on the flame and flow characteristics, for instance, the wall heat transfer; the near-wall combustion effects on the skin-friction, the isothermal wall cooling effects on the average burning rates and the possibility of formation of the premixed mode within the non-premixed flame are addressed. The DNS datasets are also used for a priori analysis, focused on the heat release effects on the subgrid-scale (SGS) statistics. The findings regarding the turbulence small-scale characteristics, gained through the statistical analysis of the flow have many phenomenological parallels with those concerning the SGS statistics. Finally, a DNS of turbulent reacting wall-jet at a substantially higher Reynolds number is performed in order to extend the applicability range for the conclusions of the present study and figuring out the possible differences.
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| 9. |
- Rasam, Amin
(författare)
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Anisotropy-resolving subgrid-scale modelling using explicit algebraic closures for large eddy simulation
- 2014
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The present thesis deals with the development and performance analysis ofanisotropy-resolving models for the small, unresolved scales (”sub-grid scales”,SGS) in large eddy simulation (LES). The models are characterised by a descriptionof anisotropy by use of explicit algebraic models for both the subgridscale(SGS) stress tensor (EASSM) and SGS scalar flux vector (EASSFM). Extensiveanalysis of the performance of the explicit algebraic SGS stress model(EASSM) has been performed and comparisons made with the conventionalisotropic dynamic eddy viscosity model (DEVM). The studies include LES ofplane channel flow at relatively high Reynolds numbers and a wide range ofresolutions and LES of separated flow in a channel with streamwise periodichill-shaped constrictions (periodic hill flow) at coarse resolutions. The formersimulations were carried out with a pseudo-spectral Navier–Stokes solver, whilethe latter simulations were computed with a second-order, finite-volume basedsolver for unstructured grids. The LESs of channel flow demonstrate that theEASSM gives a good description of the SGS anisotropy, which in turn gives ahigh degree of resolution independence, contrary to the behaviour of LES predictionsusing the DEVM. LESs of periodic hill flow showed that the EASSMalso for this case gives significantly better flow predictions than the DEVM.In particular, the reattachment point was much better predicted with the EASSMand reasonably well predicted even at very coarse resolutions, where theDEVM is unable to predict a proper flow separation.The explicit algebraic SGS scalar flux model (EASSFM) is developed toimprove LES predictions of complex anisotropic flows with turbulent heat ormass transfer, and can be described as a nonlinear tensor eddy diffusivity model.It was tested in combination with the EASSM for the SGS stresses, and itsperformance was compared to the conventional dynamic eddy diffusivity model(DEDM) in channel flow with and without system rotation in the wall-normaldirection. EASSM and EASSFM gave predictions of high accuracy for meanvelocity and mean scalar fields, as well as stresses and scalar flux components.An extension of the EASSM and EASSFM, based on stochastic differentialequations of Langevin type, gave further improvements. In contrast to conventionalmodels, these extended models are able to describe intermittent transferof energy from the small, unresolved scales, to the resolved large ones.The present study shows that the EASSM/EASSFM gives a clear improvementof LES of wall-bounded flows in simple, as well as in complex geometriesin comparison with simpler SGS models. This is also shown to hold for a widerange of resolutions and is particularly accentuated for coarse resolution. The advantages are also demonstrated both for high-order numerical schemes andfor solvers using low-order finite volume methods. The models therefore havea clear potential for more applied computational fluid mechanics.
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| 10. |
- Rasam, Amin, 1979-
(författare)
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Explicit algebraic subgrid-scale stress and passive scalar flux modeling in large eddy simulation
- 2011
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The present thesis deals with a number of challenges in the field of large eddy simulation (LES). These include the performance of subgrid-scale (SGS) models at fairly high Reynolds numbers and coarse resolutions, passive scalar and stochastic modeling in LES. The fully-developed turbulent channel flow is used as the test case for these investigations. The advantage of this particular test case is that highly accurate pseudo-spectral methods can be used for the discretization of the governing equations. In the absence of discretization errors, a better understanding of the subgrid-scale model performance can be achieved. Moreover, the turbulent channel flow is a challenging test case for LES, since it shares some of the common important features of all wall-bounded turbulent flows. Most commonly used eddy-viscosity-type models are suitable for moderately to highly-resolved LES cases, where the unresolved scales are approximately isotropic. However, this makes simulations of high Reynolds number wall-bounded flows computationally expensive. In contrast, explicit algebraic (EA) model takes into account the anisotropy of SGS motions and performs well in predicting the flow statistics in coarse-grid LES cases. Therefore, LES of high Reynolds number wall-bounded flows can be performed at much lower number of grid points in comparison with other models. A demonstration of the resolution requirements for the EA model in comparison with the dynamic Smagorinsky and its high-pass filtered version for a fairly high Reynolds number is given in this thesis. One of the shortcomings of the commonly used eddy diffusivity model arises from its assumption of alignment of the SGS scalar flux vector with the resolved scalar gradients. However, better SGS scalar flux models that overcome this issue are very few. Using the same methodology that led to the EA SGS stress model, a new explicit algebraic SGS scalar flux model is developed, which allows the SGS scalar fluxes to be partially independent of the resolved scalar gradient. The model predictions are verified and found to improve the scalar statistics in comparison with the eddy diffusivity model. The intermittent nature of energy transfer between the large and small scales of turbulence is often not fully taken into account in the formulation of SGS models both for velocity and scalar. Using the Langevin stochastic differential equation, the EA models are extended to incorporate random variations in their predictions which lead to a reasonable amount of backscatter of energy from the SGS to the resolved scales. The stochastic EA models improve the predictions of the SGS dissipation by decreasing its length scale and improving the shape of its probability density function.
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